Digital Commons Network^™

Where Nebraska Workers Live Brief, Josie Gatti Schafer

Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Department Of Economic Development - 6 Regions One Nebraska - Regional Development Initiative - Mid-Plains Region, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell, Michael Lee, Ignacio Ruelas Avila

Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Department Of Economic Development – 6 Regions One Nebraska - Regional Development Initiative - Mid-Plains Region, Josie Gatti Schafer

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Nebraska’S Labor Movement Survey, Morgan Vogel

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Unmc Status And Future Of The Nebraska Healthcare Workforce, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell, Morgan Vogel, Meagan E. Paez, Amanda Parker

Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska’S Labor Movement: Exploring Union Membership, Perceptions, And Efficacy, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell, Michael Lee, Meagan E. Paez

Publications

No abstract provided.

Do Space Tech Pack Program Evaluation: Improving Digital Access And Equity, Josie Gatti Schafer, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell, Dan Hayes, Felipe Blanco

Publications

The Do Space Library received funding from the Emergency Connectivity Fund from the Federal Communications Commission to conduct the Teck Pack Program in Omaha, Nebraska, between June 30, 2022 to June 29, 2023. As part of the Tech Pack Program, 945 Omaha residents received a computing device and free internet access for one year. Along with this infrastructure, they received computer basics training and technology tutoring. This innovative program directly addresses the challenges experienced by those without access. In the city of Omaha, Nebraska, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2021, over 9,000 households …

: Changing Education And Workforce Demographics Impacting Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer

Presentations

Information on changing education and workforce demographics.

Exploring Remote Work In Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

Nebraska ranks 37th in the country for the rate of persons that report working from home (12%), according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2021. Nebraska’s low rate of those that work from home, compared to other states, is likely a function of the work most people do in Nebraska. In Nebraska, more people work in low wage compared to high wage jobs, according to previous research from UNO CPAR. Low wage jobs, in 2021, are defined as below the median income for all workers, or approximately $41,500. “Low wage” jobs are more likely to …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Nebraska Casa Association Programs, Josie Gatti Schafer, Morgan Vogel, Laurel Sariscsany, Tara Grell

Publications

The Nebraska CASA Association works to recruit, screen, train, and support Court Appointed Special Advocates to speak for the well-being of abused and neglected children. Nebraska CASA includes a network of 22 local programs serving 54 counties. Nebraska CASA partnered with the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research and Grace Abbott School of Social Work to execute a simplified cost-benefit analysis of the CASA program in Nebraska. The intent is to demonstrate some of the benefits of the Nebraska CASA program to both children and the public for which a monetary value could be estimated. Monetizing …

State Of Nebraska Digital Equity Plan: Understanding The Digital Equity Needs Of Covered Populations In Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer, Julie L. Masters, Morgan Vogel, Chris Kelly, Laurel Sariscsany, Ignacio Ruelas Avila, Tara Grell

Publications

According to 2021 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 7% of Nebraska households do not have access to a computer and 6% of Nebraska households have access to a computer but no internet. Although recent efforts suggest there is momentum and government action at both the federal and state levels to address lack of broadband (Hammel, 2023; Newman, 2023), this still leaves a considerable number of Nebraskans without access to reliable broadband in the meantime. Furthermore, broadband access is moot if Nebraskans do not have access or cannot afford technology and the cost of internet in the …

Nebraska Community Foundation Greater Nebraska Youth Survey Report, Josie Gatti Schafer

Publications

No abstract provided.

Driver Recruitment And Retention Survey Report, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell

Publications

No abstract provided.

Housing Perceptions In Nebraska For The Statewide Strategic Housing Plan, Josie Gatti Schafer, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell

Publications

Availability of safe, attainable, and accessible housing for all Nebraskans • Consideration of the wide range and various needs of home occupants (i.e. young adults, renters, workforce/middle-income, family, low-income, seniors and aging population) • Data-driven, strategic, and community-driven approaches that deliver a supply of housing that meets the needs of each community • Various housing programs and tools to make sure all Nebraskans have a stable home, including rental options, rehabilitation, diverse financing options, and education • Preparation and investment for the construction workforce to ensure supply and rehabilitation of homes in every community • Representation for individuals in difficult …

Foreign Born Population In Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

No abstract provided.

