My Research
Columbia University Master's Thesis
UCLA Capstone Senior Research Thesis
Human Rights and the Rise of Extremist Hate Groups: Determining Correlations Between Human Rights Fulfillment, Extremism and Hate Activity, and Democracy
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Situated in the contemporary conversation regarding the health of U.S. democracy and the threat of democratic backsliding, this project looks to draw correlations between sociopolitical metrics – which this project calls “social wellness indicators” – and the rise of extremist organizations and hate groups. This project found that in states where social wellness was high, extremism and hate were low; however, states that saw low levels of social wellness did not necessarily see high levels of extremism and hate. Instead, states that saw high levels of extremism did not have strong correlations with social wellness data or with other states that also saw high levels of extremism. In light of this, governments can find clear incentivization to fund and promote the inputs which contribute to high social wellness in order to keep communities safe and reduce the level of extremist organizing and hate-based violence. In all, work to measure and mitigate extremist violence can lead to increase stability and lessen the potential opportunity for democratic backsliding.
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Read my thesis on Columbia Academic Commons.
Gendering Climate Change Risk:
Understanding The Ways Gender Interacts With The Ever Evolving Landscape of Anthropogenic Climate Change
This research project was designed and completed in an effort to understand the ways in which climate related risk of disaster is unequally distributed along gendered lines. Pulling data that ranges across national borders, geographical areas, and climate signals, I utilize an intersectional framework to unpack this uneven distribution of risk as well as critique the existing body of literature. I close with policy recommendations and steps for moving forward as it becomes clear that nations will have to navigate the negative repercussions of climate change as well as the migratory impacts that come with these natural disasters.
An Equity Analysis on Violence and Crime Facing Black Women and Girls in the City of Los Angeles
On May 24, 2022, the City Council instructed (CF:22-0102) the Civil, Human Rights, and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights) to report back with an equity analysis on the violence and crime that Black women and girls experience in the City of Los Angeles. The following report is a direct response to the instructions, and expounds on the topic through 1) an analysis of the rates at which homicides and violent crimes against them are solved, 2) an assessment of how cases of missing Black women and girls are managed, and 3) policy recommendations to improve equity and justice for victims and their families. This report recognizes the growing epidemic of violence against women — specifically against women of color and Black women — and acknowledges that there is opportunity to bolster safety and stability measures for communities most impacted by violence.
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Read the full report to LA City Council
Lead Author: Brooke Helmick
Support from Office of Race and Equity staff
Environmental Justice Concerns with Carbon Capture and Hydrogen Co-Firing in the Power Sector
Current climate mitigation policies for the power sector are increasingly focused on technological approaches to “manage” carbon emissions, two prime examples being the deployment of technological carbon capture and storage/sequestration (CCS) and the burning of hydrogen-blended natural gas fuel. As much of the nation’s energy infrastructure is located in lowwealth communities and Communities of Color, these carbon management approaches can have serious environmental justice implications. Yet there has been an absence of consideration of environmental justice in programs and policies that promote CCS and hydrogen deployment in the power sector. The following paper provides a summary of evidence demonstrating the threats posed by CCS and hydrogen co-firing to environmental justice communities in the United States.
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Co-Authored by Brooke Helmick along with researchers from the Center for Earth, Energy, and Democracy, the Tishman Environmental Design Center, and Kean University.