Digital Commons Network^™

Community-Based Well Testing And Outreach To Mitigate Human Health Risk From Unsafe Drinking Water, W. Adam Sigler, Katharine Sutphen, Margaret J Eggers, Kaleena Miller, Michelle Grocke-Dewey

Journal of Extension

Twenty-two percent of groundwater wells tested nationwide have one or more contaminants above a health threshold, yet many private well owners are unaware of these risks because they have not tested their water. Researchers piloted a community well testing clinic for education/outreach and surveyed participants about outcomes. Two months later, 75% of participants with high or intermediate health risk water quality results had taken action or intended to, indicating that community private well testing clinics can be effective in mitigating human health risks from contaminated drinking water.

Good Governance In The Concept Of Climate Justice: Decarbonisation Policies In Economic Considerations Of Losses And Sacrifices, Daryanti Daryanti, Albertus Sentot Sudarwanto, Erna Dyah Kusumawati, Rosita Candrakirana

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Projections of losses resulting from the impacts of climate change in Indonesia are estimated to reach USD 30.5 million, affecting four key sectors: agriculture, water supply, health, and the maritime sector. This study shows that good governance based on climate justice in the implementation of decarbonization policies is the most important factor in avoiding long-term economic losses caused by the adverse impacts of climate change or investing in climate resilience. This study employed a normative methodology using a statutory approach to examine efforts related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The findings of this research indicate that regulations in Indonesia, …

Horticultural Diplomacy: A Framework For Growing Culturally Aware Gardeners, Stephen Stresow-Cortez, Stephen Reiners, Ashley Miller Helmholdt

Journal of Extension

Derived from person-to-person diplomacy models, a ``horticultural diplomacy'' framework was implemented in a statewide vegetable variety trial program for two seasons to introduce Master Gardeners to diverse crops and cultures. Scaffolding learning with relevant recipes, bed groupings, community tasting events, and collecting community (citizen) science data helped participants build garden skills, gain a greater appreciation for other cultures, and inform new educational materials. Horticultural diplomacy is part of a deliberate effort aimed at growing food and building understanding among (primarily White) volunteers. The techniques that helped make this program successful, adaptable to other garden programs, and aspects that require improvements …

Legal Shifts And Judicial Inconsistencies In Strict Liability After The Omnibus Law: A Critical Analysis Of Indonesian Environmental Law For Responsible Mining And Esg Compliance, Nurul Listiyani, Khenza Atthaya Namira Yulianto

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The legal significance of strict liability in mining arises from the sector’s capacity to generate technically complex, diffuse, and long-latency environmental harm that is difficult to address through fault-based litigation alone. This study aims to evaluate how the post-Omnibus Law reformulation of Article 88 of Law No. 32 of 2009 has affected the doctrinal autonomy, judicial consistency, and practical enforcement of strict liability in Indonesian environmental law. The research used normative doctrinal legal research including statutory, case-law, conceptual, comparative, and evaluative analyses. The data cover the 2009–2025 period and consist of two core statutory formulations of Article 88, the Job …

Broadening The Community Of Nudibranch Enthusiasts Through Multilingual Educational Programming To Increase Climate Advocacy Engagement, Richelle Li Tanner, Cintya Felix Mendivil, Ashley Lam, Lorena Muñoz, Micah Kim, Elena G. Morales Poot, Gabrielle Keeler-May

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Environmental literacy and advocacy for environmental protections are essential components of responsible stewardship. For coastal communities, stewardship requires knowledge of ocean processes and the biological communities living within these ecosystems. While many studies highlight difficulties in engaging American audiences in environmental concern and stewardship due to hyper-individualistic societal values, tidepooling is one recreational pathway to coastal community engagement that strengthens sense of place, and therefore, responsibility to protect natural resources. We sought to broaden the tidepooling community to include more diverse voices through a participatory science program with inland city-dwelling, multilingual, and non-English speaking adults. Using nudibranchs as an environmental …

Volume 9 (2026) Climate And Responsibility

International Journal on Responsibility

This issue focuses on the various ways responsibility affects environmental justice. Specifically, this volume urges us to think about how societal and individual (in)action influences ecological crises and what informs this behavior, with a specific focus on religious and Indigenous beliefs and values.

