Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Food Deserts Of Las Vegas: An Overview With A Vertical Solution, David Sinclair

Honors College Faculty Publications

National food insecurity is a persistent and growing problem, a problem that especially affects children.

This is a major problem that should be an unacceptable state of affairs: that arguably the richest and most powerful nation in human history should fail in providing such a basic need to its citizens. It is not an exaggeration to state the adults and children of Nevada are starving at an alarming rate. Clark County, Nevada, especially is not only a hot spot for hunger but is also seeing increased hunger due to the COVID pandemic and the failure of all levels of government …

Nevada System Of Higher Education (Nshe) Administrative Costs, 2019, Olivia K. Cheche, Saha Salahi, Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to examine expenditures of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), particularly expenses allocated to staff salaries. This data is collected from the FY19 State of Nevada operating budget, and Transparent Nevada, a website that posts the salaries of public employees including NSHE staff.

Improving Health Care In Nevada, Ember Smith, Kaylie Pattni

Policy Briefs and Reports

Across the United States, improvements in health outcomes lag while health care costs rapidly rise. Medical personnel and resource shortages combined with high underinsured and uninsured rates further complicate access to quality, affordable health care. In order to better understand state-level solutions, we explore factors that contribute to health care deficiencies and emphasize Nevada’s unique obstacles.

An Analysis Of The Nevada K.I.D.S. Read Program Funding, Allie Ryerson

Student Research

The United States has a literacy problem; in fact, it has an education problem in general. Piecemeal reforms that differ wildly from state to state, and even county to county, have had varying levels of success from none to showing real potential. Nevada is not exempt from this literacy problem. In 2015, only 47.57% of the students taking the state mandated third grade exams were deemed proficient on the English Language Arts portion of the exam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of one such literacy program, “Nevada K.I.D.S Read”, with a goal of establishing early …

Lisa K. Traditi, Ahip, Medical Library Association President, 2020–2021, Brittany R. Heer, Ruby L. Nugent

Library Faculty Publications

In this profile, Lisa K. Traditi, MLS, AHIP, Medical Library Association president, 2020–2021, is described as an individual with a bright personality, rich professional experiences, and a natural ability to lead. She is a respected mentor in the medical librarianship field, especially in the realm of evidence-based medicine instruction and education. Traditi has spent the past twenty-six years at the Strauss Health Sciences Library at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Traffic Scorecard In Mountain West Cities, Kelliann Beavers, Eshaan Vakil, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet presents congestion and mobility trends in 14 Mountain West cities as compiled by INRIX Research and author Trevor Reed, in the Global Traffic Scorecard, March 2020. The INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard examines the impact of vehicle travel on 975 congested cities in the world; this fact sheet focuses on the Mountain West, providing insight on the ranking and impacts of congestion. This fact sheet also supplements INRIX’s scorecard with population data from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide context for the rankings.

Yearning For Sovereignty: The Burden Of Independence, Nerses Kopalyan

Political Science Faculty Research

Hundreds and thousands on the streets, with fists raised, symbolizing a singular maxim: Struggle. The demand for independence and the Karabakh conundrum, inextricably entwined. The nostalgia of 1918, beautiful yet suffocating. Moscow blinked, and Yerevan made its move: the bittersweet burden of state-building. Collective memory is an extraordinary phenomenon, as it transcends generations and imbues within a people an astonishing responsibility, the responsibility of defying history, of seeking a renaissance, and creating anew, a political reality. For the Armenian people, September 21, 1991 marked the realization of this new political reality: the independent Republic of Armenia.

Covid-19: Working Parents And Child Care In The Mountain West, Olivia K. Cheche, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet synthesizes data on child-care dependent parents in various Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This synthesis is based on an original report by Brookings Research Analyst, Nicole Bateman, titled “Working parents are key to COVID-19 recovery.” Additionally, this fact sheet highlights other variables that include the race-ethnic breakdown, education attainment, and federal poverty breakdown for child-care dependent parents.

