Claim OwnershipEJB Talks: Rutgers Bloustein School Experts
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Faculty, staff, and guest experts from the Edward J. Bloustein School at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey talk about public policy, urban planning, public health, health administration, and informatics.
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This week on EJB talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro talks to Bloustein alumnus Katie Brennan MCRP '12, now an Assemblywoman in New Jersey's 32nd District. Katie reflects on how her early exposure to housing instability, volunteer work, and her undergraduate policy studies shaped her belief that “everything is a housing issue.” She recounts her experiences in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and her high school essay on housing instability, as well as her early positions in nonprofit roles and as chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, as helping shaped her view on housing policy and its limits. Her decision to run for office was driven by a desire to help shape policy directly rather than just implement it. She also discusses the constant tension between good policy and political reality, emphasizing the importance of understanding politics and finance in policy and planning. Her advice to students is to learn how money and public finance work, show up to local meetings to get a sense as to what's going on, and understand that planning, policy, and politics are inseparable if you want to create real change.
EJB Talks returns for Season 14 with Dean Stuart Shapiro speaking with Laura Peck, one of our newest Public Policy Associate Professors and a Principal Faculty Fellow with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development . Laura discusses her journey from undergraduate activism to policy analysis, a PhD, tenure at Arizona State, and more than a decade at Abt Associates. She shares how that work shaped her focus on careful, policy-relevant research, specifically taking about her evaluation of the federal Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program. Laura emphasizes that the real question of her research isn’t just whether programs work, but really how and for whom they work. With her return to academia at Bloustein, she is looking forward to getting back into the classroom to help students understand how programs run in the real world and whether they’re actually helping the people they’re meant to serve. Her goal is to give them the tools to figure out what’s working, what needs fixing, and how to make smart decisions about public programs in government and nonprofit spaces. For the full transcript of this recording visit our website https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/ejbtalks/.
As we close out our 13th season of EJB Talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro asks Public Policy Program Director, Professor Julia Rubin, about why New Jersey has long been considered one of the most politically corrupt states. She explains how a consistent pattern of high-profile cases have contributed to this perception, citing the influence of the state's longtime political machines and the now-abolished “county line” primary ballot that heavily favored party-backed candidates as primary examples. Julia then walks us through how years of research, lawsuits, and the more recent Menendez scandal have culminated in a major reform that replaced the county line with fairer office-block ballots, leading to more competitive races, higher voter turnout, and a growing number of reform-minded legislators. She also discusses how recent rollbacks and attempted rollbacks to some of NJ's transparency and accountability laws, including OPRA and the work of the state Comptroller's office, show the fight for accountable government in New Jersey is still very much ongoing. As part of this episode, we encourage you to visit the podcast page on our website, where we include links to the articles and legislation being discussed. We'll see you in 2026!
Dean Stuart Shapiro talks to alumnus Barkha Patel, MCRP '15 this week on EJB Talks. Initially a sociology undergraduate at Rutgers, Barkha discusses how a chance visit by Dean Shapiro to one of her classes led her to urban planning, as she realized she could tackle social problems through the built environment. She explains how starting as a transportation planner, even though it wasn’t her focus at the Bloustein School, pushed her into tactical urbanism and set the stage for her current role. As Jersey City's Director of Infrastructure, she leads a multidisciplinary team shaping everything from streets to parks to sustainability systems. She highlights Jersey City’s Vision Zero work, the effort to shift outdated traffic-safety mindsets, and her favorite project: transforming the historically significant but neglected Bergen Square area into a people-first plaza integrating mobility, culture, ecology, and design. She reflects on how the planning school fundamentals and communication skills she learned still form the basis for her work, and concludes with encouraging emerging planners to adopt an action-oriented mindset by becoming a person who figures things out and gets things done, even when they feel out of their depth.
This week on EJB Talks, assistant professor Carmelo Ignaccolo shares with Stuart Shapiro how his path into urban design was both inevitable and accidental. A native of Sicily, he explains how its complex political and geographic history contributed to his appreciation of how cities form. At the same time, his educational and professional journey through architecture, engineering, and planning guided him toward an interdisciplinary approach to design. Carmelo also 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. He discusses how he incorporates these ideas into his book project, which explores how the design of port cities has historically masked inequality and how inherited infrastructure can be reimagined for climate resilience. Carmelo concludes with his teaching philosophy, explaining that he tells students that he believes the most visionary planners understand design, and the most impactful designers are those who understand policy.