Genomic Based Environmental Health Assessment: Vieques, Puerto Rico, Valeria Hernandez Talavera

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

From 1941 to 2003, the United States Navy and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) used Vieques, Puerto Rico, for military training, which led to long-term pollution from metals, organic chemicals, explosives, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While earlier research found these contaminants in the environment and in living organisms, their combined effects on local ecosystems remain poorly understood.

This dissertation used a Genomic-Based Environmental Health Assessment (GEHA) framework to study the ecological risks from past military pollution in Vieques. The approach combined sediment toxicity tests, chemical analysis, gene expression studies, microbial community analysis, and community-based research. The four main …

Expression Levels Of Heat Shock Protein 72 And Their Correlation With Biomarkers Of Renal Function Among Hispanic Construction Workers Exposed To Ambient Heat In El Paso, Texas, Maria Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are intracellular molecular proteins that are upregulated in response to cellular stress, including heat exposure. Through their protective functions, HSP help maintain protein structure, prevent protein denaturation, and preserve cellular homeostasis during states of physiological stress. Because of their cytoprotective properties, HSP have emerged as potential biomarkers for detecting early signs of tissue injury and predicting clinical outcomes associated with heat related illnesses (HRI), including acute kidney injuries (AKI). AKI is a leading cause of hospitalizations due to heat stress exposure and heat stroke. In the absence of early detection and effective therapeutic interventions, AKI may …

Measuring And Mapping Spatial Distributions Of Soil Lead Concentrations Along Chicago Parkways: West Ridge And Near South Side, Alyssa M. Kain

DePaul Discoveries

Lead is a heavy metal that can be found in every part of our planet. Human activities like the extraction of fossil fuels and degradation of construction materials can release lead into the environment, where it travels and accumulates in places like our soil or water. Despite efforts to lower the use of lead-based materials within the last fifty years, lead contamination remains as a threat to public health and safety. Elevated blood lead levels are known to cause a variety of health issues particularly for young children and pregnant women. This study aims to measure, map, and analyze the …

Clearing The Air: Tracking Spatial And Temporal Pm2.5 Variability Along A Biking Transect In Chicago, Beau R. Rass

DePaul Discoveries

Fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) poses significant risks to human health and disproportionately affects marginalized communities in urban environments (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021; Tessum et al., 2021). Using low-cost mobile sensors, this study explored spatiotemporal PM₂.₅ concentration patterns along a north–south transect of Halsted Street in Chicago. A 2B Technologies Portable Aerosol Monitor (PAM) mounted on a bicycle was used to continuously record PM₂.₅ concentrations with associated GPS coordinates at approximately two-second intervals during 16 sampling events between 08-12-2025 and 10-05-2025. PM₂.₅ concentrations did not differ significantly among the South Side, West Loop, and North Side regions, contrary to the …

Conservation Education And The Cultivation Of Environmental Responsibility: Case Studies From Sri Lanka, Jody Miller, Pasindu Dilshan Abegunawardhana

International Journal on Responsibility

Conservation education encompasses effective pedagogical practices that enhance knowledge of the environment and foster responsible environmental actions. In addition to building an informed citizenry, conservation education is shaped by theoretical stances about the components necessary to cultivate environmental responsibility among participants and their communities. Highlighting three of our own conservation education projects in Sri Lanka as case studies, we draw from research and debates about environmental responsibility to illustrate the incorporation of environmental engagement and responsibility into these efforts, and the difficulties that arise in doing so. Sri Lanka is one of eight global biodiversity hotspots prioritized for conservation intervention. …

“He’S Got The Whole World In His Hands”: Seed Sovereignty And Agricultural Decision Making In Southeastern Kenya, Caroline Stahley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing corporate control of the global seed supply and restrictions to local exchange threaten the autonomy of smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities. This project contributes to agricultural sovereignty movements by examining the decisions farmers make to address climate uncertainty, market volatility, and development agendas. Specifically, how is seed saving practiced and understood in relation to sovereignty? It reimagines what global food systems might look like if investment were directed to producers rather than intermediaries, arguing that cultivators lack support, not knowledge or capacity. Across these domains, seeds act as a motif to describe the concerns, innovations, and visions of farmers.

