** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS 9-WEEK SUMMER REEU EXPERIENCE AT CAL STATE LA WILL SUPPORT AND ATTRACT 9 MOTIVATED, DIVERSE STUDENTS EACH YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS TO INVESTIGATE URBAN NATURAL RESOURCES AND URBAN AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS THROUGH A NESTED SERIES OF EVENTS. COMPONENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, TRAINING ACTIVITIES, MENTORING ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, A RESEARCH AND TRAINING FIELD ACTIVITY, AND POST-REEU ACTIVITIES. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE INVESTIGATIONS IN 7 TOPICAL AREAS; (1) NATURAL AND AMENDED SOIL MICROSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT IN URBAN AGRICULTURE, (2) COMPETITIVE WATER AVAILABILITY FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AND URBAN GREENSPACE, (3) FIRE ECOHYDROLOGY IN LA BASIN, (4) HEAT ISLAND EFFECT RELATED TO URBAN GREEN-SPACE AND URBAN AGRICULTURE, (5) HYDROCHEMICAL IMPRINT OF MIRCOPLASTICS ON URBAN WATER, (6) BIODIVERSITY AND PEOPLE IN URBAN GARDENS AND FARMS, AND (7) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND TREE CANOPY COVER IN THE INNER CITY. ALL OF THE PROJECTS WERE SELECTED AS THEY ALLOW TANGIBLE STEM ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INCLUDING REFEREED PUBLICATIONS. THE POOL (LOCAL AND NATIONAL) OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS AND THE INSTITUTION'S LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT AND SUCCESS IN THEIR RECRUITMENT BEHOOVES US TO FOCUS ON TALENTED STUDENTS THAT WOULD GAIN SUBSTANTIALLY BY THIS REEU, AND CONSIDER ADVANCED DEGREES RELATED TO URBAN NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN AGRICULTURE. THE RESEARCH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE AND ANTHROPOGENIC-FORCED CHANGE IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AND SYSTEMS THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STUDY AND LONG-TERM MONITORING. THIS PROJECT ALSO WILL FOCUS SUBSTANTIALLY ON RECRUITING AND RETAINING DIVERSE STUDENTS. AS A RESULT, THIS EFFORT AIMS TO EXPAND DIVERSITY REPRESENTATION IN URBAN NATURAL RESOURCES DECISION MAKING, URBAN AGRICULTURE, AND URBAN FOOD PRODUCTION.