Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy

Dissertation Proposal: Vacant Windows, Active Streets: Zoning, Policy, and Spatial Dynamics of Storefront Vacancy in NYC
2025-10-30 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Presented by Sean Andrew Chen
Please use the Zoom link provided via email to attend this virtually.

Careers: Planning, Policy, & Informatics Career Fair--Virtual
2025-10-30 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
For Urban Planning, Public Informatics, and Public Policy students. Engage with Bloustein alumni and employer partners who are seeking interns or full-time employees now or in the future. Learn more about their careers and the organizations in which they represent.
Registration coming soon!

CAREERS: Excel Workshop: Formulas
2025-10-31 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual
Mastering Excel is a game-changer – employers in health administration rely on it for data analysis, efficient decision-making, and turning information into impact. Join Bloustein doctoral student, Soo Yon Lim for a live, virtual 90-minute Excel workshop, geared to Bloustein students. You can register up to the same day as the session.
This session will cover formulas.
Register here

Virtual Career Drop-ins for Graduate Students
2025-11-03 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-10 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-17 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-24 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Bloustein graduate students can meet with Career Development Specialists Andrea Garrido or Cheryl Egan for up to 15 minutes to answer any career/internship related questions
URL: https://go.rutgers.edu/EJBcareerdropin

PhD Colloquium: APPAM Practice Talks
2025-11-05 12:00 - 12:50 | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Fellow PhD students will practice their presentations for the upcoming APPAM conference and solicit feedback.

CAREERS: Fall 2025 Networking Event
2025-11-05 16:30 - 18:00 | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
There’s no doubt that networking is a must for landing jobs, internships and opportunities. Like it or not, it is a skill that you will be using throughout your career. In fact 85% of all jobs are found through networking.
Join us for a short and lively workshop on Networking Best Practices featuring keynote speaker, business consultant and executive success coach, Rich Bruno. Following his talk will be student-alumni breakouts where you will be able to put into action lessons learned from Rich. Bloustein alumni will be here to guide conversations, network, and provide support to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Winstina Hughes (MCRP), Senior Manager, Outreach at NJTPA and Founder of Support Inclusion in Tech
Alexandra Doll (MHA), – Director of Human Resources Communications – RWJBarnabas Health. Alexandra also serves as the President of Young Professionals Advisory Council and Co-Director of Communications Committee, Women’s Leadership Alliance at RWJBarnabus Health as well as Public Speaker and Mental Health Advocate with NAMI New Jersey
Eash Haughton (MPP 2018), Director of Public Affairs, CIG where he leads legislative strategy, regulatory engagement, and business development for a diverse portfolio of clients across NJ.
Laura Gould (MCRP/MPI), Part Time Lecturer, Basic Quantitative Methods, Bloustein and Urban Planner

Registration Required Here

Dress: Business Casual
Refreshments will be served.
Plan to arrive starting at 4 pm to enjoy refreshments and so we can begin promptly at 4:30 pm.

Virtual Information Session: Graduate Program in Public Policy
2025-11-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
You are cordially invited to join us at one of our virtual information sessions for our Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree and Master of Public Affairs and Politics (MPAP) executive master’s degree for mid-career professionals as well as our Graduate Certificate in Public Policy. Learn more about the academic curricula of these programs, how to apply, career services support for students, merit-based funding awards, etc. The GRE is NOT required for all applications. We are now accepting applications for fall. The application deadline for international students is May 1st and August 1st for domestic applicants. This program also offers Spring term (mid-year) admission, with a November 1 application deadline for all applicants. Limited, merit-based funding may be available for spring applicants.

The Zoom link for the info sessions will be emailed out to those who have RSVP’d closer to the event. Please note that all start times listed below are in EST / New Jersey local time. If you plan to join this session from a different time zone or a different country, we ask that you please make sure to note the CORRECT local time at YOUR location for this information session.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our info sessions this semester.

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RSVP required at https://go.rutgers.edu/ejbpolicyinfo

Virtual Information Session: Graduate Program in Public Informatics
2025-11-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
You are cordially invited to join us at one of our upcoming virtual informational sessions for Rutgers-Bloustein School’s fall 2025 virtual information sessions for our Master of Public Informatics (MPI) degree and our Graduate Certificate in Urban and Public Informatics. Learn more about the curriculum for our master’s degree and graduate certificate, how to apply, career services support for students, and scholarship opportunities.
The GRE is WAIVED for all applications. This program also offers Spring term (mid-year) admission, with a November 1 application deadline for all applicants. Limited, merit-based funding may be available for spring applicants. The final application deadline for fall 2026 admission for international students is May 1st and for domestic students is July 1st.

