Applied Public Policy

by Cathy Stevens When thinking about education in America, we naturally think about the traditional school day from roughly 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Often overlooked, but also critical to children’s success and development are afterschool and summer programs. At The Riley Institute, we have long been invested in improving the entire...Read more

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The post How The Riley Institute Is Changing the Afterschool Landscape appeared first on The Riley Institute.Read more

The post Bringing His World to Furman: Don Gordon’s Journey to The Riley Institute appeared first on The Riley Institute.Read more

For S.C. Rep. Neal Collins ’04, receiving the 2026 Riley Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Legislative Leadership Award from The Riley Institute at Furman University was a full-circle moment. Collins, who represents Pickens and Greenville Counties in the state House of Representatives, remembers contemplating a life of public service as early as his...Read more

FOR INFORMATION: Claudia Winkler Director of Marketing & Communications The Riley Institute at Furman University 864-294-3368 • claudia.winkler@furman.edu   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lowcountry Honorees Among 2026 OneSouthCarolina Award Winners COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Riley Institute at Furman University honored a Lowcountry organization and a Charleston-based leader during the Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina...Read more

FOR INFORMATION: Claudia Winkler Director of Marketing & Communications The Riley Institute at Furman University 864-294-3368 • claudia.winkler@furman.edu FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Upstate Leader Honored Among 2026 OneSouthCarolina Award Recipients COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Riley Institute at Furman University honored South Carolina Representative Neal Collins (R–Pickens & Greenville) with the Riley-Wilkins...Read more

Furman University Chief of Staff Liz Seman graces the cover of the January/February issue of Greenville Business Magazine. Seman, who also serves as vice president for Community and Government Relations at Furman, was named an inductee of the Hall of Fame for the publication’s “50 Most Influential.” As Greenville...Read more

This fall, several students participating in our programs placed op-eds in papers around the state. As part of our Riley Institute Summer Experience (RISE) internships, students were tasked with writing an op-ed, drawing from what they’d learned about solutions to public issues. Read their pieces in The Post &...Read more

Anthony Morgan, a Furman University senior, makes a case for casting a vote in primary elections in an opinion piece he wrote as part of the annual StraightTalk student op-ed contest organized by The Riley Institute at Furman. The article, “Saving the American dream requires active participation,” appears inRead more

Amiya Young, a Furman University senior, writes an opinion piece for The Post and Courier about affordable housing and gentrification in Greenville, South Carolina. Young, who studies health sciences and poverty studies at the university, interned with Sustaining Way through the Riley Institute Summer Experience (RISE). She describes the...Read more

Is it possible to pull yourself up by your bootstraps? Furman University’s StraightTalk 2025: Bootstraps – Myths and Solutions to Economic Mobility will dive into this question, exploring the challenges that make it difficult to break the cycle of poverty. The speaker series kicked off Sept. 2 with its...Read more

This summer, the Riley Institute launched the Riley Institute Summer Experience (RISE), a guided internship program focused on connecting Furman students with partner organizations across the Upstate. Throughout the 10-week program, eight RISE interns worked full time at five area nonprofits that address the root causes of social and...Read more

By Libby Flatley-Holst ‘26 This summer, The Riley Institute welcomed 39 incoming scholars to Furman University’s campus for a four-day immersive experience focused on leadership development and effective communication on pressing civic issues. The Advantage Scholars program introduces recipients of Furman’s named scholarships to...Read more

FOR INFORMATION: Claudia Winkler Director of Marketing and Communications The Riley Institute at Furman University 864.294.3368; Claudia.winkler@furman.edu July 10, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GREENVILLE, S.C. — While Greenville ranks highly on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Places to Live list, many community members find these quality-of-life benefits beyond...Read more