Dean Stuart Shapiro welcomes William Tuttle, a Senior Fellow in the Bloustein School’s Health Administration program, to EJB Talks this week. With nearly four decades of healthcare administrative experience, Bill explains how his journey began with his decision to transition from medicine to hospital management. He discusses his 38 years at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, where he advanced through multiple roles, from managing service departments to leading a rural hospital and later overseeing physician recruitment and large-scale construction projects. Bill also emphasizes the importance of communication and long-term planning as essential leadership skills, as well as the growing value of the Doctorate in Health Administration (DHA). Highlighting the Bloustein School DHA’s focus on applied research, data analysis, and critical thinking as tools to improve healthcare systems, he describes it as a way for experienced professionals to deepen their academic knowledge, strengthen research and analytical abilities, and open doors to executive or academic roles.
Dean Stuart Shapiro and the EJB Talks podcast have returned for season 13 with associate teaching professor Katie Pincura. Katie’s path into public health began as a counselor in Vancouver, Canada, where she first witnessed how the social determinants of health such as housing, poverty, and access to care shape health outcomes. Her later work in Georgia, helping transition people with intellectual and developmental disabilities into community settings, gave her a clearer view of how public insurance and state policy impact vulnerable populations. Connecting her own experiences navigating health systems in Canada and the U.S. with her work fueled her interest in health policy and ultimately led her to pursue an MPH and DrPH. Since arriving at Rutgers’ Bloustein School last year, Katie has sought to integrate her students' lived experiences into public health policy by encouraging them to critically examine the trade-offs between individual freedoms and collective well-being. She notes that the diversity and resources available at Rutgers, combined with student passion, helps her guide students to graduate with both a strong understanding of public health systems and practical skills needed for impactful careers.
This week on EJB Talks, new Bloustein School Assistant Professor Zoe Lindenfeld talks to Dean Stuart Shapiro about her research on substance use disorders, particularly the opioid crisis, and its ties to healthcare access and policy. She explains how her interest in the field was sparked by the opioid epidemic’s emergence as a public health crisis. A particular area of interest in her work is closing gaps in access to treatment, including studying the impact of telemedicine on substance use care. She also delves into her recent study of fiscal determinants of overdose deaths, finding that higher police spending—particularly when linked to revenue-generating practices—correlates with increased overdose deaths. Zoe concludes by discussing the importance of understanding how local government decisions affect health outcomes, emphasizing how healthcare organizations operate within broader communities and policy contexts and further connecting her research to her teaching in health administration.
In our first episode of EJB Talks for 2025, Stuart Shapiro and Will Irving discuss his journey from Rutgers MPP student to faculty member and economic forecaster. Will talks about his current role with the Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON), which uses a complex model of historical relationships among variables like employment and construction to predict economic trends for New Jersey. The latest forecast predicts a sharper economic slowdown in New Jersey compared to the national trend, citing factors like lagging employment growth, slowing GDP, and structural challenges like high taxes, cost of living, and an aging population.
Will highlights the state's strengths, such as its strategic location and industry concentrations, but notes that future policies related to the new presidential administration, particularly around tariffs, immigration, and housing affordability, could significantly influence the state's economic trajectory.
On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes one of our new professors in the public policy program, Ruth Winecoff. Professor Winecoff talks about the inspiration behind her research on municipal bonds, and the important role they play in our country. This is particularly true for our towns and municipalities. She discusses Dodd-Frank legislation on the heels of the Silicon Valley Bank and other recent bank failures and how different aspects of the law have impacted local governments. The two then discuss municipal bond impacts on the nation's energy infrastructure through efficiencies for clean energy. Tune in for this and more.
On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes one of our new professors in our nationally-ranked Urban Planning Program, Andrea Restrepo-Mieth. Her time in Colombia as a child to her graduate studies and her time in Southeast Asia led to her path working on water issues in the global South. She also describes her current focus on the impacts of climate change on water and water systems. They discuss good bureaucrats, and how planners and policymakers with the right technical, social, political, and economic tools — like our students at Bloustein — can make a difference by addressing and working towards solving issues like those Andrea studies. They conclude by talking about her current research, including an upcoming trip to the Galapagos Islands this summer.
