Schedule of Events

Since the 1970s, the population in the federal prisons in the United States has caused so many adverse effects in many communities in the United States, especially on individuals who are part of marginalized communities. The United States has one of the largest numbers of citizens who are incarcerated; there are over five million people in the legal system, but mass incarceration has not been equal. Black people make up about 40% of the incarcerated population, and they only make up about 13% of the general population. Black men are six times more likely and Black women are twice as likely to be incarcerated than the White population. Out of the more than 700,000 marijuana arrests made every year, Black people are four times more likely to be arrested than white individuals, even though Blacks and Whites use drugs at a similar rate. It is also estimated that one in three Black men will experience incarceration at some point in their lifetime, which is a really large amount, and this also leads to the multigenerational cycle. Research shows that socioeconomic disadvantage and increased policing in poorer communities contribute significantly to higher incarceration rates. Policies such as zero-tolerance school discipline and heavy law enforcement presence in schools have also increased youth involvement in the criminal justice system. Historically, incarceration rates rose due to political and policy decisions, including the War on Drugs, police militarization, and tough sentencing laws like the “three strikes” rule.

In California’s warm, dry climate, where fire is native to the landscape, it is unrealistic to try to prevent it. Prescribed burning is one of the most effective ways to build fire resilience because it mimics the natural fire regime in a controlled, manageable way. For thousands of years, Indigenous people in California set purposeful fires that served to both clear fuel from the land and to enhance the growth of culturally significant endemic plant species. However, the United States government stopped Indigenous people from using the land in their traditional ways, including carrying out cultural burns, and eventually removed them from the land entirely. Fire suppression became the dominant land management paradigm, and it is one of the major causes of California’s current wildfire problem. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how public land management agencies have or have not taken advantage of prescribed/cultural burning as a fire resilience strategy, and to assess Indigenous representation and power in prescribed fire operations. To do so, this study uses qualitative data collected from interviews with content experts and relevant site visits. Restoring beneficial fire to California’s landscapes is important for fire resilience, but given its cultural importance, it is essential to create opportunities for Indigenous people to be involved and to lead. Ultimately, the objective is to maximize both fire resilience and equity by incorporating principles of Indigenous environmental justice into land management practices.

The frequency and intensity of disasters, particularly natural hazards, are increasing as the climate changes. These events pose significant economic and social risks to communities, underscoring the importance of effective disaster preparedness and recovery strategies. Small businesses are especially vulnerable in this context, as they often lack the financial capacity, institutional support, and technical expertise to withstand and recover from disaster-related disruptions. At the same time, small businesses play a critical role in local economies and community recovery, providing employment, essential goods and services, and social stability following disasters. Understanding the existing resources available to small businesses, the factors that shape their vulnerability, and the policy frameworks that influence resilience is therefore essential to strengthening disaster management efforts and promoting long-term community resilience. This project examines the resources available to assist small businesses with disaster management, the factors that contribute to small business vulnerability within a disaster context, and aims to identify policy frameworks that could strengthen disaster resilience for small businesses and the communities they serve.

Iranian political movements are among the most unique in the world – women, across all ideologies, play massive roles in political movements despite the massive levels of oppression they have faced across regimes. This study examines how political culture in Iran has shaped women’s activism across ideological and generational divides from the 1950s to present day. Iranian women have consistently participated in revolutionary movements, conservative and progressive alike, despite differing ideological commitments and persistent state oppression. Drawing on historical analysis and qualitative field research, this project aims to analyze how women function not only as participants, but as leaders and symbolic figures in political movements. It argues that female activism is a durable and continuing feature of Iranian political culture that goes beyond regime transitions.

In the wake of the destruction caused by the Palisades Fire in early January 2025, questions continue to be raised about how public safety was threatened by outdated, poorly functioning communication equipment and the effect this had on civic capacity (engagement). Civilians who were impacted by the tragedy of the fire have struggled to understand why they were so deeply affected and left behind by an emergency management system that should have, in their view, performed flawlessly. The purpose of this study is to analyze the connection between civic capacity (engagement) and emergency communication infrastructure in wildfire prone communities. This study first engages in a literature a review of what communication systems were in use to alert the public and assist first responders at the time of the Palisades fire (or lack thereof). Secondly, this capstone study engages in an investigation on if the introduction of a moderated public safety portal (infrastructure) would have an impact on civic capacity (engagement). This project builds on previous research conducted by the author in the Politics of Community Development course.