Richard Matthew

Professor, Urban Planning and Public Policy
School of Social Ecology

Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music and Social Change
School of Social Ecology

Climate and Urban Sustainability Program
School of Social Ecology

Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation (former)

Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (former)

Environmental change; climate change; conflict and security; peacebuilding; sustainability; displacement; infectious disease; flood modeling; music

Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music and Social Change

Climate and Urban Sustainability Program

Google Scholar Profile

Dr. Matthew has received Certificates of Recognition for his research and service activities from the U.S. Congress, the California State Legislature and the City of Los Angeles, as well as the SGI Liberty Medal. He established the Human Security Award, which is given annually to individuals and groups who have made a substantial contribution to human security. He has given two Moth talks and four TEDx lectures including one on his peacebuilding activities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btxcAEj3puo

Richard Matthew is a Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of California at Irvine. He is the Director of the UCI Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music and Social Change, and also the Climate and Urban Sustainability Program. He is a Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Sustainable Development; a member of the United Nations Expert Group on Environment, Conflict and Peacebuilding; and a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy, where he co-chairs the Task Force on Climate Change and Migration. He co-founded the eARTh Studio with aerial dancer Pamela Donohoo. His research includes: examining links among climate change, conflict, public health and migration; developing evidence-based solutions to human trafficking; developing high resolution flood risk models in complex urban environments; and using music to mobilize youth around climate change and sustainable urban redevelopment. Fieldwork sites: Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and USA. UN humanitarian and peacebuilding missions: DRC, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. >200 publications including 16 books and edited volumes. H-index 44.

Global Peace and Conflict Studies Center

Center for the Study of Democracy

Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=4770

Last updated
07/17/2026