5/6/2026 - Rutgers Democracy Lab Catalyzes Month-Long Effort to Solve Grand Challenges
Atl Castro Asmussen, Program Coordinator for RDL's Technology and Democracy Research Hub, reflected on the impacts of RDL's Solving Grand Challenges Month: a University-wide initiative which dedicated April 2026 to interdisciplinary collaboration for public problem-solving.
The month resulted in diverse programming like multilingual art and writing and applied improvisation, among others.
4/28/2026 - ‘Radical’ model pays off at college for adults with some credits
RDL's Director, Dr. Nick Longo, was quoted in an article discussing College Unbound, a Rhode Island college specifically designed for adult learners and non-traditional students.
“I think what College Unbound is doing represents a new more collaborative paradigm," Longo remarked. "It is more about the co-creation of knowledge, as opposed to simply being more interactive in how you help students learn.”
4/20/2026 - NJ 17-year-olds got right to vote — and fewer than three dozen did
Jessica Ronan-Frisch, associate director of Rutgers Democracy Lab and the Center for Youth Political Participation (CYPP), advocated for widespread civic education in New Jersey schools after special election data reveals low teen-voter turnout.
“Both the state and schools can play a role in educating teens on this new voting opportunity by providing each teen with more specific primary election information," Ronan-Frisch remarked.
3/31/2026 - At Rutgers, Students Are Learning About Democracy in a Lab
Dr. Nick Longo, the inaugural director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab, discusses RDL's mission to spearhead civic engagement across Rutgers campuses – and beyond.
Dr. Jason Geary, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Rutgers-New Brunswick, remarked: "The Rutgers Democracy Lab is poised to lead transformational change that is vital to the health of our nation's democracy."
2/4/2026 - Dr. Nicholas V. Longo Appointed Inaugural Director of the Rutgers Democracy Lab
RDL announced the appointment of Dr. Nicholas V. Longo 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.
11/12/2025 - Eagleton launches ‘Technology and Democracy Research Hub’, analyzes impact of technology on politics
The Rutgers Democracy Lab (RDL) at the Eagleton Institute of Politics recently launched the Technology and Democracy Research Hub, which seeks to analyze technology's impact on political behavior and help students strengthen civic engagement at Rutgers.
11/10/2025 - Talking Across Differences initiative promotes open political discourse at tabling event
On Thursday, the Talking Across Differences (TAD) initiative held a tabling session at The Yard @ College Avenue to provide a space for students to discuss political issues in a respectful way.
10/3/25 - Can politics be civil? NJ lawmakers go to college for the answer
College Civility Tour has simple message: Politics doesn’t have to be toxic. Nearly 100 students at Union County College got a lesson in civility from an unlikely pair: Sens. Jon Bramnick (R-Union) and Joe Cryan (D-Union).
9/26/25 - As NJ senators promoted civility in politics, governor’s race took ugly turn
In a crowded room on the Rutgers campus on Thursday, two state senators tried to impart the wisdom of political civility to students at the very moment our state’s gubernatorial race was devolving into the campaign’s ugliest day yet.
9/25/25 - Cryan and Bramnick Civility Tour a Hit at Eagleton Institute
You may disagree with them, but people who know them generally like Joe Cryan (D) and Jon Bramnick (R), and the longtime lawmakers also happen to like each other.
9/25/25 - State Sens. Bramnick and Cryan launch ‘College Civility Tour’ at Rutgers
Talking politics with coworkers, through social media, or even on a college campus might not always be a good idea in the current climate of polarized viewpoints.
4/3/2025 - Rutgers alum discusses political communications accomplishments under Murphy, White House
On Monday, the Eagleton Institute of Politics' Rutgers Democracy Lab (RDL) and Center for Youth Political Participation (CYPP) hosted a conversation between CYPP Associate Director Jessica Ronan-Frisch and Megan Coyne, a Rutgers alum who transformed the use of X in state and federal government communications.
11/25/24 - N.J. university launching new effort to battle ‘misinformation’ in politics
Rutgers University is launching a “Democracy Lab” to promote civil discourse and political participation, school officials announced Friday.