EJB Talks
Join our faculty and staff experts, as well as some of our alumni and students, as we talk about topics within the disciplines of public policy, urban planning, public health, health administration, and informatics.
Listen
From Public Health Research to Real-World Impact
This week on EJB Talks we talk to Melinda Rushing, a new faculty member in the school’s health administration program, and her winding journey from social work to public health and how her passion for research, particularly around sickle cell disease and healthcare access, shaped her academic journey.
Inside, Outside, & In Between: Leading In Government
This week on EJB Talks, Bloustein School Young Alumni honoree and Advisory Board Member Sara Meyers MPP ’09 shares her unconventional path into public policy, beginning with a background in music and German before being inspired by political events to pursue change from within government.
Clint Andrews–The Critical Role of University Research
This week on EJB Talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro speaks with Bloustein School alumna and Bloustein Advisory Board member, Leah Furey Bruder, MCRP ’06 about her journey into urban planning and her experiences working in municipal and redevelopment planning. Leah explains how her background in international studies shifted to local planning after working on community development in Camden, NJ. She discusses her work in Cherry Hill, her time as an in-house municipal planner in Evesham Township, and her decision to start her own firm to focus on impactful projects.
Leah Furey Bruder–Community Centered Urban Planning
This week on EJB Talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro speaks with Bloustein School alumna and Bloustein Advisory Board member, Leah Furey Bruder, MCRP ’06 about her journey into urban planning and her experiences working in municipal and redevelopment planning. Leah explains how her background in international studies shifted to local planning after working on community development in Camden, NJ. She discusses her work in Cherry Hill, her time as an in-house municipal planner in Evesham Township, and her decision to start her own firm to focus on impactful projects.
Healthcare, Policy, and the Opioid Crisis: Bridging Gaps in Access
This week on EJB Talks Assistant Professor Zoe Lindenfeld talks to Dean Stuart Shapiro about her research on substance use disorders, particularly the opioid crisis, and its ties to healthcare access and policy. She explains how her interest in the field was sparked by the opioid epidemic’s emergence as a public health crisis.
Navigating New Jersey’s Economic Outlook
In our first episode of EJB Talks for 2025, Stuart Shapiro and Will Irving discuss Will’s current role with the Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON) as well as the latest economic forecast for New Jersey, which predicts a sharper economic slowdown compared to the national trend.
“Rutgers Then and Now:” A Discussion with the Authors
Stuart Shapiro discusses the new book by University Professor and Bloustein School Dean Emeritus James W. Hughes and Distinguished Professor David Listokin, “Rutgers Then and Now.” If you missed the book release event held on Thursday, December 12, this podcast is your chance to hear more about the events that led to the creation of the book.
The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon
As a former New Jersey legislator and BPU Commissioner, Stuart Shapiro asks Senior Policy Fellow Bob Gordon about his path to public service. Bob talks about his early days as a policy analyst and how he discovered he wanted to be less behind the scenes and move into the policymaking side.
Election Aftermath: The Path Forward for Democracy
In a special post-election episode of EJB Talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro and Elizabeth Matto, Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, offer post-election insights on the impact of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential win.
Communicating Environmental Issues to the Public
Alumnus Kati Angarone RU ’98, MPAP ’04, discusses her career journey from studying natural resource management to her pivotal roles at NJDEP, including her work on climate policy, watershed and land management, and local environmental initiatives.
News
She reviewed a Tampa restaurant on Yelp. Then came a lawsuit.
The legal battle illustrates the fragile relationship between chefs and restaurant owners and the people they serve. In December 2023, Irene Eng sat down for dinner at Hales Blackbrick, a popular spot off Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa specializing in "seasonal New...
“Work Trends RU” Podcast with First Lady Tammy Murphy
In the latest episode of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development's new podcast series, "Work Trends RU," Tammy Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey, discusses her leadership in maternal and infant health in New Jersey, the impacts of the Nurture NJ and Family...
NJSPL: Chatbot for NJ SNAP Services
Working Toward an Equitable Chatbot for NJ SNAP Services New Jersey State Policy Lab, Vignesh Krishnan, Yonaira Rivera, Vivek Singh In New Jersey, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) services are vital for supporting food security among low-income...
Some Studies Challenge Long-Held Views on Rent Control
As rents soar across California and housing affordability slips further out of reach for millions, an intensifying debate over rent control is being fueled by a growing stack of academic research. For decades, real estate interests and conservative economists have...
TECH UPDATES: “Hey AI, Write a Report on Innovation in Local Government”
By Marc Pfeiffer (Published June 1, 2025 at ICMA.org) A gamechanger for local governments, tasking an AI chatbot with research and writing projects saves you time and trouble, at least for the first draft. The original plan for this month’s article was to write about...
Upcoming Events
Virtual Information Session: Doctor of Health Administration
VirtualYou are invited to join us at one our upcoming spring 2025 virtual informational sessions to learn more about the new Doctor of Health Administration (MHA) degree offered by the […]
2025 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference
VirtualConvening virtually on June 11–12, and in person at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick on June 13. New Jersey Future and New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association are proud to present […]
The Morning After
VirtualOnce again, Eagleton is pleased to present The Morning After, our popular post-election panel discussion focused on the nation’s and New Jersey’s most important primaries. On June 11, our panel will analyze the […]