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Financing Just Energy Transitions In Southeast Asia: Application Of The Just Transition Transaction To Indonesia, Vietnam, And Philippines, Abhinav Jindal, Gireesh Shrimali, Bharat Gangwani, Rajiv B. Lall

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This paper investigates the applicability of the Just Transition Transaction (JTT), initially developed as a financial mechanism for South Africa's energy transition, to Southeast Asian (SEA) countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, which heavily rely on coal. Utilizing South Africa as a reference case study, we deconstruct the JTT and develop a novel framework of necessary and conducive features for evaluating its suitability for supporting a just energy transition in SEA. Our findings suggest that the JTT is well-suited for Indonesia and Vietnam but not as well suited for the Philippines. Recommendations for specific research avenues in estimating baselines …

Inciting Peace From The Inside Out, Stephen G. Adubato, Ebere Bosco Amakwe, Katherine Hinic, Sarita Maldjian, Forrest Pritchett, Jon Radwan, Nicholas Sooy, Chad Thralls

Conferences

Violence and war can be incited, and so can peace. This volume shares select addresses and responses from Seton Hall University’s 2/7/23 conference “Inciting Peace From The Inside Out.” A multi-disciplinary range of scholars each addresses how reconciliation processes grow from spiritual dynamics. Multiple religious traditions teach contemplative praxes that prioritize and nurture personal reflection oriented toward peace. Social conflicts divide, so engaging them with a partisan orientation only serves to escalate harmful rifts. In contrast, bringing personal awareness and sensitivity, spiritual balance, and holistic integral perspective to conflict can transcend divisions and work toward unity. This volume is supported …

Violent Conflict Drives World Hunger And Food Insecurity, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

The World Food Program (WFP) with support from the United States and other countries works to provide food to those in need as a result of conflict, adverse climate effects, poverty, and government mismanagement. It is limited in what it can do, however, by budget constraints and rising food prices. On top of the financial issues, the delivery of food assistance is particularly complicated in areas of conflict where warring adversaries often hijack food supplies intended for the other side. While it is illegal under International Humanitarian Law to use starvation as a weapon of war, Dzerowicz (2023) has identified …

The Cost Of Long-Term Care In The Mountain West, 2023, Madison Dwyer, Freddy Nie, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet examines data on the cost of long-term care for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah from the Genworth “Cost of Care Survey.” Data on long-term care includes home health care, adult day health care facilities, licensed assisted living facilities, and certified and licensed nursing homes.

Abriendo Puertas: Exploring The Challenges To Homeownership And Housing Stability For Latinos In Massachusetts, Lorna Rivera, Phillip Granberry, Bianca Ortiz-Wythe, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

This report speaks to the current state of housing for Latinos in the Commonwealth; and it’s not great. Areas where Latinos still face inequities are compounded in a way that directly impacts access to housing and thus, ability to build generational wealth, or at the very least housing stability. We have solutions to these issues, like rent control, transfer fees, zoning changes, and even tax credits. What we lack is enough political power to have our voices make a larger impact, as Latinos own their homes at 32.7% , this issue is directly correlated to our low homeownership rates, often …

Foreign Direct Investment And Forest Land: A Sectoral Investigation, Nadia Doytch, Ayesha Ashraf, Canh Phuc Nguyen

Ateneo School of Government Publications

This is a study of the effects of sectoral FDI inflows on the rates of change of forest land and the ecological footprint of economic activity measured in forest land. We test the “FDI ecological halo” hypothesis (Doytch, 2020) for nine distinct sectoral FDI inflows, including agricultural FDI, mining FDI, manufacturing FDI, construction FDI, financial FDI, transport FDI, tourism FDI, communications FDI, and trade services FDI, in addition to total FDI, using a global sample of countries and a GMM econometric approach. We find that one percentage increase (% GDP) in agricultural FDI, mining FDI, manufacturing FDI, and construction FDI …

Beyond Fentanyl Test Strips: The Need To Decriminalize All Drug Checking Equipment In Tennessee, Jeremy C. Kourvelas Mph

SMART Policy Briefs

KEY POINTS

• In 2022, Tennessee decriminalized fentanyl test strips (FTS) through Public Chapter 764. Thousands have since been distributed by the state and nonprofit coalitions as a key harm reduction strategy. As of the end of 2023, 44 other states and D.C. had also decriminalized FTS.

