EJB Talks: Rutgers Bloustein School Experts

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes Will Payne, the newest faculty member in our Urban Planning Program. With urban planning moving beyond the focus on the physical form, economic functions, and social impacts of the urban environment, they discuss Professor Payne's research on crowdsourcing applications, which provide large amounts of data from consumers that can drive real change in cities. Having recently completed his dissertation in this area, Professor Payne talks about how early “star” rating systems such as New York’s Zagat Survey have morphed into today’s crowd-sourcing applications including Yelp and Nextdoor. These social media tools have, in turn, become predictors of gentrification, showing how technology, food, culture, politics, and more are intertwined with housing issues. They can also be used to understand how people react and behave in response to these issues. He also explains that these tools exist to solve real problems, enabling planners to study cities and what people really think by providing new and better access to spatial data, and in the right hands, they can be used to create more equitable cities that serve the needs of everyone.

Autonomous vehicles will bring both powerful solutions and incredible challenges to the future of transportation. On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro talks with Professor Wenwen Zhang about her research on the adoption of autonomous vehicles, how AVs may bring both sustainability and equity to our society and how she uses Big Data Analysis to predict possible outcomes as accurately as possible.  Professor Zhang also discusses Bloustein's newest program, the Master's of Public Informatics, and how this program equips students with the ability to collect and analyze big data and successfully synthesize and communicate the results into the policymaking process.

In this eye-opening episode of EJB Talks, Stuart Shapiro welcomes Professor Soumitra Bhuyan to discuss his research on why hospitals are losing the cybersecurity battle. Dr. Bhuyan discusses how data security breaches often arise from physical causes, not just digital ones, and how human error and managerial misses are a root cause.  They also discuss how current Bloustein students are being prepared to take on these challenges as they enter leadership positions in hospitals and healthcare systems. 

In March 2020 the spread of COVID-19 was rampant and New Jersey was at the epicenter of the outbreak. Hospitals and their administrators were faced with unthinkable challenges. In combatting these challenges, hospitals had to change their way of operating. For our third episode this season, Professor Stuart Shapiro welcomes Assistant Teaching Professor Susan Krum to discuss the rapid response in New Jersey's hospitals, how innovations here were shared across the county, and how they have left us better prepared for a potential second wave of COVID-19. They also discuss how the pandemic has afforded her students real-world experience and appreciate the impact of their chosen field.

The effects of COVID-19 on the economy will be deep and long lasting. One of the more important impacts may be on housing markets.  In this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart Shapiro has a revealing conversation with Assistant Professor Eric Seymour about the rental housing market and the looming eviction crisis. Professor Seymour talks about his research on predatory institutional landlords, including large motel conglomerates, and how these entities may exacerbate a potential housing crisis across the country.

EJB Talks returns! In the first episode of our second season, Professor Stuart Shapiro talks with Associate Teaching Professor Patti O'Brien-Richardson about her research and advocacy on natural hair discrimination.  She discusses the CROWN Act, a statute adopted by a number of states to address this form of discrimination. She also describes the connection between hair discrimination and racial discrimination, and how this year's protests will affect the implementation of the CROWN Act. Stuart and Patti also discuss her teaching focus at the Bloustein School and how her determined, creative, and inspiring students are handling the challenges posed by remote learning.

The economic casualties of the pandemic are all around us--shops and restaurants shuttered, entertainment venues closed indefinitely, casinos limited to minimal visitors, and much more. As New Jersey begins the slow move towards reopening, the downstream effects of COVID-19 will continue to be visible for a long time. Stuart Shapiro and Michael Lahr, Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON) discuss some of the economic impacts facing New Jersey businesses with a particular focus on tourism, and how the inability to travel will affect the state's economy in the year ahead.

COVID-19 has monumentally changed how we have lived for the last five months, with most of the population quarantining at home. In previous episodes, we examined the effect the quarantine has had on some of our most vulnerable populations. This week on EJB Talks, we explore a population that can be particularly affected by stay-at-home orders--those facing intimate partner violence. Stuart Shapiro talks with Professor Andrea Hetling, director of the Bloustein School's Public Policy program, who discusses how non-governmental organizations and governmental agencies are beginning to work together to find creative solutions to relax some of the most difficult hurdles, and provide assistance and help to those who need it most. 

2020: It's an election year like no other. In this episode of EJB Talks, we get back to national politics. The Bloustein School's Director of Engagement and Special Projects Amy Cobb MPAP '18 returns to ask Professor Stuart Shapiro some pressing questions concerning the presidential and congressional races.  Where does the race stand?  How will the conventions, and VP Biden's selection of a running mate, affect the race?  Stuart and Amy discuss these questions, and more, about the craziest election year in a generation.

Stuart Shapiro welcomes Associate Professor of Public Policy Julia Rubin to our next episode of EJB Talks.  She shares her personal experience starting an NJ based educational grassroots organization, that exposed her to the various institutional aspects of New Jersey politics. She discusses her recent article on the role of political machines in New Jersey and how the design of ballots favor some candidates over others.