On this week's episode of EJBTalks Stuart welcomes Professor Shar Williams. The two talk about her undergraduate roots at Rutgers' Douglass College and the inspiration that led her on her path to an academic career in public health and biostatistics. Shar shares with Stuart the research she has done in areas of depression, anxiety, suicide and PTSD and the findings that show exposure to discrimination and socio-economic disadvantages impact health outcomes. She also talks with Stuart about her future projects including research on allostatic load where Professor Williams hopes to create an index of exposures to discrimination, economic disadvantages and cumulative life stress that likely have a physiological impact. Tune in for this and more!
It's our eighth season opener of EJBTalks! This season we are focusing on our amazing new faculty. For our first episode, Stuart welcomes the new Director of our Health Administration program, Professor Ellen Kurtzman. Ellen talks about her compelling career path, from nurse to health policy educator to health administrator. She speaks to Stuart about the commonalities in the fields she has worked on and how at each stage she focused on improving the health care delivery system and improving the health care experience. The two then discuss her research on marijuana legalization, her newest project on Marijuana Use Disorder and the policy and practical implications we face now and in the future from cannabis legalization. Tune in to find out about this and more!
This week on EJBTalks Stuart Shapiro welcomes Bloustein alum and current Bloustein School Advisory Board member Moses Salami EJB (Public Health) '11. As the Director of Business Development and Marketing at St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark, NJ, Moses describes his path into the health administration and marketing fields. He details how a class during his senior year with Bloustein School Professor Vince Joseph opened his mind to a non-clinical health career. He talks to Stuart about healthcare marketing -- from service information to community engagement, focusing on population education and prevention practices. The two also talk about how marketing and communications were integral in keeping the hospital community, both internal and external, safe and informed during the COVID crisis. Stuart and Moses then look toward the future of health care and the biggest challenges the industry faces. Moses ends the discussion with some great advice for current and future students and alumni.
On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes alum Simon Liepold MPAP '05, who came to the Bloustein Public Policy program as part of an exchange program with Konstanz University in Germany. Simon talks about his current role as Senior Director of UN & International Relations for Microsoft. He describes his efforts on global topics like sustainability, privacy, and cybersecurity to name a few. He speaks about how his policy degree has been instrumental in his career, from his understanding of policy and decision-making to the importance of statistical analysis and excellent data. Simon and Stuart then talk about Microsoft's focus on data and leveraging ai to solve global problems to drive global good. They discuss the importance of data and machine learning in driving good decisions and policy-making and how Bloustein's newest program, the Master of Public Informatics, can play a role in the future of public policy and urban planning. Tune in for this and more!
On this episode of EJBTalks Stuart welcomes Bloustein PhD alum and Drexel University Professor, Andrew Zitcer. Professor Zitcer describes his personal and intellectual journey as a PhD student at Bloustein. He then discusses his dissertation concentration on cooperative ventures and gives details about what types of co-ops exist from food to health, who they serve and how they are a physical embodiement of deliberate, participatory democracy. Zitcer also talks to Stuart about his continued research on cooperatives with the two discussing his latest book, Practicing Cooperative: Mutual Aid Beyond Capitalism, which uses examples of co-ops in food provision, dance, and health care to illustrate the potential of this form of organization. Tune in for all the details.
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 marijuana. The two discuss our current political and societal era, how the value of expertise is questioned and how to be a trusted voice in a sea of bad analysis and hot takes. Brandon also shares invaluable advice to help prepare listeners for public-oriented careers, particularly during times like these. Tune in for a great discussion!
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 Program HIV and nutrition unit in Italy, to three years working in Lesotho in Africa working on population-based HIV impact assessment. Stefania discusses how the COVID pandemic and its impacts and challenges impacted her current position with WHO's regional office in Europe and what lessons can be learned to improve the use of data in crafting national and global responses to future public health challenges. Finally, Stefania describes the positive impacts the education and the atmosphere at Rutgers had on her career from its beginning to today. Tune in for all this and more!
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 impact of the Dobbs ruling, the significance it brings to Governor's races, and what it means for the national election. And of course, the two talk about the Trump factor from January 6th to Mar a Lago and the effects on Republican congressional candidates. Join us for all this and more and a look ahead to the rest of season seven.
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 threats on other precedents. And finally, they discuss the important races of the 2022 Midterms and what the primary results and issues like abortion and inflation mean for the possible results.
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