Policy Chats

In this episode,  Assistant Professional Researcher   Deborah Lefkowitz  talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about  public health policy .   About  Deborah Lefkowitz : Deborah Lefkowitz received her BA  summa cum laude  in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University, and her PhD in Social Ecology from the University of California Irvine. Dr. Lefkowitz’s r...

In this episode,  Director of the Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies  Sharon Oselin  talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the  California Fair Chance Act and barriers to integration following incarceration .   About  Sharon Oselin : Dr. Oselin is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Sociology at the University of California, Riverside and Affiliat...

In this episode,  Director of Operations & Strategies for Act Now for Mental Health Joy Chen  talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about  Mental Health Awareness and Challenges .   About  Joy Chen : Joy, a UCR and School of Public Policy Alum, has extensive experience in both local and state government settings. Joy graduated from Yale with a Master's in Public...

In this episode, Attorney Thy Bui talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the challenges, intricacies, and tips on the legal profession . About Thy Bui :  Thy represents employers in single-plaintiff and multi-plaintiff lawsuits in state and federal court.  She regularly defends employers in lawsuits alleging causes of action for discrimination, retaliation, harass...

In this episode, Water Consulting Expert Les Chau talk with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about California's Water Challenges . About Les Chau : Mr. Chau specializes in One Water consulting, climate adaptation planning, water resource studies, water quality compliance, and water infrastructure asset management. His experience includes watershed analysis with a focus o...

In this episode, Non-Profit Worker and School of Public Policy Alum Andrea Rayas talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about Community Work with Second-Hand Smoke in Multifamily Housing Units .  Podcast Highlights:  “Research has shown that African American and Latinx communities are most affected by it, especially children.”  - Andrea on the topic of second-hand smoke...

In this episode, Dean of the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy Mark Long talks with a student about Affirmative Action Policies in College Admissions. About Mark Long : Mark C. Long began his role as Dean of the School of Public Policy at UC Riverside in January 2023, following the successful tenure of Anil Deolalikar, who served as founding Dean of SPP. From 2004-2022, L...

In this episode, Founding Dean of the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy, Anil Deolalikar talks with students about the most pressing challenges the world faces today . About Anil Deolalikar : Anil Deolalikar has been the founding dean of the School of Public Policy since February 2013 and a professor of economics at UC Riverside since 2003. Deolalikar is a development eco...

In this episode, Water Law Partner Wesley Miliband talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the policy issues and potential solutions to California's water challenges . About Wesley Miliband : "Wesley Miliband is an environmental lawyer focused on water resources. He focuses on securing and protecting water rights and water supplies, including assistance wit...

In this episode, Former District Attorney of San Bernardino County Michael Ramos talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the Supreme Court going into the upcoming elections . About Michael Ramos : Michael A. Ramos was elected as San Bernardino County’s District Attorney in 2003 and served in the position until 2019. He currently serves as one of the External Relatio...

In this episode, the Director of Legislation and Community Affairs for Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest, Karen Borja, talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about reproductive rights in 2022 . About Karen Borja : Karen Borja is the Director of Legislation and Community Affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Ms. Borja is a dedicate...

In this episode, the Host of the Urban Planning is Not Boring Podcast, Natalie Ikhrata talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about Urban Planning and its challenges . About Natalie Ikhrata : Natalie is pursuing her Master's in Urban Planning, Housing, and Transportation at the University of Southern California. She is a transportation planner and co-host of her podc...

In this episode, University of California Riverside Alumni Samuel Roberts & Semi Cole discuss with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about their covid-equity project, San Bernardino for Rapid Recovery, and the need for continued covid mitigation and prevention measures.  About Samuel Roberts : Samuel Roberts is a current MPP candidate and Dean's Merit Scholar at the U...

In this episode, Professor of Economics Matthew Lang talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about gun violence and gun control . About Matthew Lang : Professor Lang is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of California, Riverside. His research focuses on a variety of areas, including Applied Microeconomics, Mental Health, and Firearms sales. Learn more a...

In this episode, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Sociology Steven Brint talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about Student Loan Forgiveness . About Steven Brint : Steven Brint is a Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Sociology at the University of California, Riverside. His research focuses on a wide variety of political and social topics, but he...

In this episode, Professor Stan Oklobdzija talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the housing crisis . About Stan Oklobdzija : Professor Oklobdzija is a visiting Assistant Professor at UC Riverside's School of Public Policy. His research focuses on state and local politics with special attention to housing policy. Learn more about Stan Oklobdzija via https://s...

In this episode, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber talks with a student and alumnus from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about her career in public service . About Shirley Weber : Shirley Nash Weber, Ph. D. was nominated to serve as California Secretary of State by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 22, 2020, and sworn into office on January 29, 2021. She is California’s first Bl...

In this episode, Executive Director of the Student Debt Crisis Center Cody Hounanian talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the student debt crisis . About Cody Hounanian : Cody Hounanian began his work with Student Debt Crisis Center working on issues like consumer protection policies and student loan refinancing. As executive director, Cody oversees the budget a...

In this episode, Government Relations and Public Policy Advisor Greg Rodriguez talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the similarities and differences between the HIV and COVID-19 public health crises. About Greg Rodriguez : Greg L. Rodriguez serves as Government Relations and Public Policy Advisor for Supervisor Perez in the fourth district in the County of River...

In this episode, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Kevin Esterling talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about digital democracy and echo chambers . About Kevin Esterling : Kevin Esterling is a Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, and the Director of the Laboratory for Technology, Communication, and Democracy (TeCD Lab), at the University of...

In this episode, Dr. Ryan Bixenmann from the California Council of Science and Technology talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the importance of careers in science policy . About Dr. Ryan Bixenmann : Ryan Bixenmann, Ph. D. is a Senior Science Officer at the California Council of Science and Technology (CCST). In this role, Ryan connects relevant experts to decisi...

In this episode, UCR Professor of Public Policy Dr. Richard Carpiano talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about COVID-19 and its future . About Dr. Carpiano : Richard M. Carpiano is a Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside. Trained as public and population health scientist and medical sociologist, Carpiano studies how social factors, suc...

In this episode, Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities Kiril Tomoff and Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Paul D'Anieri talk with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the Russian-Ukraine conflict . About Kiril Tomoff : Kiril Tomoff is the Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities at UCR. His research interests include the intersection of musical life and Russ...

In this episode, Co-Director of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine Dr. Julianne McCall talks with a student from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about scientific and evidence-based policymaking . About Julianne McCall : Julianne McCall serves as Co-Director of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, housed within the California Governor's Office o...

In this episode, Professor of Economics Dr. Joab Corey talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the evolving economies of the world . Learn more about Dr. Corey via https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/jcorey Podcast Highlights: “This COVID-19 pandemic has actually led to an increase in real wages among the lowest quartile of earners...” -        Dr. Corey on on...