New Latino Digital Think-Tank Launches At Rutgers University

The Latino Information Network at Rutgers (LIN@R) to produce original research and analysis on social, political and economic issues affecting the Latino community

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Latino Information Network at Rutgers (LIN@R) University today launched a first-of-its-kind Latino-focused research center and digital think-tank.  LIN@R will provide original research, analysis and commentary on cultural, social, educational, political and economic aspects affecting the Latino community.

Analysis, research and insights produced by LIN@R will be made available to the public through its website. LIN@R will focus on issue areas including technology and telecommunications, immigration, politics and education.

LIN@R is headed by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Robert Montemayor, Editor and Director; Jorge Schement, Dean of the School of Communication & Information at Rutgers University; and Patricia Munoz, Managing Editor.

"Latinos represented ten percent of the vote in last week's Presidential election, and they are a quickly growing demographic in the United States. At LIN@R, we wish to examine the policies most pressing to the Latino community, as well as their potential effects on social and economic wellbeing," said Montemayor. "By studying issue areas that are important to Latino businesses and consumers, we aim to become the go-to resource for scholarly and academic work addressing Hispanic communities."

Added Schement, "Our launch is just the beginning of what we hope will be a greater effort to understand and address issues of importance to the Latino community.  Much of our scholarly strength will draw upon more than two dozen academic institutions, providing us with the knowledge that is so often lacking from the broader political and societal debate."

The website will offer access to content from a larger network of universities nationwide, as LIN@R is a member of the Inter-University Program for Latino Research (IUPLR), a consortium of 25 of the country's leading Latino research institutes. 

For more information about LIN@R and to view original research, please visit: http://linar.rutgers.edu/

About LIN@R:
The Latino Information Network at Rutgers University (LIN@R), is an undertaking that was launched in the summer of 2010 with the goal to create a robust database of Latino-related research, scholarly works and stories that feed a website focusing on the ever-growing, diverse Latino communities within the United States.  The LIN@R website launch debut this month constitutes a major phase of development for the organization, which is charged with the mission to present a fair-minded, even-tempered, reliable representation of the Latino experience in the United States.  The site is directed by Robert Montemayor, who will serve as the website's editor.  A college instructor, veteran marketing executive and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Montemayor has more than 35 years of media experience.  The LIN@R Managing Editor is Patricia Munoz, who has 23 years of experience as a journalist and print and web management.  Over a five-year span, Munoz was editor-in-chief of  Nuestra Comunidad, a Spanish-language Gannett weekly publication covering the Latino community in Central New Jersey.

About Rutgers University:
Founded in 1766, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, is the eighth oldest university in the United States.  Rutgers is a recognized national leader as a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, a highly selective organization comprising the 61 top research universities in North America. The Rutgers faculty includes winners of the National Medals of Science and Technology, MacArthur "Genius" Fellowships, Guggenheim Fellowships, and Fulbright Scholarships.  Rutgers has the largest university-based cell and DNA repository in the world.  The facility supports genetic research on mental disorders, autism, alcohol and drug addiction, diabetes, digestive disorders and other diseases.  According to a U.S. News & World Report, Rutgers boasts the most diverse campus in the nation, reflecting the rich array of people who call New Jersey home.  The university is also known as the birthplace of college football. Rutgers enrolls more than 52,500 students:  39,000 undergraduates and 13,500 graduate students.

SOURCE Latino Information Network at Rutgers (LIN@R)