Rutgers Bloustein School

The year 2024 was the warmest on record globally and the second warmest year on record in New Jersey. Read the State of the Climate: New Jersey 2024 report, authored in part by three CUPR researchers: bloustein.rutgers.edu/new-report-s...

Trump’s firing of BLS official casts shadow on federal data gathering Donald Trump isn’t the first president to struggle over official data, with agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But trustworthy data is vital for financial markets, and the firing of BLS chi...

Trump called the BLS numbers “rigged” and fired McEntarfer. Dean @stuartshapiroblou.bsky.social said, “The Trump administration … has made no secret about its desire to get rid of people who are trained in their jobs if they are not loyal to the current president. www.csmonitor.com/Business/202...

Pedaling Toward Access: How E-Bikes Could Bridge the Healthcare Gap - New Jersey State Policy Lab Imagine needing medical care but being sidelined by the simple fact that you can’t get to your provider. In New Jersey, and across the U.S., accessing healthcare and wellness support is anything but s...

This newest blog post, written by Yingning Xie for the NJ State Policy Lab @policylab.bsky.social, argues that e-bikes offer a promising alternative solution for individuals to access #healthcare more easily, including reaching preferred providers. policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

📣The latest R/ECON report for summer 2025 is now available! 📰📈 policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

A digital city on a serving tray

Dr. Will Payne @willbpayne.bsky.social and colleagues published a new article in JPER titled "Digital Twin or Digital Kin: Misunderstandings and Myths about Urban Simulation, and Directions for Change." journals.sagepub.com/eprint/RDXWS...

On July 29, 2025, Professor Clint Andrews received the IEEE PES Robert Noberini Distinguished Contributions to Power Engineering Professionalism Award. The award honors long-term dedicated effort and outstanding accomplishments in advancing the aims of IEEE professional activities.

A new report from the New Jersey Statewide Data System examines the effect of the NJ Tuition Aid Grant program on college graduation. Researchers from the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development analyzed the impact of financial aid on student success. Read the report at go.rutgers.edu/rskwf51p

Child Well-Being in New Jersey: Insights from National and Post-Pandemic Data - New Jersey State Policy Lab The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its 36th Kids Count Data Book, providing updated insights into the well-being of children in New Jersey and across the nation[1]. The report assesses child w...

New Jersey has ranked 7th in the nation for overall child well-being. The @njpolicylab.bsky.social, using data from @annieecaseyfdn.bsky.social, found #NJ ranks near the top nationwide in Education (2nd) and Health (6th). Read the full report: policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

The New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP) announced Elizabeth (Libby) Vinson (MPAP '02) as its new Chief Executive Officer. “I’m honored to lead NJACP in lifting the voices of individuals with disabilities, their families, and the incredible providers who serve them,” said Vinson.

From Fear to Freedom and Hope: A Venezuelan Student’s Journey

Pursuing a #college #education and the American dream, Rafael Escalante departed Venezuela and made his way to New Jersey. Read more about the Public #Policy and Political Science major who is also a Ralph W. Voorhees #Fellow at the Bloustein School. www.rutgers.edu/news/fear-fr...

Mapping Corporate Landlords in New Jersey - New Jersey State Policy Lab As part of our ongoing research project supported by the New Jersey State Policy Lab, we are examining the growth of corporate ownership in the state’s small residential property market. Our focus is ...

Professor Eric Seymour @ericseymour.bsky.social found higher #corporate ownership rates of small, 1- to 4-unit properties appear in a range of #NJ municipalities, including Trenton, New Brunswick, Atlantic City, Asbury Park, and Newark. policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

Mapping Corporate Landlords in New Jersey - New Jersey State Policy Lab As part of our ongoing research project supported by the New Jersey State Policy Lab, we are examining the growth of corporate ownership in the state’s small residential property market. Our focus is ...

Higher #corporate ownership rates of small, 1- to 4-unit properties appear in a range of #NJ municipalities, including Trenton, New Brunswick, Atlantic City, Asbury Park, and Newark:

Dr. Kelcie Ralph and colleagues found that providing a message about the dangers of #speeding was effective in increasing support for #automated speed enforcement, especially among people who did not hold extreme beliefs about the (lack of) danger of speed. doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...

Dr. Salah S. El-Shakhs (left) with Bloustein School Dean Emeritus James W. Hughes (right) at a Bloustein School event in 2023

The Bloustein School is saddened to announce the passing of Salah S. El-Shakhs, 90, Distinguished Professor and Planning & Policy Development Coordinator Emeritus, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, on July 17, 2025. Read more: bit.ly/40pwCIH

Julia Wong (MCRP '19) pictured here with Governor Murphy and other stakeholders, broke ground on Phase 1 of the new Greenway in Newark, NJ. On LinkedIn, Wong wrote, "Thrilled to have broken ground on Phase 1 of the Greenway - New Jersey’s newest state park! 🌳" bloustein.rutgers.edu/planning-alu...