RSVP is required. The Zoom link for the info sessions will be emailed out to those who have RSVP’d closer to the event.

Please note that all start times listed below are in EST / EDT / New Jersey local time.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our info sessions this semester.

RSVP required at https://go.rutgers.edu/ejbmpiinfo

New Jersey Big Data Alliance Research Collaboration Forum
2025-11-07 08:30 - 14:30 | Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine Proteomics Building, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, 08854
This event includes participation from leading Universities and educational institutions in NJ, and government and industry.
We’re thrilled to announce our keynote speakers:

Welcome: Professor Stephen K. Burley, President, NJBDA
Morning Keynote: Professor Dimitris Metaxas, Rutgers University
Final Keynote: Aaron Price, CEO, TechUnited

The theme for this Forum is Advancing AI Research, and this is a great opportunity to:

Present your latest or upcoming research through Lightning Talks – Signup Now!*
Lead a Research Round Table during the AI & Data Science Lunch – Signup Now!*
Connect and collaborate with peers across academia and industry
Learn about new grants and funding opportunities
Publish your research with JBDAI Journal: https://jbdai.org/

LEARN MORE: go.rutgers.edu/njbda
Please note that priority registration closes on October 14, 2025 – and seats are limited!
* Selected lightning talks (5 minutes each) and lunch table hosts will be informed via email by around 10/21/25. Presentation slides will be due by 10/31/2025.

HOSTS:

Professor Stephen K. Burley, President @ NJBDA; Interim Director, Rutgers Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (RAD) Collaboratory
Professor Jim Samuel, Vice-President – Research @ NJBDA; Director, Master of Public Informatics, Bloustein School, Rutgers University

In Collaboration with:
Rutgers Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (RAD) Collaboratory & Public Informatics @ Bloustein School, Rutgers University
https://radcollaboratory.rutgers.edu/
https://informatics.rutgers.edu/

Virtual Information Session: Master of City and Regional Planning
2025-11-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
You are cordially invited to join us at this virtual informational session for the Rutgers – Bloustein School’s Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) program during the Fall 2025 semester. We are excited to share helpful information about the Bloustein School, the MCRP program, and answer any questions you may have regarding admissions, applications, career opportunities in the field and the curriculum. Program faculty and staff will be on hand to answer all your questions. Each session will last approximately 1 hour.

The GRE has been WAIVED for all applications. Work experience is not required of applicants. The application deadline for spring 2025 admission is November 1st. The application deadline for fall 2026 admission WITH consideration for academic scholarship and fellowship funding is January 15th.
All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom.

RSVP required at: https://go.rutgers.edu/ejbmcrpinfo

PhD Colloquium: Rutgers student basic needs insecurities research and programming
2025-11-12 12:00 - 12:50 | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Presented by Cara Cuite, Associate Extension Specialist/Associate Professor and the Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers

CAREERS: Interviewing Best Practices Workshop
2025-11-12 16:30 - 17:30 | Virtual
Join Bloustein Career Development Specialists Cheryl Egan and Andrea Garrido for a one hour virtual workshop to sharpen your interviewing skills in preparation for upcoming internship and job interviews! We will review behavioral based interviews and the STAR approach, virtual interviews, other types of interviews to expect as well as how to prepare for these interviews.
REGISTER HERE: https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/yHM7QGQ7RcWRW_qGvAsdIA

CAREERS: Excel Workshop: Pivot Tables
2025-11-14 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual
Mastering Excel is a game-changer – employers in health administration rely on it for data analysis, efficient decision-making, and turning information into impact. Join Bloustein doctoral student, Soo Yon Lim for a live, virtual 90-minute Excel workshop, geared to Bloustein students. You can register up to the same day as the session.
This session will cover pivot tables.
Register here

FHA Rutgers Recruiting and Networking Event
2025-11-17 17:00 - 20:00 | Bloustein School CSB, First Floor Lobby, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Join us for FHA Rutgers Recruiting and Networking event and learn about various organizations and opportunities that may be available for internships, volunteer roles or entry level positions.
Register here- https://go.rutgers.edu/8du6xyv1
Please wear business casual or professional attire to the event. You may also bring copies of your resume- please check with the representatives if they will have the capacity to collect resumes.
There will be Pizza too 🙂
Organizations attending (Confirmed so far)-
1. Hackensack Meridian Health
2. Tal Healthcare
3. Markie’s Place
4. Leading in Love
5. Oceans Family Success Center
If you have any questions, please reach out to FHA Rutgers or Prof. Deoli at aakanksha.deoli@rutgers.edu.

