Capstones

The capstone projects in the YIP Fellowship represent the culmination of an intensive eight-week program, embodying the essence of inquiry-driven learning. These projects, crafted by fellows at the program's conclusion, are a testament to their intellectual growth and understanding of complex policy issues. Each capstone is a unique reflection of the skills and insights gained, demonstrating a synthesis of research, analysis, and innovative thinking. Serving as both a personal and academic milestone, these capstones highlight the fellows' readiness to engage with real-world challenges, marking a significant step in their journey as emerging policy leaders.

See Capstones

Capstones may reflect individual viewpoints and do not represent YIP's nonpartisan stance.

All Fellowship Capstones

Brown v. Board Today: Contemporary Desegregation in Traditional Attendance Zone School Assignment Systems

Capstones Fall 2025

Alex Guilot

This brief examines the persistence of racial segregation in American public schools through traditional attendance zone assignment systems. The brief draws on policy from Berkeley, California and Wake County, North Carolina to highlight the difficulty in making universal policy suggestions for the vast number of American school districts. These districts ultimately reveal, though, that preserving some level of geographic-based assignment and considering race as a contextual assignment factor effectively contribute to diversity in schools.

The United States’ Employment-Based Immigration System: An Analysis of H-1B Worker Backlogs, Policy Shortcomings, and Reform Pathways

Capstones Fall 2025

Adhi Balamurugan

The U.S. employment-based immigration system leaves over 1.8 million skilled workers and their families in long-term legal limbo due to outdated limits set in 1990, including a 140,000 annual cap and a rigid per-country quota that causes extreme backlogs, especially for Indian applicants. These constraints depress wages, limit job mobility, waste skilled labor from dependents, and place children at risk of losing legal status. This paper shows that eliminating per-country caps, expanding visa numbers, exempting dependents, and recapturing unused visas would reduce inequities and better align immigration policy with current labor market needs.

Protecting Migrant Workers’ Human Rights in the Middle East

Capstones Fall 2025

Ammar Siddique

The backbone of the luxurious buildings like the Burj Khalifa in the UAE, the tallest building in the world, has been built on the sweat and, tragically, the lives of migrant workers. Behind the shining glass towers and record-breaking skylines lies a human cost that rarely makes headlines. This policy brief exposes how the kafala sponsorship system traps millions of migrant laborers across the Middle East in cycles of abuse and danger. Despite government claims of reform, weak enforcement and systematic indifference continue to exploit the laborers. The brief calls for urgent regional cooperation, stronger labor enforcement, and the abolition of worker-paid recruitment fees to end this silent exploitation.

Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases: Innovation vs. Affordability

Capstones Fall 2025

Storey Kuo

This brief examines the economic and ethical challenges of orphan drug pricing in the United States. While the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 spurred innovation for rare diseases, it also created affordability issues and opportunities for market abuse. The paper explores policy options to balance innovation incentives with equitable access to life-saving treatments.

Strengthening California’s Policies for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Capstones Fall 2025

Zoe Frank

Sexual violence is a pervasive issue that leaves survivors facing stigma, barriers to justice, and limited institutional support. While California has taken steps through measures like AB 379 and the Safe at Home program, significant gaps in restitution, legal protections, and academic accommodations remain. This brief outlines the problem and proposes survivor-centered reforms to strengthen prevention, access to justice, and long-term recovery.

Giving Illinois Wildlife a Fair Shot: A Critical Analysis of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act and the Path Forward

Capstones Fall 2025

Zainab Syed

Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest risks posed to animal, plant, and human populations. In response to this issue, the federal government and state governments have enacted legislation to protect endangered species and promote habitat recovery. This brief specifically explores conservation efforts for endangered and threatened species in Illinois.

Pesticide Exposure: A Proactive Approach in Improving Maternal Health

Capstones Fall 2025

Zaina Nasir

Health policy often overlooks the intersection of maternal health risks and environmental harm. This brief explores the risks associated with pesticide exposure and adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Despite evidence linking pesticides usage in agricultural zones to reproductive harm many states fail to address this issue.

Revitalizing Brownfields: Local Policy Solutions for Sustainable Urban Redevelopment

Capstones Fall 2025

Yu-Cheng Liang

Brownfields—abandoned or underused industrial areas affected by pollution—remain a challenge for sustainable development in the United States. While federal programs like CERCLA and the EPA’s Brownfields Program have helped address contamination, many sites are still left behind because of high cleanup costs, liability issues, and complicated regulations. This policy brief explores why brownfields continue to persist and what can be done at the local level to fix the problem.

Restoring Italy: the Immigration Crisis and Ineffective Systems

Capstones Fall 2025

Yasmine Santini

Immigration is prevalent all over the world: regardless of location, it has been a persistent catalyst for discourse. Pertaining to Italy, immigration from neighboring countries has risen in recent years, simultaneously exacerbated by fruitless policies.

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All Fellowship Capstones

Brown v. Board Today: Contemporary Desegregation in Traditional Attendance Zone School Assignment Systems

The United States’ Employment-Based Immigration System: An Analysis of H-1B Worker Backlogs, Policy Shortcomings, and Reform Pathways

Protecting Migrant Workers’ Human Rights in the Middle East

Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases: Innovation vs. Affordability

Strengthening California’s Policies for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Giving Illinois Wildlife a Fair Shot: A Critical Analysis of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act and the Path Forward

Pesticide Exposure: A Proactive Approach in Improving Maternal Health

Revitalizing Brownfields: Local Policy Solutions for Sustainable Urban Redevelopment

Restoring Italy: the Immigration Crisis and Ineffective Systems