On March 31, 2026, over 70 students across the Rutgers Democracy Lab community convened in The Hatchery at Alexander Library for the launch of the Common Grounds Project, a student-led initiative to cultivate third spaces for civic dialogue on Rutgers campuses.
Nicholas V. Longo, the inaugural director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab, insists democracy is something you learn by doing – not just in a classroom or at the ballot box, but in the everyday work of navigating challenges, listening to others and finding common ground.
John J. Farmer, Jr., former Dean of Rutgers School of Law—Newark, University Professor Emeritus, Justice Alan B. Handler Scholar, and Eagleton Institute of Politics Affiliate, recently published an op-ed in The Hill.
Rutgers Democracy Lab COO Ava Majlesi was featured as a Star-Ledger guest columnist on NJ.com.
Dr. Nicholas V. Longo has been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. Dr. Longo joins Rutgers from Providence College, where he served as Chair and Professor of Global Studies and Co-Director of the Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy (DID) Lab, an action-research initiative focused on civil discourse, democratic skill-building, and inclusive public engagement.
Eagleton Institute of Politics Director Elizabeth Matto argues in a NJ.com guest opinion that America's 250th anniversary is best honored with active democratic participation beyond the ballot-box.