News

UCR report urges broadband to be a state utility

David Danelski — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

California should regulate broadband internet providers like public utilities — imposing rate controls, universal access requirements, and reliability standards to ensure every resident has affordable, high-speed internet access, according to a new UC Riverside public policy report.

Rental aid during pandemic boosted mental health

David Danelski — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

A UCR study finds that federal rental financial assistance distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent evictions unintentionally improved the mental health of the aid recipients.

Exploring new possibilities

Devlin Smith — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

UCR alumna Thy Bui ’04 establishes a fund to assist undergraduate students participating in the UC Washington Center program.

Tax-defaulted parcels could be used for affordable housing

David Danelski — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

A report from UC Riverside’s Center for Community Solutions maps out tax-defaulted parcels across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and it explores how land banking—acquiring and holding distressed land for future use—could support local housing strategies.

School of Public Policy celebrates 10 years of progress

David Danelski — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

A decade after enticing its first group of 27 graduate students with full tuition support, the UC Riverside School of Public Policy (SPP) has grown into a major force shaping public policy across California and beyond.

'Roll Out’ to UCR Homecoming 2025

Malinn Loeung — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Lock in this November with UC Riverside’s Homecoming 2025. The most anticipated celebration is an on-campus concert featuring 2000s hip-hop icon Ludacris. (Yup, THAT Ludacris!) Select campus groups will also host a barbecue, brunch, cookout, family weekend, and more. Here are all the ways you can join in the fun.

With Prop 50, is Cali voting on Trump, Texas, or both?

John Warren — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In August, Texas state legislators voted for a mid-decade redistricting plan that is likely to turn five U.S. House of Representatives seats from Democrat to Republican. Soon after, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a retaliatory effort, a special election in which California voters are asked to approve new congressional maps drawn by Democrats, bypassing the state’s independent redistricting commission. The plan would likely flip five red seats to blue. Republican donors including Charles Munger Jr.

Most Inland Empire residents say they are struggling

David Danelski — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0700

The surveys conducted by UCR’s Center for Community Solutions uncovered both troubling disparities in the Inland Empire and hopeful signs of community cohesion. While the levels of well-being fell below national averages, Inland residents were more likely than other Americans to feel a sense of belonging in their communities.

Farm conservation is an economical path to save river water

David Danelski — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0700

The most cost-effective way to conserve the dwindling waters of the Colorado River may not come from building new reservoirs, canals, or wells, but from changing how water is used on farms that consume most of it.

Groundwater depletion sinks home prices in California's Central Valley

David Danelski — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0700

UC Riverside study has found that subsidence from excessive groundwater pumping in California's Central Valley reduced home values between 2.4% and 5.8% or between $6,689 and $16,165 per home. These costs totaled $1.87 billion in aggregate housing value lost, the study estimated.

Celebrating UCR’s Class of 2025

Malinn Loeung — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0700

At any given time, our camera rolls are packed with tons of pictures. So, when we asked students from the UC Riverside Class of 2025 to look back at their photo galleries and find memorable moments captured during their entire university journey, we knew we were asking a lot of them. But, goodness, it was so worth it.

Home water-use app improves water conservation

David Danelski — Fri, 23 May 2025 00:00:00 -0700

A UC Riverside-led study has found that a smartphone app that tracks household water use and alerts users to leaks or excessive consumption offers a promising tool for helping California water agencies meet state-mandated conservation goals. The study found that use of the app—called Dropcountr—reduced average household water use by 6%, with even greater savings among the highest water users.

Experts warn of deep harm from proposed Medicaid cuts

Iqbal Pittalwala — Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 -0700

UC Riverside scholars highlight how proposed federal reductions could strip coverage and care from millions

Platform developed at UCR reinvents the webinar

David Danelski — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Online webinar platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams have enabled public discourse at an unprecedented scale. But when hundreds of people join a meeting, the flow of feedback—often reduced to rapid-fire chat messages—becomes chaotic and overwhelming.

Superbugs, Indigenous video games, and tipping dilemmas

Malinn Loeung — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0700

On April 11, nine UC Riverside graduate students presented their research at the 11th annual UCR Grad Slam Final for a chance at $5,000. The event was hosted by UCR’s Grad Division and was held on campus at the School of Business. Grad Slam is a University of California-wide speaking competition in which graduate students get three minutes to describe their research to judges and an audience of peers, faculty, staff, friends, and family.

Two months into new administration, what the polls say

John Warren — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Much has happened in the two-plus months since Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency, with a start-and-stop trade war, cuts to federal research funding, and uncertainty re. the U.S. role in the Ukraine-Russia war. We asked polling and survey expert Andy Crosby, a UCR School of Public Policy professor, to weigh in on how voters are processing the developments.

Public policy students explore world of diplomacy

David Danelski — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0700

For one whirlwind week in Washington, D.C., a select group of 18 UC Riverside public policy students found themselves in the thick of global affairs—learning firsthand how the gears of diplomacy turn in the nation’s capital. This opportunity came through the launch this academic year of the Robert Heath Global Policy Scholars Program, a collaboration between UC Riverside and the American Academy of Diplomacy, which is led by UCR alumnus and former U.S. ambassador Ronald Neumann.

Q&A: Soaring egg prices

David Danelski — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0800

UCR experts discuss the connection to the bird flu outbreak and what to expect

Q&A: The spread of the bird flu virus

David Danelski and Iqbal Pittalwala — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0800

In a question and answer format, UC Riverside public policy professor Richard Carpiano and medical school professor Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs to discuss the policy response and medical issues concerning the bird flu threat.

Were the 2024 election polls wrong? UCR expert weighs in

John Warren — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Most political polls for the 2024 presidential election saw a close race in the electoral college, and a resounding popular-vote victory for Democrat Kamala Harris. Trump won the electoral college 312 to 226, and the popular vote by more than three million votes. We asked polling and survey expert Andy Crosby with the UCR School of Public Policy to tell us what the polls may have missed, or whether we — the voters — misinterpreted the polls.