2026 Research Symposium

Ari Walz, Should I Stay or Should I Go: The Impact of Race on Public Defender Retention

The decision for workers to stay with their jobs is complex and varies across individuals. Research shows that diversity and an increased sense of belonging can lead to increased job satisfaction, which in turn affects their decisions to stay with their jobs. My research examines the relationship between the race of public defenders and their job retention, and evaluates the overall effect it has on their office.

Anissa Moraille, Judging the Judges: The Effect of Elite Rhetoric on Public Trust in the U.S. Supreme Court

Past work has examined how demographic and partisan factors shape trust in the Supreme Court, finding that political identity and ideology play a significant role in public confidence. However, past research has not fully considered how personalized and partisan elite rhetoric influences public perceptions of the Court. This gap matters because, in a highly politicized environment, elite messaging shapes how individuals interpret political institutions. I examine the effect of elite rhetoric on public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that as elite rhetoric surrounding the Court becomes increasingly partisan and personal, public perceptions shift beyond simple disagreements with specific decisions toward broader concerns about judicial fairness and legitimacy. To test this assertion, I propose a preliminary analysis using Gallup survey data measuring confidence in the Court alongside transcripts from Senate judicial confirmation hearings. I expect to find that an increase in negative, character-based elite rhetoric surrounding the Supreme Court is associated with a decrease in public trust in the institution. This finding is important because, as rhetoric becomes less professional and more widely disseminated through television broadcasts and social media, individuals increasingly rely on political elites for cues to shape their opinions. Further, because the Supreme Court lacks a direct enforcement mechanism and relies on public support, shifts in trust can significantly affect its legitimacy and authority.

Sarah Balfoul, ICE Misconduct, the Media, and Public Opinion: How documentation of ICE activity Shapes Public Trust in the Government

To what extent does exposure to documentation of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) misconduct decrease public trust in the government? The exposure to documented ICE activity will focus on media exposure, defined as, communication tools used to store and deliver information (IGI Global, n.d). Officer misconduct involves local and federal ICE officers acting unjustly towards citizens. Prior research has shown that body-worn camera footage, social media, news stories, and websites often document local police officers misconduct towards citizens. Use of force as documented in body-cams is typically labeled as just or unjust depending on the viewer’s political ideology. Past work has not considered the increase of media coverage of ICE misconduct since 2025 and its effects on public trust levels in the federal government as a whole. This matters because of the importance of trust in cooperating with authorities or participating in democratic processes such as elections. It’s important to keep agencies like ICE accountable especially given that 2025 broke records for the deadliest year under ICE custody. (ACLU, 2025) I examine different types of documentation of ICE misconduct, argue that increased media exposure to this decreases public trust in the government as a whole, and propose to test this assertion using survey results about body cam footage and polls on public opinion. I expect to find that as exposure to documented ICE misconduct increases, support for the government’s handling of it and thus overall trust levels decreases. This finding matters because the neglect to address ICE misconduct represents a lack of government accountability, and this lack of accountability can extend to other departments and have implications for the overall legitimacy of federal government.

Livia Shore, Trouble in Paradise: Urban Development and Public Education in Hawaii

Past work has examined the history of Hawaii’s development surrounding annexation, finding that current segregation is historical and a result of colonization. It has been found that annexation has had negative ramifications on the state’s education system. Past work has not considered the effects of Hawaii’s discriminatory urban planning specifically on the public education system, and this matters because Hawaii highlights unique circumstances that can be applied to other case studies in examining public school systems. In light of this, I examine the effects of Hawaii’s discriminatory urban planning on the public education system. I argue that Hawaii’s discriminatory urban planning can be broken down into two main elements: rapid urbanization and transitions in economy, which will have a negative impact on student achievement. I propose to test this assertion by examining numerical student outcomes across Hawaii in relation to the extent of present-day segregation that exists in the school district. I expect to find that more highly segregated areas will have lower student outcomes, suggesting a negative correlation between my independent and dependent variables. This finding matters because it accentuates the gravity of segregation perpetuated by discriminatory urban planning on public school systems, and can extend to future studies about segregation in public education.

Grace Qiang, Location, Location, Location! Magnet School Siting and Integration Outcomes       

Under what conditions do magnet school siting policies facilitate integration? Recent debates over parental choice have reintroduced K-12 education issues to the national stage. This research focuses on magnet school choice; the existing literature analyzes the factors motivating parent choice, finding that academic achievement, school location, and demographic makeup play the largest roles. Past work has not extended this discussion to suggest how specific policies can influence choice to achieve social goals a significant gap, as the primary purpose of magnet schools is to promote desegregation. I study the school siting factor, where a district locates magnet programs, and argue that siting decisions that account for the racial and socioeconomic demographic makeups of the district and its neighborhoods result in more integrated schools. My research focuses on a case study of the School District of Hillsborough County, Florida (SDHC), assessing siting decisions through interviews with district officials and magnet program coordinators. I apply GIS tools to analyze integration outcomes by comparing each school and programs demographics with those of the district as a whole. Using this design, I anticipate that programs designed and sited with social context and diversity aims in mind will align more closely with the districts demographics and produce a more integrated educational environment. Such an environment is not only proven to boost academic achievement but also serves to reduce inequities in educational outcomes. Ultimately, this research offers an understanding of siting as a primary determinant of integration and works toward actionable policy solutions for schooling integration.

Gregory Willis, Historical Discrimination in the Modern Classroom: The Complicated Legacy of Redlining and its Lasting Impact on Education  

In the early 20th century, during the peak of American suburbanization, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) was tasked with grading residential neighborhoods according to their presumed “lending risk.” A major result of this policy was the labeling of many predominantly black neighborhoods as economically “dangerous” by the HOLC, preventing residents from qualifying for home loans and other financial services. My research examines how the modern implications of this systemically oppressive practice are reflected in the American secondary education system, where there is a considerable learning divide separating the richest and poorest students in the country. I posit that a correlation exists between neighborhoods redlined by the HOLC and poor academic outcomes among students enrolled in high schools zoned for those areas in the present.

