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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Effective Elective? Elective Courses’ Impact On Student Performance During Associated Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, Shelby Spencer Tungate
Effective Elective? Elective Courses’ Impact On Student Performance During Associated Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, Shelby Spencer Tungate
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Experiential education programs at colleges of pharmacy are guided by standards set forth by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE.) Exactly how these standards are met, however, is often determined by the individual college of pharmacy. This includes deciding how students are selected and placed on their fourth-year rotations, referred to as Advanced Pharmacy Practices Experiences, or “APPEs.” While it may seem that students who have taken elective courses focused on specialized topics, such as pediatrics or geriatrics, will perform better on related APPEs, this thought remains largely unfounded. Using four years of student data at the University of …
The Effect Of The Earned Income Tax Credit (Eitc) On Savings: Do Low-Income Households With Multiple Children Save More Eitc Money?, Vinh Dao
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
EITC provides monetary assistance to lower-income families with children, and it has expanded to become the largest cash-transfer program in the United States. Understanding how EITC affects savings is crucial, since they are closely linked to financial stability of millions of American families. Do these families put the tax credit in their savings accounts, or do they just spend it? To tackle this question, this paper examines the effects of an increase in EITC’s generosity in 2009 on investment income of eligible households with 3 children. I perform a difference-in-differences using 2005-2014 CPS data and find no statistical evidence of …
Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Composting At The University Of Kentucky, Jennifer Sutton
Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Composting At The University Of Kentucky, Jennifer Sutton
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
This study is a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the University of Kentucky’s composting program. Food waste is collected from two major dining facilities on campus and composted at the university’s C. Oran Little Research Center in Woodford County. This CBA only considers the direct accounting costs of the program. Three models were developed and analyzed. Ultimately, all three models resulted in a deficit over the life of the project. However, it is important to note that benefits were likely understated because this CBA did not take into consideration the environmental or social benefits that exist from a composting program at …
Inclusive Recreation In Kentucky State Parks: A Survey Of Ada Compliance And Transcendent Programing, Jason Thomas
Inclusive Recreation In Kentucky State Parks: A Survey Of Ada Compliance And Transcendent Programing, Jason Thomas
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, disabled, or differently abled, members of American communities are entitled to receive identical, or equivalent, treatment and admission to public services, without discrimination based solely on their disability. Therefore, it is in violation of this act to not accommodate public spaces and facilities for these individuals, with the exception of cases where doing so to an existing facility would demonstrably, and with burden of proof on the agency, “result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a program or activity or in undue financial and administrative burdens” (28 CFR § 39.150). …
Organic Farming And Incidence Rates Of Select Health Outcomes: An Evaluation Of The Usda Certified Organic Program, Aja Croteau
Organic Farming And Incidence Rates Of Select Health Outcomes: An Evaluation Of The Usda Certified Organic Program, Aja Croteau
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Medical studies over the past few decades have shown increasing evidence that exposure to pesticides is associated with numerous health conditions, specifically Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, leukemia, asthma, and depression. Pesticides are widely used across the United States to ensure an affordable and bountiful food supply, but many of the chemicals used pose notable health risks. Numerous programs exist to measure and monitor pesticide exposure from agriculture, but researchers and public health experts remain uncertain of the efficacy of regulatory programs on reducing the amount of pesticide used and on protecting citizens from exposure. Organic agriculture, which uses significantly fewer pesticides than …
Performance Evaluation And Community Needs Of Spay Our Strays Organization, Elizabeth Adams
Performance Evaluation And Community Needs Of Spay Our Strays Organization, Elizabeth Adams
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Free-roaming cat populations have been linked to public health concerns and negative impacts on animal shelter resources. Trap-neuter-return has gained popularity in the last few decades as a humane and effective approach to decrease the population of community cats and address these concerns. Spay Our Strays advocates for trap-neuter-return practices in Lexington, Kentucky, by providing services to the local community and surrounding counties. Strategic planning techniques and comparative analysis are used to develop recommended strategic actions the organization can use to improve their impact. Findings showed a need to invest in board development, diversify funding sources, focus on community-level targeting, …
Evaluating The Labor Supply And Migration Effects Of The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, William Clay Fannin
Evaluating The Labor Supply And Migration Effects Of The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, William Clay Fannin
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
