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Research, Publications, and Reports

Greenberg, Mayer Review DOE’s Nuclear Storage Collaboration

We examine the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s collaborative process to locate, build, and operate one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities (FCISFs) for commercial U.S. spent nuclear fuel—instead of continuing to store the material at over 70 nuclear reactor sites.

Cultural Factors Driving Severe Repetitive Flood Losses

A central debate was whether public resources should support staying or leaving the island. Key concerns included the economic impacts of strategies on household and public finances, the effectiveness of strategies to mitigate future flood damages, and fairness in the distribution of costs and responsibilities.

Edwards: Disability, Job Satisfaction, and Accommodations

A new paper co-authored by Renée Edwards, Ph.D., Assistant Director at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and Managing Director of the Employer Disability Practices Center, examines the extent to which job satisfaction, requests for accommodations, and the likelihood of a request being granted vary by disability status. We further analyze whether being granted workplace accommodations moderates the relationship between work satisfaction and disability.

New Report – State of the Climate: New Jersey 2024

New Jersey 2024 Summary of Climate Trends The year 2024 was the warmest on record globally and the second warmest year on record in New Jersey. This year represented a continuation of the long-term climate change trend in global temperatures that drives regional effects and hazards in New Jersey. As such, this report focuses on changes in temperature, sea-level rise, precipitation, and extreme events in New Jersey.

Report Release: R/ECON Forecast Summer 2025

 R/ECON’s economic forecast for New Jersey as of mid-2025 continues to show a slowing trajectory. Annual GDP growth is projected at just 0.5% for 2025, significantly lower than prior forecasts and markedly below the national rate of 1.5%. The Garden State’s real estate market shows tentative signs of stabilization, though persistently elevated mortgage rates and high home prices continue to limit the strength of the rebound. Nationally, tariff increases are expected to put upward pressure on prices, with inflation projected to reach 3.7% in the second quarter of 2026. 

New Publication from Payne: Digital Twin or Digital Kin?

The authors argue that questions around interoperability and profit and tensions with democratic deliberation and socially beneficial outcomes necessitate best-practice “digital kin” models. These models are inclusive of different urban realities and diverse communities, as well as more closely integrated across platforms locations for use in participatory planning to advance social equity outcomes.

Samuel and Colleagues Examine the Rise of AI Phobia

Contemporary public discourse surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) often exhibits a disproportionate level of fear and confusion relative to AI’s factually documented capabilities and implications. This study examines how the systematic use of alarmist and fear-inducing language by news media outlets contributes to negative public perceptions of AI.

Ralph, Johnson-Rodriguez Research ASE Perceptions

We found that many respondents did not believe that speeding was particularly dangerous, and that people with these beliefs were less likely to support automated speed enforcement. However, providing a message about the dangers of speeding was effective in increasing support for automated enforcement, especially among people who did not hold extreme beliefs about the (lack of) danger of speed.

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