The Bloustein School is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Dr. Michael Smart to Professor and Dr. Nicholas Longo, Director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab, on appointment and tenure as a Professor in the Bloustein School.
“I am thrilled to recognize these promotions, which speak to the dedication and excellence our faculty bring to the Bloustein School every day,” said Dean Stuart Shapiro. “Their commitment to both their students and their scholarship strengthens our community and elevates everything we do here. Please join me in congratulating our colleagues.”
 Michael Smart, Ph.D. |
Dr. Michael Smart’s research interests include the influence of social and spatial phenomena on individuals’ transportation decisions, with a particular interest in built-environment effects on alternative modes of travel, such as biking and walking. Dr. Smart’s current research explores the ways in which social networks embedded in particular neighborhoods of affinity—such as immigrant neighborhoods and gay and lesbian neighborhoods—influence the activity patterns of those who live in those neighborhoods. His work has examined the extent to which immigrant neighborhoods across the country function as “cities-within-cities,” and developed novel techniques for describing the inward- or outward-focus of neighborhoods. |
 Dr. Nicholas V. Longo |
Nicholas V. Longo is the inaugural director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab, which was created in 2025 at the Eagleton Institute of Politics with a singular mission: to strengthen American democracy. He is also a professor in the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Nick is an advisory board member for College Unbound, a college working to re-invent higher education for returning adult learners, where he also teaches in the prison education program. Nick is author of a number of books, articles, and reports on civic education, deliberative dialogue, youth civic engagement, and community-based learning.
“My research agenda has been almost entirely collaborative; so this appointment is the result of the many friends, colleagues, and co-conspirators I’ve had the pleasure of learning with over the past few decades. I look forward to continuing to co-create with you all in the years ahead!!” |