Recruitment And Retention Of Nebraska's Transit Drivers, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell

Publications

Many industries across Nebraska are experiencing workforce shortages, and the transit industry is no exception. Recently, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research partnered with the Nebraska Safety Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney to conduct a survey of transit drivers across Nebraska. This work is supported by an ongoing grant both Centers have with the Nebraska Department of Transportation to enhance rural transit operations throughout Nebraska. This survey was informed by an informal focus group with six transit managers representing the six different mobility management regions of Nebraska in the fall of 2022. …

Housing Availability And Quality In Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty And Unrest: A Collaborative Pedagogical Response To Pandemics, Protests, And Policy, Jodi Benenson, Tara Kolar Bryan, Carol Ebdon, Theresa Glanz, James Harrold, Thomas Jamieson, Njoki Mwarumba

Public Administration Faculty Publications

This article presents the pedagogical, observational, and empirical findings from a social equity centered team-taught course that served as an effective learning approach for both students and faculty during a time of great uncertainty and unrest in 2020. The article begins by describing the context for why this course was offered, outlining the need to use a collaborative teaching approach that centers social equity and interdisciplinary expertise when issues such as a global pandemic and racial injustice arise. The authors then describe the methodology and findings associated with surveying students and faculty members who were engaged with the course and …

Whose Lives Matter? Race, Public Opinion, And Military Conflict, Whitney Hua, Thomas Jamieson

Public Administration Faculty Publications

This paper examines how race affects attitudes towards conflict beyond the water’s edge. While prior literature largely assumes that all casualties affect voters’ attitudes similarly, we argue that attitudes toward casualties are importantly shaped by racial-group identities. More specifically, we argue that domestic responses to international events – namely American casualties in military conflict – are conditioned by individuals’ attitudes and biases toward the race of fallen soldiers. Using a novel survey experiment, we find that while people become more supportive of conflict when informed of any soldier’s death, support for escalating conflict only increases when the fallen soldiers have …

Nebraska’S Women In Stem | Listen Then Act, Josie Gatti Schafer, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell, Amanda Parker, Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga, Shawn Maxwelll, Yeonkyung Kim

Publications

A large and vibrant science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce has a range of benefits for the economic and social well-being of communities; yet, women continue to be underrepresented in these occupations. Nationally, in 2017, women accounted for over half of the college-educated workforce but made up only 29% of those employed in science and engineering occupations, while being overrepresented in STEMrelated fields like healthcare. Nebraska’s STEM workforce is reflective of national trends. In 2019, about 27% of Nebraska women 25 years or older worked in a core STEM occupation, which we can estimate to be about 15,300 women …

Summary Of Driver Data From Workforce And Pay Survey, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell

Publications

Recently, rural transit managers asked for wage data for transit drivers in response to the driver shortage across the state. In order to provide relevant data on driver wages, the Nebraska Public Transit team developed and conducted an online survey to better understand driver compensation and benefits in Nebraska. The survey was sent to transit managers through the NDOT rural transit listserv and was open from May 4, 2022 through June 1, 2022. The survey received 44 responses, for a response rate of 72%. Not all respondents answered all questions, so the frequency of responses will vary from question to …

Demographics, Workforce, And Housing Review Of North Omaha, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

Data was compiled and analyzed by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research, a partner with the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center program. The mission of the Center for Public Affairs Research is to collaboratively produce and disseminate high quality public scholarship on topics that impact the lives of Nebraskans. This brief provides data on demographics, the workforce, and housing in North Omaha. The majority of the data presented comes from the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2020. Other data sources and years used in the analyses are notated. …

2022 Poverty In Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

After years of declining poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the well-being of Nebraskans in many ways, including an increase in poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for 2020, the official overall poverty rate in Nebraska is 10.4%, or 193,820 persons. Sheridan, Thurston, and Pawnee Counties experience poverty at the highest rates. Comparatively, Nebraska’s poverty rate is lower than average across the United States.

