Dance has long served as a form of personal expression and connection for many. As a dancer and researcher, I have witnessed how dance can act not only as a creative outlet but also serve as a form of therapy that supports the physical, social, and emotional well-being of children with disabilities. However, traditional dance studios present many structural barriers and environmental inequalities. A lack of accommodations, ranging from limited sensory awareness to ill-informed movement instructions, creates challenges that prevent many children with disabilities from accessing the dance studio environment. How can dance spaces be restructured to create an accessible and inclusive environment that supports the emotional and physical needs of children with disabilities? This ethnographic study explores the often-overlooked challenges within dance environments through an interdisciplinary lens and social research approach. Through observations in the dance environment and interviews with the participants and their families, this study works to uncover those elements that create unsafe and segregated dance studio environments. Earlier research shows that when dance environments provide flexible structures and sensory adaptations, children with disabilities are more likely to engage with the dance activities. This study is built on the importance of addressing the physical, emotional, and environmental safety of the dance studio for children with disabilities to have inclusive opportunities to grow through dance.

Long COVID, the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms for longer than three months, can be profoundly debilitating, with a myriad of effects on one’s physical and psychological well-being. Not all who contract COVID-19 develop Long COVID, and the factors that influence its development are not well-explored. Although post-infection chronic illnesses are not new, the novelty of Long COVID’s widespread impact calls for a more detailed investigation due to the current lack of research, particularly in high-stress populations with limited support. This study explores how Long COVID has affected the mental health of UCLA students, as well as their academic performance and use of campus resources. Using a mixed-methods approach, we will utilize a survey to gather quantitative data on mental health and academic outcomes; qualitative testimonies will additionally aid in understanding the challenges of navigating college life with Long COVID. The survey consists of the SBQ-LC, an instrument used to measure symptom burden in adults with Long COVID, as well as questions regarding accommodations they have received throughout their time at UCLA. Through this data collection, our research seeks to visualize how Long COVID shapes student experiences, and bring attention to the resources necessary for adequate student support across diverse student populations. We aim to better inform university policies and address policies that directly undermine student wellness, such as mask bans.

Climate disasters have historically impacted and displaced communities in the Caribbean leading to governmental oversight and disaster capitalism. This project examines the ways in which Hurricane Maria has transformed the region of Kalinago, Dominica. This group comprises the last remaining indigenous inhabitants of the Eastern Caribbean. The Kalinago people have experienced unique challenges with their communal land rights system following the destruction from Hurricane Maria in 2017. Walter Rodney's "Grounding" methodology was applied for this project, as its lens provides an emphasis on indigenous-based knowledge systems and communal housing processes. This research involved community walking tours, focus group discussions, and mapping with community members to gather the community members' adaptation mechanisms and experiences. Preliminary thematic analysis has revealed three primary themes: conflict between traditional communal stewardship of the land and external recovery approaches such as government aid or NGO interventions; indigenous repairing processes that integrate cultural practice with ecological recovery; and emerging climate justice paradigms that expand on dominant models of reparations within the community. These findings are useful for policy considerations for Dominica and other areas with comparable histories of intensifying climate disasters.