In this episode, Mayor of Palm Springs Grace Garner talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about housing affordability, income disparities, and gentrification in the context of Palm Springs.   About Grace Garner: Grace Garner earned her Bachelor of Arts from the Pitzer College in Political Studies and Gender/Feminist Studies before receiving her Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. Previously, she has served as a board member of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, was the Chief Operating Officer at Americans for Financial Reform, and was an Attorney Case Manager at White & Case LLP. Since serving on the Palm Springs City Council, Grace Garner has become a board member for the Desert Regional Medical Center as well as California State University-San Bernardino.  Learn more about Grace Garner via https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracegarner/  Podcast Highlights:   “We need people to do maintenance work, we need people to do landscaping, we need people to wash dishes at restaurants and to cook in our kitchens. And to decide that they're not worthy of living somewhere because the rent would be lower is just really disrespectful to all of the people that literally make Palm Springs what it is.” -       Grace Garner on the topic of the importance of the workforce population in Palm Springs and why they deserve access to housing.  “There's one condo complex for instance that half of the units are vacant, and these are one bedroom units and so they're perfect for somebody who's kind of just entering college or someone who is just a single person or maybe a couple for them to move in. So how do we connect with this private condo association to then encourage their owners to rent out the home long term for workforce housing?” -       Grace Garner on the topic of how the unused vacant housing in Palm Springs can be rented to provide income for homeowners and housing for the workforce. “So if we can get that down to a more reasonable rent based on a person's income, then that would help a lot. They're still going to pay more than they would for a low income unit because they have the means to, but instead of paying 50% of their monthly income they'll pay the 30% which is supposed to be the standard rate that we should all be paying but almost none of us are." -       Grace Garner on the topic of how rent rates need to be structured for people who don't qualify for low-income housing, but also can't afford to use half of their salary on rent alone.  Guest: Grace Garner (Mayor of Palm Springs)  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Matthew De Haro (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/WV9q-jAhm4A Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpphttps://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, Executive Director of the California Storage and Solar Association Bernadette Del Chiaro talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about the importance of solar energy and storage, as well as how they are essential to a sustainable future.   About Bernadette Del Chiaro: After completing her Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, Bernadette Del Chiaro went on to work as an organizer for Green Corps. She later worked at the Toxics Action Center and Environment California and Environment America as a director, before joining the California Solar and Storage Association in 2013. Since joining, Bernadette has built the organization into the largest clean energy business group in the state. She's authored several clean energy reports and has been quoted widely in the media including MSNBC, NPR, BBC, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and dozens of local and trade outlets.   Learn more about Bernadette Del Chiaro via https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadette-del-chiaro-7598706/  Podcast Highlights:   “There's really nothing as abundant as solar energy and the sun's energy. It is just the single most abundant natural carbon free resource on the planet... So we've already figured it out. The question is just how do we deploy it as quickly as possible and get it in the hands of everybody so that we can solve climate change sooner than later. So to really put it more bluntly, we can't solve climate change without solar energy. It is that important and it's that foundational to our clean energy future.” -       Bernadette Del Chiaro on the importance and abundance of solar energy, and how we have the resources we need to create a sustainable future.  “And if you boil down climate change, which sometimes can seem like a pretty complex issue, it really comes down to one simple thing, which won't be easy, but is moving off of fossil fuels and to do that as quickly and with as little disruption to our society as possible.” -       Bernadette Del Chiaro on the simplicity of the approach we need to take on climate change.  “There's a lot of things that local governments can do to make [the change to solar] faster. There's a software that the Department of Energy has developed where every single building  in America can tap into that software for free and provide instantaneous permitting. So, you don't have to literally drive down to the permitting office with a piece of paper anymore. You can just use your computer, you enter in some information and out spits the permit, the permission to go build your solar system. That kind of thing is really groundbreaking, but we need all of our California cities and counties to actually adopt it” -       Bernadette Del Chiaro on the statewide developments that increase accessibility to solar panel permitting.  Guest: Bernadette Del Chiaro (Executive Director, California Solar and Storage Association)  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador)  Watch to the video version here: https://youtu.be/zDUQdgemXPk Music by: C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links: Considering a Career in International Public Service with Mayor General Barrye Price Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 - 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. In-Person Watch Party at HUB 355 (free pizza, boba, and a book for in-person attendees) or via Zoom Webinar To attend the in-person watch party, please RSVP via: spp-price.eventbrite.com  To attend the online webinar, please RSVP via:bit.ly/spp-pricehttps://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpphttps://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. 

