News
How jittery are NJ lawmakers about ballot design?
“Do you want a horrible ballot, or do you just want a terrible ballot, I guess is what you’re asking me,” Rubin replied to Barlas. “I would say, let’s go for a fair ballot.”
NJSPL Blog: SNAP Websites’ Chatbot Services
Only 11 out of 56 state sites featured chatbots, with just four offering Spanish support.
SRTS Report: Bicycle and Pedestrian Involved Crashes in NJ
Pedestrians and cyclists face a higher risk of severe injury or death in crashes compared to motorists. In New Jersey, there were nearly 6,000 crashes that involved pedestrians and cyclists under the age of 18 years old between 2016 and 2020.
Two MCRP Alumni Earn Planning Excellence Awards
The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA New Jersey) has announced the recipients of the 2024 Planning Excellence Awards, and two Bloustein School alumni are recipients. Courtenay Mercer AICP, PP (BA ’01, MCRP ‘ 02) was selected as the Budd Chavooshian Award for Outstanding Professional Planner and Alexander Dougherty, AICP, PP (MCRP ’19) as the Distinguished Emerging Planner.
NJ’s ballot design: What’s fair for all?
“Anything that’s not a clean ballot in terms of just a list of candidates in an office block style — nothing differentiating them — is not ideal,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a Rutgers associate professor who has done extensive research on the ballot design’s impact.
Members of the public chime in on lawmakers’ push to redesign ballots
“I think it’s still a very unfair ballot,” Rubin said. “I would say let’s go for a fair ballot.”
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.
Heldrich Report: Examining Student Outmigration in NJ
The New Jersey Statewide Data System (NJSDS), formerly the New Jersey Education to Earnings Data System (NJEEDS), is the State of New Jersey’s centralized longitudinal data system for public administrative data.
NJ Commute Relief May Hinge on US Election With Funds in Limbo
“The ball is really in Amtrak’s court,” said Michael Smart, associate professor of urban planning at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
Tech Updates: Essential Technology Budgeting
Without a usable plan, you can’t manage your agency’s technology needs, resources, and risks. How you develop this plan depends on your specific circumstances, but it should balance spending, available time and effort, and competing priorities.
NJSPL Blog: Who Attends Virtual Schwartz Rounds?
Irina Grafova and colleagues launched two surveys about Virtual Schwartz Rounds, a program offered by the New Jersey Nursing Well-Being Institute to connect with their peers for emotional support.
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.












