In the past 28 years, the United States has seen a dramatic rise in police nonprofits—tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits that work with police departments to raise private/philanthropic/grant funds (Fernandez, p. 1431). Despite this spike, research has only recently considered how these organizations pose governance and accountability challenges, particularly the risk of acting as corporate-interest arms (Walby et al., 2020). Scholars estimate private donations to police totaled $225 million between 2014-2019 (Schachter et al., 2024), underscoring the need for a mixed-methods study of police nonprofits in Los Angeles. My project explores the relationship between the nonprofit industrial complex (INCITE!, 2008) and the police state. By examining board compositions and organizational outputs (e.g., services, programs), I investigate how police nonprofits reinforce the carceral apparatus. Using an abductive approach, I analyze a dataset of police nonprofits compiled by the UChicago Justice Lab. I also draw on 8 semi-structured interviews with 7 police nonprofits in Los Angeles City. This project bridges the literature on police and nonprofits, contributing to the emerging field of police nonprofit studies. Amid activist and community calls/organizing to defund/abolish the police, I hope this work will highlight the scale of the police-carceral state, offer a political economy critique, and help reimagine public safety.

In car-centric Los Angeles, Koreatown seems walkable—transit-rich and mixed-use—but walking its streets challenges that perception. Through field visits and interviews with local pedestrians, this study explores how streetscape conditions shape walkability in Koreatown. Observations reveal stark contrasts in pedestrian activity across blocks, influenced by residential density, sidewalk quality, lighting, and land use. High-density areas with multi-family housing and mixed-use developments show greater pedestrian presence, especially near schools, shopping centers, and transit corridors like Wilshire Boulevard. Paradoxically, people often walk on poorly maintained sidewalks out of necessity, while quieter single-family home zones with better infrastructure see less foot traffic. Poor lighting or dense shade deter walking at night, highlighting the need for balanced greenery and improved lighting. Interviews suggest walking is driven by utility, not leisure, with most rating their experience as moderately satisfactory. According to residents of Koreatown, barriers to walkability include, but are not limited to, pedestrian safety, unhoused individuals, sidewalk cleanliness, and underwhelming transit amenities despite physical proximity to bus stops. This project aims to inform more equitable and responsive urban design strategies that account for the everyday experiences of diverse pedestrians, especially in rapidly changing urban neighborhoods.

This literature review critically examines the institutional and policy barriers that impede the academic success of parenting students in higher education. Despite rising recognition of their presence and needs, prevailing structures within colleges and universities continue to reflect a traditional, child-free student model, thereby leaving student parents without adequate support. Grounded in Critical Feminist Theory and Structural Inequality Theory, this review explores how historical gendered norms and systemic inequities disproportionately disadvantage low-income mothers and students from marginalized communities. A mixed-methods research design is proposed, incorporating quantitative analysis of retention and graduation data alongside qualitative interviews with student parents and university administrators. Key findings from the literature highlight persistent limitations in financial aid structures, insufficient access to affordable childcare, inflexible academic policies, and pervasive stigmatization of parenting students. These factors collectively contribute to greater dropout rates and limited academic advancement among this demographic. The review emphasizes the need for comprehensive institutional reforms and policy interventions aimed at fostering inclusive, family-responsive educational environments. By identifying effective practices and structural gaps, this study seeks to inform evidence-based strategies that enhance equity and educational attainment for parenting students in postsecondary institutions.

This study aims to understand possible relationships between 20th Century urban-industrial development and contemporary environmental health outcomes in the Antelope Valley, California using a combination of primary, archival source materials and secondary, theoretical frameworks. The Antelope Valley (AV), California’s populated regions are located at the northeast corner of Los Angeles County. Situated in the high-desert, its two main cities — Palmdale and Lancaster — are majority Black and brown communities and have experienced enormous population growth over the last half-century. At the same time as the AV’s population has surged, the local economy has rooted significantly in the defense and aerospace industries. Plant 42 and Edwards Airforce base are among the most notable sites. Each installation has experienced a number of hazardous events that may potentially compromise nearby water, air, and soil quality. Due to the private nature of military installations, scarce publicly available data exists surrounding these incidents in relation to public health and, subsequently, little research has been conducted surrounding the issue. By creating a timeline of the area’s development and fitting it within the context of available data, a deeper understanding of the area’s industrial development’s potential community impacts can be established.