Task Forces are student research teams that take on a fixed-term, policy-oriented question for an outside client, such as a city office, with guidance from a faculty advisor.
Students work as consultants: they map policies, consult stakeholders, assess data, study best practices elsewhere, and deliver recommendations.
Read our full research principles
Earlier Task Forces worked within the Los Angeles Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project, which gave students and city partners a shared framework for advancing the 17 SDGs in city governance.
Have an idea for a community partnership project? Contact younginitiative@oxy.edu.
Past Task Forces
鈥淗ow to be a Human Right City鈥 was developed out of a Spring 2024 Young Student Task Force led by Professor Anthony Chase.
Recommendations on how to initiate a truth and accountability process and confront patterns of racial injustice in Los Angeles
Students worked with the Mayor's Office to propose a set of indicators to measure gender equity in cities.
The City of Los Angeles (LA) Mayor鈥檚 Office of International Affairs assigned a team of seven students to map the past seven years鈥 worth of projects funded by the Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program. Stephanie Oyolu 鈥22 represented SA国际传媒 and reported to the Los Angeles Mayor鈥檚 Office for International Affairs.
The City of Los Angeles (LA) Mayor鈥檚 Office of International Affairs assigned a team of seven students to analyze types of indoor air quality and energy efficiency solutions that can be supported by city programs with strong ROI and effective reduction of pollutants and emissions. Julia Eubanks 鈥22, Oli Vorster 鈥22, and Nancy Zhou 鈥22 represented SA国际传媒 and reported to the Los Angeles...
The City of Los Angeles (LA) Mayor鈥檚 Office of International Affairs assigned a team of eight students to help enhance the LA City Biodiversity Index to determine current industry benchmarks, create key recommendations for the next report revision, and provide insights for further research. Jackson Caudle 鈥21, Hope Hendry 鈥21, McClaran Shirley 鈥22, Maggie Smart- McCabe 鈥20, and Snigdha Suvarna 鈥20...
The City of Los Angeles (LA) Mayor鈥檚 Office of International Affairs assigned a team of six students to conduct a macroanalysis of the determinants of intergenerational poverty with a focus on the relationship between homeless students鈥 environment and their educational outcomes. Jack Fernandes 鈥20, Micah Kirscher 鈥20, Wafa Abedin 鈥21, Caroline Diamond 鈥22, and Kyler Parris 鈥22 represented...
The City of Los Angeles (LA) Mayor鈥檚 Office of International Affairs assigned a team of six students to draw on the best practices of other cities and new data sources to improve measures of impact, inclusion, and representation of LGBTQIA+ Angelenos in city services. John Hammer 鈥21 and Alejo Maggini 鈥22 represented SA国际传媒 and reported to the Los Angeles Mayor鈥檚 Office for...