About Us

Welcome to UCR Palm Desert

The University of California, Riverside Palm Desert campus is a graduate center for social, cultural, scientific and technology research, education and executive programs located in the Coachella Valley.

Our vision is to be a catalyst for the economic diversification of the region by providing relevant regional research, offering innovative graduate and professional programs that attract and retain world class talent to the region, and extend the resources of the university through research, education and service.

Our programs focus on entrepreneurial management, the arts and the physical and cultural environment and their intersection, with the goal of meeting the challenges that affect commuities experiencing rapid growth and change.

Our Portfolio

  • Richard J. Heckmann International Center for Entrepreneurial Management
    • MBA (with a focus on entrepreneurial management)
    • Executives in Residence
    • Executive Education
    • Conferences
    • Lectures
  • Arts, Media, Creative Writing and Performing Arts
    • MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts
    • Writers in the Schools
    • Conferences, workshops and seminars
    • Readings by noteworthy authors – “Readings in the Evenings”
    • Performances and Special Guest events
    • Gneiss Poetry Series
    • Desert Regional Theatre (pilot)
  • Research
    • Technology Transfer
    • Sloan Center for Renewable Energy (proposal stage)
    • Center for Conservation Biology – “Desert Studies Initiative”
    • Native American Studies
    • Environmental Sciences
  • Outreach and Community Resources
    • Early Education Outreach
    • Alpha Center
    • Writers in the Schools
    • LYCEUM
    • Extension courses
  • Conferences
    • Gambling and Predictive Markets
    • Technology Transfer Society
    • International Alliance of Women Leaders
    • Annual Tomas Rivera Conference – Floricanto
    • Lalo Guerrero Film Festival

California’s Coachella Valley surrounds UCR Palm Desert as a paradise of recreational and cultural energy where sports start, artist and entertainers are just as ubiquitous as CEO’s, senior business executives and entrepreneurs.

Carolyn M. Stark
Executive Director