The River Chief System (RCS) is a measurement that the Chinese government uses to track pollution practices and implement sustainable water system management. It was implemented nationally by June 2018 in all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities (Wu et al 2020, Yang et al 2024), modeling after the success of Jiangsu province’s Wuxi City dealing with cyanobacteria outbreaks and subsequent water pollution in 2007. The system provides provincial and local officials with the position of River Chief to manage the implementation of the central government’s policy objectives across organization, management, and protection of their assigned bodies of water. Its implementation into Guangdong province, a leading hub of technological activity, manufacturing, and R&D initiatives, poses questions about environmental concerns in China’s most populous province. I examine how both public participation and grassroots movements are utilized to better the RCS in Guangdong throughout 2018-2025. Current scholarship focuses on public participation upon the RCS as a whole, rather than specifically addressing Guangdong. I examine the effectiveness of the RCS through empirical data recently collected by scholars (W. Li et al 2021, Z. Li et al 2021, Ling et al 2022, Yang et al 2024). I analyze online forums to evaluate how public participation and grassroots activism currently influences the RCS. I propose additional interventions to maximize the efficiency of the RCS in Guangdong. Improving upon systems of participatory governance increases the efficacy of the government to construct sustainable water policy, thereby enhancing the wellbeing of the environments and individuals affected.

Many Indigenous communities in Mexico are communities with Legal Pluralism, meaning that they have two systems they use to resolve conflicts. Under the system of Legal Pluralism, these communities utilize Mexico’s State legal system and their normative system of usos y costumbres. This qualitative study will explore the representation and participation of women in the Indigenous systems of conflict resolution. It is possible that there is a lack of participation and representation of women in some of these communities due to various reasons. There is also a possibility of conflict between the traditional structures of the communities’ normative system and the state’s pressure for gender equity. Through the use of in-depth interviews, ethnographic observations, and focus groups, we will talk to various authority figures, women, and community members from nine different agencias or communities in Santa Maria Yucuhiti, Oaxaca. Understanding the dynamics between the two systems could help explain what barriers women face when deciding whether to participate. Results and findings could also influence and encourage these two systems to create ways for women to participate, encouraging collaboration between the two systems.

This research delves into the critical and evolving domain of authentication and authorization within modern web applications, with a concentrated focus on Google's implementation of OAuth 2.0. The study thoroughly examines the foundational principles underpinning OAuth 2.0, including its innovative delegated authorization model that empowers users to grant limited access to their resources without sharing sensitive credentials. We explore the pivotal role of "scopes" in enforcing the principle of least privilege, allowing for granular control over permissions. Furthermore, the investigation meticulously details the operational processes of Google's OAuth 2.0, emphasizing crucial security measures such as the stringent validation of redirection URIs, the necessity of secure server-to-server token exchange, and the vital function of Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE) for public clients. This analysis highlights the substantial advantages offered by this robust framework, including enhanced security through meticulously managed token lifecycles and comprehensive revocation mechanisms, alongside significant improvements in user experience, particularly through seamless Single Sign-On facilitated by OpenID Connect. Concurrently, the research addresses the inherent drawbacks, encompassing implementation complexities, the inevitable reliance on a central third-party identity provider, and various persistent security nuances. The study also expands to briefly compare OAuth 2.0 with alternative authentication methods, such as traditional email-based systems, contrasting their respective benefits and limitations. A core objective of this research is to explore how the practical integration of Google's OAuth 2.0 can be effectively designed and implemented within a software design curriculum. By synthesizing existing literature and proposing pedagogical strategies, this study aims to offer valuable insights for both bolstering web application security practices and enriching educational approaches to teaching these fundamental principles for contemporary software development.

As a freshman in high school, many people already considered either dropping out or knew right then and there that going back to school after graduation was already a ‘no’. A term called “Senioritis.” So now imagine those same students as Juniors and it’s time for college application season. More and more students have a negative outlook on education after graduating high school. Mainly from COVID, lack of funds, no direct career plan, family dynamics, and more. Knowing that, a gap in this research can be on what form of Pre- College Program versus programs that encourage Career Exploration. Another gap is the lack of research surrounding the long-term effects of Pre-College in High Schoolers. Having research that shows the health/mental well-being of the students and the educational attitudes after participating in Pre-College Programs is important. Using a mixed-method approach, the data will gather data on the students who participated in Pre-College Programs and match those who participated with other alternatives like career-focused after high school. It is anticipated that the data will show that students who used Pre-College Programs will report a more positive outlook on further education than compared to students who chose a more career-oriented field and not college. Though both may have a positive opinion, utilizing Pre-College Programs is expected to have a higher percentage of success. The hope then is that these findings will help a Social Worker, like me, and policymakers create more support that helps high schoolers transition from high school to college and beyond making sure to mentally support them and their endeavors.

The recent LA fires have disproportionately impacted Latino workers. According to a recent study by the Latino Politics and Policy Institute and the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge at UCLA, at least 36% of all workers in all the affected perimeters identified as Latino. Latinos are overrepresented in labor jobs that require physical presence and physical work rather than remote work. The majority of Latino workers in these areas are self-employed, such as housekeepers, maids, and gardeners, and lack protections such as paid leave, sick leave, and unemployment benefits. This research project explores the impact of the LA wildfires on Latino workers. My study captures the perceptions and personal stories of Latinos through the use of scholarly literature and news articles, and interviews with Latino workers. I have identified three themes, which are 1) loss of stable work 2) increased financial precarity, and 3) concern over short and long-term health risks due to exposure to hazardous fire debris. For example, many workers have lost work in the burn zones, resulting in minimized income, leading to struggles to make ends meet. The fires have also been hazardous to the health of Latino workers because, in some cases, they had to return to the affected areas to help with cleanup efforts and were not provided with proper masks or other protective gear. This study is important because it will help us better understand how the historic wildfires have impacted some of Los Angeles’ most vulnerable populations.