We're closing out the semester--and the season—of EJB Talks with a discussion of the tumultuous political events of 2023.  Dean Stuart Shapiro and former podcast producer Amy Cobb MPAP '18 reflect on the challenging year, specifically in the House, where unexpected developments have unfolded. They delve into the chaotic dynamics within the Republican Party, the potential ramifications of Kevin McCarthy's replacement as Speaker of the House, and the ongoing challenges in passing crucial legislation. The conversation then shifts to the 2024 presidential race, highlighting the likelihood of a rematch between Donald Trump and President Biden. Stuart explores the potential impact of Trump's legal challenges and the divisive nature of American politics. He also raises concerns about the state of divisiveness in the United States electorate. The episode concludes with a reflection on the broader issues facing the nation and a preview of the upcoming election. We will be back in late January to early February 2024 with more timely discussions with experts in policy, urban planning, health, and informatics! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

This week on EJB Talks Dean Stuart Shapiro talks to three Bloustein School undergraduates who participated in the Rutgers Summer Service Washington DC (RSS DC) internships. The students discuss their reasons for participating in the initiative, including its impact on academic and professional growth. Public health major Gwen Matsukawa gained valuable experience as a legislative intern, learning about the legislative process and political feasibility. Victoria Wei, a public policy major, gained experience in environmental nonprofit work and policy research at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Urban planning and design major Izabell Wilk interned with the DC Public Education Fund, helping implement a new grant management database and helping improve the fund’s day-to-day work. The students also reflect on the impact their DC experiences have had on their future, including potential graduate studies. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

As we head into a short break during Thanksgiving week, dean Stuart Shapiro interviews Juan Ayala, a professor in the school’s world-ranked urban planning program. Their discussion begins with the distinctions between architecture and urban design, emphasizing the historical separation of individual building design and broader urban landscape planning. Ayala highlights the crucial role of urban designers as bridges between architects and planners, illustrating how comprehensive plans, driven by design research and guided by urban designers, can positively impact communities. He also talks about the evolving nature of urban design, incorporating technology, STEM, and visualization to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and public engagement in the design process. Ayala also advocates for the use of digital technology to illustrate complex information and suggests a resurgence of visual technology for community participation with a greater focus at the government level. He concludes with a discussion of his teaching approach, where he emphasizes incremental learning, conceptual planning, and visualization exercises in his urban design courses to empower students to make informed decisions and find their unique approaches to the field. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

As we continue to bring awareness to the Bloustein School's new Disability Studies minor, dean Stuart Shapiro talks to Professor Cynthia Simon, who is teaching the inaugural course for the minor this semester. Growing up as a child with a disability, Simon shares how her early studies about the civil rights movement piqued her interest in political science and law and eventually led to teaching disability studies. She talks about the importance of including people with disabilities in the discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The conversation also touches on the evolution of language used to describe disabilities and the distinction between access and inclusion. Simon's goal is to educate students about disability civil rights policies and foster an understanding of the diverse experiences within the disability community. We also recently sat down to talk more with Simon about her path to disability advocacy and education -- you can read more here. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

This week on EJB Talks Dean Stuart Shapiro welcomes Professor Ceu Cirne-Neves, who teaches in the Bloustein School's health administration program. Ceu talks about her journey from journalism to healthcare administration, her extensive career in hospital administration, and the significant changes in the healthcare industry that she has experienced over the years. Emphasizing the impact of patient safety, the high-reliability movement, and the value-based reimbursement model on healthcare management, she also touches upon the effects of hospital mergers on patient care. They discuss the attractiveness of health administration as a major for students while highlighting the diversity and generosity of students at the Bloustein School. Ceu ends the discussion with an explanation of her teaching goals, which include developing competency, fostering leadership, and instilling a lifelong learning mindset in her students.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

Dean Stuart Shapiro interviews assistant professor Bernadette Baird-Zars, whose research interests span land use, governance, construction permitting, and the role of community-based organizations in reshaping planning processes. They discuss her interest in planning and how it works in practice, drawing from her experiences working on urban regeneration projects during her time living in Syria. Bernadette shares her observations about the gap between policy intentions and actions in planning, highlighting the complexities and unequal implementation of rules and systems. The conversation also touches on the concept of "gray institutions," which refers to informal, daily practices in government offices that influence decision-making but are not explicitly documented or regulated. She explains how these gray institutions can exacerbate inequality and exclusion in policy processes. They conclude with a discussion of the challenges of public participation and the need for rethinking outdated participation structures, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation and coastal planning in New York and New Jersey.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

With our return to EJBTalks this fall, host and Dean Stuart Shapiro talks to Mark Paul, assistant professor and author of the recently released book, The Ends of Freedom. Mark discusses his journey into economics and environmental policy, sharing how his first working experiences in a restaurant witnessing inequality and food sustainability issues drove his interest in economics and climate change. He explains the significance of the Inflation Reduction Act in addressing climate change, emphasizing its role as a downpayment on the transition to green energy. The conversation moves into the economic rights outlined in his book, drawing inspiration from FDR's second Bill of Rights and Martin Luther King Jr.'s advocacy for economic rights. He then highlights the importance of regulation and complementary policies to achieve the goal of fully decarbonizing the economy, addressing the challenges of selling such a broad and ambitious vision in the current political climate but also pointing out the support for these ideas among voters. The episode concludes with a discussion of Mark's future work on supply-side fossil fuel policy to wind down fossil fuel assets and transition to renewable energy sources. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

On our season 8 finale, Stuart welcomes Amy Cobb back to ask questions about the indictment of President Trump They also discuss what other charges may be coming next and talk about the Republican Party response. Then Amy asks Stuart for his early take on the 2024 election.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

On this episode of EJBTalks, Stuart welcomes one of Bloustein's new Public Health Professors, Yen-Tyng Chen. The two talk about how the personal impacts of the 2003 SARS outbreak inspired Professor Chen's interest in Public Health. Professor Chen then shares how her experiences during her PhD studies at Emory inspired her personal and intellectual interest in how race and built environments have huge impacts on health disparities. She discusses her research focusing on racial health disparities from HIV infection rates to maternal mortality rates. The two then discuss her next research interests around the public health impacts of structural racism.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message

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. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ejbtalks/message