Dr. Ken Baerenklau’s research focuses on water resource economics and policy, with expertise in environmental and natural resource economics, conservation technology adoption, nonpoint source pollution control, and non-market valuation. He joined the School of Public Policy in 2014, making him one of the founding faculty members. His work also includes serving as an Adjunct Fellow...

Dr. Kevin Esterling’s research explores the intersection of public policy, technology, and democratic governance, with a focus on how digital tools can strengthen civic engagement, public deliberation, and evidence-based policymaking. His work examines how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can improve communication between researchers, policymakers, and the public. Dr. Esterling’s research has been published in...

Dr. Bruce Link is a leading scholar in sociology, public health, and psychiatric epidemiology. His research focuses on the association between health inequalities and socioeconomic status; social stigma and mental illness; and the relationship between mental illnesses and violent behaviors. He was one of only six UCR faculty recognized in 2025 by Clarivate Analytics in...

Dr. Richard Carpiano's interests center on public health policy and the social and economic conditions that contribute to the health of populations across the US and beyond. His research and policy activities are particularly focused on two related areas: 1) Vaccination hesitancy, its contributors, and policies to address it and promote vaccine uptake; and 2)...

Dr. Cecilia Ayón’s research focuses on how immigration policies and sociopolitical climates shape the health, well-being, and family processes of Latinx immigrant communities. As a community-engaged researcher, Dr. Ayón specializes in studying hard-to-reach populations, particularly Latinx immigrant children and families. Drawing from her lived experience as the daughter of Mexican immigrants and her training as...

Dr. Sharon Oselin’s research focuses on using real-world accounts and field research to understand topics surrounding crime, the criminal-legal system, prisoner reentry, deviance, gender and sexuality, urban conditions, organizations, and culture. As a professor of Public Policy & Sociology and Director of the Presley Center of Crime & Justice Studies, she examines how policies, social...

Dr. Ran Wei’s research focuses on using data science to understand how climate change affects children's health and their access to emergency medical care. She currently leads a major project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she integrates information from 13 different data sources to identify neighborhoods where children are most at...

Dr. Kurt Schwabe’s research focuses on economic issues associated with water use and water affordability, agricultural production, urban water conservation, ecosystem services, and environmental regulation. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center, where he helps identify, develop, and carry out research priorities important to the...

Dr. Mehdi Nemati’s research in environmental economics and policy uses causal inference and large-scale data, including administrative and satellite sources, to study water systems, climate adaptation, affordability, groundwater depletion, and land subsidence. He currently leads the Water Dialogue Lab at UC Riverside, a lab dedicated to advancing research and policy solutions to inform decision-making across...

Dr. Andy Crosby’s work centers on public budgeting and financial management, intergovernmental relations, and survey methodology. In January 2026, Dr. Crosby co-authored Public Budgeting and Financial Management: Getting on Track, published by Routledge. The textbook provides an accessible, applied introduction to public budgeting for students who do not have prior experience in economics or statistics...

Dr. Robynn Cox’s research examines the intersections of crime, health, labor, housing, and social and racial inequality, with a focus on the social, economic, and health consequences of mass incarceration policies. She is also a faculty affiliate at the School of Public Policy’s Presley Center for Crime & Justice Studies and Immediate Past President for...

Dr. Qingfang Wang’s research examines how inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems can be intentionally designed to promote community wealth creation and equitable economic growth. Over two decades of scholarship, her work has focused on how race, gender, immigration, and place shape entrepreneurial opportunity in underserved communities. Drawing on comparative and multi-city research, Dr. Wang shows that entrepreneurship...

Dr. Wei Kang’s research focuses on spatial data science, housing, and spatial inequality—using innovative methods to understand the outcomes of affordable housing policies like low-income housing tax credit programs and inclusionary zoning programs. In early January, Dr. Kang co-authored a new study in Health Affairs examining the link between the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program...