Virtual Open House: All NYC Area Planning Schools
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
Join the Bloustein School at the virtual open house for all NYC area planning schools on Monday, November 17, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

RSVP at https://go.rutgers.edu/nycplanning

Are you passionate about making cities more livable, equitable, and sustainable? Do you want to create healthy spaces for people of all generations and backgrounds? Do you want to help decarbonize cities and help them adapt to a changing climate? Are you concerned about congestion, gentrification, displacement, and the lack of affordable housing?

Consider a field that starts with people and unites policy, design, economics, environment, and society: UrbanPlanning! Planning students learn how and why cities function, strategies to transform cities, and skills like design software, economic modeling, and facilitation. Develop your career in government, the private sector, or with non-government agencies helping communities in the U.S. or abroad.

Hear from alumni and practitioners about why they chose planning, and from faculty and staff of the eight planning and #urbandesign programs in the New York region about what makes their programs unique.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: City College of New York; Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; Cornell City and Regional Planning; Hunter College; NYU Wagner; The New School; Pratt Institute; Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

2025 Service to Service Virtual School Recruitment Fair
2025-11-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
The Bloustein School 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.
Members of the military community curious about careers in state and local government, considering a career change, or seeking to transition to civilian life are encouraged to attend and explore the numerous degree options offered by participating schools.
The Bloustein School offers four interdisciplinary programs designed to prepare leaders for the complexities of modern public service and administration.

In public policy, the two-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) and one-year, mid-career focused Master of Public Affairs and Politics (MPAP) programs

In urban planning, the STEM-designated Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) is a two-year, full-time program ranked #3 nationally by Planetizen.

The Master of Public Informatics (MPI) can be completed in three full-time semesters and focuses on data science, data analytics, AI, visualization, spatial analysis, statistics, and programming, as well as the integration of these skills.
The Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a two-year, full-time program, CAHME-accredited, and ranked #28 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.
All four programs also offer part-time enrollment and online course options.

Interested veterans and military-connected students may register here.
Under the Service to Service agreement, admitted military and veteran applicants who accept admission to any Rutgers Bloustein School’s master’s program via Service to Service are eligible for scholarship funding consideration.

Virtual Information Session: Doctor of Health Administration
2025-11-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
You are invited to join us at one our upcoming virtual informational sessions to learn more about the new Doctor of Health Administration (MHA) degree offered by the Bloustein School at Rutgers University. We are excited to share helpful information about the DHA curriculum and answer any questions you may have regarding admissions, applications, career opportunities in the field, curriculum, etc. Program executive director Soumitra Bhuyan will be on hand to answer all your questions.

Applications to the DHA program do NOT require the GREs/GMATs. The application deadline for fall admission is July 1st for domestic applicants.
All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom and will last approximately 1 hour. The event Zoom link will be sent via email, closer to the event, to those who RSVP.

Please note that all times listed are EST / New Jersey local time. If you plan to join this session from a different time zone or a different country, we ask that you please make sure to note the CORRECT local time at YOUR location for this information session.

RSVP required at https://go.rutgers.edu/ejbdhainfo

PhD Colloquium: Surviving and Thriving as an Assistant Professor
2025-11-19 12:00 - 12:50 | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Presented by Julene Paul, MCRP ’16 (PhD UCLA), Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington

CAREERS: Coffee & Careers
2025-11-19 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Coffee & Careers is a monthly drop-in event in the student lounge where graduate students can connect with Career Center staff in a relaxed setting over complimentary coffee and light refreshments. Designed to spark conversation and build community, this informal program offers the chance to explore career resources, ask questions, and engage with peers while gaining support for your professional journey.

