Plantation Matters: The Black Production of Space in Southeastern Louisiana, 1830 to 1912

Taking one Louisiana sugar plantation as a starting place, I demonstrate how African-descended laborers created life-sustaining spaces within/beyond the death-driving plantation complex during and after slavery

Evolution of Bolivia’s Current Account Trajectory 1990-2024

This thesis assesses the evolution of Bolivia’s Current Account dynamics from 1990 to 2024 within the Trehan and Walsh (1991) and Husted (1992) stationarity and cointegration frameworks. Using quarterly data from 1990 to 2024 and applying break-robust methods, including Bai–Perron, Zivot-Andrews, ADF, KPSS, Johansen, and Gregory-Hansen tests, the analysis proposes three distinct external adjustment regimes aligned with major policy and commodity shocks. During the liberalization and crawling-peg era (1990–2003), the Current Account exhibits mean-reversion around a deficit and strong export–import cointegration, suggesting disciplined external adjustment. The gas-boom phase (2003–2014) produces record surpluses, but the underlying trade dynamics weaken, and the long-run link between exports and imports deteriorates once structural breaks are accounted for. Under the post-2014 hard peg, results suggest increasing external fragility as the Current Account loses mean-reversion properties, and trade flow cointegration collapses. These findings reveal that treating the full period as a single process would mask the transition from adjustment to vulnerability. Policy implications emphasize restoring exchange-rate flexibility, promoting export diversification, and rebuilding reserves to strengthen Bolivia’s external position

Equity in Education: How High School Attributes determine an Admission into Elite Colleges

This thesis seeks to answer the question “Does the type of high school and location affect one’s admission to the three elite colleges: Claremont McKenna College (CMC), Pomona College (Pomona), and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)?” I used a dataset of high schools from five counties in Southern California, San Diego, Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles, to create a regression model that determines whether students from charter, magnet, private, or public schools, and where one’s high school is located neighborhood’s income levels have different rates of admission. This study found that attending public high school negatively impacts admission to CMC and Pomona, yet positively affects admission to UCLA. When looking geographically, location is a stronger predictor of admission across all three institutions. Although both CMC and Pomona use holistic admissions processes, Pomona places a greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. These results emphasized the socioeconomic inequalities that take place in college admissions. I suggested that colleges should implement more targeted outreach programs and high schools implement structural reform that provides access for students in underserved communities. By implementing more outreach programs, colleges would be a more equitable, diverse space. Low income students should feel that they have a viable chance to be admitted to an elite university

Alliance in Flux: Oil and the US-Saudi Strategic Bargain Reconsidered

This thesis examines the historical development and future trajectory of the longstanding relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It traces its roots back to the early twentieth century, during which the Kingdom was established officially and the United States was on the hunt for a substance that quickly became one of the world’s most precious commodities–oil. Since then, oil has both acted as a binding force and a point of contention between the two nations. However, through ups and downs in the partnership, oil has remained at the heart of the arrangement. This study follows the development of US-Saudi ties over the past century with a particular focus on the transformational shifts of the past two decades. It uses economic data and diplomatic negotiations to suggest that the once-cozy relationship will continue becoming more transactional rather than steadfast as it was historically. Recent developments like the rise of Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s increased international relevance, and shifting US narratives are a special focus. This thesis argues that the US-Saudi bargain is at a turning point, undergoing a fundamental change that will have enormous consequences in the future considering the tumultuous geopolitical environment of the mid-2020s

Beyond Pandemic Peaks: A Study on the Lasting Effects of Pandemic-Era Optimism on IPO Underpricing