Jason Aviles, Fields and Families: Immigration Enforcement and Labor Supply in Florida

To what extent does increased immigration enforcement impact labor supply in Florida’s agricultural and care sectors? Existing research on immigration enforcement in the United States finds that enforcement can both increase and decrease labor supply, depending on the population and sector examined. However, past work has not analyzed cross-sector effects within Florida, particularly in agriculture and care services, despite their importance to the state’s economy. This study argues that increased immigration enforcement decreases labor supply in both sectors. I examine the relationship between immigration enforcement and labor market outcomes and propose to test this argument using quantitative measures of enforcement intensity, including policy rollout and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions, alongside sector-specific employment data. I expect to find that labor supply declines overall in both sectors. These findings matter because they suggest immigration enforcement functions as a labor market policy, shaping employment in essential industries in Florida and potentially at the national level.

Jaqueline Born, The Parent Trap: Rethinking Custodial Power Over Minor Earnings

Past work has examined the structure and purpose of UTMA accounts, typically emphasizing their role in intergenerational wealth transfers and simplifying asset management for parents, minors, and custodians. Past work hasn’t considered extending the UTMA framework to minor-earned income, particularly the implications of treating earned wages and gifted assets as legally equivalent within custodial accounts. This matters because the current statutory framework inadequately protects these earnings by conflating them with gifts and granting custodians expansive discretionary authority. I examine how UTMA statutes and their judicial interpretations affect the protection of minor-earned income, arguing that they inadequately protect these earnings by conflating them with gifts and granting custodians broad, largely unchecked discretion over the assets, and I propose to test this through a four-state analysis comparing states that adopted UTMA later (post-2000) with demographically similar counterparts, alongside case studies of judicial enforcement and a dataset derived from court records and state agencies to estimate the incidence of custodial misuse. I expect to find that states adopting UTMAs post-2000 provide relatively stronger protections for minor-earned income than earlier adopters, though the overall statutory framework remains insufficient. These findings shed light on how the law can fail to protect vulnerable parties when enforcement mechanisms are weak or reactive rather than proactive in providing measures to prevent misuse from occurring in the first place.

Ethan Ramirez, From Ken Jeong to Keshi: Generational differences in Asian American political participation

Asian Americans immigrants are the fastest growing ethnic population in the U.S. since 2000. As this population continues to grow, so should their representation in the electorate and the government. While past research has found Asian Americans to hold the lowest voter share, this might begin to shift. Most of the previous research on Asian American voting patterns has been concerned with the impacts of enclaves on Asian Americans and representation in candidates, not often considering how newer generations of Asian Americans, being better accustomed to U.S. civic culture, could change the dynamic of the Asian American voter bloc. In this paper I examine the propensity of different generations of Asian Americans to vote, argue that younger generations are expected to vote more and participate more in politics, proposing to test this assertion using data from the 2020 Collaborative Multi-Racial Post-Election Survey (CMPS). I expect to find increases in voter registration and likelihood to vote in younger generations compared to older generations. This matters because so long as the Asian American population continues to grow, we will see Asian Americans represent more of the U.S. electorate and hold more voting power nationwide, promoting similar increases in representation in government and as an impactful voter bloc.

Craig Perry, Food Across Florida: Differences in Utilization of SNAP Between Rural and Urban Areas      

To what extent do rural areas benefit more from SNAP compared to urban areas in Florida? Past work has examined SNAP benefits and found that people gain economic utility from them. However, these works have not compared rural and urban areas in Florida on a large scale across many counties, and this matters because millions of people in Florida suffer from food insecurity, and research into which areas are most vulnerable can inform better planning to address this problem. I examine a range of different areas in Florida, from the most rural to the most urban, and argue that, on average, rural areas will gain a greater amount of utility compared to urban areas. I propose testing this assertion using U.S. Census and USDA data to assess whether there is a correlation between SNAP participation and population density. I expect to find that the more rural an area is, the more the people there tend to rely on SNAP to buy necessary food. This finding matters because it reveals that certain areas are more at risk of food insecurity than others and are therefore more reliant on SNAP.

Lairalee Ramos, Political Attitudes in the Digital Age: How Right-Wing Media Affects Anti-Immigration Discourse      

New forms of media have taken a substantial role in influencing political attitudes. Past work has examined the media’s effect on anti-immigration attitudes and found both tone, volume, and evaluation of immigrant actors within media content affects people’s beliefs. However, past work has not considered the consequences of right-wing populism and anti-globalism on different forms of right-wing media, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, following Donald Trump’s first presidency. This is significant because of the rise of new media platforms and increasing effects of the media on anti-immigration discourse in recent years. My research examines the effects of right-wing media exposure and the role of right-wing populism and anti-globalism within said media. I argue that the increase in right-wing media containing these ideologies following Trump’s election to office in 2016 has increased anti-immigration attitudes, and propose to test this assertion using survey data from iRoper which examine the effects of right-wing media and its association with an increase in anti-immigrant attitudes. I expect that increased exposure to right-wing media that contains right-wing populist and anti-globalist rhetoric will increase anti-immigration attitudes. This finding matters because it will increase our knowledge on the effects of different forms of media on political belief.

Emilia Cummings, Mind the Gap: Finding the Policy Windows in a Polarized Immigration Landscape   

Under what conditions will congressional representatives pursue a more expansionist immigration policy? While most research typically argues that partisan standing dictates votes in immigration legislation, this research identifies a policy window where individual autonomy can override party constraints. I argue that legislators with personal motivators or high district-level economic demand have a pro-migrant bias that is often suppressed by the high political cost of media salience. In this study, I would analyze ten years of U.S. house roll call votes to test how the volume of media headlines provides a shield for expansionist action. I find that when media salience is low, the probability of expansionist votes increase, allowing a legislator’s personal motivators and economic needs to shine through. This research implies that bipartisanship still persists; it is just waiting for the quiet moments in the media cycle to occur, proving that individual ideas can be present if the window for change is open.

Thuy-Linh “Leah” Thai, Government Stops but Patient’s Needs Don’t: Examining the Effects of Government Instability on VA Healthcare Access and Perceptions of Care    

To what extent does government instability affect veterans’ access to VA healthcare and change their perceptions of that care? According to the VA Contingency Plan, 97% of employees are exempted, and medical services, benefits, and other services offered by the VA will continue during periods of government shutdown. However, previous research has not considered how actions of the federal government influence the perceptions of veterans who rely on VA healthcare, which matters if government shutdowns continue to increase in frequency and duration. I examine the 2025 federal government shutdowns’ effects on the VA, argue that government instability led to increased uncertainty among veterans and employees due to the lack of communication and decreases in support personnel, and propose to test this assertion using thematic analysis of interviews with VA patients and employees. I expect to find themes of uncertainty and anxiety during periods of government shutdowns that exacerbate issues already present in the VA. These findings matter because the VA should be prepared for possible downstream effects from federal government instability and mitigate those effects in order to continue serving veterans and providing consistent, quality healthcare services.