Understanding The Aliyev Regime’S Armenophobia, Nerses Kopalyan

Political Science Faculty Research

The nationalism of the Aliyev regime suffers from chronic pettiness, a self-realization that its banality breeds an artificial eulogization of historical relevance. Limited in historic values that give substance to a society’s conceptualization of its national spirit, the Azeri[1] ethos faces a profound dilemma: its nationalism is defined by its emptiness [in this article “Azeri” is a specific reference to the Azeri Turkic people that comprise approximately 90% of Azerbaijan, while “Azerbaijani” refers to citizens of the state of Azerbaijan - Editor]. This vacuity in its collective consciousness not only suffocates a desire for historical pride, but it also delimits …

Land Use In Nevada: Counties And The Bureau Of Land Management (Blm), Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kelliann Beavers, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This Fact Sheet compares land ownership in the State of Nevada, and its 17 counties. Drawn from an original report by Headwaters Economics, the figures and tables that follow provide each jurisdiction’s total land acreage, 2019 population estimates, and a breakdown of land ownership categories, including: private lands, federal lands, state lands, tribal lands, and land owned by cities, counties, or other jurisdictions.

A Lung Cancer Screening Personalized Decision-Aid Improves Knowledge And Reduces Decisional Conflict Among A Diverse Population Of Smokers At An Urban Academic Medical Center, Madeline Kaufman, Nilan Schnure, Andrea Nicholson, Frank Leone, Carmen Guerra

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Few lung cancer screening decision aids have been tested in diverse populations. The study objective was to determine whether the online decision aid www.shouldiscreen.com impacts knowledge of and decisional conflict around lung cancer screening in a diverse population.

Methods: Eligible patients had significant smoking histories, were at increased risk for lung cancer (ages 45-80, >20 pack-years, smoking within last 15 years) and had no history of prior lung cancer or screening. Data was collected and analyzed in 2017.

Results: 40 patients were enrolled: 80% were female, 62.5% black, 33% white, and 48% had a high school …

Covid-19: Housing Hardship Index, Yanneli Llamas, Madison Frazee-Bench, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 2020 unemployment rates and mortgage delinquencies in the Mountain West: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. This synthesis is based on nationwide data originally reported by Bankrate senior mortgage reporter Jeff Ostrowski in “Housing Hardship Index: Coronavirus crushes some state economies, spares others.”

The Economic Impact Of Covid-19: Rebuilding The Las Vegas Economy, Jaewon Lim

Policy Briefs and Reports

This study analyzes the recent trends of monthly visitors to the Las Vegas-ParadiseHenderson, NV metropolitan statistical area (MSA) for the first five months of 2020. In addition, six scenarios for the seven-month period of June through December 2020 estimate the net loss of visitors to Southern Nevada and the impact for the state economy in terms of employment, income, the total value added (contribution to Gross State Product), output sales, and state and local tax revenues. The counter-factual scenario – projecting the regional economy if no COVID-19 outbreak occurred – serves as a baseline scenario that allows measurement of the …

The Las Vegas Medical District And The Unlv School Of Medicine: An Economic Analysis And Tax Revenue Study, Jaewon Lim, Robert E. Lang, Sabrina Wang

Policy Briefs and Reports

In the 2011 report, “Unify, Regionalize, Diversify,” The Brookings Institution, SRI International, and Brookings Mountain West detailed Las Vegas’s experiences during and after the Great Recession, and identified the health and medical industry as a particularly potent opportunity for economic diversification – one that could improve health outcomes while also generating sustainable economic activity and high-quality jobs. The Las Vegas Metro medical industry began growing in 2006, grew during the Great Recession, and is expected to continue to grow for the next 10-year period spurred by the rapidly growing population in Southern Nevada. The establishment and launch of the UNLV …

Covid-19: Nevada Counties With Low-Income Job Loss, Katie M. Gilbertson, Madison Frazee-Bench, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

The purpose of this fact sheet is to highlight low-income job loss due to COVID-19 in Nevada’s 17 counties. This fact sheet features data originally reported by the Urban Institute in the publication, “Where Low-Income Jobs are Being Lost to COVID-19,” which highlights data as of June 5, 2020.

