Mark Long has been named dean of UC Riverside’s School of Public Policy effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Long is a professor in the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and an adjunct professor of economics at the University of Washington. He previously served as the Evans School’s associate dean for faculty affairs and associate dean for research.

“Mark’s commitment to academic excellence coupled with his research on the impact of public policies on economic opportunity and social mobility are very much aligned with the mission of our School of Public Policy,” said Elizabeth Watkins, UCR’s provost and executive vice chancellor. “We are delighted to welcome him to UC Riverside.”

Long has served as vice president and executive council member and policy council member of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, and on the Board of Directors of the Association for Education Finance and Policy. He was elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2019. His research has addressed the effects of high school course-taking and school and college quality on test scores, educational attainment, labor market outcomes, and family formation and other behaviors; the effects of college financial aid on college entry and household savings; gender disparities in educational attainment; and the effects of affirmative action and alternative college admissions policies on college entry.

Before he joined the University of Washington in 2004, Mark served on the faculty of George Washington University as an assistant professor of economics and public policy and administration. Long holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan, a master’s of public policy from the University of Michigan, a secondary teaching credential via UCLA, and a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from DePauw University.

“I am particularly impressed by UCR's role and success in promoting social mobility, i.e., in promoting the ability of students from lower-income families to prosper,” Long said. “My scholarship has centered on estimating the effects of public policies on economic opportunity and efficient social mobility, thus UCR's role in promoting these objectives is particularly attractive.” 

“I look forward to building on the great work that has been done in developing SPP in its early years,” he said.

Long will succeed Anil Deolalikar, the founding dean of UC Riverside’s School of Public Policy. Deolalikar will continue serving as dean until Long’s appointment begins on Jan. 1, 2023.