In brief
Archived article from Sep 26, 2005
New Jersey Supreme Court oral arguments now viewable online A collaboration between Rutgers School of Law-Newark and the New Jersey Judiciary has made Webcasts of New Jersey Supreme Court oral arguments permanently available on the Rutgers Web site. Webcasting provides members of the public, students, attorneys, reporters and other interested viewers with the opportunity to watch the oral arguments live on the New Jersey Judiciary’s Web site at www.njcourtsonline.com. Once each day’s oral arguments are completed, they remain viewable for 30 days. Webcasts will be transferred to the Rutgers-Newark law school archives at the end of 30 days. The archive, part of Rutgers Law Library’s New Jersey Digital Legal Library project, was initiated by Carol A. Roehrenbeck, associate dean for library and information services. To access the collection, visit njlegallib.rutgers.edu.
Eagleton Institute of Politics to study provisional voting, voter identification procedures The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has awarded the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers a $560,000 contract to study provisional voting and voter identification procedures during the 2004 election. Under the contract, the institute will develop recommendations for EAC to consider in the development of its guidance to the states for the 2006 elections. Eagleton Director Ruth B. Mandel said that the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, Eagleton’s partner in the contract application, will be responsible for the legal analysis of the competitively bid, seven-month project. The project team, led by Mandel, includes Ingrid W. Reed, John Weingart and consultant Thomas O’Neill, retired president of the Partnership for New Jersey, who will serve as project director. The project will address key questions related to provisional voting and voter identification in the context of effective election administration, voter access and ballot security.
National Transit Institute lands more than $25 million under federal transportation bill The new federal transportation bill signed last month by President Bush authorizes more than $25 million in federal funding for the National Transit Institute through 2010, bolstering NTI’s success in attracting federal aid to Rutgers. Created by Congress in 1992 and established at Rutgers to design and deliver training and education programs for the nation’s transit industry, NTI will have received nearly $70 million in federal funding by the time the new authorization expires in 2010. The $70 million represents one of the highest amounts of federal funding awarded to any unit at Rutgers. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Transit Administration have relied on NTI in recent years to develop and administer anti-terror training programs for the nation’s transit industry, supplementing the program’s $1 million annual appropriation with more than $2.3 million in additional funding.
Subaru donation to promote Pinelands research A 2006 Subaru Forrester, donated by the Cherry Hill-based Subaru of America, is fast becoming an important component of the Rutgers Pinelands Field Research Station in New Lisbon. The vehicle, wrapped in a graphic design that reflects the biodiversity of the Pinelands, will allow Rutgers students and professors to travel the expanses of the vast forest. Directed by Camden biology professor John Dighton, the Rutgers Pinelands Field Research Station studies the area’s delicate ecosystem and its impact on the state’s freshwater supply and overall environment. Graduate and undergraduate students work with faculty on projects that provide a singular learning experience while also generating knowledge that advises state and local agencies on effective uses of the Pinelands.
$3.5 million for lie detection in the 21st century Rutgers computer scientists will be aided in their study of how to quickly and accurately detect lying through a $3.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The researchers are investigating how a person’s subtle body movements – shoulder shrugging, hand gestures or changes in facial expression – may indicate deception. The goal is to capture these nonverbal cues on camera, analyze the movements via computer and deliver input on the subject’s likely truthfulness. “Looking for what we call ‘microexpressions’ and ‘microgestures’ associated with deception would be a major leap over today’s polygraph technology,” said Dimitri Metaxas, computer science professor and director of the university’s Center for Computational Biomedicine Imaging and Modeling. Lie-detector tests based on body physiology are time-consuming and roughly 50 percent reliable. Scientists believe the new techniques could help immigration officers screen people more quickly and confidently at border crossings; bolster security for buildings, such as embassies; and allow law enforcement personnel to conduct more thorough interrogations.
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