In this episode, Associate Professor of Climate Change and Sustainability Dr. Francesca Hopkins talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about comprehensive solutions to climate change, as well as the importance of local change amid global warming.   About Francesca Hopkins: Francesca Hopkins earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Spanish from the University of California, Berkeley. She also completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Earth System Science from the University of California, Irvine. Before joining the University of California, Riverside Department of Environmental Studies as an Assistant Professor of Climate Change and Sustainability, Francesca was a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Currently, Francesca runs the UCR Greenhouse Gas Emissions Lab, which studies emissions that affect the climate and air quality with the goal of developing the science to reduce these emissions.  Learn more about Francesca Hopkins via https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-hopkins-a904822/  Podcast Highlights:   “There's so many other ways we contribute to climate change... So I think we always need to think about what are these solutions that are going to give us a ’win-win’. Not just reduce emissions, but increase our joy and help us feel good. I think those are the best ones.” -       Francesca Hopkins on the topic of how solutions to climate change can better other aspects of our lives, such as mental health and well-being.  “Cities have a really unique power and role in reducing transportation emissions, because they're often in control of what gets built, how it gets built. And really, we need to think about changing the form of our cities in California, so they're not so spread out [to promote reduced emissions by walking more]. And that's going to solve other problems, hopefully, including housing affordability issues that we have, and building houses in wildfire prone areas.” -       Francesca Hopkins on the topic of the power of city planning to reduce emissions.  “Because right now, we have a chance to redesign our future. We can actually create the world we want. And we definitely need to think about how the climate is impacting that. But we can do that without knowing how tropical storm tracks might change slightly in the next decades, I would argue.” -       Francesca Hopkins on the topic of how slight uncertainties as to the exact effects of climate change don’t need to be resolved to take effective action.   Guest: Francesca Hopkins (Associate Professor of Climate Change and Sustainability)  Interviewer: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador)  Episode image designed by Freepik (www.freepik.co) Commercial Links:https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpphttps://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. 

In this episode, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Coachella, Neftali Galarza talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about education as a means to break opportunity barriers and how education can adapt amid an ever-changing world. About Neftali Galarza: In addition to being Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Coachella, Neftali Galarza is also the Director of the Community Engagement and Partnerships Team within the Riverside County Office of Education. Previously, he served as the Director of Community Outreach for the California Alliance for Renewable Energy Solutions and was a Board Trustee for the Coachella Valley Unified School District. Neftali completed his B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Labor Studies at the University of California, Riverside. Neftali also holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from California Baptist University. Learn more about Neftali Galarza via https://www.linkedin.com/in/neftali-galarza-1810a999/ Podcast Highlights: “The party politics, that doesn't matter when you're a three year old trying to get into preschool or you're a ten year old in elementary school or twelve year old in middle school or fifteen year old in high school. These party politics that are so divisive - they don't matter to these kids. And we need to bring back the conversation centered around the children, not about party politics that we're bringing into our school districts.” - Neftali Galarza on the topic of how divisive politics can delay necessary reforms to education. “I grew up in a mobile home park in Oasis, which is in Riverside County. There are to this day, a lot of communities don't have access to potable water... The idea that those students can go to college or go to a workforce, a CT program, and then join the labor union. Through education, you create these opportunities. Now you could jump a few economic ladders. Now you're in a different tax bracket. And that's through education that we have these opportunities to be able to create a community that moves forward, progresses and that we bring everyone together.” - Neftali Galarza on the topic of the power of education to help communities break socioeconomic barriers. “And I mentioned it's very important to have paid internships too... I had to take loans to do these internships and I'm paying them off now. I'm grateful that things have worked out for me, but it was a gamble on myself and the organizations that I wanted to intern in for. When we have a paid internship program, we can ensure that a college student isn't working at a fast food restaurant, going to school full time, and then looking for unpaid internship program.” - Neftali Galarza on the topic of the necessity of paid internships for college students, so they don't have to sacrifice their education for work experience or an income. Guest: Neftali Galarza (Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Coachella) Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Raiyan Kalam (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/CGb_oBVTGCE Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about volunteerism and uniting individuals through service. About Josh Fryday: Appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Josh Fryday leads California Volunteers, which works to establish and maintain a statewide volunteer corps to help with the state’s response to emergencies and disasters. Josh Fryday was previously Mayor of Novato, Novato City Councilmember, Chief Operating Officer for NextGen Climate and Past President of Golden State Opportunity. In addition to obtaining his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy as well as his J.D. in law from UC Berkley, Josh Fryday also served in the military as an Officer in the United States Navy and as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). Learn more about Josh Fryday via: https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/about-us/cso/ Podcast Highlights: "We have really big issues facing California, facing our country, facing the planet... But I feel very strongly that if we're going to actually tackle some of these big issues, we have to figure out how to bring everyone to the table. How do we make everyone part of the solution? How do we engage everyone? How do we bring people together so that they can solve problems in communities together?” - Josh Fryday on the topic of unity through volunteerism. "With this [Job Corps] program, we're providing real economic opportunity. But what we're also saying is that you don't have to decide between pursuing your passion, something you're passionate about, or a paycheck - that you can actually do both. That you don't have to decide between whether you want to launch a career and be able to feed your family or help your community, that you can actually do both.” - Josh Fryday on the topic of creating programs that allow for financial need to no longer be a barrier to service. "But I think the reason California is viewed as a leader, not just of the country, but of the planet, is because a lot of the values that we hold dear are universal. The value of making sure that people are included. The value of embracing diversity. The value of taking care of our environment. These are things that are not unique just to California. I think… because of our culture's willingness to innovate and try new things and invent new things, [our volunteer programs] are very compelling and become scalable across the rest of the world.” - Josh Fryday on the topic of the universal values California shares with the rest of the world. Guest: Josh Fryday (California Chief Service Officer) Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Dinara Godage (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador) View the video version here: https://youtu.be/I0jjDm4EyO0 Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

