Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Narrative Visualization Of The Outcomes Of Federal Investments In Research, Diana Hicks

Diana Hicks

We offer here a narrative visualization entitled: Technology hot spots and the Office of Science and position its contribution within discussion of novel forms of communicating research results as an aid to maximizing use of research evaluation. In this study, patent co-citation analysis was used to systematically identify emerging high impact technologies in the US technology ecosystem and then to establish that Office of Science of the US Department of Energy (DOE) funds research that underpins these technology “hot spots.” We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this novel form of communicating evaluation results based our experience. The video at ...

Assessment Of Policies For Innovative Financing In Infrastructure Systems, Ali Mostafavi, Dulcy Abraham, Charlene Sullivan

Infrastructure System-of-Systems (I-SoS ) Research Group

Infrastructure systems are drivers of the economy in the nation. A dollar spent on infrastructure development yields roughly double the initial spending in ultimate economic output in the short term; and over a twenty-year period, and generalized ‘public investment’ produces an aggregated $3.21 of economic activity per $1.00 spent [1]. Thus, formulation of policies pertaining to infrastructure investment and development is of significance affecting the social and economic wellbeing of the nation. The aim of this policy brief is to evaluate innovative financing in infrastructure systems from two different perspectives: (1) through consideration of the current condition of ...

Exploring The Factors That Influence And Motivate Female Students To Enroll And Persist In Collegiate Stem Degree Programs: A Mixed Methods Study, Rosemary L. Edzie

Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research

Nationally, the need for an increase in interest, enrollment, and degrees awarded from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree programs continues to suffer. While students are enrolling in collegiate STEM degree programs, it is not occurring at a rate that meets the workforce demand. In addition to the concern that there is not a sufficient amount of collegiate STEM majors, there is a concern over too few females enrolling and persisting in collegiate STEM degree programs.

This mixed methods sequential exploratory research study considered the factors that influence and motivate undergraduate female students to enroll and persist in collegiate ...

Storytelling As A Policy Tool: An Examination Of Same-Sex Marriage In Massachusetts, Edward F. Kammerer

Law and Public Policy Dissertations

Policy debates often hinge on careful frame selection. Frames are ways of organizing the world, emphasizing certain aspects of a policy debate or issue while deemphasizing others. Storytelling is a useful technique for framing. Stories are central to how the mind processes information and makes decisions. Stories, and storytelling, present information that may not be purely rational, but is still important in the decision making context. They add emotion and heighten interest. Applied Legal Storytelling scholars have begun exploring the role of stories in legal disputes. Using the framework developed in that literature, this study looks at the types of ...

Catastrophic Incident Search And Rescue Lessons From The 2013 Colorado Floods, Thomas Miner, Richard N. Bradley

Richard N Bradley

The response to the Colorado floods is a textbook example of how to respond to catastrophic disasters Responders from hundreds of different organizations came together to form a single coordinated, unified command structure that resulted in the rapid and effective evacuation and rescue of hundreds of people in just three days. Local responders performed hundreds of highly dangerous rescues during the height of the storm. They established incident command at the county level using type 3 incident command teams. When they realized they were facing an unprecedented storm with catastrophic damage they asked for help and state and federal responders ...

The Belo Monte Dam Complex And Its Effects On Indigenous Communities, Alexis Lynn Powers

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Intergenerational Mobility And Urban Spatial Structure, Sebastian Quintero

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Examining The Landscape Of Charter Systems In Georgia, Deshane Velasquez

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Environmental Correlates Of Physical Activity Among African-American Adults, Tim Bungum, Jennifer Pharr, Paulo S. Pinheiro, Maria Azzarelli

Nevada Journal of Public Health

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify perceived environmental correlates of meeting physical activity guidelines among African-American adults living in Southern Nevada. Trained interviewers phoned potential participants who lived in the 12 zip codes of Clark County, Nevada with the highest proportions of African-American residents. Respondents (n=237) answered 52 health-related and demographic questions. Slightly less than 50% of participants met physical activity guidelines. A factor analysis procedure produced two environmental variables, neighborhood safety and environmental supports for physical activity. Age, gender and educational attainment (p<.05) predicted the meeting of those guidelines (R2=.214), while neighborhood support for physical activity, neighborhood safety, and BMI failed to do so. This finding suggests that environmental factors are not strong predictors of physical activity among African- American adults, although environmental supports for physical activity approached significance. Future studies should consider assessing additional aspects of the built environment as an influence on physical activity.

Medical Marijuana – Airing Out The Smoke Of Doubt, Aneesh Karir

The Meducator

On April 1, 2014, Canada will implement a drastically new set of regulations that will redefine the laws on the production and acquisition of medical marijuana, affecting over 35,000 patients nationwide. Patients will have to exclusively seek commercial vendors for medical marijuana and pay a much higher price compared to the costs of growing marijuana in their residences. This provides several benefits to the Canadian economy and protects against drug abuse, yet worries citizens and users who are trying to minimize costs. The Canadian government will require patients to obtain a prescription from a general physician, rather than a ...