Summary Of Wage Data From Nebraska Transit Portal, Morgan Vogel, Tara Grell

Publications

Recently, rural transit managers asked for wage data for a range of positions. As a result, the Nebraska Public Transit team collected the associated information from the Nebraska Transit Portal. The tables provide monthly wages and non-pay related employee expenses (FICA, health insurance, etc.) paid to a range of positions. The data is the monthly average for January 2022 – April 2022. We show the averages in regions for Nebraska. The position titles are taken from information input into the Transit Portal by managers about monthly personnel expenses. The tables include average wages, average fringe benefits, average total combining both …

Population Projections For Nebraska Counties 2020 To 2050, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

The 2020 Census, the official count of every person in the United States, placed the population of Nebraska at 1,961,504. Over the decade 2010 to 2020, the state grew 7.4%, see Figure 1. However, population growth was uneven statewide, as 69 counties lost population while areas including Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, and Columbus grew at stronger rates than previously projected (UNO CPAR, 2015). The release of the 2020 Census data provides the most accurate data to update population projections; however, not all data has been released at this time. Nonetheless, existing data on the fundamental aspects of population change, …

2022 Greater Nebraska Youth Survey Executive Summary, Josie Gatti Schafer

Publications

In January 2020, Nebraska Community Foundation began work with Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to co-create a survey designed to explore young people’s perceptions of their Nebraska hometowns. Now, after three years, more than 3,200 students have participated in our youth surveys. In 2022, over 700 students responded to the online survey which was administered in rural communities of varying sizes and geography between January and May 2022. The results of the Youth Survey begin to reveal the priorities, values, and desires of these individuals as well as factors that may influence their …

Uno Goodrich Scholarship Program 50 Years Investment To Impact, Josie Gatti Schafer, Troy A. Romero, Tara Grell

Publications

This brief attempts to measure the overarching economic value, or return on investment (ROI) of graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Goodrich Scholarship Program. The ROI calculations consider the increased number of students who graduate as a result of the program, the costs of their education, and the increased earnings as a result of graduating. The return percentage and dollar amounts are to the broader economy

Demographics, Workforce And Housing Review Of South Omaha, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell

Publications

Data was compiled and analyzed by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research, a partner with the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center program. The mission of the Center for Public Affairs Research is to collaboratively produce and disseminate high quality public scholarship on topics that impact the lives of Nebraskans. This brief provides data on demographics, the workforce, and housing in South Omaha. The majority of the data presented comes from the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2020. Other data sources and years used in the analyses are notated. …

Entrepreneurship In Nebraska, Josie Gatti Schafer, Morgan Vogel, Nebraska Business Development Center, Tara Grell, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar), University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Archived Publications

The Nebraska Business Development Center partnered with the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to advance knowledge on entrepreneurship in the State of Nebraska. This study identifies the context, setting, players and behaviors of the entrepreneurship ecosystem. It also provides evidence of the challenges they experience and develops a series of “calls to action” to increase the pace of entrepreneurship development in Nebraska.

In 2019, the Blueprint Nebraska report defined the Nebraska economy as having “low levels of entrepreneurship… and innovation”. The report explains, “To remain a vibrant place for business, the state must …

Race, Ethnicity, Nativity, And Perceptions Of Health Risk During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Us, Thomas Jamieson, Dakota Caldwell, Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga, Cristián Doña-Reveco

Public Administration Faculty Publications

Previous research demonstrates that pandemics, including COVID-19, have disproportionate effects on communities of color, further exacerbating existing healthcare inequities. While increasing evidence points to the greater threat posed by COVID-19 to Latinx communities, less remains known about how identification as Latinx and migration status influence their perception of risk and harm. In this article, we use cross-sectional data from a large national probability sample to demonstrate a large positive association between ethnic identity and migration status and perceptions of harm from COVID-19 in the US. We find that individuals identifying as Hispanic/Latinx and first-generation immigrants report significantly greater risks of …