Shivam Sharma focused on improving software maintainability in the DSpace/DSpace repository by addressing technical debt through targeted code quality refactors. He modernized the codebase by replacing deprecated StringUtils usages with updated Strings utility methods, ensuring alignment with current Java best practices. Additionally, he enhanced code readability and maintainability by removing unused imports identified by static analysis tools such as Checkstyle. Shivam’s work centered on backend and API development, emphasizing code quality and static analysis. These changes reduced risks associated with deprecated APIs and established a cleaner foundation, enabling safer and more efficient future enhancements without introducing new user-facing features.