Richard Matthew

Richard A. Matthew (BA McGill; Ph.D. Princeton) is the associate dean for research and international programs, professor of urban planning and public policy, and director of the Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation at UC Irvine. Additionally, he holds roles such as senior fellow at IISD in Geneva, member of the United Nations Expert Group on Environment, Conflict and Peacebuilding, and vice president of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. With extensive fieldwork in conflict and disaster zones globally, his research focuses on human security, conservation challenges, and the intersection of severe environmental stress, extreme poverty, and violent conflict. Notably, he has given four TEDx talks, been a featured storyteller on The Moth twice, and has a publication record of over 180.