Advancing employee share ownership, Rutgers University appoints 34 research fellows

The Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing has unveiled its largest and most diverse class of research fellows.

With 34 appointed scholars and subject matter experts, the institute has convened its annual Fellows Workshop in Honor of Louis O. Kelso and launched a Coursera Massive Open Online Course, or MOOC, to educate the public about employee share ownership.

“As researchers and policymakers explore how equity and profit shares in companies can broaden private property ownership, our research fellows are focused on answering critical questions,” Joseph Blasi, the J. Robert Beyster Distinguished Professor and director of the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, said. “Additionally, the free Coursera curriculum will make the insights of the institute’s past and present research fellows accessible to interested citizens, employees and thought leaders.”

The institute is the world’s leading academic research hub dedicated to the study of employee share ownership, equity compensation, profit sharing and worker cooperatives. The 2022-23 class of research fellows represents the largest and most diverse cohort in the 15-year history of the program.

Broadening its reach beyond campus, the institute also revealed the launch of its first MOOC for the public and employees, “Our Share: Employee Ownership as a Wealth Sharing Tool.” Developed by the Institute’s director of education and collaboration, Adria Scharf, the free course uses a series of short, engaging videos to introduce the basics of employee share ownership. It is the first course on the virtual learning platform Coursera focused on this topic.