Name: Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP/PP
Title: Senior Research Specialist
Room: 447
Phone: 848-932-2854
Email: lavh@rutgers.edu
Ms. Von Hagen is a Senior Research Specialist at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center and a Facilitator for the New Jersey Health Impact Collaborative at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Leigh Ann is a licensed professional planner, both nationally and in New Jersey.
Leigh Ann manages the NJ Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Resource Center (saferoutesnj.org) and the statewide School Crossing Guard Training program (njcrossingguards.org.) She specializes in initiatives that address pedestrian and bicycle access and safety through research, training, education, community engagement, and dissemination of information about best practices in policy and design. In addition, she conducts and provides training on Health Impact Assessment and facilitates health in all polices discussions (njhic.rutgers.edu) She was instrumental in launching several statewide health initiatives including Safe Routes to School, Sustainable Jersey, Mayors Wellness Campaign, and Shaping NJ. Through these and similar initiatives, Leigh Ann has been a leader in bringing health considerations into non-health sector decisions. Her goal is to help make the healthy choice the easy choice through changes to the built environment and by creating a culture of healthy, active living.
For over fifteen years, Leigh Ann’s work has focused on addressing health and socio-economic disparities by developing sustainable transportation and land use solutions for communities. As a veteran bicycle and pedestrian planner, she is a leader in creating multi-disciplined approaches to environmental and policy change through community-based initiatives and partnership building.
Leigh Ann also worked for several private engineering firms on a variety of comprehensive planning projects and as a risk communication researcher for the Center for Environmental Communication and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.
Other Publications:
- Burger J, Pflugh KK, Lurig L, Von Hagen LA, Von Hagen, S. “Fishing in Urban New Jersey: Ethnicity Affects Information Sources, Perception, and Compliance.” Risk Analysis 1999; Vol.19, No.2.
- Pflugh, KK, Lurig, L, Von Hagen, LA, Von Hagen, S, Burger, J. “Urban Angler’s Perception of Risk from Contaminated Fish.” Science of the Total Environment 1999; 228(2-3):203-218.