In this episode, Rachel Strausman takes over the reins as host of Policy Chats from our previous host, Kevin Karami. AllSides Co-Founder and CEO John Gable talks with students from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about how understanding media bias and filter bubbles can help better bridge gaps amongst political polarization.   About John Gable: John Gable received his B.A. in Philosophy, with an emphasis in Mathematics, from Vanderbilt University as well as Masters of Business Administration from Duke University. He has worked in a variety of fields, having previously been an Executive Director for various political campaigns, a Product Manager at Microsoft, the President of Stearns Ventures, and now the Co-Founder and CEO of AllSides. Overall, John Gable is a high technology executive focused on building, marketing and monetizing products, online services and teams that have a positive social impact.  Learn more about John Gable via https://www.allsides.com/news-source/john-gable  Podcast Highlights:  "The medium, the content, and the way we interact is driven a little bit by the medium itself. And what I thought about the internet was that it was mostly by metaphor: this is similar to that, and therefore you're a friend of a friend or I'm searching for something similar to what I'm trying to solve. I thought it would encourage us to think by metaphor or if you will, [in the extreme sense] stereotype." -       John Gable on the topic of how the internet is structured to make connections, which can initially be beneficial, but can also lead to dangerous steryotypes. "[With the way the internet works] we see an issue, and we only hear or get information that we already agree with, which might only be 10% of what we need to know about an issue. But we hear that 10,000 times, and so we're really absolutely confident with no doubt that we're correct. But we know less about the issue than we did before the Internet.” -       John Gable on the topic of how filter bubbles can limit our access to necessary information, despite the increased access to information the internet seems to provide. “[What we need to do is] get people out of the information filter bubble. Get them out of the relationship filter bubble, and provide people the skills and confidence to disagree, to have a conversation and not agree with each other and recognize the differences and appreciate the differences that each of us bring to the table. With that, that's how it would get to a better place.” -       John Gable on the topic of how teaching people to understand the value in disagreement can help people be more aware of filter bubbles.  Guest: John Gable (Co-Founder and CEO of AllSides)  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador) Divya Bharadwaj (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Music by: C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links:https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. 