Raquel Aguirre, Gen- Z vs older generations: How they use and perceive A.l.? 

A.I. is a tool that has transformed many aspects of life including education and workforce. It has also transformed the way many generations use and think about it. Research shows that Gen-z among other young generations use it frequently and have higher levels of experimentation. Older generations have greater skepticism and tend to use it with more caution. My research focuses on the differences between Gen- Z and older generations in their perceptions in A.l. and how they use it.

Maya Gary, Immigration in America: Government Framing’s Influence on Public Sentiment

To what extent has government framing of immigration influenced public sentiment towards immigrants? Past work has examined the relationship between elite framing of immigration and public sentiment and found that framing, and in particular agenda-setting, has played a role in increasing the number of immigration-centered discussions taking place within the United States. Past work has not considered the relevance of government trust as an influencing factor behind acceptance of immigration-related frames, and this matters because of the widespread use of government-sponsored platforms to espouse partisan arguments regarding immigration. I examine the potential correlation between government framing regarding immigration and public sentiment, argue that government-affiliated frames regarding immigration will have a higher impact on public sentiment as opposed to frames promoted by non-governmental sources, and propose to test this assertion using an original survey modeled after questions found in the General Social Survey. I expect to find that participants demonstrate levels of increased agreement with frames that are endorsed by the government. This finding matters because of the partisan nature of government-affiliated sources depending on the political affiliation of each administration. If individuals are found to be more trusting of government frames, these findings would have broad implications regarding the power that individual administrations can have in shaping the conversations regarding immigration to support particular policies and actions.

Asiya Ozyer, Where Is Home? The Search For Belonging Among The Middle Eastern Diaspora

Past research on immigrant assimilation finds that incorporation into society is shaped by access to key institutions such as employment, education, political systems, and positive social representation. However, this work has largely overlooked the specific conditions shaping belonging among Middle Eastern Americans, whose experiences are distinct due to discrimination, persistent underrepresentation, and the influence of homeland politics shaping identity. This study examines the relationship between structural inclusion and feelings of belonging among Middle Eastern Americans, arguing that both institutional access and social recognition strengthen these feelings. To test this claim, it draws on existing literature and survey data on immigration, identity, and integration. I expect to find that greater access to education, employment, and opportunities for civic engagement is associated with stronger senses of belonging among Middle Eastern Americans. These findings have important implications for policies aimed at fostering greater inclusion and equity.

Emily Florez, Rehabilitation and Reentry: The Impact of Prison-Based Mental Health Programs and Community Bridge Initiatives on Florida Recidivism

To what extent do prison-based mental health programs reduce recidivism after release? Prior research has largely examined cognitive-behavioral therapy, vocational and educational training, and trauma-informed treatment models in isolation, yielding inconsistent results. While some studies report significant reductions in recidivism associated with CBT implementation, the broader literature yields negligible and conflicting findings, collectively calling for further research. Previous research has not adequately addressed the combined impact of mental health interventions and structured community reentry programs. This is significant because recidivism is influenced not only by rehabilitation efforts within the prison system but also by the quality of employment opportunities, social support, and post-release adjustment that individuals encounter when reentering society. I examine the independent and combined effects of prison-based mental health programs and community bridge initiatives on recidivism rates among incarcerated individuals with a serious mental illness in Florida. I argue that pairing a psychological intervention with a structured community reentry program will produce greater recidivism reductions than either intervention alone and propose testing this hypothesis through a randomized controlled trial. Individuals participating in both interventions are expected to demonstrate significantly lower recidivism rates than those receiving only one or neither. These findings carry meaningful implications for correctional policy, legislative standards, and resource allocation, and further our knowledge of the impact of rehabilitation and support initiatives within Florida’s correctional system.

Mia Savilla, Convicting on Memory: How Eyewitness Accounts Affect Wrongful Convictions         

Under what conditions will eyewitness testimony lead to wrongful convictions? Past work has examined the many factors that may have an impact on the rate of wrongful convictions and found that there are many contributors which make it difficult to pinpoint the true relevance of each on the overall rate. Past work has considered but not fully that the overarching piece of evidence in these cases are eyewitness accounts and how they have been shown to be overvalued in cases way past their actual rate of accuracy. This matters because the rate of wrongful convictions have persisted over time, especially in murder cases, even after the introduction of DNA evidence in 1989, highlighting there is still an issue that needs to be examined. I look at eyewitness accounts and argue that when they are tainted with racial bias and memory inconsistencies they lead to a direct increase in wrongful conviction verdicts. I propose to test this assertion using a case study analysis of two murder cases within the state of Florida, one wrongful conviction case and one lawfully conducted case, comparing their uses of eyewitness accounts and how it shaped their overall verdicts. These findings matter because eyewitness accounts are swaying pieces of evidence in criminal cases, yet the reliability of these accounts have been proven to be susceptible to outside forces. This research contributes to the broader ways in which we can lower wrongful conviction rates and helps our understanding of the abilities and limitations of eyewitness accounts. 

Fiona Alla, Pushback Against Feminism: How the Manosphere Influences Legislation         

The manosphere, a web of communities that advocate for male rights and are often hostile to the feminist social movement, has been experiencing significant growth on social media. What was once a niche collection of communities on online forums has become part of the mainstream. My research builds an understanding of how the manosphere’s presence can influence legislators and the policies they advocate, specifically anti-feminist policies.

Kaitlyn Anderson, Faith Meets Frameworks: The Intersection of Legislator Religiosity and Abortion Bill Sponsorship   

The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court ruling overturned Roe v. Wade. This ruling eliminates the constitutional right to an abortion, and shifts power surrounding abortion access to the individual states. Prior research establishes a strong link between religiosity and opposition to abortion, rooted in religious-based authorities and moral stigmatization. However, there is less information about how this has been impacted by the 2022 Dobbs decision. I examine the extent to which a state legislator’s religiosity influences their pursuit of abortion policy post-Roe, and argue that the presence of religiosity is associated with an increase in sponsorship of policies that limit the accessibility and legality of abortion. I hypothesize that religious legislators will sponsor or cosponsor more bills that seek to limit abortion access than non-religious legislators.