Evidence Briefs As A Mechanism For Knowledge Transfer And Exchange: Assessing Views About, Experiences With, And Influences Of Policy-Relevant Research Syntheses In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Kaelan A. Moat

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Evidence briefs are an innovative and promising approach to synthesizing the best available research evidence to support evidence-informed health policymaking in low- and middle-income countries. Unfortunately, despite their increased use, little work has been undertaken to understand how the contexts in which briefs are prepared and the issues that they address influence the ways in which policymakers and stakeholders view them. Furthermore, there have been few efforts to determine whether and how evidence briefs influence the policy processes related to the priority policy issues for which they are prepared. This thesis begins to address these issues through four manuscripts that ...

“Everybody Needs To Be Doing Something”: Exploring The Contradictions In Ontario Works And The Normative Expectations Behind The Work Of Becoming Eligible, Employable And Employed, Sarah Pennisi

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Since Ontario Works (OW) was implemented in 1998, the policy has been tinkered with including making changes in benefits and relaxing of some of the more punitive practices such as a life time ban for recipients convicted of fraud. However in OW, one ofOntario's social assistance programs, the requirement to participate in work or work preparation activities, remains relatively unchanged. Intended to end the supposed free riding of recipients, work for welfare continues to be an unwavering policy instrument despite findings that the policy is at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive in helping OW clients find and keep ...

Flexibility@Work 2014: Bringing The Undeclared Economy Out Of The Shadows - The Role Of Temporary Work Agencies, Colin C. Williams

Colin C Williams

The finding is that by creating the right business environment for temporary employment and temporary work agencies, relatively successful economies reduce the supply and demand of undeclared work by providing both workers and employers with better alternatives. The debate, therefore, should be less about whether to allow flexible labour and temporary work, and more about how flexible labour and temporary work can be regulated to create a win-win situation for both businesses and workers.

04 Exchange April 2014, Institute For Public Service

The Exchange Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Of The Development And Implementation Of An Organ Donor Registry In Mumbai, India, Diana Vania

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Background: Organ donation in India is a complex issue due to the country’s large population, diverse religious beliefs and myths surrounding organ donation, varying literacy rates, nation-wide focus on disease control, and the commercialization of organs. India has only made marginal steps to address the significant obstacles in order to ensure adequate supplies of organs are available to meet the demand.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the feasibility of implementing an organ donor registry in Mumbai, India. This is achieved by reviewing current organ donation policies and processes in Mumbai, exploring perceptions of key informants ...

Aging In Boston: Preparing Today For A Growing Tomorrow, Jan E. Mutchler, Bernard A. Steinman, Caitlin Coyle, Hayley Gleason, Jiyoung Lyu, Ceara Somerville

Gerontology Institute Publications

Boston’s population is becoming older than ever before. The oldest Baby Boomer is approaching 70 and reinventing what it means to be a “senior citizen.” Waves of Boomers will forge a new path into later life, creating a population of seniors that is larger and more long-lived than previous cohorts, and diverse in new ways. In 2010, more than 14% of Boston’s residents were 60 years or older, representing 88,000 older people. By 2030, projected increases in the older population will result in as many as 130,000 seniors residing in Boston. How will Boston accommodate its ...

(New!!) Abstract: 2014 American State Litter Scorecard, Stephen [Steve] Spacek

Stephen [Steve] L Spacek

American States' overall public spaces quality from indicator score totals. BEST States include Washington, Florida, Iowa and Connecticut. WORST include South Carolina, Nevada, Indiana and Wyoming.

Telling The Whole Store: Native Americans And The Development Of Urban Spaces, Paul T. Fuller

Graduate History Conference, UMass Boston

This paper places the subject of urban Indians in North America within the historical reality of their existence and emphasizes the need to rework current assumptions about Native peoples. Not only were Native peoples intimately involved in the act of building up villages, forts, and trading posts – which would eventual evolve into the cities that dot the continent today – but they have also very much been a part of the urban scene in major cities since the middle of the twentieth century. The cities around Puget Sound would not have been able to exist without the direct aid of the ...

2013 Addendum Of Nonviolent Peace Materials For Adults, Rosemary Doyle

Citizens for Peace

No abstract provided.

Data, Analytics And Community-Based Organizations: Transforming Data To Decisions For Community Development, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Michael P. Johnson

Big data and analytics for community-focused nonprofits can improve analytic capabilities and increase impact. However, Community-based organization needs do not match well with conventional notions of data and analytics. Decentralized model for data-driven research may be preferred, but centralized model is dominant. CBOs can articulate data needs, but are often not yet able to access relevant data easily and use data effectively. Finally, certain values maximize impact of big data and analytics