Panel Explores Abundance in Policy

by Samuel Shroff

The UC Riverside School of Public Policy is hosting a panel focused on the theme of abundance as part of its ten-year anniversary on February 20th, 2026.

The event, titled “What It Takes to Progress: Abundance in Practice,” will cover topical issues for the Inland Empire, including affordable housing programs, sustainable development, and the wider frameworks of abundance in policy. Guest speakers include:

Sara Mogulescu, President of The Volcker Alliance
Liza Reed, Director of Climate and Energy at The Niskanen Institute
Alec Stapp, Co-Founder of The Institute for Progress

“Progress is possible and progress is a policy choice,” said Mark Long, the dean of the School of Public Policy, who will also serve as moderator for the event. “By ‘progress’ I mean the creation of the conditions that allow humans to have satisfaction with their lives, which includes material abundance, access to education and wisdom, sense of community and belonging, and spiritual fulfillment.”

The panel will home in on the themes of ‘abundance’ and ‘progress’ in particular. “We will focus on the practical and specific actions the government should take to help us flourish–particularly around energy policy, technology innovation, and state governance capacity.” said Long.

A Dean’s Ambassador for the School of Public Policy said, “This event will bring new, fresh perspectives to the role of government, especially local government, in the Inland Empire. With this event, we aim to bring solutions for the [Inland Empire] region that will support solutions for the world.”

This event is free and open to the public with registration via https://myadv.ucr.edu/forms/spp-10years-winter2026

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About the UCR School of Public Policy
Since 2015, the UCR School of Public Policy has been bringing policy makers, practitioners, and researchers to campus to talk about various policy issues facing the region and beyond. For more information about events open to the general community, visit spp.ucr.edu/events. For more information on the School of Public Policy’s ten-year anniversary, visit spp10years.ucr.edu/.

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