About Us
Principal Investigators
Dr. Ronald K. Chen
Ronald K. Chen is a University Professor, Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Leonard I. Garth Scholar. He was dean of the School of Law–Newark and the first co-dean of Rutgers Law School resident in Newark from 2013-2018. He is the former Public Advocate of New Jersey. He teaches first year Contracts, Federal Courts, and litigates civil rights and civil liberties cases in the Constitutional Rights Clinic.
Dr. Julia Sass Rubin
Julia Sass Rubin is the Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Director of the Public Policy Program, and a Professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Dr. Rubin’s research on the impact of New Jersey’s county line primary ballot on election outcomes was used in Senator Andy Kim’s successful lawsuit to strike down New Jersey’s county line primary ballot. Dr. Rubin was an expert witness in that case. Dr. Rubin earned her PhD and MA from Harvard University, an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, and an AB with honors from Harvard-Radcliffe College. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the Alfred A. Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University and spent a year as a Henry Luce Scholar in Bangkok, Thailand.
Research Assistants
Sean Nguyen is a Research Assistant at Rutgers Law School and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. His research focuses on New Jersey elections, specifically the impact of the state’s ballot designs on election outcomes. In this role, he currently manages the creation of a statewide historical ballot repository and analyzes the results of the state’s recent primary election. Sean holds a Master of Public Policy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude in Public Policy from the University of California, Riverside. He was also a Governor’s Executive Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics and a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Jake Papa is currently completing a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in Environmental Policy and Sustainability at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He brings experience in state and local government and nonprofit advocacy, with a strong focus on sustainability, energy regulation, and civic engagement. In his current role, he manages multiple counties’ ballots, and has directed this website’s construction.
At the Center for Urban Policy Research, Jake supports legislative analysis and stakeholder engagement on New Jersey’s clean energy transition, contributing to policy briefs on utility regulation, building performance standards, and renewable energy programs. He also will serve as an Eagleton Graduate Fellow in the upcoming cohort, where he hopes to engage more with cross-agency policy initiatives in his area of interest. Previously, as a planning intern with Mercer County, he led the development of the county’s first resident-facing sustainability newsletter and proposed a county-wide Green Purchasing Policy.
Daniel Rosario, holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Rutgers University–New Brunswick and is currently completing a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in Social Justice and Advocacy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He brings experience from the nonprofit sector—where he supported climate policy initiatives—as well as state and federal government, with a strong focus on civic engagement.
As a McNair Scholar, Daniel researched voter suppression and voting barriers affecting the Latino communities in New Jersey, reinforcing his dedication to democratic access. He also consulted for Autism New Jersey, providing policy recommendations to improve services and workforce development through interviews with field professionals. Through the Rutgers Ballot Project, he led efforts to archive over 15,000 historical ballots dating back to the 1970s, preserving election history across Monmouth, Union, Middlesex, and Warren Counties.
Luis Cerna is a graduate student pursuing a dual degree in Public Policy and City and Regional Planning at Rutgers University. As a research assistant for the Ballot Repository project, he has supported the collection and digitization of historical sample ballots from counties in northern New Jersey. His responsibilities have included coordinating with county clerk offices, utilizing New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) to access archival election materials, and organizing files within the repository’s content management system.
Luis’s work contributes to the broader goal of increasing public access to election materials and preserving the history of ballot design and voter information. His attention to detail and commitment to transparency have supported the development of a comprehensive, nonpartisan resource for researchers, students, and the general public.
Md Nurul Hoque is currently a Research Assistant at Rutgers Law School and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, where he manages the creation of a statewide historical ballot repository and analyzes New Jersey’s recent primary election results. His broader research interests lie at the intersection of public policy, public health equity, and democratic processes, with a focus on how historical and structural inequities shape both health outcomes and electoral systems. He also received a National Science Foundation grant to develop generative AI models that advance applications of artificial intelligence in mental healthcare. Md Nurul holds a Master’s in Public Informatics from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, and a MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is proficient in Python, R, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, and GIS platforms such as ArcGIS Pro and QGIS, and seeks to leverage his combined expertise in data science and policy research to drive evidence-based policymaking that fosters social justice, equity, and sustainability.
Stephanie Montoya Fantazzi, holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Rutgers University and is currently completing dual master’s degrees in Public Policy and City and Regional Planning at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Her work is focused on the intersection of community development and its impact on individuals and their experiences with crime.
As an intern with the Kensington Corridor Trust, Stephanie supported a community-led initiative to combat gentrification in Philadelphia by contributing to its mission of placing local properties into a perpetual, resident-owned trust. This model empowers the community by ensuring long-term affordability and local control over development. Further demonstrating her dedication, she serves as President of the Bloustein Social Justice Committee, championing initiatives that promote equitable growth for all. Both roles reinforce her focus on developing policies that strengthen community ownership and enhance neighborhood safety.
