Richard Florida, senior editor for The Atlantic, to present Bloustein School’s graduate convocation keynote

May 9, 2014

As part of Rutgers University’s 248th anniversary commencement ceremonies, the Bloustein School will be holding the 11th Convocation celebration of the graduate program on Saturday, May 17 at 3 p.m. at the Nicholas Music Center, Douglass Campus, New Brunswick, NJ. Dean James W. Hughes will confer 66 Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) degrees, 10 Master of City and Regional Studies (MCRS) degrees, 21 Master of Public Policy (MPP) degrees, four Master of Public Affairs and Politics (MPAP) degrees, and seven Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Planning and Public Policy degrees.

The convocation keynote address will be given by Richard Florida, director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, founder of the Creative Class Group and senior editor for The Atlantic.

Considered the world’s leading urbanist, “as close to a household name as it is possible for an urban theorist to be in America,” according to The Economist,  Esquire has included Florida on its annual list of “The Best and the Brightest,” and Fast Company dubbed him an “intellectual rock star.” MIT Technology Review recently named him one of the world’s most influential thinkers. GDI also named him one of the world’s global thought leaders of 2013.

Florida is the author of several global best sellers, including the award-winningThe Rise of the Creative Class (“one of the best business books of all time”—800-CEO-READ), and is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he co-founded and serves as editor-at-large for Atlantic Cities, the world’s leading media site devoted to cities and urban affairs. Florida appears regularly on CNN and other news broadcasts and is a regular contributor to the op ed pages of major newspapers and magazines. TIME magazine recognized his Twitter feed as one of the 140 most influential in the world.

Also a Global Research Professor at New York University, Florida previously taught at Carnegie Mellon and George Mason universities, and has been a visiting professor at Harvard and MIT. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University (RC ’79) and his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

This event is open to Bloustein School master’s and doctoral degree candidates and their invited guests.

Recent Posts

Dan Kennedy (MCRP ’07): CRE Roadmap for Next Governor

As New Jersey prepares to elect its next governor, NAIOP NJ, the commercial real estate development association, has published a comprehensive roadmap for economic revitalization and sustainable development for the consideration of both candidates for governor. As a...

“Work Trends RU” Podcast with WorkingNation’s Jane Oates

This week's guest on the Heldrich Center's Work Trends RU podcast is Jane Oates, Senior Policy Advisor at WorkingNation. She and Dr. Carl Van Horn discuss WorkingNation’s mission, objectives, and accomplishments; the power of digital storytelling; the challenges of...

Zhang et al. Study Street-View Greenspace and Exercise

GPS-based street-view greenspace exposure and wearable assessed physical activity in a prospective cohort of US women Abstract Background Increasing evidence positively links greenspace and physical activity (PA). However, most studies use measures of greenspace, such...

NJSPL: Some College, No Credential Population in NJ

Overview of the Some College, No Credential Population and Educational Outcomes in New Jersey, 2023–2024 New Jersey State Policy Lab Supporting New Jersey residents in returning to college after leaving without a credential has been an increasing focus of the state’s...

Loh and Noland Explore Public Charging Station Disparities

Equal charging for all: Are there income-based disparities in public charging stations? Abstract We compare charging station accessibility for different income groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. Using a microsimulation model, we estimate charging station...