The Relationship Between The Environment And Pollution With Surgical Outcomes And Disparities, Wendelyn Marie Oslock

ETDs from 2020-2029

Air pollution exposure has been linked to many surgically managed diseases and adverse health events that occur in the postoperative period. Despite this, the impact of air pollution on postoperative recovery is poorly understood. This knowledge gap may be one of the underlying mechanisms for persistent disparities in surgical outcomes. Previous studies have found racial and economic disparities in air pollution exposure. These same communities have been shown to experience worse surgical outcomes. The goal of this thesis is to explore if exposure to air pollution impacts surgical outcomes and determine if disparities in socioeconomic factors impact this relationship. The …

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2026 Volume Number 1, Margaret Cozens, Johann Heupel, Owen Placido, Paul Salopek, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

“Building community around the places we love,” is the theme of the Spring-Summer 2026 issue of Wrack Lines magazine. Learn about the work of the Six Lakes Park coalition in Hamden, Riverfront Recapture in Hartford, MyCoast in southeastern Connecticut and the statewide land conservation conference. Additional stories tell about the artistry and mission of photographer-videographer Tomas Koeck, and National Geographic explorer Paul Salopek, who is traveling the world on foot.

[2026 Winner] Seed Sovereignty Through The Lens Of Decolonization, Lily A. Marx

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This paper explores the movement of seed sovereignty, a contemporary movement stemming from the history of theft, appropriation, and forced assimilation endured by indigenous peoples. This movement recognizes that consumers alone cannot mend the damage being done to our food systems, but instead encourages communities to take political action by saving seeds and rebuilding connections with the land.

Microbial Literacy, Equity, And Sustainability At Cal Poly: A Policy Framework With University Housing As A Pilot Case, Joseph B. Fewel

Biological Sciences

Microorganisms play a fundamental role in human health, environmental systems, and the functioning of built environments, yet they remain largely absent from sustainability and public policy discussions. This project proposes a framework for integrating microbial literacy, equity, and health into institutional decision-making, using California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) as a case study and university housing as a pilot site for implementation. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature in microbiology, public health, environmental justice, and sustainability, as well as policy analysis and stakeholder interviews, this project examines how campus systems, including housing, ventilation, sanitation, food systems, and waste management, shape microbial exposure …

Decentralizing Dementia Research To The Us–Mexico Border: The Rio Grande Valley Ad-Rcmar As A Model For Translational Equity, Gladys E. Maestre, John Blangero, Eron Manusov, Gabriel A. De Erausquin, Francisco Fernandez, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Vincent P. Diego, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Claudia Alaniz, Neyra García, Rosa V. Pirela, Andrew Tsin, Michael Mahaney

School of Medicine Publications

Translational equity means ensuring that diagnostics, treatments, care models, and prevention strategies are developed and implemented so they work for populations with the greatest burden and least access to care. In Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), where most evidence derives from highly educated, non-Hispanic White participants at large academic centers, translational equity is critical to prevent misclassification, limited access, and widening disparities and to ensure that underrepresented communities shape how new knowledge moves into practice. Hispanic and other populations in the United States are disproportionately affected by ADRD yet remain underrepresented in research, with gaps especially pronounced in high-poverty …

Watershed Amendments: Assembling New Pervious Ground From Landscape Waste, Sophie Kaplan-Bucciarelli

Masters Theses

In Providence, Rhode Island, much of the downtown area is built over a vast historic tidal estuary. Though we no longer see the salt marshes, wooded bluffs, or meadows that once characterized this landscape, we recognize their absence in contemporary crises of urban heat, flooding, polluted soils and stormwater runoff, and habitat loss. These conditions are particularly acute along the city’s industrialized river corridors, where vacant lots and parking areas sit idle, their history paved over and potential constrained by limited imagination and resources.