In the wake of COVID-19, the federal government injected $5 trillion directly into the economy. This catalyzed a liquidity surge that fueled a historic spike in IPO activity from mid-2020 to 2021, accompanied by considerably elevated levels of underpricing. While existing studies have sought to explore the factors that drove such an increase in underpricing, limited research examines trends beyond the pandemic period. This paper aims to investigate whether the optimistic investor behavior and traditional determinants of IPO underpricing observed during the crisis remain relevant in the post-pandemic periods. Employing regression models on 977 IPO issuances from 2017 to May 2024, this study finds that the optimistic shift in investors’ behavior witnessed during the crisis continues to influence fundraising activities under current market conditions. By extending the analysis to the post-COVID period, this research contributes to the existing body of literature on IPO underpricing and provides a foundation for future research to better understand underpricing trends in the context of macroeconomic disruptions

Unchecked Power, Uneven Progress: Examining the Socioeconomic Impact of Nayib Bukele\u27s Presidency in El Salvador

This paper investigates the economic and social consequences of Nayib Bukele’s presidency in El Salvador, specifically evaluating the impact of his policies on crime, foreign direct investment, and fiscal reduction. The study assesses whether the economic benefits gained from Bukele’s crime reduction and neoliberal economic reforms outweigh the costs associated with these changes for the low-income. The paper compares the positive and negative impacts of Bukele\u27s policies through an analysis of financial indicators such as FDI inflows, GINI coefficients, poverty rates, and government spending. These indicators help demonstrate how Bukele’s policies have shaped the country\u27s fiscal health and social disparity. The analysis compares data from before and after Bukele’s presidency, paying particular attention to the country’s 50% increase in sovereign debt and a 3.1% rise in extreme poverty under his administration. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, including the examination of policy changes, statistical economic growth, and an analysis of social welfare impacts. The results indicate that while Bukele’s policies have led to a reduction in homicide rates from 105 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017 to under 8 per 100,000 by 2024, they have also contributed to increasing inequality. Despite increased FDI, decreased crime rates, and a rise in innovative economic policies—the benefits of these changes have been uneven, with low-income communities experiencing a rise in extreme poverty. Rising poverty rates are exacerbated by Bukele\u27s decision not to invest adequate levels of capital into services like healthcare and education. The absence of funding into these two critical sectors has only served to strengthen El Salavador’s cycle of marginalization, poverty, and crime. The findings of this paper suggest that Bukele’s focus on security, neoliberal reforms, and fiscal reductions has achieved short-term economic growth but at the cost of exacerbating the country\u27s socio-economic disparities. This paper concludes that while Bukele has successfully positioned El Salvador as a more secure and investment-attractive nation, the long-term sustainability of these gains remains uncertain. The significant implication of this research is that economic success, driven by FDI and artificial crime reduction, may not necessarily lead to broader social well-being unless coupled with significant investment in public services and structural reforms targeting inequality

Effect of Paxlovid on Neurodevelopmental Disorder Diagnosis Outcomes in Offspring of Mothers Infected with SARS-Cov-2 during Pregnancy

The onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic brought concern over the effects that this virus would have on pregnancy and fetal outcomes, specifically neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal immune activation (MIA), caused by infection during pregnancy, is known to result in neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis in offspring, typically autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This effect has already been observed in mothers who were infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy. However, in 2023, Paxlovid, the COVID-19 antiviral drug, became available to patients experiencing symptoms of the virus, including pregnant women. Consequently, this study seeks to determine whether the risk of an NDD diagnosis due to MIA decreases with Paxlovid use 3-5 days post-infection. In an observational cohort study, data will be collected on women who gave birth in the U.S. for one year, followed by data collection on their offspring for the first 18 years of life. Predicted results show differences between NDD diagnosis outcomes between offspring of mothers who were infected with COVID-19 and did not take Paxlovid (40% diagnosed) compared to those of mothers who were infected and did take Paxlovid (20% diagnosed). Additionally, increased risk of an NDD diagnosed in offspring of mothers who did not take Paxlovid is expected to be positively correlated with the progression of pregnancy of infection and with the severity of COVID-19 infection. Finally, predicted results will show that, compared to female offspring, male offspring are at a greater risk of an NDD diagnosis as a result of MIA from COVID-19 infection in the absence of Paxlovid use (45% diagnosis versus 35% diagnosis). Together, these predicted results point towards the efficacy of Paxlovid, both as a medication for COVID-19 infection and as a means to reduce the risk of an NDD diagnosis in offspring. Future research should investigate the effects that comorbidities and vaccination status have on these results