A growing body of literature suggests that occupational licensing distorts economic behavior through various mechanisms, such as inflating prices and inhibiting interstate mobility. To combat some of these ill-effects, policymakers have turned to interstate compacts as a way to promote uniformity in licensing requirements across states and facilitate license portability. Despite the development of interstate compacts for numerous licensed occupations and professions, evidence of their efficacy in the literature is thin. Based on data from over 70,000 physicians from 2012 to 2018, I construct a difference-in-differences model to estimate the effects of the adoption of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact …
Impact Of Government Regulations And Programmatic Decisions On Demand For A Novel Contraceptive Product In Developing Countries, Matthew Westling
Impact Of Government Regulations And Programmatic Decisions On Demand For A Novel Contraceptive Product In Developing Countries, Matthew Westling
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Family planning and contraceptive use is becoming an area of emphasis for developing countries. The important role family planning has in the growth and development of personal wealth and the larger economy is already well understood. However, there is little information about how planning, policy, and programmatic decisions influence contraceptive consumption. Accordingly, this paper established an index which explores the weight program planning, contraceptive delivery, and national policies have on contraceptive consumption. The index was established through a factor analysis which utilized monthly indicators from the dissemination of a novel contraceptive product called Sayana Press® in twelve developing countries. Results …
The Affordable Care Act And Medication-Assisted Treatment Accessibility: A Context-Inclusive Review Of Research, Jacob Blevins
The Affordable Care Act And Medication-Assisted Treatment Accessibility: A Context-Inclusive Review Of Research, Jacob Blevins
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
This paper provides a contextual review of research investigating associations between the health insurance reforms implemented by the Affordable Care Act and the accessibility and utilization of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Research indicates that relative to 2008, the year of initial Medicaid expansions in 2014 is nationally associated with increased rates of insurance coverage, increased rates of treatment, and reduced rates of individuals with opioid use disorder forgoing treatment due to financial concerns (McKenna 2017). Between the year prior to state Medicaid expansion and the third year after it, the number of specialty treatment admissions related to the …
Poverty And Nonprofits: Investigating The Relationship Between Poverty And Nonprofit Activity In The United States, Megan Combs
Poverty And Nonprofits: Investigating The Relationship Between Poverty And Nonprofit Activity In The United States, Megan Combs
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
In order to better understand our society and institutions, we can look at the relationships between institutions, social infrastructure, and human conditions. Social and institutional networks can influence the flow of resources on a scale that individuals cannot. These structures can perpetuate or alleviate social and human conditions but, alternatively, social conditions can mobilize and influence institutional structures. As systemic poverty remains a social issue, various US programs and forms of aid continue to be delivered despite limiting and varying levels of success. One such mode of aid is provided by nonprofits. Studies have shown that nonprofits empirically do very …
Federal Improper Payment Mandates And Their Financial Risk For State Governments, Seth Grove
Federal Improper Payment Mandates And Their Financial Risk For State Governments, Seth Grove
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
As the recipient of billions in federal dollars, state governments are key stakeholders in combatting improper payments. While federal improper payment laws have mandated responsibility to federal agencies, states ultimately administer numerous federal programs, thus are subject to the same improper payment laws. Due to statistical sampling and extrapolation requirements in federal audits, state governments are at a tremendous financial risk for federal disallowances in administering federal programs. Federal reports and academic literature can inform state governments on improving state policies to mitigate their financial risk of federal improper payment laws.
High Demand Labor Sectors And College Enrollment: A Preliminary Analysis Of The Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship (Wrks), Jillian Frost
High Demand Labor Sectors And College Enrollment: A Preliminary Analysis Of The Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship (Wrks), Jillian Frost
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
States have taken a variety of approaches to improving educational investment in the labor market and increasing educational attainment statewide. One such approach is the idea of target sectors – identifying high demand and high growth industries to direct business and educational investment across the state. Since 2011, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has utilized target sectors to identify high demand high wage occupations in order to drive labor force participation, employment, and educational alignment. To combat projected employee shortages in the identified target sectors and low educational attainment across the state, Kentucky launched the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship (WRKS) program …
Income Share Agreements As Alternative Education Financing, Erin Klarer
Income Share Agreements As Alternative Education Financing, Erin Klarer
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
This paper explores the features of Income Share Agreements (ISAs) as an alternative method of financing higher education. After reviewing a pilot project at Eastern Kentucky University and complaints that have been filed toward their provider, the insights gained lead to recommendations for a state-wide government-sponsored income share agreement program with specific guardrails regarding transparency, program goals and outcomes, legal requirements, compliance and auditing, and lending and servicing.