Liana Quintero, A House Divided: How Polarization Increases Gridlock in Congress        

How does elite polarization impact the legislative agenda in the U.S. Congress?Past work has shown that polarization in Congress has made it harder for lawmakers to collaborate, pass legislation, and govern effectively. A lot of that research focuses on gridlock, but it pays less attention to how polarization shapes which issues even make it onto the legislative agenda in the first place. That matters because power in Congress is not just about what gets passed, but also about what gets considered at all. In this paper, I examine how elite polarization impacts the legislative agenda in the U.S. Congress and argue that as polarization increases, the range of issues that can realistically move forward becomes narrower while gridlock becomes more common. I propose to test this argument using quantitative analysis of congressional data. I expect to find that higher levels of elite polarization are linked to both greater gridlock and a more limited legislative agenda. This matters because it helps explain why Congress seems so unable to respond to major national problems even when those problems are widely recognized.

Jeffrey Koenig, The Impact of Construal on Public Evaluations of AI Risk Significance

Past research on public perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) has examined how individuals evaluate the significance of different AI-related issues. To the extent research has considered the factors shaping these perceptions, it has largely focused on demographic and cultural influences. Less attention has been given to how the form of reasoning individuals use to interpret AI issues may shape their judgments. This paper addresses this gap by applying construal level theory (CLT) to propose a survey-based research design examining how variations in problem framing affect perceived issue significance. Specifically, I outline survey questions that present AI issues at higher or lower construal levels, and argue that more concrete (low-construal) presentations will generally lead individuals to assign greater significance to an issue. I conclude by discussing the implications of this argument for expert messaging strategy and survey design in this area.

Alana Karam, The Genesis of AI Legal Doctrine within the United States: An Analysis of Early AI Litigation

Past work has examined how AI Regulation within the EU and dived into theoretical legal models for AI regulation within the United States. However, past work has not examined the current formation of legal doctrine within the United States. This is crucial because effective policy advisement requires an analysis of the current legal principles being applied in case law. I propose an examination of a pool of court cases to explore emerging legal principles, patterns in court interpretations, and responses to AI litigation that relies on qualitative coding and analysis to understand the direction in which AI legal formation is headed. This finding matters because the United States is still trying to determine federal standards and laws for AI Regulation, and an examination of policy experimentation within the states could be extremely informative if analyzed.

Grecia Cardenas, Courts as Climate Gatekeepers: Judicial Interpretation and Policy Effectiveness

In previous scholarly literature, the role played by courts in the interpretation of environmental policies has been looked into. Past findings have indicated that court interpretations play a great role in determining environmental policy outcomes. Nonetheless, little effort has been put into examining the ways in which the use of various interpretive methods affects specifically climate policy outcomes. Such an investigation becomes crucial considering that recently made court decisions have weakened the agencies’ powers and enhanced judicial power over environmental policies. In this paper, I look at the ways in which judicial interpretation, particularly textualism and purposivism, affects climate policy implementation. Through an examination of past decisions made on environmental policy, I assess the impact of using various interpretive methods on legal decisions.

Grace Farnworth, Voting Below the Surface: How Coal Plant Closures Impacted Republican Vote Share in the 2016 Presidential Election

How did coal plant closures in economically dependent communities impact Republican vote share in the 2016 presidential election? In the 2016 presidential election, coal quickly became a contentious issue for both sides of the aisle, following mass plant closures that occurred during Obama’s second term. Past work has analyzed shifting republican vote share within these communities but has not examined the phenomenon on a national scale, nor have most researchers emphasized the possible economic causes of this shift. In this paper, I examine the impact coal plant closures had on Republican vote share in select economically dependent communities across the nation and argue that republican vote share increased due to micro-economic voting behaviors. This assertion will be tested by identifying “economically dependent communities” through select criteria such as a plant’s employment rate in the county, and examining these communities’ change in vote share using the ANES data set. The change will be examined by comparing the Republican vote share in the presidential elections of 2012 and 2016. With this, I expect to find a notable increase in Republican vote share within these communities. Examining this phenomenon will be extremely valuable for future energy policy because it contributes to our understanding of economic perception formation and voting reaction in communities affected by the energy transition. This understanding will help future lawmakers in crafting beneficial policies for all and will support a greater voter retainment rate for the initiating party

Paolo Romano, Court Fines & Fees: Financial Instability Among Low-Income Americans             

Past research has examined the structure and consequences of monetary sanctions in the criminal justice system and found that fines and fees function as regressive penalties that disproportionately burden low-income individuals. However, less attention has been given to how these financial obligations translate into long-term financial instability and limited economic mobility. This gap matters because such outcomes may reinforce cycles of poverty within already vulnerable populations. This paper examines the impact of court-imposed fines and fees on the financial stability of low-income individuals in the United States. I argue that these sanctions operate as a regressive system that exacerbates economic hardship, and I test this using survey data from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey. I expect to find that fines and fees impose significant and lasting financial strain, contributing to debt accumulation, reduced employment opportunities, and continued justice system involvement. These findings suggest that monetary sanctions undermine both economic stability and the principle of equal justice.

Barbara Jaramillo, Metropolis: Economic Investment and Public Transit for Better Urban Development

Past work has examined the relevance of our need for public transportation in a car-dependent society and has found that urban planning models need to be integrated more into urban settings. Past work has not considered how investment plays a role in funding these extensive urban planning projects in metropolitan cities, and this matters because of current public transit systems in the United States are not interconnected and create gaps for city travelers to move around their own city without the need of automobile. I examine the increase of investment in urban planning, argue that it will increase the opportunities for economic growth and development in urban areas, and propose to test this assertion using a quantitative dataset that tests the relationship between investment dollars into public sustainable transportation projects in various cities that have already used their budgets to fund those transportation projects. I expect to find a relationship between economic investment and development in the form of further economic opportunity and opportunities for residents in those areas to be more accessible. This finding matters because of the lack of residents who want to invest back into their cities, which should be able to be fueled by fueling their local economy and integrating Adaptable urban planning solutions that will be beneficial for long-term use rather than constant upkeep, some projects are in the state at this moment without appropriate management.