Uncovering a Novel Role for Drosophila brain tumor (brat) in Dopamine Regulation

Dopamine (DA) and dopaminergic transmission are highly conserved aspects of eukaryotic organisms that are implicated in both peripheral physiological processes and neurophysiological functioning. Many of these processes are conserved at the cellular and molecular level from Drosophila melanogaster to Homo sapiens, providing an excellent model organism for studying DA-related human diseases as well as typical dopaminergic functioning. A set of genes involved in DA synthesis and metabolism are clustered in the Drosophila genome around ddc, the gene that encodes for dopamine decarboxylase (Ddc). These genes form the Ddc gene cluster, and eight of them have experimentally been shown to increase levels of DA and/or DA metabolites in mutants. One of these genes, known as brain tumor (brat), is also implicated in neuroblast differentiation, particularly the determination of neuroblast cell fate. Because of the previously observed increases in DA in brat mutants, we sought to determine whether brat suppression increases activity and alters circadian rhythmicity by knocking down brat either pan-neuronally or in dopaminergic neurons and assaying for sleep and locomotor behavior. Our results suggest that knockdown of brat pan-neuronally displays a phenotype characterized by decreased activity and an unaltered circadian rhythm. Additionally, we sought to find a link between the increased DA phenotype and DA cell number in the central brains of brat mutants by quantifying DA cells as well as neuroblasts and their progeny in the central brains of third-instar larvae, hypothesizing that the increase in DA in mutants may be due to increases in DA neuron differentiation. Results suggested that brat mutants display increases in DA neurons as well as neuroblasts and their progeny. Whether this phenomenon is specific to DA neurons or occurs similarly in other neuron types remains unclear and warrants further investigation

Gender Disparities in Film Financing: An Analysis of Producer Gender Composition and Budget Allocation in Hollywood, 1960-2020

In this paper, I examine gender disparities in Hollywood film financing between 1960-2020 using comprehensive regression analysis of production team’s gender composition and budget allocation. Through my analysis of over 5,600 films, I investigate how a production team\u27s gender composition affects access to financial resources, major studio partnerships, and overall financial performance in an industry that significantly influences cultural narratives and social values. Using econometric models, I analyze budget allocation patterns, studio relationships, and revenue generation across different team compositions while controlling for factors such as genre, time period, and studio status. The analysis considers multiple dimensions of film financing, from initial resource allocation to final financial performance, providing insight into both direct and indirect barriers faced by female producers. The findings reveal that female-led productions receive approximately 74.9% lower budgets than all-male production teams, or mixed-gender and they also demonstrate 72.9% lower revenue-to-budget ratios, suggesting that despite growing industry awareness of gender inequality through 2020, fundamental barriers remained in how Hollywood distributed its financial resources. This research contributes to our understanding of gender-based disparities in Hollywood and highlights the need for structural changes in how the industry allocates resources to those in behind-the-scenes roles

Selective Scrutiny: Evidence from FIRRMA and Cross-Border Tech M&A

This paper examines the effects of the 2018 Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) on global cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the technology sector. Using an event study framework and firm-level data from 2013 to 2023, it analyzes whether the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States\u27 (CFIUS) expanded regulatory authority disproportionately deterred investment from strategic competitors like China while leaving U.S. allies relatively unaffected. The findings suggest that FIRRMA had a highly selective impact: Chinese firms sharply reduced their U.S. tech-sector acquisitions post-FIRRMA, while firms from allied countries in the Five Eyes and Fourteen Eyes alliances maintained or even increased their M&A activity. These results imply that FIRRMA functioned as a targeted national security tool rather than a broad protectionist barrier, though the contraction in Chinese investment raises questions about the long-term innovation costs of selective deterrence