News
Adrian Ponichtera is recipient of Ververides Scholarship
Adrian Ponichtera (MCRP ’26) is the recipient of the New Jersey County Planners Association’s George Ververides Honorary Scholarship. The scholarship is open to New Jersey residents entering their third or fourth year of undergraduate study or advanced degrees at a New Jersey institution of higher learning, with a major in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning, or a planning-related field with a plan to pursue professional planning as a career.
Bhuyan & Broom Publish New Healthcare Management Textbook
Soumitra Bhuyan, Executive Director of Health Administration Programs and Associate Professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is the co-author of a new textbook Fundamentals of Healthcare Management: Theory and Practice.
BEAT Students Participate in PATH Track Tunnel Tour
Graduate and undergraduate students who are part of the student group Bloustein Enthusiasts and Advocates for Transportation (BEAT) took part in an exclusive after-hours PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) tour on Thursday, November 20 through Friday, November 21.
Marc Pfeiffer Ranked 47 in Insider NJ’s Top 100 Power List
Marc Pfeiffer was ranked #47 and Policy Fellow Bob Gordon was ranked #94 in the Insider 100 Power List for 2025. The InsiderNJ.com list reflects the backbone of government and political power in the state of New Jersey, minus judges, former governors, and current elected officials.
Van Horn, Foglio MCRP ’86 Named to Gov-Elect’s Transition Actions Team
Carl Van Horn, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at the Bloustein School and Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and Christiana R. Foglio, MCRP ’86, Founder & CEO of Community Investment Strategies, Inc. were named to two of governor-elect Sherrill’s transition teams.
The Rise and Fall of the H-1B Visa
In this article, the author argues that the H-1B visa, originally created to bring in highly skilled, elite foreign professionals, has been gradually hijacked by big business to drive down labor costs. The effect of this has been the displacement of U.S. workers and...
Alum Austin Lee MCRP ’10 Publishes New Memoir
Austin Lee MCRP ’10 recently self-published Attraversare: The Travels of Life, a deeply personal, immediate, and honest memoir. It captures a period of upheaval and transition through moments of grief, uncertainty, and change, as well as those minor, stubborn victories that keep life moving forward.
NTN
Overview The Nurture thru Nature (NtN) program introduces elementary school students to the wonders of nature and natural science. NtN is a partnership between Rutgers University, Johnson & Johnson Worldwide, New Brunswick Public Schools and the New Brunswick...
Alum Renée Sieber, Ph.D. ’97 to Present Meck Memorial Lecture
The Bloustein School is pleased to have Bloustein alumnus Renée Sieber, Ph.D. '97, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, McGill University present the 2025 Stuart Meck Memorial Lecture, "Civic Engagement in an Era of Artificial Intelligence." The event was...
“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D.
Listen to the latest episode of the Heldrich Center’s Work Trends RU podcast, featuring featuring Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Dr. Fichtner discusses the role New Jersey’s 18 community colleges play in expanding access to higher education, developing a skilled workforce, and meeting the evolving needs of students, employers, and local communities.
Dr. O’Brien-Richardson Wins Cultural Impact and Empowerment Award
The Trauma Recovery and Prevention Alliance held their 1st Annual “Unmask the Silence” Fundraising Masquerade Gala at the end of October to pay tribute to those who turn pain into purpose and advocacy into action. This year’s award recipients included Dr. Patti O’Brien-Richardson, selected for her passionate advocacy in health equity, women’s empowerment, and cultural wellness, inspiring others to live with intention and purpose.
EJB Talks: Uncovering Inequality Through Design
Assistant Professor Carmelo Ignaccolo explains how, in both his research and teaching, he has focused on how design has had the power to shape inequality over time, showing how decisions such as highway placement or waterfront redevelopment leave long-lasting impacts on communities.











