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.
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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
‘Was it all smoke and mirrors?’: How adult children are affected by grey divorce
Divorce in later life is becoming more common – and scientists are beginning to explore the surprisingly deep impact this can have on adult children and their relationships. Divorce is greying. The US has one of the highest divorce rates in the world, even though...
Prof. Cantor Receives Chancellor’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Joel Cantor received the 2025 Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award from Rutgers Health Office of the Chancellor. The award is given for a sustained and distinguished lifetime record of achievement in one or more of the Rutgers Health mission areas...
Does new NJ law allow school districts to bypass voter approval on capital projects?
A new state law that allows school districts to bypass voter approval to spend money on large-scale capital improvement projects via referendums will soon be used in Passaic County. The law allows districts to borrow funds through their county improvement authorities...
Assessing Pedestrian Stress with Biometrics & Surveys
Assessing pedestrian stress with biometric sensing and survey responses Abstract Recent advances in biometric sensing technologies, such as eye tracking, heart rate trackers, and galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors, offer new opportunities to measure pedestrian...
NJ job market ‘stalled’ by layoffs, weak hiring
Good news is hard to find in the job market lately. The list of New Jersey firms dispensing pink slips by the dozens includes Big Pharma, as well as big finance and big retailers. And many workers in all kinds of jobs — from construction to manufacturing and fintech —...
Upcoming Events
Virtual Career Drop-ins for Graduate Students
VirtualBloustein graduate students can meet with Career Development Specialists Andrea Garrido or Cheryl Egan for up to 15 minutes to answer any career/internship related questions URL: https://go.rutgers.edu/EJBcareerdropin
Virtual Information Session: Master of City and Regional Planning
VirtualYou are cordially invited to join us at this virtual informational session for the Rutgers - Bloustein School's Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) program during the Fall 2025 […]
PhD Colloquium: How to navigate one-on-one meetings on a job interview
Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesPresented by Irina Grafova, Associate Professor