2024 IEP Designee – Rutgers-New Brunswick 

APLU has designated Rutgers University–New Brunswick as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity designee in recognition of its substantial and sustained commitment to economic engagement in the region. 

The national designation highlights Rutgers’ role as an economic catalyst through transformative innovations in academic initiatives, pioneering research, and impactful community outreach programs. This includes business incubators that have launched thousands of startups, technologies addressing agricultural challenges and the university’s involvement in the New Jersey Health and Life Science Exchange (HELIX) in downtown New Brunswick, which is intended to become a leading hub for research, commercialization and education. 

“For an institution that prides itself in leading innovative programs that benefit so many partners—communities, industries, and government, to name just a few—this APLU recognition is a great point of pride,” Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway said. “It encourages us to take on ever-greater challenges that will benefit the public good.” 

To organize and create a framework for the comprehensive self-study, the APLU’s New Metrics Field Guide was consulted to aid in the development of a logic model. From there, the study team embarked on a significant data collection process through a series of one-on-one interviews, online surveys, and facilitated discussions.  

To craft meaningful interview, survey, and discussion questions, the APLU’s Assessment Tools for Examining the Role of Universities in Economic Development was consulted. Interview guides and corresponding questions were then developed. Questions were designed to gain a better understanding of the university’s economic engagement and innovation activities, accomplishments, outcomes, and opportunities for growth and improvement, while being aligned with the Rutgers Academic Master Plan and Diversity Strategic Plan priorities.  

Using the APLU New Metrics Development report for inspiration, the study team designed and conducted a half-day event utilizing a “world café” model for larger group dialogue. The Innovation and Economic Prosperity World Café discussions were conducted for internal and external stakeholders with the intention of collecting constructive feedback about the university’s innovation and economic and community engagement enterprises.  

As a result of the self-study, information was collected from 217 internal and external stakeholders: 96 one-on-one interviews of Rutgers faculty and staff; 34 online surveys; and 87 participated in facilitated discussions during the world café event.   

“Much of the interdisciplinary work within our community and with other stakeholders has led to impactful initiatives across the region,” said Peggy Brennan-Tonetta, Director of Resource and Economic Development at Rutgers’ New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.  

She added the “process has been instrumental in assessing our community engagement, innovation and talent development efforts, documenting these activities and planning for New Jersey’s future. By engaging with internal and external audiences, we continue to assess strengths and areas for improvement in measuring and communicating our economic impact, aiming to maximize our influence on the regional economy and society.” 

The self-study focused on talent, innovation, place, and economic prosperity, revealing crucial insights into strengths at the university, including: 

• The Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), selected as a “Beyond Traffic Innovation Center” by the U.S. Department of Transportation, tackles infrastructure challenges through research on earthquake-resistant bridges, structural health monitoring, and pipeline risk assessment. CAIT also trains over 11,000 transportation professionals annually. 

• The Food Innovation Center’s support for more than 3,500 food and agricultural startups, including FDA- and USDA-certified expertise and facilities and the commercialization of 500-plus products, including the national launch of the Impossible Burger.  

• The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center trains special education professionals for working with individuals with autism. In 2023, the center partnered with school districts in underserved communities, training 77 health professionals, 300 community participants, and serving 30 school districts. 

• The Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy program engages undergraduates in research, entrepreneurial thinking, and interdisciplinary projects. The innovation studio fosters problem-solving and community engagement, leading to startups like SageTech and BabySafe Health. 

• The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers at Rutgers Business Schools’ statewide impact, facilitating more than $1.95 billion in 2023 sales revenues and supporting thousands of jobs through comprehensive business advisory services, counseling, training and business launch support.  

• Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s leadership in New Jersey’s largest community engagement program, with initiatives such as the Rutgers Environmental Stewards educating 3,835 individuals and enhancing 480 acres of wildlife habitat throughout the state. 

The designation aligns with academic initiatives launched by Chancellor Conway to enhance economic engagement. One such effort is the Chancellor Challenge, which invites the Rutgers community to propose innovative ideas that foster exploration, collaboration, concept-testing, and risk-taking, all in support of the university’s Academic Master Plan. 

“There is much work ahead, but this milestone advances our economic development and community engagement efforts,” said Jacqueline McGlynn, Director of Administration in the Office of the Chancellor and the project’s co-leader. “This designation process has enhanced the university’s understanding of knowledge generation, the supporting innovation ecosystem and its economic impacts.” 

One method used by the self-study to gather feedback was a “World Café,” a conversational process designed to generate ideas and collect information from the Rutgers community and external audiences.

Rutgers Day is held at Rutgers-New Brunswick and is the culminating event to the academic year attended by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community at large. Held on the last Saturday in April since 2009, nearly 100,000 people attend, and more than 500 programs are presented. Rutgers Day is the largest event at the university and has become a beloved annual tradition. Research indicates that those who visit a Rutgers campus have a more positive impression of the university. To leverage these findings, Rutgers Day was created for New Jersey residents to experience their state university firsthand. 

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