Eagleton Fellows Learn About Maryland State Government

Last week, the Graduate and Science Fellows traveled to Annapolis for Eagleton’s 30th anniversary comparative government trip. Meeting Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller and House Speaker Joseline Peña‑Melnyk, the fellows learned about their inspiring journeys as immigrants to leading state government. The fellows also gained insights into state government dynamics from Senate President Bill Ferguson, advocates, and staff, and observed the Senate and House legislature in action. The experience highlighted the evolving role of state government and public leadership by those with backgrounds ranging from civil and transportation engineering to education and history.

Advance Your Research with the NJ Statewide Omnibus Survey

Be a part of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling's "First 100 Days" Statewide Omnibus Survey, capturing New Jersey residents’ early reactions, priorities, and expectations as the new administration in Trenton takes office. This survey offers a timely, affordable way to place your questions into a high-visibility statewide study during a critical governing moment. Organizations can gain credible, scientifically grounded insights into how New Jerseyans are thinking about policy, leadership, and the direction of the state during this critical early period. Limited spots are available. Interested? Email the polling center's Director, Dr. Ashley Koning at akoning@rutgers.edu. 

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Reminder to Apply
Apply by March 13: RDL Think & Do Tank '26-'27

Applications are open for the Rutgers Democracy Lab's (RDL) Think & Do Tank 2026-2027. As an immersive civic learning and capacity building experience, the Think & Do Tank strengthens students’ skills in democratic citizenship and problem-solving by tackling real community challenges, developing solutions with faculty support, and turning ideas into action. The deadline to apply is March 13. Students earn academic credit and a stipend. Open to Rutgers–New Brunswick undergraduate students. 

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Apply by March 15: Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship

Just over one week until the priority deadline. The Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship places Ph.D. scientists in full-time roles within New Jersey state government, where they provide scientific counsel and inform evidence-based policymaking. Science doesn’t just belong behind the bench—it belongs at the policy table.

Take the next step—apply today.

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Apply by March 25: Eagleton Graduate Fellowship Program

Rutgers graduate students, don't miss the opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills in American politics, government, policy, and advocacy. The fellowship program provides students with unique coursework in the fall, legislative days at the New Jersey and Maryland State Houses, and a spring government internship, all the while expanding students' professional networks with program sessions, events, speakers, and more. Learn how you can make a difference.

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Upcoming Events
March 10 | 4:30-6PM
Boba + Digital Democracy

Join Talking Across Difference (TAD) for an interactive workshop exploring how social media platforms influence politics, news, and global events. This engaging session will help you better understand how algorithms, media framing, and targeted content shape what you see and how you think. Participate in interactive small-group discussions, real-world examples of social media's political influence, and gain practical tools to identify bias, fact-check information, and build a balanced "information diet." This workshop is open to all Rutgers students.

Register
March 25 | 5:30-8:30PM
RU Running Political Campaign Training

Join the Center for Youth Political Participation and GenZ for New Jersey on March 25 for an interactive political campaigning workshop for young adults interested in running for office. The event will feature breakout rooms with NJ-based campaign experts on fundraising, campaign communications, and creating a successful campaign strategy. Plus, a networking reception with young elected leaders and representatives of various political campaigns in Middlesex County will be held following the workshop. Open to current Rutgers University undergraduate and graduate students only.

Register
April 13 | 7-8:30PM
Bonnie Watson Coleman: Celebrating a Career of Public Service

Don't miss the Center for American Women and Politics' "Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women's Political Leadership Lecture" on April 13. In conversation with veteran political strategist Donna Brazile, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman will reflect on her six-decade career in public service. Now serving her sixth term in the United States House of Representatives, Congresswoman Watson Coleman has spent her career advocating for New Jersey families and the equitable treatment of all people. Join us in celebrating her remarkable legacy.

Register
 
Eagleton in the News

ROI-NJ | What N.J. business leaders should know ahead of Gov. Sherrill’s budget address

As such, [Saladin Ambar, a professor of political science and senior scholar at the Eagleton Center on the American Governor,] cautioned Sherrill to be careful about how she communicates her budget plan. State budget austerity measures cannot only apply to individuals, he said. Ambar added that businesses should act with an awareness of the communities in which they operate.

“This is a moment of sacrifice for all of us,” Ambar began. “And it means that profit can’t always be the be-all and end-all for a corporation.”

NorthJersey.com | Which NJ Democrats are raising alarm about Trump's war powers in Iran?

“The Constitution explicitly grants Congress the power to declare war, reinforcing this balance,” [Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New] said. “When a presidential administration overreaches in its use of executive authority, it weakens the system of checks and balances, strains institutional norms, establishes new precedents, and shifts power away from the carefully constructed equilibrium intended by the framers.”

TAPinto Newark | Asia J. Norton, Esq. Announces Candidacy for Newark South Ward City Council

Asia J. Norton, Esq., a lifelong Newark resident, attorney, educator, and community advocate, officially announced today her candidacy for South Ward City Council Member in Newark, New Jersey. ...Her legal experience includes clerking for the Honorable Sheila A. Venable, A.J.S.C., in the New Jersey Superior Court, Essex Vicinage. Norton is a graduate of Rutgers Law School–Newark, Class of 2023, where she was awarded the G.A. Moore, Jr. Prize for Employment Discrimination Law. She also served as a Graduate Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics and clerked with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, contributing to the implementation of landmark Environmental Justice legislation.

 
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