• Research indicates that people who use drugs are five times as likely to change their behaviors (including reducing drug use overall) in response to a test result that is positive for fentanyl. People who use methamphetamine are especially likely to change their behaviors.

• However, the law only applies to “narcotic testing equipment used to …

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The Hidden Struggle: Challenges Older Women Face In Nevada, Annie Vong

Student Research

In 2020, almost one in five Nevadans was over the age of 65.[1] However, within this age group, women outnumber men due to longer life expectancies[2] and migration patterns. Women over 65 years of age make up an estimated 18.1% of the female population in Nevada.[3] Of the male population in Nevada, 15.1% are over 65 years of age.[4] Older women are less likely to be married, are less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree, are more likely to drop out of the labor force, and are more likely to be living in poverty in …

Banyamulenge Immigrants' Perceptions Of Police In The United States: A Qualitative Study, Fidele Nkomezi Sebahizi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Banyamulenge are Congolese from South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While research on different minority groups worldwide is prominent, research on the Banyamulenge remains scarce. This study attempts to close this void in literature. The Banyamulenge's ill-treatment was evident during the colonial period, before the DRC’s independence. It stemmed from various ideologies, including the Banyamulenge's denial of being native Congolese. The DRC is a country inhabited by numerous tribes linked to neighboring countries, sharing languages and cultures. Like many other Congolese, the Banyamulenge were on the Congolese territory before the Western colonizers' arrival before 1885. …

Access To K-12 Educational Opportunity In The Mountain West, 2017-2018, Yashesvi Sharma, Isabelle G. Graham, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet examines K-12 education climate data in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The original report from Research For Action explores a variety of educational opportunity indicators, such as the presence of STEM certified teachers, experienced teachers, offerings of AP/Dual Enrollment classes, and low student/teacher ratios.

The Safest Suburbs In The Mountain West, 2023, Ivan Sun, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents data from the Smart Asset report, “America’s Safest Suburbs – 2023 Study,” which examines the 370 safest suburbs in the United States and the 35 most affordable safest suburbs. This fact sheet focuses on data for the nine safest suburbs and most affordable safe suburbs in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah ranking among the top 100 safest suburbs in the United States.

Return On Investment (Roi) For Undergraduate Degrees At The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas (Unlv) And The University Of Nevada, Reno (Unr), Riley Ruff, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet examines return on investment (ROI) data for undergraduate degrees at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The original report from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) includes data on the ROI for various undergraduate degree programs across the United States.

Biodiversity Loss & Urban Heat: A Nature- Based Wildlife Policy For The Las Vegas Metro, Zachary Billot

Student Research

As the population of the Las Vegas Metro continues to grow, new developments expand on the periphery. As Las Vegas continues to increase in size and develop further into wildlife habitat, not only are native animals and plants endangered, but residents are at risk of increasingly dangerous urban heat given the increase in impervious cover that makes Las Vegas the 2nd fastest warming metro in the U.S. This policy brief examines current policy and practice in place to highlight the need for positive human-wildlife interaction that will address the growing threat of biodiversity loss and heat vulnerability. This policy brief …

Lgbtq+ Municipal Equality Index In Mountain West Cities, 2022, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet examines the status of LGBTQ+ legislation, policy, and services as defined by the Municipal Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF). Data are included for “large cities” in the Mountain West, defined as cities with estimated populations larger than 250,000 people according to the United States Census Bureau’s April 1, 2020 Decennial Census population data. This fact sheet includes data on 13 large cities in the Mountain West including five in Arizona, three in Colorado, four in Nevada, and one in New Mexico.

Homelessness In Mountain West Continuums Of Care (Coc), 2022-2023, Yvette Machado, Anna Vu, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data on the number of homeless per 100,000 individuals and the number of unsheltered per 100,000 individuals in six Mountain West metropolitan areas in 2023. Six continuums of care (CoC) are identified in the Mountain West: the Albuquerque, NM CoC; the Las Vegas/Clark County, NV CoC; the Phoenix, Mesa/Maricopa County, AZ CoC; the Tucson/Pima County, AZ CoC; the Metropolitan Denver, CO CoC; and the Colorado Springs/El Paso County, CO CoC.

