News
“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.
Dr. O’Brien-Richardson Wins Cultural Impact and Empowerment Award
The Trauma Recovery and Prevention Alliance held their 1st Annual “Unmask the Silence” Fundraising Masquerade Gala at the end of October to pay tribute to those who turn pain into purpose and advocacy into action. This year’s award recipients included Dr. Patti O’Brien-Richardson, selected for her passionate advocacy in health equity, women’s empowerment, and cultural wellness, inspiring others to live with intention and purpose.
EJB Talks: Uncovering Inequality Through Design
Assistant Professor Carmelo Ignaccolo explains how, in both his research and teaching, he has focused on how design has had the power to shape inequality over time, showing how decisions such as highway placement or waterfront redevelopment leave long-lasting impacts on communities.
New Jersey is Now in a Recession and it May Get Worse, Moody’s Analyst Says
“We may start seeing signs of a recession, but that doesn’t mean we’re in a recession. The economy is constantly flowing, changing. I don’t see us at the moment being in recession. But there clearly is potential for that,” Pfeiffer said.
Report: New Jersey’s Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms
The STAP was charged with identifying, evaluating, and summarizing the most current science on sea-level change (i.e., historic sea-level rise and projections of future sea-level rise) and changing coastal storms. The 17 expert members of the STAP convened between November 2024 and September 2025 to draft this report and revise it in response to independent review by four peer experts and feedback on its usability from a panel of practitioners.
Stamato Commentary: Smart Governing in a Divided StateSmart Governing in a Divided State
Process matters. And the results produced are more likely to attract the support and the investment that are needed to carry the best ideas forward when those who are asked, or volunteer to participate, trust the process. The governor has her work cut out for her. And so do we.
Does America Have a Talent Shortage?
Hal Salzman, an expert in workforce development at Rutgers University, said he found Trump’s statements “puzzling” given his administration’s efforts to make temporary visas for both workers and students more exclusive, but said there was “no evidence of a talent shortage” in the U.S.
Ralph: Public Support for Automated Speed Enforcement
A survey experiment reveals that a brief safety message increases support among those who initially underestimated the dangers of speed. Scholars should employ relative scales and practitioners should emphasize the risks of speed.
Bhuyan: Congress must extend the ACA subsidies or expect a crisis in N.J.
“New Jersey has spent years building a promise: all its residents should have access to affordable healthcare, regardless of income or zip code. That promise depends on Congress extending the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced subsidies.”
Bloustein School Joins National Service to Service Initiative
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University–New Brunswick is pleased to announce its participation in Service to Service, a national initiative led by the Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans and Military Families. The program connects veterans and military families with public service education pathways, helping them transition into impactful careers in public leadership.
Katie Brennan (MCRP ’12) Wins LD-32 Election for Jersey City
Katie Brennan (MCRP ’12) Wins LD-32 Election for Jersey City
Passaic County was key to Mikie Sherrill’s NJ landslide. How Dems won it back from Trump
Democrats learned from 2024’s stumbles and engaged with voters across the state, he said. The party carried all five New Jersey counties that Trump won last year.
“They figured it out,” Pfeiffer said. “They set their strategy and then executed it.”