Bloustein School launches Trenton Public Policy Lecture Series

March 14, 2018

The Bloustein School, in cooperation with the New Jersey Legislature Office of Legislative Services, is launching a public policy lecture series that will bring the school’s academic experts to the New Jersey State House for a series of discussions on compelling public policy issues facing the state.

“The Bloustein School has provided over two decades of academic excellence and service to the public and private sectors of the state, region, and nation,” said Distinguished Professor and Interim Dean Michael R. Greenberg. “In the school’s early years, our faculty and staff were invited to the state capital for monthly seminars in order to share their expertise with policy makers, administrators and analysts. We are confident that this revitalized lecture series focusing on topics of specific interest to members of the legislature can inform better public policy decision-making.”

Speakers will discuss their research and practice in areas including the future of transportation, health care and the Affordable Care Act, infrastructure and urban planning, workforce development, economic trends in the region, and challenges and issues facings our local governments, and how best to address these issues in order to improve both the state and the lives of its residents.

The series will kick off on Tuesday, March 20 with “Fiscal Challenges Facing New Jersey’s Local Governments.” Experts will provide an overview of New Jersey local government structure and finance, the state’s property tax system, and the role of state government in overseeing and providing financial support to local governments.  Henry Coleman, professor of public policy; Richard Keevey, senior policy fellow; and Marc Pfeiffer, senior policy fellow and director of the Bloustein Local Government Research Center will participate.

Later in the week Michael Greenberg and Dona Schneider, Professor and Associate Dean of Programs, will discuss “Urban Planning, Public Health and Redevelopment,” on Friday, March 23. This discussion will include an overview of the connections between community planning, public health, redevelopment and the legacy of de-industrialization in New Jersey.

All discussions are open to the public and will take place from 10:00-11:30 a.m. in Committee Room 16  on the 4th floor of the State House Annex. For directions to the State House Annex, click here.

The full schedule of events is included below. Click on the link for each event for the flyer with more information.

MARCH 20, 2018
Fiscal Challenges Facing New Jersey’s Local Governments (PDF)
Henry Coleman, Ph.D.; Professor, Bloustein School
Richard Keevey; Senior Policy Fellow, Bloustein School
Marc Pfeiffer; Assistant Director, Bloustein Local Government Research Center

MARCH 23, 2018
Urban Planning, Public Health & Redevelopment (PDF)
Michael Greenberg, Ph.D.; Distinguished Professor and Interim Dean, Bloustein School
Dona Schneider, Ph.D.; Professor and Associate Dean for Programs, Bloustein School

MARCH 27, 2018
The Future of Transportation: What to Expect in New Jersey
Karen Alexander; Managing Director, New Jersey Travel Independence Program, Bloustein School\
Jon Carnegie, AICP/PP; Executive Director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Bloustein School
Kelcie Ralph, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor, Bloustein School

APRIL 6, 2018
What Do Changes in the Affordable Care Act Mean for New Jersey?
Joel Cantor, Sc.D.; Distinguished Professor and Director, Center for State Health Policy
Sophia Jones, Ph.D., MBA; Faculty, Bloustein School
Betsy Ryan, Esq.; Senior Policy Fellow, Bloustein School

APRIL 10, 2018
Policy Options to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in New Jersey
Frank Felder, Ph.D.; Director, Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental Policy, Bloustein School
Jeanne Herb; Associate Director, Bloustein School
Marjorie Kaplan, Dr.PH.; Associate Director, Rutgers Climate Institute
Robert Kopp, Ph.D.; Professor, Earth & Planetary Science; Director, Institute of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences

APRIL 13, 2018
An Overview of the Region’s Economic Outlook
James W. Hughes, Ph.D.; University Professor and Dean Emeritus, Bloustein School
Will Irving; Research Associate, Bloustein School
Michael Lahr, Ph.D.; Research Professor and Director Rutgers Economic Advisory Service, Bloustein School

APRIL 17, 2018
An Analysis and Discussion of the Cost, Size, and Structure of Local Government in New Jersey
Raphael Caprio, Ph.D.; University Professor and Director, Bloustein Center for Local Government Research
Marc Pfeiffer; Assistant Director, Bloustein Local Government Research Center

APRIL 24, 2018
Workforce Development and Labor Trends in New Jersey
Carl Van Horn, Ph.D.; Distinguished Professor and Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Bloustein School

APRIL 27, 2018
Advancing Health in all Policies in New Jersey
Michael Greenberg, Ph.D.; Distinguished Professor and Interim Dean, Bloustein School
Richard Jackson, M.D., MPH; Professor Emeritus, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California and Visiting Scholar, Rutgers Bloustein School

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