These lots - already experiments in fill and land building after centuries of disturbance - can …

Expanding Regenerative Agriculture Practices In East Texas, Treasure Hance

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regenerative agriculture has increasingly been referenced since 2015 for its ability to provide healthy food with less environmental and social impacts. Its basic premise/ideology is to follow a process whereby soil, biotic, and human communities are not just maintained but prepared to return to a better state. Soil health is a primary concern. Actions include no-till planting, composting to create more organic soil, less use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, along with better employment, animal care, and ecological outcomes/practices. Regenerative versions of other professions, such as regenerative medicine (e.g. gene/stem cell therapy) and regenerative architecture (design for surplus energy, restored …

The Legacy Of Lead: Lead Exposure's Harmful Effects And Its Concentration In Poc Communities, Layla Sophronia Barber

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis examines the disproportionate burden of lead exposure carried by low income, POC communities. The systemic nature of this problem is a symptom of a longstanding legacy of environmental injustice in the United States. Decades of federal neglect are reflected in the higher statistics of lead exposure and poisoning in predominantly black communities. While it is understood that lead exposure poses a serious threat to physical health and early cognitive development, there is a discouraging lack of urgency to remove the toxin from non-wealthy communities. The material covered by this thesis aims to identify and correct the discriminatory social …

A Sturdy Future: Mangrove Restoration Against Climate Extremes, Gabriella Marie Siasoco

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the impacts of climate change on natural disasters and examines how rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean can mitigate those effects. Rising ocean and atmospheric temperatures contribute to higher sea levels and more severe hurricanes and tropical storms, characterized by increased frequency, duration, and intensity in peak winds, storm surges, and rainfall. Mangrove ecosystems act as vital buffers against coastal disturbances such as tsunamis and extreme storms, while contributing to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. Additionally, they improve water quality by filtering nutrients, preventing eutrophication. Despite their ecological and economic value, mangroves in …

Red Lines, Green Blooms: Assessing The Effects Of Historical Environmental Disparity On Algal Communities In The Twin Cities, Mn, Georgia C. Akins

Environmental Studies Honors Projects

Redlining, a discriminatory housing policy from the 1930s, shaped lastng urban inequalites that may extend to environmental conditons. This study examines links between redlining and urban water quality in the Twin Cites using algal communites as indicators. Across 28 water bodies sampled in 2022 and 2024, physical, chemical, and biological metrics were compared by redlining grade. Results show limited relatonships between redlining and most variables, with only surface water temperature differing significantly. Nutrients and algal diversity were unrelated to redlining, instead reflectng present-day conditons. These findings suggest contemporary factors play a stronger role than redlining in shaping urban freshwater ecosystems.

Consumerism In The Digital Age: Environmental And Cultural Consequences, Danielle Andrea Montoya

Student Theses 2015-Present

Overconsumption has emerged as a significant environmental problem, characterized by persistent patterns of buying, using, and discarding goods at rates that exceed ecological limits. In the digital age, these patterns of consumption are reinforced by economic systems, technological advancements, and cultural norms that make constant consumption feel normal and convenient. While consumption is necessary for everyday life, consumption beyond basic needs contributes to increased waste, resource depletion, pollution, and climate change. Overconsumption is embedded in daily habits such as online shopping, food consumption, and frequent product replacement. Therefore, understanding and addressing overconsumption is crucial for achieving environmental sustainability and social …

Volume 17, Christian O’Neill, Kyara Greene, Savva Sidorov, Laura Bisaillon, Luke Clemmer, Hannah Gordon, Kitt Benson, Taylor Blount, Rachel Danzitz, Nicholas Duellman, Chase Gionis, Hima Fernando, Seth Franzyshen, Onyx Gonzalez, Bryan Lin, Samantha Start, Ysabel Wells, Maggie Duncan

