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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EJB Talks New Faculty Spotlight: Mark Paul and The Ends of Freedom
Dean Stuart Shapiro talks to Mark Paul, assistant professor and author of the recently released book, The Ends of Freedom. Mark discusses his journey into economics and environmental policy, economic rights, decarbonizing the economy, transitioning to renewable energy, and much more.
EJB Talks Season Finale: The Return of Not Normal – A Political Check-In with Stuart Shapiro
Wrapping up season 8 with Dean Shapiro’s take on President Trump’s indictment and his early thoughts on the 2024 election.
EJB Talks New Faculty Spotlight: From SARS to HIV – Inspiring a Career in Public Health
Assistant Professor Yen-Tyng Chen talks about how the SARS outbreak personally impacted her interest in public health, and shares how her experiences during her Ph.D. studies inspired her personal and intellectual interests in how race and built environments have huge impacts on health disparities.
EJB Talks New Faculty Spotlight: The Importance of Municipal Bonds and the Roles They Play
New faculty member Ruth Winecoff talks about the inspiration behind her research on municipal bonds, and the important role they play in our country, particularly for our towns and municipalities.
EJB Talks New Faculty Spotlight: Saving a Limb – How Health Economics can Shape Medical Treatment
In addition to discussing his interests in health policy and health services research, Derek DeLia explains how access to better medical care, better patient care, and better treatment options are possible through medical treatment incentives.
EJB Talks New Faculty Spotlight: Administration Matters – How Bureaucracies Can Help Solve Water Issues in the Global South
With the right tools, planners and policymakers can make a difference by addressing and working towards solving issues.
EJB Talks New Faculty Spotlight: Biostatistician, Health Policy Researcher, and Douglass Alum
In addition to discussing the inspiration for her path to an academic career in public health and biostatistics. Shar Williams shares the research she has done in areas of depression, anxiety, suicide, and PTSD, and the findings that show exposure to discrimination and socio-economic disadvantages impact health outcomes.
EJB Talks: Public Informatics Spotlight–from Data Analytics to Artificial Intelligence Impacts
Public Informatics Program director Jim Samuel talks about his path to studying the Big Data phenomenon, the future of informatics and artificial intelligence, and what the arrival of Chat GPT means for society.
EJB Talks: From Nurse to Policy Professional to Health Administration Program Director
Director of Health Administration and Professor Ellen Kurtzman talks about her career path from nurse to health policy educator and speaks about the commonalities in the fields she has worked in.
EJB Talks Alumni Spotlight: More than Making the Trains Run on Time–A Bloustein Alumna at Amtrak
Urban planning alum Gretchen Minneman Kostura MCRP ’07 talks about her journey from a student focused on community development to her professional work in transportation, currently working for the CEO and President of Amtrak.
News
TECH UPDATES: Essential Technology Questions (and Answers) for Decision-Makers
By Marc Pfeiffer (Published December 1, 2025 at ICMA.org) Practical technology guidance to improve digital services, manage IT infrastructure, comply with regulations, and adopt emerging technologies responsibly This column was written to address questions that...
Decision on major contract for Route 17 project shrouded in mystery
After HNTB Corp. earned the highest score on a bid to perform engineering services on a complex and lucrative contract for the long-awaited Route 17 widening project in several Bergen County towns, the state Department of Transportation announced the firm won the...
Adrian Ponichtera is recipient of Ververides Scholarship
Adrian Ponichtera (MCRP '26) is the recipient of the New Jersey County Planners Association's George Ververides Honorary Scholarship. The scholarship is open to New Jersey residents entering their third or fourth year of undergraduate study or advanced degrees at a...
Bhuyan & Broom Publish New Healthcare Management Textbook
Soumitra Bhuyan, Executive Director of Health Administration Programs and Associate Professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is the co-editor of a new textbook Fundamentals of Healthcare...
BEAT Students Participate in PATH Track Tunnel Tour
Graduate and undergraduate students who are part of the student group Bloustein Enthusiasts and Advocates for Transportation (BEAT) took part in an exclusive after-hours PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) tour on Thursday, November 20 through Friday, November 21. The...