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 research focuses on cancer survivorship, health disparities, and health law and policy, with a focus on vulnerable cancer populations in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Prior to pursuing research, Dr. Lefkowitz was an internationally recognized visual artist and documentary filmmaker, and created a significant body of work on how individuals confront traumatic, life-altering experiences.  Learn more about Deborah Lefkowitz via https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/deborahl  Podcast Highlights:  "I think we have to say our health care system is really broken. It's very fragmented. And what that means, is that it takes a lot of work to get access to care and that work is disproportionate if you have a low income.” -       Deborah Lefkowitz on the topic of the burden inflexible work creates for obtaining necessary care.  "I actually think it's a real mistake to think that we could actually make informed choices in advance about the best health insurance for our own needs... I hear a lot less discussion about insurance companies making health care decisions. That's essentially the system that we have now, where you need prior authorization from many health care plans for many types of procedures. And it's essentially insurance adjusters who are making those health care decisions, sometimes  life and death decisions.” -       Deborah Lefkowitz on how insurance adjusters currently are making the life-altering decisions for people about which procedures are covered.  “The ACA removes the barrier to insurance of having a preexisting health condition... So if we think today about how many of the people in the US have had COVID-19, that's most people in the US, that would be considered a preexisting condition under pre ACA circumstances… So if in the future, people who have had a COVID infection developed health problems that could be linked to that infection, then they would be excluded from health insurance. And this is currently the case for millions of Americans.” -       Deborah Lefkowitz on how the Affordable Care Act still benefits a majority of Americans today in ways they may not realize. Guest: Deborah Lefkowitz (Assistant Professional Researcher)  Interviewers: Rachel Strausman (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador)  Kevin Karami (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) View the video version here: https://youtu.be/M4mjoVkbJHo Music by:  C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Links: ⁠https://spp-calvols.eventbrite.com/⁠  https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. 

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 Affiliated Faculty of the Labor Studies Program. She earned her Ph.D. from UC Irvine and is a past fellow of the American Association of University Women. Her broad research interests encompass crime, deviance, and criminal justice, gender and sexuality, organizations, and culture.   Learn more about Sharon Oselin via https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/soselinhttps://presleycenter.ucr.edu/about/people  Podcast Highlights:  “With growing public awareness and legislators' awareness about some of the harms of mass incarceration in particular... there has been significantly retooled efforts to focus on policies and laws that help reduce those inequalities but also deal with some of the consequences for those that have been justice-impacted in various ways.” -       Sharon Oselin on the topic of new efforts to promote policies that help those that have been justice-impacted.  “Individuals with records have a lot of obstacles to contend with... one of the biggest challenges is finding employment and we know that employment is often correlated with whether someone reoffends or returns to prisons” -       Sharon Oselin on the impact obtaining employment has on possible future incarcerations. “There's many factors that are important of course, such as securing housing, family relationships, social support, and so forth, but employment is a huge factor in predicting someone's success... that's why there are a lot of policies that specifically target employment opportunities.” -       Sharon Oselin on the importance of employment following incarceration.  Guest: Sharon Oselin (Director of the Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies)  Interviewers: Kevin Karami (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Catherine Mah (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  Music by:  C Codainehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/PhaseCommercial Links: This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/  Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. 

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 Health and currently works as the Director of Operations & Strategies for the Act Now for Mental Health non-profit. Joy is also a Policy Director for Healthsperian LLC. Learn more about Joy Chen via https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-chen-mph-99678a124/ Podcast Highlights:  “Mental Health and behavioral health have been issues long before the pandemic, if anything, the pandemic just revealed and exacerbated this issue.” -       Joy Chen on the topic of mental health policymaking. “We feel like we're so small and can't address anything that happens in the world, but what we do have control over is volunteering in our communities.” -       Joy Chen on the importance of community investment. “One of the big reasons anxiety and depression have been destigmatized has been because of social media. It has made others feel less alone...I think hearing other people talk about what they are going through is so helpful in helping us process our emotions and understand that it isn't just us." -      Joy Chen on the topic of social media's role in awareness. Guest: Joy Chen (Director of Operations & Strategies) Interviewers: Kevin Karami (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Giovanna Arena (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Ambassador)  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast. 

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, harassment, wage and hour violations, and other statutory and common-law claims arising from the employment relationship.  In addition to her litigation practice, Thy also performs workplace investigations and provides day-to-day counseling advice to employers. Learn more about Thy Bui via https://www.constangy.com/people-Thy-Bui Podcast Highlights: “At some point, it becomes a sales job...the people that pay you are the clients... [and people] don't ask themselves am I good at sales, how are my soft skills, do people relate to me, can I convince somebody that I'm fun to work with? These are not things that people think about.” -       Thy Bui on the importance of soft skills and building connections.  “While there may be more information or people to consult, in the end, you have to make that decision and you have to be okay with no matter what the consequences are because you can't control the future." -      Thy Bui on the topic of decisiveness in the legal profession.  “Make it fun. A lifetime of work is a long time! If you're just in it for the money and you're not having fun you're going to burn out fast, especially for a profession as demanding as the legal profession.” -       Thy Bui's advice for anyone interested in pursuing a legal profession.  Guest: Thy Bui (Attorney) Interviewer: Kevin Karami (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean’s Chief Ambassador) Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Link: https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.