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Cover Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Yulia Uryadova

Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism

by Christian O’Neill

Life Vest by Kyara Greene

Isolation and 16S rRNA Identification of Bacteria from Fire Department Connection Pipe by Savva Sidorov

The Effectiveness of Planned Exercise in Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Children by Laura Bisaillon & Luke Clemmer

Linguistic Analysis on Confidence and Communication Strategies with Disparities Between Sign Fluency and Hearing Impairment by Hannah Gordon

Freedmen in Indian Territory by Kitt …

Environmental Inequities In Conservation Policies And Practices: A Brief Overview, Monyai Chavers

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Conservation science and practice mirror racist notions of colonialism, prolonging a cycle in which policies and programs disregard land access. Many conservation leaders operate from a culture of land exclusion, focusing on nature to generate wealth, deeming the number of individuals removed from the commons as progress. By the turn of the 21^st Century, government conservation policies compensated private actors and groups for voluntarily adopting market-based mechanisms aimed at land conservation. Despite the emergence of various conservation programs, the data show that White Americans primarily benefit from federal conservation payments. However, the fragmentation of Black land ownership allows the …

Comparison Of Heavy Metal Accumulation In Soil And Wood Core Within Tallassee And Tuskegee, Alabama, Alicia R. Wilson, Brianna Smith, Latricia Miller, Rashidah Farid

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Heavy metals are natural components of the environment and can be relatively non-impactful in low concentrations. However, high concentrations of heavy metal toxicity can result in air, water, and soil contamination that adversely impacts environmental, human, and wildlife health. This study focuses on detecting the presence of heavy metals in soil, Loblolly Pine tree bark, and wood core samples from sites near a landfill in the Tallassee, Alabama, community and a post-agricultural site in Tuskegee, Alabama. It has been hypothesized that heavy metals are present in soil, tree bark, and the tree’s wood core from sampling sites. Samples were taken …

The Impact Of Integrating Social Benefit Requirements For Urban Green Infrastructure And Place Identity Attributes To Enhance The Sense Of Place - Case Study Of Central Park, Madinaty, New Cairo City, Egypt, Ibrahim Magdi Mohammed, Rehab Abdelfatah Abdel Aziz Mahmoud

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This research develops an integrated model that links the social benefit requirements of Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) with the non-physical attributes of Place Identity (PI) to enhance the Sense of Place (SOP) in contemporary urban environments. The need for this integration arises from limitations in current planning frameworks, which often prioritize ecological performance while overlooking cultural, perceptual, and behavioral dimensions that shape user attachment and belonging. The study adopts an inductive and synthesis-based approach to identify key UGI indicators across environmental, social, economic, and spatial dimensions, alongside PI attributes related to places’ legibility, uniqueness, publicness and territoriality, place’s identification. To …

A Proposed Vision To Activate Smart Urban Growth Concepts For The New Egyptian Cities, Nirman M. El-Sayed, Mamdouh A. Al-Minshawi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Smart urban growth is the ideal solution to urban problems within the cities of the fourth generation in Egypt, and despite this, most of them depend on traditional urban thought without activating "Smart Urban Growth", which is known to maintain lands from deterioration and make societies suitable for living and providing the necessary services. The goal of research to set standards to activate smart urban growth as a thought that keeps pace with sustainable urban development and Egypt's 2030 vision, work to use the global smart cities approach and how they reach intelligence. While the research follows the "analytical" deductive …

Hold Paramount The Health, Safety, And Welfare Of The Public And The Planet, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Fighting The Black Snake: The Dapl And The Case For Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, Kenny Moll

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis analyzes the current scope of environmental injustice on Native lands in the U.S. Specifically it examines The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and its impacts on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota. Western colonialism and capitalism have dominated North American ecosystems since their forcible introduction hundreds of years ago, causing the commodification of natural resources and leading to injustices such as that of the “Black Snake.” However, the story of The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance will be analyzed through the framework of Indigenous philosophy and environmental justice. Chapter 1 analyzes the implementation of the DAPL and …