The Effect Of Disability On Unemployment Claim Duration In Kentucky And The Surrounding States, James Tatum
The Effect Of Disability On Unemployment Claim Duration In Kentucky And The Surrounding States, James Tatum
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
The duration of unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky are over 30% longer on average than unemployment claims in the surrounding states. This study uses a time-series regression to compare data from Kentucky and the surrounding states to find correlations between unemployment insurance claim duration and the percentage of a state’s population that reports having at least one disability. No significant correlation was found between a state’s population with a disability and unemployment claim duration but there was a significant negative correlation between unemployment claim duration and the total amount of Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income payments people …
Does State And Local Government Employment Promote Tax Revenue Stability? A Look At Kentucky Cities, William Ryan Pennington
Does State And Local Government Employment Promote Tax Revenue Stability? A Look At Kentucky Cities, William Ryan Pennington
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Research shows that public sector jobs are more stable than private sector jobs. This study examines whether tax revenue volatility is affected by the concentration of a city’s economic base in state and local government employment. The relationship between public employment and revenue volatility has not been studied but is relevant as state and local governments have reduced their workforces in the post-Great Recession period. Using panel data on Kentucky cities, I find that the coefficient on state and local government employment concentration is inversely related to tax volatility but is not statistically significant in a fixed effects estimation.
Congressional Appropriations And Earmarks An Analysis Of The Economic And Political Effects, Paul Anthony Allen
Congressional Appropriations And Earmarks An Analysis Of The Economic And Political Effects, Paul Anthony Allen
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
The effects of political characteristics on the Congressional appropriations process have remained a subject of debate in recent years. Congressionally directed spending influenced by these effects are defined as earmarks. To counter the practice of earmarking, Congress implemented multiple reforms and rules to curb the influence of partisan agendas. Total federal appropriations by year and state from 2002 – 2018 were aggregated to test the significance of the economic and political effects. This model utilized a time series fixed effects regression to determine the results that suggest select political characteristics of U.S. Senators remained significant in the distribution of federal …
The Bluegrass Reentry Council Strategic Plan, Sydney Geiger
The Bluegrass Reentry Council Strategic Plan, Sydney Geiger
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
The overcrowding of jails and prisons and high recidivism rates are issues America is facing nationwide. Successful reentry into society following incarceration is a solution to this crisis. In response, in 2011, the Kentucky legislature passed House Bill 463 which mandated reentry councils across the state. The purpose of the councils are to address the current issues facing citizens returning from the justice system, develop a network of resources and service providers within their home area, and communicate and advocate for returning citizens by communicating issues to the community and their leaders.1 This analysis will develop a strategic plan for …
Impact Of Vaccine Availability On The Number Of Children Vaccinated And Under-Five Mortality In Tanzania, Katelyn Batliner
Impact Of Vaccine Availability On The Number Of Children Vaccinated And Under-Five Mortality In Tanzania, Katelyn Batliner
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Stockouts have previously been reported to interrupt immunization services in low-and-middle income countries. However, there has been little research to understand the direct impact of stockouts on the number of children immunized and no research to understand the impact on under-five mortality. Using panel data from Tanzania’s Vaccine Information Management System training program, a regression model with fixed and random effects is used to analyze the effect of stockouts on the number of children immunized. The Lives Saved Tool® is used to estimate the effect of stockouts on under-five mortality. The results suggest that stockouts have a statistically significant impact …
A Cost Benefit Analysis Of Blupass: The University Of Kentucky's Fare Free Transit Partnership With Lextran, Sandra Broadus
A Cost Benefit Analysis Of Blupass: The University Of Kentucky's Fare Free Transit Partnership With Lextran, Sandra Broadus
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Parking is an omnipresent headache for urban-based universities across the United States. The University of Kentucky took a distinctive approach to shifting commuter mode share away from single-occupancy vehicles in 2015 by initiating a fare-free partnership with the local transit authority. This study aims to determine the relative success of this program by weighing the costs and benefits for the University over the first four years of implementation. In order to offset the limited supply of parking available for personally owned vehicles, the University of Kentucky (UK) launched BluPass, a fare-free transit initiative that aimed to significantly increase the number …
The Effects Of State Tax Reform On Tax Revenue Volatility, Ryan Brown
The Effects Of State Tax Reform On Tax Revenue Volatility, Ryan Brown
MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects
Recent literature has established that state tax revenues have grown significantly more volatile relative to previous decades. Consequently, this is a growing concern for state policymakers who increasingly need stable revenue sources to meet spending obligations. In this paper, the consequences of comprehensive state tax reforms on subsequent tax revenue volatility are studied using the reforms of Utah (2007) and North Carolina (2013) as case studies. Using a synthetic control methodology, graphical evidence suggests that North Carolina’s tax reform resulted in lower subsequent revenue volatility, but that Utah’s reform likely did not have such an effect on revenue volatility.