EJB Talks: Rutgers Bloustein School Experts

It's our 75th episode of EJBTalks! For this very special episode, Stuart welcomes our former Associate Dean Dorothea Berkhout. The two talk about our school 's namesake, President Edward J Bloustein and why the school bears his name.  Dorothea reflects on President Bloustein's innovative leadership, commitment to public service, his reorganization of the University and the path he paved...

This week we welcome back alumnus and 2022 Alumni of the Year honoree Brandon McKoy MCRP '13. Stuart and Brandon discuss Brandon's exciting career move to, and the current work he is doing at, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. They then move to talk about national political issues, from the Inflation Reduction Act to the Child Tax Credit to the National Debt Limit and the legalization of...

It's Bloustein's 30th anniversary , so this season of EJBTalks Stuart will be welcoming our amazing alums! Our first alumna of the season is Stefania Davia, who received her bachelor's in public health from the Bloustein School. Stuart talks with Stefania about the exciting career path she took around the world from her time as a student in Nicaragua, to her position with the World Food Progr...

Welcome back, listeners! For our season seven opener, it's a post-summer political check-in. Amy Cobb talks with Stuart Shapiro about four factors that have changed the prospects for the midterms for the better since May. They discuss Biden's big wins, like the Inflation Reduction Act, student loan forgiveness, and the wise choices made regarding the war in Europe. Stuart talks with Amy about the...

As we wrap up the sixth season of EJBTalks, the midterm primaries are underway and Amy Cobb is back to talk with Stuart Shaprio about the hot topics in national politics. She asks for his take on inflation and the economy, who's to blame (if anyone), and what we face next. The two talk about the history and the possible fate of Roe V Wade, the turn to the states, and the cascading effects and thre...

On this episode of EJBTalks Stuart welcome Billy Terry, Executive Director of Bloustein's National Transit Institute (NTI) , the federally funded training arm for the transit industry's extensive back-office operations. Billy talks about how he started in the transit world, and his path to his role at Rutgers. The two discuss NTI's mission to educate the administrative workforce wit...

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart welcomes Marc Pfeiffer , the Executive Director of the Bloustein Local Government Research Center , which serves as an invaluable resource for New Jersey's elected and appointed officials. The two talk about current critical work such as the impact of the digital economy on tax policy for local governments. They explore the increasing risk of cybersecu...

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart welcomes Jennifer Senick , Executive Director of Rutgers Center for Green Building . Jennifer discusses many aspects of "green buildings" from the design of the physical space to all of the components of its total operation. The two delve into topics from the New Jersey Zero Energy roadmap and the center's integral work with the New England Energy Efficiency Par...

On this week's episode, Stuart welcomes Elizabeth Cooner, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Policy Lab . Elizabeth talks about the Lab's mission of conducting rigorous evidence-based research that helps inform NJ policy makers on solutions to important policy questions that are effective, innovative, and always have a focus on equity. She also talks about the lab's valuable and vital coll...

SPECIAL EDITION EPISODE 2: The world continues to watch as the Russian invasion of Ukraine disturbingly continues. In this timely, special edition of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro talks with Bloustein doctoral candidate Sergei Kostiaev . A native of Russia, Sergei discusses his previous academic research and study comparing political cultures of Soviet and Nazi elites, and what led to his study of...

SPECIAL EDITION EPISODE 1: The war in Ukraine has stunned western observers. In this timely, special edition of EJB Talks, Stuart Shapiro speaks with two members of the Bloustein community who are personally touched by the war -- undergraduate public health major Solomiya Mykolyk, and public policy professor Andrea Hetling--both of whom have family in Ukraine.  Solomiya was born in Ukrai...

This week on EJB Talks Jeanne Herb , Director of the Bloustein School's Environmental Analysis and Communications Group (EAC), returns to talk to Stuart Shapiro . Jeanne gives the history of EAC and an overview of its vision of community-based environmental planning, its connection to health and equity, and their growing focus on the intersection of environment and people in both th...

