Joined Dean Stuart Shapiro on the EJB Talks podcast to discuss starting my role as Research Computing Specialist at Rutgers University’s Bloustein School — which happened to be just days before New Jersey’s stay-at-home order during COVID-19.
The RUCI Lab
The conversation centered on the Rutgers Urban and Civic Informatics Lab (RUCI Lab), which had just been established at the Bloustein School. The lab’s focus is studying the health of cities using new data sources — location data, social media, administrative records — and figuring out how those insights translate into better urban policy.
Starting During a Pandemic
The timing was something. I started the role and almost immediately shifted into pandemic-response mode. We talked about the RUCI Lab’s early COVID-19 work: using location data to understand how mobility patterns changed during lockdowns, analyzing social media to track public sentiment, and trying to forecast what the long-term social and economic impacts would look like for New Jersey’s urban areas. We were also studying how the virus hit different neighborhoods unequally and which communities were most vulnerable.
3D Printing PPE
I also talked about a separate effort I was running at the time — 3D printing personal protective equipment for healthcare workers who were dealing with critical shortages. That project came together through maker communities coordinating production and getting face shields and masks to frontline workers who needed them.
About EJB Talks
EJB Talks is the Bloustein School’s podcast, hosted by Dean Shapiro, featuring conversations with faculty, students, and partners on planning, policy, and public health.
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