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School of Public Policy

Solutions for the Region,
Solutions for the World

An aerial of farm land and housing

Central Valley Property Values Are Sinking… Along With the Homes

In an interview with the LA Times, Professor Mehdi Nemati dives into his research on land subsidence, finding that home prices in the Central Valley are 2.4% to 5.4% lower than they would be if the land were stable. This translates to losses of $6,689 to $16,165 per home.
Professor Kurt Schwabe

Professor Kurt Schwabe Appointed Senior Fellow of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center

As Senior Fellow, Professor Kurt Schwabe will play an active role in helping the PPIC's Water Policy Center identify, develop, and carry out research priorities important to the state of California in its efforts to address water scarcity, along with providing guidance and policy expertise in how to address critical issues.
A person getting a shot in a medical office

Professor Richard Carpiano Speaks on Florida’s Plan to Eliminate the Vaccine Mandate for Schools

Professor Richard Carpiano notes that the decision may negatively impact public health and the economy, as Florida will have to respond to disease epidemics and crises that may result from eliminating the vaccine mandate.
A river basin surrounded by hills

School of Public Policy Researchers Dive Into the Future of the Colorado Water Basin

At UCR’s Water Dialogue Lab, Professor Mehdi Nemati, Dr. Daniel Crespo, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Ariel Dinar, and MPP alumna Paloma Avila have developed tools to analyze water availability, use, and economic impacts in the Colorado River Basin.
Professors Qingfang Wang and Ran Wei

Two Public Policy Professors Awarded Grants for Exceptional Research

Congratulations to Professor Qingfang Wang and Professor Ran Wei on being awarded grants to fund their impactful research!
Cover art displaying a diverse group of people in a hand drawn style

The Center for Community Solutions Publishes Report on Belonging and Civic Muscle in the Inland Empire

The Center for Community Solutions, the School of Public Policy’s newest research center, has published a report commissioned by the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) titled, Building Common Ground Through Data: Insights on Vital Conditions in the IE.
Professor Wei Guo

The School of Public Policy Welcomes Professor Wei Guo

Please welcome Wei Guo, our newest Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy as of this month!

The side of a police car

A Study by Professor Ben Newman Suggests Late Adolescents Entering College Intending a Career in Law Enforcement Hold More Right-Leaning Views

A Study by Professor Ben Newman Suggests Late Adolescents Entering College Intending a Career in Law Enforcement Hold More Right-Leaning Views August 26th, 2025 Published in the prestigious PNAS journal, Professor Benjamin Newman's 50th peer-reviewed article explores bias in policing against lower-status social groups. The study proposes reforms such as increasing the number of female...
Headshots of Professors Ariel Dinar and Mehdi Nemati

Professors Mehdi Nemati and Ariel Dinar’s New Study Reveals That Groundwater Depletion is Devaluing California Homes

Professors Mehdi Nemati and Ariel Dinar’s New Study Reveals That Groundwater Depletion is Devaluing California Homes August 26th, 2025 The research, led by Professor Nemati and co-authored by Distinguished Professor Emeritus Dinar, found that homes in gradually sinking areas lost between 2.4% and 5.8% of their sale value, which translates to losses between $6,689 and...
An outside shot of the INTS building at UCR

UCR School of Public Policy Joins Multi-University Team to Study Urban Water Efficiency Regulations

UCR School of Public Policy Joins Multi-University Team to Study Urban Water Efficiency Regulations August 26th, 2025 In a three-year study led by the California Institute for Water Resources, Professor Kurt Schwabe will be representing the School of Public Policy, conducting research to evaluate the impact of Senate Bill 1157, which will lower the daily...

Former Ambassador Speaks on Foreign Policy Under Trump Administration

Former Ambassador Speaks on Foreign Policy Under Trump Administration by Divya Bharadwaj The UC Riverside School of Public Policy is hosting former U.S. Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann (Class of '66 and ‘67 and recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award) for the inaugural talk of its Distinguished Lecture Series on the evolving landscape of foreign policy...

SPP Hosts City Cleanup with Riverside Elected Officials

SPP Hosts City Cleanup with Riverside Elected Officials by Vir Sinha The UCR School of Public Policy is hosting a beautification and trash pickup project for Highlander Day of Service. Special guest speakers in attendance will be Riverside Ward 1 City Councilmember Philip Falcone, Riverside Ward 2 City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, and Greater Riverside Chambers...
By Vir Sinha |

Election Watch Session with Local Policy & Community Leaders

Election Watch Session with Local Policy & Community Leaders by Liam Burley On Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 starting from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. the Civil Rights Institute of Southern California (CRIISC) and the UCR School of Public Policy will be hosting an in-person Election Watch Session. "Engagement in the political process is essential as we...
By Liam Burley |
Four women smiling for a picture

UCR to Hold Conference for Women's Political Engagement

UCR to Hold Conference for Women's Political Engagement By Liam Burley On Thursday, October 24th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the annual Persist Women's Political Engagement Conference is being held at the Highlander Union Building (HUB 302) at University of California Riverside (UCR). This event is being hosted by the UCR Women's Resource Center...
By Liam Burley |
Justine Ross holding the certificate for the new research center

Grand Opening of New Solution-Focused Research Center

On Wednesday, September 18th, the School of Public Policy launched their newest research center, the Center for Community Solutions. Built upon past School of Public Policy research centers—the Center for Social Innovation and Inland Center for Social Development—the Center for Community Solutions aims to support the Inland Southern California region with attentive policy research. At...
By Liam Burley |
A presenter in front of her presentation board speaking to a guest

Political Science Researchers Gather for Polmeth 2024

From Thursday, July 18 to Saturday, July 20, the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Society for Political Methodology (“Polmeth”) was held at the Riverside Mission Inn & Spa. The event was hosted by the University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Public Policy and the Society for Political Methodology (SPM). “Polmeth” was established in 1984...
By Liam Burley |
Image of city with text overlay stating "NATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY SYMPOSIUM University of California, Riverside April 12-14, 2024"

SPP Partners with S2P & NSPN on Science Policy Symposium

From April 12-14, the UCR School of Public Policy will be co-hosting the 2024 National Science Policy Symposium in conjunction with UCR Science to Policy and the National Science Policy Network. The three-day-long event will address questions about the future within policy areas such as public health, climate change, and more. The symposium will focus...

By Divya Bharadwaj |

Policy Students Give Talks on Drug War and Afghan Refugees

The UCR School of Public Policy is hosting back-to-back seminars by public policy students Rafael Barrientos Posada and Joseph Anastacio (accompanied by a panel of speakers) as part of its Student Spotlight Series. Posada is a first-year public policy major from Bakersfield, California. For his seminar he will cover the impacts and complexities of the...
By Vir Sinha |

School Aids Homeless Through Day of Service

On Saturday March 16, from 10:30 am to 1:00pm, the UCR School of Public Policy is hosting a care packages assembly line for the homeless as part of UCR Highlander Day of Service. Until March 14, the SPP will hold a donation drive, after which volunteers will assemble care packages for Path of Life Ministries...
By Divya Bharadwaj |

SANDAG Rep Talks Fostering Change Within Communities

The UCR School of Public Policy is hosting Samuel Roberts, SPP alumnus and current Public Communications Officer for San Diego’s Association of Governments (SANDAG), for a seminar on his career surrounding health, environmental policy, and community building. Roberts began work for SANDAG after receiving his bachelor’s degree in public policy from UCR and his master’s...
By Vir Sinha |
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