Jon Carnegie , Executive Director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) at the Bloustein School, joins Stuart Shapiro on EJB Talks this week. VTC is a leader in transportation planning and policy research and education at the national, regional, and state levels. Jon talks about VTC's core strengths related to transportation in the built environment and its work in tra...

We are opening our sixth season of EJBTalks with Stuart Shapiro, Interim Dean of the Bloustein School welcoming  Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development . Kathy speaks about the incredible workforce research and scholarship conducted by the center. She describes Heldrich's extensive work on unemployment and long-term unemployment and helping dis...

To close out this season's podcasts, Amy Cobb returns to pose questions to Stuart Shapiro about the year in politics. They discuss President Biden's achievements, including the Build Back Better framework, the administration's more competent COVID response, and the relatively mundane nature of the administration. The pair also delve into the current administration's woes, encompassing everything f...

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes back two of our most popular guests. Linda Stamato and Sandy Jaffe founded and ran the Bloustein School's Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution while teaching at the school since its founding in 1992. Linda and Sandy reflect on their far-reaching careers and how the fields of planning and policy in general -- and the Bloustein School --...

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes South Bronx raised, and fellow Yankees fan, Distinguished Professor Mike Greenberg . They discuss his illustrious career from professor and researcher to the Dean's office at Bloustein. Mike talks about the foundations of the school, how its multidisciplinary, interconnected programs in health, urban planning, and public policy ar...

On this episode of EJBTalks Stuart welcomes Professor Emeritus Bob Lake , who helped shape our world ranked Urban Planning Program and led our doctoral program. Stuart asks Bob to share his vision of Urban Planning. Bob talks to Stuart about his book on John Dewey, and how Dewey's perspective of the Planning City, the continuous process of figuring out how best to live together, is his ideal of th...

This week on #EJBTalks we get back to telling the Bloustein School story through our retired faculty. Stuart Shapiro welcomes his former colleague in the Public Policy Program and beloved Professor Emeritus Henry Coleman . Professor Coleman talks about his “origins,” from his time as a student of economics to his work at HUD, leading to his work at Rutgers both as a faculty member and the Director...

It's homecoming at Rutgers this week! To celebrate, Stuart Shapiro welcomes Bloustein School policy alumnus and former Rutgers football player Chris Gough MPP '18  to EJB Talks. Chris, who works for the International Trade Administration (ITA) at the Department of Commerce, talks with Stuart about his experience as a student Bloustein, the skills the program taught him, and the path that...

On this episode of EJBTalks Stuart Shapiro welcomes Professor Patrick Hill , who teaches ethics classes across Bloustein's programs. Patrick has an in-depth discussion with Stuart about ethics and its application in informing planning, policy, and public health.  Professor Hill also discusses his new book "No Place for Ethics", which centers on the United States Supreme Court and how the judi...

To celebrate the Bloustein School's approaching 30th anniversary in 2022, EJBTalks will feature some of our beloved faculty members who made the school what it is today. The first of those is Professor Emeritus Frank Popper , who spent over three decades teaching in our world-ranked urban planning program. Professor Popper shares his incredible "accidental academic" story, where he went from land...

We're back! As we open our fifth season of EJBTalks, our focus is on the 20th anniversary of September 11. Stuart Shapiro welcomes Jim Bach , an alum of our nationally-ranked urban planning program who played a critical role in the World Trade Center Redevelopment. Jim discusses his 30+ year career at the Louis Berger Group, a world-renowned planning firm. They discuss Jim's experience on 9-1...

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes Vince Joseph , Professor of Practice in the Bloustein School's Master of Health Administration program and former Executive Vice President at Robert Wood Johnson hospital. Stuart and Vince discuss the pandemic's impact on hospital administration and education. They explore the strong connection between the Bloustein School's mission of...

Professor David Listokin , a distinguished professor in our internationally-ranked urban planning program, joins Stuart Shapiro in today's episode of EJB Talks. In a wide-ranging discussion, they cover the nationwide span of David's work.  They discuss Professor Listokin's upcoming book on the demographics and population trends of New Jersey. This project gave the researchers a...