Domenic Wall, Locked Out: Monetary Policy and the Housing Market Since 2020  

To what extent have monetary policies aimed at stabilizing inflation impacted the accessibility of affordable housing in the United States since 2020? Past work has examined the relationship between monetary policy and housing markets and found lower interest rates typically lead to increasing housing prices and housing demand. However, past work has not considered the impacts of inflation stabilizing policies during the time frame of 2020 through 2026, particularly the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the housing market. This matters because of the increasing disconnection between macroeconomic policy, perception of the housing market, and quantitative reality of the housing market. I examine how inflation curbing monetary policies have influenced housing affordability in the United States since 2020, arguing that these policies have decreased accessibility to affordable housing by restricting market mobility and increasing borrowing costs. I propose to test this claim using a quantitative analysis of housing price data, interest rate data from the Federal Reserve and The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) datasets, and income data from the American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. I expect to find that an increase in these monetary policies is associated with reduced housing affordability and thus decreased access to homeownership. This finding matters because of its potential impact for policymakers, as it indicates that policies intended to stabilize inflation may have unintentionally negative impacts on the housing market and thus require complementary housing policy.

Jayden Gabay, Governing the Gig: When State and Local Regulation of Digital Labor Platforms Improves Gig Worker Well-Being

Previous research has examined legal developments in the gig economy and determined that independent contractor status across the United States heavily restricts access to worker benefits and labor representation for gig workers. However, prior studies have not addressed the effects of regulations on digital labor platforms (DLPs) on the socioeconomic well-being of gig workers. This gap is important as an increasing number of Americans rely on the gig economy for primary or supplementary income and often face limited avenues to challenge the labor practices of digital platforms. This study investigates the conditions under which local and state regulation of DLPs enhances the socioeconomic well-being of gig workers. It posits that comprehensive legislation clarifying the status and protections of gig workers, particularly in states where DLPs’ regulatory disruption is minimal, will most effectively improve their economic circumstances. The proposed methodology employs difference-in-differences (DID) analysis across multiple state and local regulatory cases. This study hypothesizes that legislation reclassifying gig workers under the ABC test and mandating wage and benefit protections will have the greatest positive effects in states with lower levels of platform resistance or preemption. These findings are significant in light of recent developments in the gig economy and may inform strategies for lawmakers and public policy analysts to better support Americans participating in untraditional or contingent employment arrangements.

Julia Brandon, College versus Community: An Analysis of the Economic Effects of Educational Institutions on Local Societies

To what extent does the presence of a higher-level institution affect the economic well-being of the local community? Past work has examined that higher-level educational institutions will provide an increase in knowledge and capital for a specified region and subsequently increased regional economic innovation. Literature has found there is a direct positive correlation between the economic well-being of the local communities generated by employment opportunities and decreased cost of living. Past work has not considered the quality of economic innovation generated by universities, specifically for local citizens who are not students or staff of the educational institution, and this matters because of the surge of individuals and businesses that are directly tied to a university and whether they contribute or take from local populations. I will use a regression analysis to examine economic indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding the cost of living index and employment. I expect to find that there is a positive correlative relationship between educational institutions and employment opportunities and cost of living in a community; while cost of living may increase, the quality of economic opportunities will also increase, the overall result positively impacts local individuals. This finding matters because local individuals are often overshadowed by an increase in intellect and technology in university communities, therefore it is necessary to bring attention to the needs of local populations so that these people can economically benefit from educational institutions’ expansion.

Brooke Tuttle,  Swipe, scroll, vote? The effect of social media on voter turnout

Past research has looked at how political engagement affects voter turnout and generally finds that access to information can increase participation. However, it has not fully considered how different types of social media use shape turnout among young people, which matters since social media is now a primary source of political information for this group. In this study, I examine the relationship between social media use and youth voter turnout, arguing that its effects depend on how individuals engage with content. I test this using survey data on political behavior and media habits. I expect to find that more active forms of engagement, like discussing or sharing political content, are linked to higher turnout, while passive scrolling has little impact. This matters because it shows that social media is not automatically mobilizing and that the way young people use these platforms plays a key role in whether they participate politically

Ananya Balaji, Institutional Violence and Political Participation: The Impact of Police Accountability

Past work has examined how exposure to police violence and increased interaction with the carceral state shapes political participation and has found both mobilizing and demobilizing outcomes across different communities. However, the literature has not considered how police brutality accountability, through officer convictions, might shift existing patterns of engagement. With the major increase in media coverage and public awareness for acts of institutional violence following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it is important to assess how forms of state responsiveness may shape perceptions of legitimacy, trust, and ultimately civic engagement. I examine whether exposure to police accountability is associated with increased levels of political participation, arguing that higher levels of accountability may signal institutional correction, thereby increasing participation, especially among non-White respondents. Focusing on respondents in U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas with over five million residents, I merge individual level survey data from the 2022 Cooperative Election Study with accountability outcomes from the 2021 and 2022 Mapping Police Violence database among respondents residing within the same zip code as each act of police accountability. I find evidence supporting that exposure to institutional accountability is significantly negatively associated with political participation. The negative association was weaker among non-White respondents. These findings suggest that the increased visibility of legal correction for offending officers may depress participation by signaling to groups that institutions are working effectively, creating less of a need to participate. For non-White respondents, however, the data may suggest that individual instances of accountability, alone, are insufficient to meaningfully shift perceptions of legitimacy, trust and patterns of engagement.

Danna Leyton,  Beyond Access: Understanding Food Insecurity, Inequality, and Community Response in Gainesville, Florida   

Alachua County has the highest prevalence of food insecure individuals compared to the entire state of Florida, 13.6% compared to 13.2%, respectively. This is likely because a combination of state and local policies fails underrepresented and disproportionately affected communities. Evidence suggests that non-Latino Black and Latino populations experience higher rates of food insecurity compared to non-Latino White populations. In Gainesville, Alachua’s largest city, disparities in access to nutritious foods are evident across zip codes and geographic areas. A lack of fresh food stores has turned areas such as East Gainesville into a mix of a food desert and a food swamp, characterized by high access to poor-quality food, a stark contrast to the resources available in the western part of the city near the University of Florida campus.