Perceptions Of Leadership From Hispanic, Latino, And Spanish Employees In The Department Of Defense, Howard D. Thevenin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to identify the satisfaction levels within the Department of Defense (DOD) of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish (HLS) employees. The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) is used to identify the perspectives and attitudes of HLS employees as they pertain to organizational and leadership satisfaction. These perspectives are conceptualized using the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, which points to the relationships among these workplace actors as a principal characteristic of workplace satisfaction and intentions to leave an organization. The sample size acquired from the 2020 FEVS, administered from September 16th, 2020, …

Impact Of Leadership Decisions On Police Officer Well-Being: A Covid-19 Response, Jason N. Spencer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative dissertation research project is to determine the impact that law enforcement leaders, their leadership styles, and decision-making processes have on the well-being of police officers. This study sought to understand this impact by focusing on the perspectives of frontline police officers, detectives, and first-line supervisors from various law enforcement organizations in the Central Virginia Region and within the context of leadership decisions made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the constructivist grounded theory approach to research design, 12 participants responded to an initial qualitative questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview to gain the rich, …

Ethics As A Stand-Alone Course For Ph.D. In Public Administration, Daniel Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Ethics is an essential aspect of society and public administration (PA). Despite being an essential aspect of PA, ethics courses are not universally integrated into higher education programs. Few higher education institutions have adopted a comprehensive approach to ethics, and ethics courses are not required for most doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) graduates in PA. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the ramifications of not having a stand-alone ethics course in PA Ph.D. programs. The research questions that guided this study are: What are the ramifications of not having a stand-alone ethics course in PA Ph.D. programs? …

Gender Gaps And Economic Growth: Why Haven't Women Won Globally (Yet)?, Patrick Agte, Orazio Attanasio, Pinelopi K. Goldberg, Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan, Rohini Pande, Michael Peters, Charity Moore, Fabrizio Zilibotti

Discussion Papers

Does economic growth close labor market-linked gender gaps that disadvantage women? Conversely, do gender inequalities in the labor market impede growth? To inform these questions, we conduct two analyses. First, we estimate regressions using data on gender gaps in a range of labor market outcomes from 153 countries spanning two decades (1998-2018). Second, we conduct a systematic review of the recent economics literature on gender gaps in labor markets, examining 16 journals over 21 years. Our empirical analysis demonstrates that growth is not a panacea. While economic gender gaps have narrowed and growth is associated with gender gap closures specifically …

States’ Covid-19 Restrictions Were Associated With Increases In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020, Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily E. Wiemers, Elyse Grossman

Center for Policy Research

Drug overdoses surged in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts raised concerns in the pandemic’s early months about how the pandemic and the policies enacted to stem it might increase overdose risk. This brief summarizes the findings of a paper that used national data to identify how states’ COVID-19 policies affected drug overdose rates among U.S. adults ages 25-64 during the first year of the pandemic. Results show that counties located in states that adopted more aggressive in-person activity restrictions experienced larger increases in 2020 than counties located in states with fewer limitations. State economic support policies …

Memoryscapes: A Study Of Memory And Experience In Architecture, Jacob Granger

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Thesis statement

Architecture and urban spaces are fundamental in shaping both personal and collective memories, serving as the physical manifestations of narratives that define and inform community identity and individual experiences. This thesis asserts that urban design and architectural features extend beyond their utilitarian functions to actively craft and influence these memories. By intertwining intentional design with memory, architecture not only reflects but also molds our understanding of communal identity and historical narratives. This perspective offers a unique exploration of the interplay between tangible structures and the intangible experiences they foster, illustrating how architecture does not merely mirror reality but …

Federal Government: Assessing The Impact Of Lithium Mineral Resource Extraction On Indigenous Communities In The State Of Nevada, Zachary Johnigan

Student Research

The research topic for this project is lithium mining which holds significance to indigenous populations in the State of Nevada and mineral extraction companies seeking to mine there. My research objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the direct impacts that lithium mining has had on indigenous communities, throughout history and today. Overall, the purpose of the project is to expound upon the implications of lithium mining on indigenous communities in response to the recent higher demand for the critical mineral in the United States. If it can be understood exactly how lithium mining has affected Nevada’s indigenous population, …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: April 2024, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Veteran employment trends and statistics among various demographics during April 2024.

