Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (BOLLI)

Health Care, Public Policy, and Politics

Professor Mark Peterson, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles

Monday, March 30, at 1 p.m., via Zoom 

 

Bio:  Mark A. Peterson, Ph.D., is Professor of Public Policy at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs and a three-time Chair of the Department of Public Policy. He also holds joint appointments in Political Science, Health Policy & Management, and Law, and serves as a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. With prior faculty positions at Harvard University and the University of Pittsburgh, Peterson is a leading scholar of American national institutions and the policymaking process, with a particular focus on health care policy, reform, and the role of research evidence in decision-making.

Peterson has authored and edited numerous influential books and articles, including Legislating Together: The White House and Capitol Hill from Eisenhower to Reagan and Institutions of American Democracy: A Republic Divided. He has also served as editor of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law and held leadership roles within the American Political Science Association. His policy experience includes serving as a Congressional Fellow and Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Tom Daschle, where he contributed to major health care legislation.

Beyond academia, Peterson has played a significant role in shaping health policy through advisory positions with organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy of Social Insurance, of which he is an elected member. He has contributed to major initiatives aimed at improving the U.S. health care system, including the Blue Sky Health Initiative and California’s Health Benefits Review Program. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the E. E. Schattschneider Award and the Career Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association.