Bloustein Research Seminar Series: Andrea Hetling
2025-11-19 16:00 - 17:15 | Bloustein School, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Presented by Andrea Hetling, Bloustein School, Rutgers New Brunswick
In person in room 556 and on Zoom
This venue will enable our faculty to share research, build community, and extend our networks. Food and coffee will be served. Bloustein faculty, advanced PhD students, and external speakers will present research talks. The seminar series is open to the entire Bloustein community.

Dean's Listening Session Fall 2025
2025-11-19 16:15 - 17:30 | Bloustein School CSB, Room 369A, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, United States
Come with your questions and hear from the Dean! RSVP here

CAREERS: Job Search Strategies Panel
2025-11-20 16:30 - 18:00 | Bloustein School CSB, Room 253
Hear from a panel of second-year graduate students and recent graduates from all programs as they share their personal journeys, insights, and practical advice to help you successfully navigate the job and internship search.
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/PthuTpU6aX

CAREERS: You Don't Have a Fellowship...Now What?
2025-11-24 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
Join the Graduate Society for Healthcare Leaders (GSHL) for a virtual panel discussion featuring Rutgers MHA alumni as they will share their career paths, lessons learned, and practical guidance for navigating post-MHA opportunities beyond the fellowship route.

RSVP here

PhD Colloquium: Having a Meaningful Career
2025-11-26 12:00 - 12:50 | Virtual
Presented by Evelyn Blumenberg

Civic Engagement in an Era of Artificial Intelligence
2025-12-02 16:00 - 17:30 | Virtual
Renée Sieber is an associate professor at McGill University. Since she graduated from the Bloustein School, she has investigated the intersection of civic empowerment and computational technologies. She is best known for her research and practice on public participation geographic information systems and also has conducted research on participatory climate modeling. She currently researches civic engagement related to artificial intelligence. She co-hosts the monthly Al in Canadian Municipalities Community of Practice, now in its sixth year, where cities exchange best practices on Al use. She has collaborated
with numerous federal agencies and organizations in Canada on Al policy. She has advised on the design of two Al risk assessment tools and served on the IEEE working group on Al procurement. She sits on the executive boards of GIScience and Computational Urban Planning and Urban Management.
Artificial intelligence is sold as a miraculous cure to many of the ills of cities, one of which is a lack of civic (local) engagement. Al can summarize and translate civic participation and even synthesize participants if desired. Add to that, cities may be reluctant to engage citizens on Al-its deployment, impacts, and overall policy-because engagement supposedly slows Al adoption and because the tech contains all these contradictions. It’s opaque and can only be understood by data scientists. But it seems effortless to use, with chatbots and software libraries. Humans can and should be in the loop but autonomous agents will save cities time and money. On top of all of that, Al, especially generative Al, exerts an enormous impact on people’s lives so citizens should be involved. But governments exist in a FOMO (fear of missing out) world, where they feel the need to optimize with Al, less they miss their competitive advantage. This lecture will discuss these challenges and explore numerous ways that citizens can engage with cities on Al. It will also cover the dark side of Al with regard to civic engagement.
This talk draws on Dr. Sieber’s research at the intersection of tech and civic engagement. This interest developed in her dissertation with PhD supervisor Lyna Wiggins, who emphasized local adoption by planners of GIS, which at the time was hard! Throughout her career, she has been driven to investigate the potential for civic engagement using hard tech, especially as the discourse moves towards tech as the engine of innovation, for example in smart cities. In this she will draw on her six years co-hosting Al in Canadian Municipalities Community of Practice as well as 20+ years researching public participation GIS.
RSVP AT go.rutgers.edu/meck2025
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The Stuart Meck Distinguished Speaker Series on Land Use Law and Affordable Housing was established in 2018 by the family of the late Stuart Meck, Associate Research Professor and director of the Center for Planning Practice at the Bloustein School, and a professional planner for more than 45 years. The series highlights experts and practitioners of planning and policy development, offering diverse insight into topics under public and academic debate. This year’s lecture is dedicated to the memory of Lyna L. Wiggins, a longtime professor and program director in Rutgers’ urban planning program who retired in 2019 and passed away in November 2024. A pioneer in Geographic Information Sciences (GIS), Lyna taught its intricacies to generations of students at the Bloustein School. Most currently practicing planners in New Jersey took one of her courses. All are invited to join us in honoring her memory.