This study examined community responses and strategies addressing food insecurity in Gainesville. A qualitative approach, including ethnographic analysis and semi-structured interviews, was conducted with participants (n = 3) who served as directors of local food distribution centers, including a homeless shelter, pantry, and food bank. Interviews were transcribed, and inductive coding in Excel v10 was used to identify key themes. These themes include the informal organization of resources, the student economy of Gainesville, demand trends, and barriers to accessibility. By examining the factors that drive nutrition equity in Florida locally and exploring how policy interventions can better support community-led initiatives, these findings provide a synthesized understanding of the barriers and trends faced by local resources

Leila Barq,  Integration and the Limits of Belonging: Syrian Refugees in Germany, Sweden, and Norway             

  This research examines how integration policies shape refugee belonging in contemporary Europe through a comparative analysis of Germany, Sweden, and Norway. While integration is often presented as a pathway to inclusion, this project argues that it produces a form of conditional belonging for Syrian refugees. Drawing on scholarship in civic integration, affective politics, and postcolonial theory, the study explores how integration operates not only through formal requirements such as language acquisition and labor market participation, but also through cultural expectations tied to national identity and social cohesion. Using discourse analysis of policy frameworks alongside refugee experiences, the research demonstrates that even when refugees meet institutional expectations, their inclusion remains incomplete. Integration is structured as an ongoing process of evaluation in which refugees must continually demonstrate compatibility with the host society. At the same time, they are frequently framed as temporary or external to the national community. Recent political developments following the fall of the Assad regime further highlight this dynamic, as European states increasingly emphasize return despite evidence of long-term social and economic integration. This tension reveals that integration does not guarantee full inclusion, but instead reinforces a form of belonging that remains conditional and subject to change.                               

Natalia Lopez , Death by a Thousand Cuts: How the Chinese Communist Party is Setting the Conditions for Modern Warfare   

China’s expansion into the global commons is often interpreted as a bid for global hegemony. This thesis argues instead that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) engages across emerging, non-sovereign domains- identified in Chinese doctrine as “strategic new frontiers” (战略新疆域)- as a means of securing regional primacy in the Indo-Pacific. Its global scope reflects the reality that the systems shaping regional conflict are themselves global. Drawing on PLA doctrinal texts, white papers, and observed behavior, the thesis introduces “frontier statecraft” as a framework for understanding this strategy. Through this approach, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) extends influence, access, and control across four domains: the polar regions, the deep sea, cyberspace, and aerospace. Across these frontiers, the PRC employs a consistent set of instruments: infrastructure development, scientific activity, lawfare, and civil-military fusion. Fusion serves as the organizing mechanism, collapsing distinctions between civilian and military activity and leveraging ambiguity into a strategic asset. Under Xi Jinping, dominance in these domains is treated as an extension of “strategic space,” essential to national rejuvenation. Concepts such as forward defense and peaceful development frame outward expansion as defensive, while in practice these efforts enhance operational depth, secure lines of communication, and deter encirclement. This thesis challenges the view that China’s global and regional ambitions unfold sequentially. Instead, they operate in parallel and reinforce one another. Activity in the global commons functions as an enabling mechanism for regional consolidation, allowing the CCP to shape the conditions of competition and influence outcomes before conflict begins.

Rasika Sriram,  Medical Malpractice Law and Structural Barriers Facing South Asian Patients in the United States

Medical malpractice law is intended to provide a mechanism for accountability and compensation when patients are harmed by negligent medical care. Although the doctrine is formally race-neutral, its effectiveness depends on patients’ ability to access and navigate complex legal and evidentiary requirements. This paper examines how structural and procedural features of U.S. medical malpractice law disproportionately disadvantage South Asian patients, a rapidly growing yet underexamined population in both legal and health disparities scholarship. Using qualitative legal analysis of appellate case law alongside interdisciplinary research from public health and legal literature, this study evaluates how key components of malpractice doctrine, including evidentiary sufficiency, expert witness requirements, statutes of limitation, and credibility assessments, interact with documented disparities in healthcare delivery. South Asian patients experience distinct barriers, including limited English proficiency, culturally shaped communication norms, delayed diagnosis of chronic conditions, and patterns of underdocumentation, all of which affect how medical harm is recorded and later evaluated in litigation. The analysis argues that malpractice law relies on implicit assumptions regarding documentation quality, health literacy, and access to resources that do not hold equally across patient populations. As a result, formally neutral legal standards can produce substantively unequal outcomes, limiting access to justice for South Asian patients. The paper concludes by considering potential reforms, including court-appointed experts, expanded tolling doctrines, and improved language-access protections, aimed at promoting greater equity in malpractice adjudication.

Anja Anzano,   Becoming a “Modern-Day Hero”: An Exploration of Philippine State Discourse, Ideological Discipline, and Transnational Filipino Nurses

The history of nursing in the Philippines dates to the American Imperial period, establishing the migration flows that the Philippine government continues to profit from to this day. Recent social science research has documented the mechanisms of discipline and control that keep migrants in line to safeguard the government’s prized flow of remittances and methods of control in the transnational industries of care, hospitality, and service. This project extends this literature to shows how the Philippine government uses biopower and identity regulation to discipline these nurses, providing them the scripts of the exemplar, Bagong Bayani (modern day hero), and what it means to re-establish a connection to the homeland. While these nurses do not have to believe in such scripts, they follow subconsciously due to their position as transnational actors and their obligations to their families in the Philippines. This project analyzes YouTube Videos from the Philippine President’s YouTube Channel through Critical Discourse Analysis to identify the narratives and scripts promoted by the state, supplemented by a literature review of current scholarship on this topic. Taken together, this project argues that the state appeals to notions of communal duty, uses the redomestication of Filipino identity to renew cultural citizenship, dictates the measurement for sacrifice, and validate the standard of the Bagong Bayani to discipline Filipino nurses and maintain a steady supply of national income from overseas.