Expanding A Fixed Route Bus System With The Lower Anthracite Transit System, Devin T. Johnson, Ben R. Shimer, Kyle R. Crichton

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

We worked in partnership with the Lower Anthracite Transit System (LATS) to develop a proposed bus route in the town of Sunbury, PA, expanding their system to include more of Northumberland County. This bus route is predicated upon community-based feedback through surveys, where we designed and implemented a survey analyzing general transportation desires and interest in the route. We collected 207 total responses, where community feedback in these responses informed decisions about stop locations along the route. Survey responses are hugely beneficial for LATS, allowing them to understand what aspects of their transportation services work well and what can be …

The State Of Mental Health In The Mountain West, 2023, Ayda Atici, Freddy Nie, Jesse M. Fager-Larsen, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet examines the state of mental health for both youth and adults and availability of mental health care in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are retrieved from Mental Health America’s (MHA) 2023 report, The State of Mental Health in America.

Icanretire-Hispanic Segment Experience (Icr-H): A Digital Educational Intervention For Improving Retirement Preparedness Among Hispanic Workers, Luisa Blanco

School of Public Policy Working Papers

We evaluated the digital program ICanRetire-Hispanic Segment Experience (ICR-H), which was tailored to Hispanics and sought to improve retirement financial planning knowledge and motivate program participants to take specific actions to prepare for retirement. To our knowledge, this is one of the first digital educational programs on retirement preparedness that was designed to meet the informational needs of Hispanics taking into account cultural influences. We evaluated the program using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in the Understanding America Study (UAS) Internet panel. We conducted an analysis of differences in means and proportions and Difference-in-Difference (DID) between treatment and control groups …

Manque De Réussite : Le Préjudice Dans Le Football Français, Will Bedell

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

Despite being called The Beautiful Game, soccer in France has a few issues that take away from its beauty. This presentation aims to identify the causes and reasons behind the issues of racism, homophobia, and sexism which plague the French soccer scene. By looking at the causes of these from within French culture, history, and their society we can hope to understand why they exist as well as to establish the sources from which these issues arise.

Public Horticulture: Process And Design Of The Lincoln Botanical Garden, Brad Kindler

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Beginning in 2012, the local non-profit, The Lincoln Botanical Garden, began organizing the conceptual design and creation of a glass conservatory within a botanical garden in Lincoln, Nebraska. These proposed urban enhancements seek to fill a gap in garden amenities in the city by providing year-round access to public horticulture programming and education.

This project, Public Horticulture: Process and Design of the Lincoln Botanical Garden, documents these efforts and makes design recommendations for a themed Glacial Erratic Garden that could be constructed within the botanical garden.

Advisors: Ellen Paparozzi and Sam Wortman

What Do Americans Think About Federal Tax Options To Support Transportation? Results From Year Fifteen Of A National Survey, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Hilary Nixon

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report summarizes the results from the fifteenth year of a national public opinion survey asking U.S. adults questions related to their views on federal transportation taxes. A nationally representative sample of 2,522 respondents completed the online survey from February 7 to March 12, 2024. The questions test public opinions about raising the federal gas tax rate, replacing the federal gas tax with a new mileage fee, and imposing a mileage fee just on commercial travel. In addition to asking directly about support for these tax options, the survey collected data on respondents’ views on the quality of their local …

Impervious Surfaces From High Resolution Aerial Imagery: Cities In Fresno County, Yushin Ahn, Richard Poythress

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study investigates impervious surfaces — areas covered by materials with restricted water permeability, such as pavement, sidewalks, and parking lots—due to their crucial role in influencing water dynamics within urban landscapes. The impermeability of these surfaces disrupts natural water absorption processes, resulting in adverse environmental consequences such as increased flooding, erosion, and water pollution. The research employs impervious surface analysis, a method involving the mapping and analysis of these surfaces within specified study areas, including cities, counties, and census tracts. Remote sensing techniques, specifically satellites and aerial imagery, are commonly utilized for the identification and classification of impervious surfaces. …