Researchers at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, with funding from the New Jersey State Policy Lab, are currently engaged in a project to examine how New Jersey’s public Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives can better align with the evolving needs of small businesses in the state. Research Project Assistant Lily McFarland outlines early findings from the project in a new blog post.
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“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Jimmy Green and Jackie Burke
Listen to the latest episode of the Heldrich Center’s Work Trends RU podcast, featuring featuring Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Dr. Fichtner discusses the role New Jersey’s 18 community colleges play in expanding access to higher education, developing a skilled workforce, and meeting the evolving needs of students, employers, and local communities.
Princeton Democrats Take a Close Look at 17 Candidates Hoping to Succeed Bonnie Watson Coleman – and the Winner Is . . .
Elections and ballet reform advocate Julia Sass Rubin, associate dean of Academic Programs at the Bloustein School, Rutgers University, noted that “tonight’s forum in terms of the health of democracy was very exciting. It is incredible that we have 17 candidates. We do not know yet if each candidate will get the number of petition signers to qualify for a position on the ballot, but still the interest is awesome,”
State Planning Commission Adopts NJ State Plan, Needs Assessments
The New Jersey State Planning Commission has adopted an updated State Plan, along with a new Impact Assessment and Infrastructure Needs Assessment, marking the first comprehensive update since 2001. The Plan will guide coordinated state and local decision-making on land use, transportation, housing, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.
New Jersey Target Zero Commission Adopts Action Plan
On Monday, December 15, 2025, the New Jersey Target Zero Commission officially adopted the first New Jersey Target Zero Action Plan, reaching a major milestone in the State’s goal to eliminate all roadway fatalities and serious injuries in the state by 2040. The New Jersey Target Zero Action Plan is now publicly accessible via the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Target Zero Webpage.
Could 17-year-old voters swing a congressional seat in NJ? Here’s how
“New Jersey is a state whose politics are controlled by political machines, and they like to know who’s going to vote,” Julia Sass Rubin said. “And the primary is the most important election in New Jersey, because we don’t have very competitive general elections for the most part.”
In a State Notorious for Scandal, Corruption Fighters Are Targeted
“It was an earthquake that definitely left cracks in the wall,” said Julia Sass Rubin, an associate dean at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. “But the wall is still there, for now.”
“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D.
Listen to the latest episode of the Heldrich Center’s Work Trends RU podcast, featuring featuring Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Dr. Fichtner discusses the role New Jersey’s 18 community colleges play in expanding access to higher education, developing a skilled workforce, and meeting the evolving needs of students, employers, and local communities.
“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D.
Listen to the latest episode of the Heldrich Center’s Work Trends RU podcast, featuring featuring Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Dr. Fichtner discusses the role New Jersey’s 18 community colleges play in expanding access to higher education, developing a skilled workforce, and meeting the evolving needs of students, employers, and local communities.
Listing candidates twice on NYC ballot is part of fusion voting
Any votes for a candidate, regardless of the party line the vote is cast under, counts toward that candidate’s total. “Although candidates may appear on more than one party’s line, voters can only vote for them once,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a Rutgers University public policy professor.