Selin Ciltas,   Girls Just Wanna Collab! Legislative Effectiveness on Bipartisan Collaboration among Women Legislators 

 Past work has examined legislative effectiveness among women and found collaboration impacts a woman’s legislative effectiveness, i.e. the likelihood of bill passage. Past work has not considered several nuances. First, Florida, because of its unique structure and rules, is often excluded from analyses. Second, because previous scholarship has often employed game-theoretic models to understand collaboration, they often miss individual dynamics between legislators. This matters because Florida, represents a large, electorally important state, with a large number of conservative women serving in the state’s legislature. Further, exploring women’s individual dynamics when collaborating enlightens our understanding of how women vary in their legislative priorities and behavior. I examine women’s bill introduction from the Florida legislature following the Covid-19 pandemic. I argue that when women are more effective, their peers will be more likely to collaborate on their bills. I test this assertion using an adapted dataset of Florida State Legislature bills following the rise of women legislators in 2024. I then assert this data by utilizing unreleased State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) from the Center for Effective Lawmaking to understand how effectiveness impacts future collaboration. I find that legislative effectiveness plays a significant role in determining future collaborations as a result of perceived success. In the case of women, their activity appears to match their counterparts, depicting how institutional barriers in Florida may be hindering women. This finding matters because of the need to further understand how women interact, collaborate, and achieve potential legislative success in this unusual ecosystem that is the Florida Legislature.

Raj Selvaraj,  The EU’s Reality Check: Balancing out the Institutional Democratic Deficit      

For over seven decades, the European Union (EU) has stood as one of the most ambitious political experiments in modern governance. But despite its remarkable strides in achieving this goal, it grapples with a persistent structural weakness: the “democratic deficit”. This term refers to the general disconnect the average citizen feels from the EU’s complex institutional machinery. Overall, less attention has been paid to the institutional design flaws that perpetuate the democratic deficit. In this paper, I argue that this democratic deficit is not just a matter of political apathy or a lack of civics education among EU citizens, but it is also the result of deep-rooted institutional design flaws. At the heart of this study lies a central question: How do the EU’s institutional design flaws widen the democratic deficit and impede the Union’s ability to effectively and directly serve its citizens, and furthermore, what institutional reforms could enhance its policymaking capacity and ensure that everyone sees the system as legitimate? To address this, I propose three key “checks” that could help rebalance the EU’s governance. First, the absence of an executive veto is identified as a missing feature of modern democratic systems; introducing such a mechanism within the European Council could strengthen responsiveness and representation. Second, the unanimity requirement in the Foreign Affairs Council for decisions in the Common Foreign and Security Policy is seen as limiting collective action. Expanding qualified majority voting would enable faster, more cohesive responses while still respecting national interests. Third, reforms to the Court of Justice of the EU are suggested, including judicial term limits, increased transparency, and oversight through a new European Judicial Authority. In essence, the EU needs a reality “check”(or rather, three of them) to balance out the democratic deficit and rebuild trust in its institutions and effectiveness in serving citizens

Leyan Albustami,  Revolutionary Legitimacy and Third World-ism in Cuba and Iran 

Revolutions are often understood as structural crises that render states vulnerable to collapse. However, such structural understandings of revolution, though they sufficiently explain how a government may become vulnerable to collapse, are insufficient in explaining how revolutionary rupture becomes morally legitimate and capable of commanding mass participation. This research challenges dominant approaches to social revolution theory that understand revolutionary ideology to be secondary to structural breakdown in moments of rupture, using two cases that are often treated as ideologically opposed due to their diverging religious orientations: the Cuban Revolution (1959) and the Iranian Revolution (1979). This research uses qualitative discourse analysis to analyze speeches, manifestos, and sermons produced by Fidel Castro and Ayatollah Khomeini during periods of mobilization and early regime consolidation. These primary sources were coded focusing on three recurring themes: appeals to moral authority, framing of oppression and liberation, and references to transnational discourse. The findings demonstrate that revolutionary leaders used parallel moral vocabularies that were articulated through their respective cultural contexts to mobilize and legitimize revolution, revealing that revolutionary ideology is a constitutive mechanism through which revolutionary legitimacy is produced and social revolutions are mobilized.

Julia Hayunga, Great Powers and the Use of Rhetoric To Justify Military Action  

In 1945 the UN Charter established the fundamental norms of international society. However, throughout history, there have been several cases of great powers breaking international law by infringing on the sovereignty of other nations. My research explores how these powers attempt to justify their actions and the rhetorical strategies they use to make their arguments resonate domestically and internationally.                               

Megan Sorensen,  The Performance of Legality in Authoritarian Regimes: Law as a Tool of Legitimization               

Authoritarian regimes violate human rights, yet they still rely on the appearance of law to legitimize their actions on both the domestic and international stages. My research paper examines how authoritarian regimes utilize law as a tool to legitimize power rather than limit it. By comparing Iran and Russia, my study explores the relationship between written and practiced law to understand how legality is performed. This shows that law in authoritarian regimes is less about justice and more about creating the appearance of fairness and legitimacy.

Surya Dodia, Beyond the Verdicts: Restorative Justice & the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda & the former Yugoslavia in the Prosecution of Wartime Sexual Violence

The International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia redressed war crimes committed during two of the most violent conflicts of the 1990s: the Rwandan Genocide and the Bosnian War. Among the most prevalent of these crimes was sexual violence, which indiscriminately targeted women, children, and the elderly. Despite parallel conflicts, similar in wartime strategy, the landscape for survivors following each tribunal differed greatly. My research argues that the supplementation of restorative justice, an alternative and victim-centered approach, to Rwanda’s tribunal – the gacaca courts – is and was necessary for the redress of sexual violence in the Rwandan Genocide. The absence of this in the tribunal for Bosnia reflects the lack of agency and healing for survivors today. Ultimately, I argue that restorative justice as an alternative prosecutorial method must be necessarily supplemental should an International Criminal Tribunal be created for present day conflicts such as Ukraine and Sudan.

Elena Ashburn, Between Values and Interests: Natural Resource Wealth and EU Sanctions in Sub-Saharan Africa             

EU foreign policy is often understood through the framework of Normative Power Europe (NPE), which characterizes the European Union as a value-driven actor committed to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. However, inconsistencies in EU sanctions practices raise questions about the extent to which normative commitments shape sanctioning behavior. This study examines whether material interests, specifically natural resource wealth, influence EU sanctions against sub-Saharan African states. Using a mixed-effects logistic regression analysis of country-year data from 1989 to 2015, drawn from the EUSANCT dataset and the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, this paper assesses the relationship between natural resource rents and the likelihood of EU sanction imposition while controlling for democracy, conflict, and economic development. The findings demonstrate that natural resource wealth is a statistically significant predictor of sanctions, even after accounting for normative factors, suggesting that EU sanctions decisions are influenced by material considerations. These findings are further bolstered by qualitative case studies of EU sanctions against Sub-Saharan African countries. Together, the results suggest that EU sanctions policy reflects an interaction between norms and interests rather than purely normative motivations.