Covid-19: Coronavirus Cases At Colleges And Universities In The Mountain West, Madison Frazee-Bench, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet highlights coronavirus cases at colleges and universities in the Mountain West region. The New York Times recently published, “Tracking Coronavirus Cases at U.S. Colleges and Universities” which maps out the reported number of COVID-19 cases at higher education institutions in the U.S. at the start of the Fall 2020 semester.

Covid-19: The Risk Of Reopening Nevada Schools, Caitlin J. Saladino, Madison Frazee-Bench, Yanneli Llamas, Magdalena Martinez, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet presents data on Nevada schools, drawing from the New York Times report, “The risk that students could arrive at school with the Coronavirus,” published on July 31, 2020. Various risk scenarios are presented based on school size for the local conditions in 17 Nevada counties.

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Labor Market Conditions In Nevada: A Preliminary Assessment, John P. Tuman

Political Science Faculty Research

This study provides a preliminary assessment of the impact of the pandemic on labor market conditions in Nevada. The analysis applies a locally weighted regression method (Lowess curve fitting) to time‐series data on weekly initial and continuing unemployment claims. Other measures of labor market outcomes are also included in the analysis. The findings suggest that while baseline conditions were relatively stable, the pandemic has generated an increase in unemployment in Nevada, and a steep rise in the number of unemployed workers covered by unemployment insurance. However, the largest growth in initial weekly unemployment claims may have already occurred. In addition, …

Analysis Of The School-To-Work Transition Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Balistreri

Student Research

When immediately entering the labor market post-high school graduation, Transitional Age Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (TAY-ASD) face significant barriers to employment compared to both their disabled and non-disabled peers. With employment outcomes characterized by low wages, short work hours, and social isolation, TAY-ASD from low income households with lower levels of functioning face the greatest hardship in seeking employment after high school graduation. Current vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs show inefficiency in servicing individuals with the greatest need for assistance due to lack of program monitoring and little emphasis for post-secondary education (PSE) attainment. This study suggests that reform to …

Geography Of Debt In Nevada Counties, Eshaan Vakil, Peter Grema, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This Fact Sheet summarizes and expands on the Urban Institute’s Debt in America: An Interactive Map online interactive dataset. The original data source offers statistics on the share of individuals in both white communities and communities of color with debt in collections, as well as the median value of this debt. The dataset further itemizes this information by medical, student loan, and automobile debt organized within counties and states. Data are presented for white communities and communities of color in Nevada’s most populous counties: Clark and Washoe.

The School Climate And Academic Mindset Inventory (Scami): Confirmatory Factor Analysis And Invariance Across Demographic Groups, Christopher A. Kearney, Ricardo Sanmartin, Carolina Gonzalvez

Psychology Faculty Research

School climate is a multidimensional construct of the quality of a student’s academic environment, often subsuming dimensions such as safety, instructional practices, social relationships, school facilities, and school connectedness. Positive school climate has beneficial effects on a wide range of adjustment variables in youth, including academic achievement, mental health, school attendance and graduation, and school-based behavior. Studies regarding school climate assessment have burgeoned in recent years but remain marked by limited sample sizes, narrow developmental levels, restricted items, unclear psychometric strength across multiple demographic groups, and lack of integration with key student education contextual factors such as academic mindset and …

Race-Ethnic Neighborhood Segregation In The Southwest Megapolitan Triangle, Yanneli Llamas, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This Fact Sheet analyzes race-ethnic neighborhood segregation in the Southwest Megapolitan Triangle, which consists of the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Drawing from an original report by Brookings senior fellow, William Frey, this fact sheet illustrates the degree of residential segregation over time in the three MSAs.

Covid-19: Payment Protection Program (Ppp) Loan Impact In The Mountain West, Eshaan Vakil, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet summarizes the impact of COVID-19 relief loans on small businesses in 5 Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Using data reported by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), researchers at Brookings report, “across metro areas, COVID-19 relief loans are helping some places more than others.” This fact sheet explores the geographic distribution of PPP loans in 20 “very large,” “large,” “midsize,” and “small” metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the Mountain West.

