Blum Initiative

The UCR Blum Initiative on Global and Regional Poverty is dedicated to advancing our understanding of poverty – in Inland Southern California and abroad – through world-class faculty and graduate student research, service, teaching, and academic and community events. We operate under the guidance of an inter-disciplinary steering committee and have nearly forty affiliated faculty and graduate student (masters and doctoral) researchers committed to the study of poverty from the social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and humanities.

A program that builds on Riverside's strengths and seeks to address local and regional poverty issues in the context of global lessons is an important endeavor that will benefit California and provide intellectual challenges and opportunities for UCR faculty and students.
Janet Napolitano
Former President of the University of California
The mission of the Blum Poverty Initiative resonates well with the overall mission of UC Riverside. We work hard to ensure that the world-class education we offer is accessible to all, including those from poverty-stricken areas... This initiative will help us conduct research, teaching and outreach that focuses attention on poverty in the region and will help policymakers and community-based organizations improve the lives of the poor in the Inland Empire.
Kim Wilcox
Chancellor of UC Riverside

Our partners in research and service