Karina Garcia-Leal, Balancing a New Axis: How the Russia-China-North Korea Alignment Shapes U.S. and Allied Strategies for Nuclear De-Escalation in North Korea 

The threat of nuclear conflict with North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), has loomed over the world since the 1950s when North Korea’s nuclear program began. While substantial scholarship exists on policy recommendations for de-escalating North Korea’s nuclearization, current policy options available to the U.S. and South Korea must be revisited in light of a new alignment between North Korea, China, and Russia. This paper explores possible diplomatic solutions to the re-emerging threat of nuclear conflict, as North Korean officials have recently stated that the country’s status as a nuclear state is “irreversible.” This paper argues that a shift in U.S. – North Korea policy objectives is necessary, including dropping denuclearization and reunification as near-term goals and pursuing a diplomatic approach that prioritizes the incremental normalization of relations rather than a hardline stance. It also emphasizes the need to better align U.S., South Korean, and Japanese strategies toward North Korea to ensure policy coherence. Additionally, the paper examines how distrust within the North Korea – China – Russia alignment may be leveraged to increase the likelihood of North Korean cooperation with the U.S. and its allies. By reframing objectives from denuclearization to de-escalation, this study proposes a more realistic framework for managing nuclear risk on the Korean Peninsula under changing geopolitical conditions.

Sophia Guarnieri , The Case for Adaptive PFAS Governance: Aligning Environmental Law with the Reality of PFAS Contamination

 Environmental law currently regulates per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through a slow, compound-by-compound process. This framework fails to account for the carbon-fluorine bond, a constant that outlasts our regulatory cycles and ensures the persistence of contaminants in the environmental inheritance. Research emphasizes toxicological risks and retroactive liability, yet it overlooks the legal frameworks that prevent effective remediation. My research evaluates why our regulatory designs fail to manage these persistent contaminants and proposes a path toward systemic reform through adaptive governance.

Camila Arenas, Laury-Ann Francois, and Madison Konash, Impact of Environment-Seagrass-Microbe Interactions on ​Seagrass Stress Response and Implications for Restoration              

Seagrasses are coastal foundation species currently facing multiple environmental stressors, including nutrient over-enrichment and sulfide toxicity, which can lead to significant habitat loss throughout seagrass meadows. Sulfide-oxidizing bacteria such as Candidatus Thiodiazotropha may help mitigate sulfide toxicity, potentially enhancing Halodule wrightii (shoalgrass) resilience to environmental stress. In this project, we investigated the impact of sulfide stress on associations between H. wrightii and Ca. Thiodiazotropha using a mesocosm experiment and began culturing Ca. Thiodiazotropha using microaerobic sulfide-gradient tubes. This research aims to improve understanding of how environmental stressors influence seagrass-microbe interactions and support the development of microbial-informed approaches to seagrass restoration.

Chalisa Budai, Transnational Afrocubanos: Co-ethnic Cuban Identity & Divergence      

History illuminates the migration of those who fled authoritarian persecution to the shores of the United States. Cubans advocated for Temporary Protected Status, created institutional networks of mass migration, and asserted representation at all levels of governance in the states. However, this narrative is a testament to the colorblind silences in Cuban archives. Afro-Cubans have a polar relationship with migration, living within the confines of segregation in both Cuba and America. This exhibit seeks to illustrate the Afro-Cuban diaspora – how their labor and lives are impacted by residential redlining and intentional cultural criminalization – in an attempt to re-incorporate Afro-Cubans into the greater historical mosaic. This exhibit highlights the migration experience of Black Cubans, distinct from their White co-ethnics, revealing cultural continuities and divergences from Havana to Miami & Tampa.

Kate Maggio,  Banned in the Sunshine State: How Local Ideology and School Governance Shape Book Bans in Florida             

What factors increase the likelihood of book banning in Florida? Extant research has examined structural and bureaucratic factors to illustrate that schools allege books are most likely to be restricted from public schools when they explore violent or explicit content. While past work has considered how personal legislative targeting, such as “don’t say gay” bills, have embedded subjective narratives into classrooms and libraries, it has failed to consider how books are banned in different counties based on their political affiliations. Furthermore, research has yet to capture how policy changes, structural factors, and bipartisan politics correlate to book banning in Florida—and how that relates to current events and issues. My research explores how the integration of external factors beyond the public school system have infiltrated public schools and dictated their materials by attempting to impose politically charged restrictions. This project examines party registration records, content of commonly banned books, and book banning procedures across public school districts in Florida. I argue that “radical” or politicized ideations such as LGBTQ+ rights, critical race theory, and gender ideology cause books to be banned at a disproportionate rate. Further, I argue that conservative counties and ones with unilateral banning procedures are more likely to ban books. This work contributes to our understanding of local, county-based politics and administrative procedures that integrate personal biases into our public education system.

Muyao Guan, Silvana Noriega, Gabriela Arango, Isabella Acevedo,  Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Florida: An Analysis and Policy Recommendation  

Florida continues to face significant teacher shortages, with more than 5,000 instructional vacancies statewide at the start of the 2024-25 school year. Although the state has increased starting salaries and expanded alternative certification programs, districts continue to struggle with both recruitment and retention. These challenges are especially severe in high-need subject areas and in counties where local support structures are weaker. A comparison of vacancy trends in Broward, Hillsborough, Volusia, and Brevard Counties shows substantial variation in retention outcomes despite similar statewide policy frameworks. Broward and Hillsborough reduced teacher vacancies by more than half between 2024 and 2025, while Volusia and Brevard experienced significant increases. These differences are associated not with base teacher pay, which rose at comparable rates across all four counties, but with broader working conditions, benefits, mentorship support, and district-union relationships. Overall, the evidence indicates that teacher retention improves most consistently when educators have predictable compensation growth, strong early-career mentoring, comprehensive benefits, adequate support staffing, and collaborative labor-management relationships. Policies that reinforce these conditions are most likely to advance long-term workforce stability across Florida’s public schools.”