Housing Affordability In Nevada Recreation Counties, Yanneli Llamas, Vanessa Booth, Peter Grema, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

Using 2019 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, this Fact Sheet highlights housing affordability in Nevada’s four recreation counties: Clark, Douglas, Elko, and Washoe. This synthesis is based on a published, national study by Dr. Megan Lawson of Headwaters Economics titled, “Housing in recreation-dependent counties is less affordable.”

Network Analysis Of Cognitive Symptom Domains In Alzheimer's Disease (Ad), Abigail Rose Baily

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disease process that results in cognitive and functional declines and ultimately results in death. The pattern and course of cognitive and functional decline has been well characterized in AD, however little is known about the interactions between the symptoms. Network Analysis is a recently developed mathematical approach of examining the interactions between symptoms, by exploring the covariance of symptoms. The current study utilized network analysis to examine the multivariate structural dependencies among cognitive domains known to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease. The sample consisted of 864 older adults (60-90 years old), selected from …

Identifying School Climate Predictors Of School Absenteeism, Victoria Bacon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Attendance is a crucial component of the education system and may be addressed utilizing Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) models. To effectively utilize such models, clear demarcations between tiers must exist to classify students appropriately. Additionally, relevant risk and protective factors must be identified as targets for intervention and prevention efforts at each tier. Little research exists that identifies school climate factors, and other student-based contextual factors such as academic mindset and social emotional learning, that impact absenteeism. The present study aimed to identify suitable tier demarcations as well as school climate and student-based contextual factors relevant at each tier. …

The Factor Structures Of Ability And Trait Emotional Intelligences Relative To General Intelligence And Personality, Nicholas Carfagno

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Emotional Intelligence is a popular term used to describe one’s experience with their own emotions and awareness of others’. Although emotional intelligence is thought to be a helpful predictor of various variables such as work performance and wellbeing, there is disagreement within the field of the precise definition and method of measurement. The current study examines two of the most popular models of emotional intelligence, ability and trait models, to determine if they are the same construct or two different constructs that share a moniker. Additionally, both ability and trait emotional intelligences’ factor structures are examined through hierarchical and bifactor …

An Examination Of The History And Evolution Of Senior Adult Theatre Accomplishments That Impact Intergenerational Theatre Of The 21st Century, William Français Charette

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis explores senior adult theatre recorded interviews, several text book, internet, and published articles that report on findings conducted by educational scholars regarding senior adults in theatre 60 and older. Subsequent background research reflects on multigenerational accomplishments within historical American Theatre and The American Theatre Association discoveries regarding senior adult theatre. Further inquiries include reflections on The American Theatre Association of Senior Adult Theatre, Liz Lerman’s Dance Exchange of Maryland, Ohio State University Senior Adult Theatre programs, University of North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, Montgomery County Maryland Senior Theatre program, University of Oregon, Art Age, the history of …

Functional Capacity Profiles In Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia, Ashley Sara Emami

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Serious mental illnesses (SMIs) often have an onset early in life and go on to produce disability and functional impairment, which require ongoing supportive services and loss of productivity. Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are two of the most common SMIs. BD and SZ differ in their pattern of neurocognitive performance, which suggests differences in the severity of functional impairment between the illness groups. Within these psychiatric illness groups, subgroups may also be identified using cluster analysis. Evidence points to heterogeneity in functional outcomes in BD and SZ, yet very little research has assessed for subgroups based on functional …

Implicit Attitudes, Explicit Attitudes, And Priming: A Preliminary Analysis Of Factors Affecting Use Of Force Decisions, Christopher Allen Forepaugh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the effects of priming, situational factors, and attitudes on deadly force decision making. A small sample of undergraduates completed high-fidelity deadly force simulations. Simulation results were compared across experimental conditions and various attitudinal and demographic factors. Participants were generally accurate when assessing the threat posed by suspects. Participants primed to expect a threat were more accurate in their decisions but were no more likely to shoot an unarmed suspect. Participants were more accurate when responding to unarmed suspects. Participants more likely to exhibit implicit bias were less accurate. Several attitudinal and demographic traits were associated with deadly …