2025 by the Numbers: A Decline in Science, Engineering, and Healthcare Expertise in U.S. State Legislatures - New Jersey State Policy Lab The Scientists in State Politics Database is a detailed, publicly accessible inventory of state legislators across the United States with educational or professional backgrounds in science, engineerin...

Out of the 7,523 total #lawmakers currently serving the U.S. state #legislature, 231 were identified as having #science based backgrounds, representing 3.07%. This marks a full percentage point drop from the 4.09% recorded in Sept '24 & represents a 25% proportional decline in less than a year:

Dan Kennedy (MCRP '07), the CEO of the NJ chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, published a roadmap of priorities for the next NJ governor. re-nj.com/shaping-the-...

Drawing on lessons from #disasters like Hurricane #Sandy and the July 4 floods in #Texas, Justin Auciello (MCRP ’05) argues that #signal, not silence, saves lives. It urges state lawmakers to embed civic signal #planning into #municipal master plans. njspotlightnews.org/2025/07/op-e...

GPS-based street-view greenspace exposure and wearable assessed physical activity in a prospective cohort of US women - International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Background Increasing evidence positively links greenspace and physical activity (PA). However, most studies use measures of greenspace, such as satellite-based vegetation indices around the residence...

Professor Zhang and colleagues found that not all #greenspace boosts physical activity. Trees and grass may reduce movement, while flowers/fields increase it. #nature #wearables #machinelearning #GPS Read more: doi.org/10.1186/s129...

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 recent efforts[1]. A newly released report by the National Studen...

Over 757K working-age New Jerseyans were part of the Some College, No Credential population, up 1.9% from the previous year. Around 17K of these individuals who took courses in #NJ when they last enrolled subsequently re-enrolled in postsecondary institutions nationwide in the 2023-24 #academic year

Dr. Wei San Loh (PhD '23) and Dr. Bob Noland compared #charging station #accessibility for different #income groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. They found that the disparity was minimal. doi.org/10.1080/1556...

A new @heldrichcenter.bsky.social website explores findings from Work Trends surveys over the past 25 years. The site offers information on some of Work Trends’ more notable projects, including topics studied and selected findings. Visit the new site at heldrich.rutgers.edu/worktrends/

GOP Candidate Nick Cuozzo (MPP’14) wins Primary for Somerset County Commissioner “I am looking forward to building on the momentum and great enthusiasm our campaign generated this past year,” Cuozzo said. bloustein.rutgers.edu/somerset-gop...

A new @heldrichcenter.bsky.social research brief features findings from a December 2024 survey of U.S. workers about policy proposals related to the #economy, #education, and #work. Read the brief at heldrich.rutgers.edu/wp-content/u...

Report Release: Analyzing the Use and Equity of ARPA Funds in NJ Local Governments and Beyond - New Jersey State Policy Lab The American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) represent a historic $350 billion investment to support state and local governments in responding to the e...

The NJ State Policy Lab published a new report by Michael Hayes and Pengju Zhang, "Maximizing the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds: Analyzing the Use and Equity of ARPA Funds in New Jersey Local Governments and Beyond." policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/...

Dr. Irina Grafova recently returned from the AcademyHealth conference, where she had the opportunity to present two posters from the Virtual Schwartz Rounds emotional support program for nurses, run by the New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-being Institute. bloustein.rutgers.edu/dr-grafova-p...

New Heldrich Center report for New Jersey Economic Development Authority provides a workforce analysis of #lifesciences and #technology sectors in #NJ with particular emphasis on the sectors’ intersection with #artificialintelligence. Read the report: bit.ly/4esnpoD

Through a review of provincial and #municipal plans and national policies, as well as interviews with key informants in Galápagos, Ecuador, Dr. Andrea Restrepo-Mieth looks at what motivates urban governments to pursue a #tree inventory. doi.org/10.1016/j.uf...

Georeferencing Historical Maps for Geospatial Analysis - New Jersey State Policy Lab Our project to create a dataset of historical water bodies in New Jersey began by finding maps of historical water bodies. Two atlases were used to locate historical water bodies in New Jersey. The fi...

As part of ongoing research to create a dataset of historical water bodies in #NJ, researchers have begun charting these water bodies with the use of atlases from the David Rumsey #Map Collection. The ultimate goal is to trace water bodies in order to evaluate flood vulnerability across the state.

We are seeking to hire a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor for appointment beginning July 2026. Candidates should have a specialty in #urbanplanning #housing and #quantitativemethods and/or #planninglaw #landuse #finance. To apply visit jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/254...