Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Decision-Making Framework For Selecting A Project Delivery Method For Public Sector Construction Projects In Malaysia, Mohd Idham Mohd Noor

Student Works (2020-2029)

Public sector construction projects play a crucial role in economic development and public service delivery, requiring effective project management to ensure optimal public expenditure and successful outcomes. Selecting an appropriate Project Delivery Method (PDM) is a critical yet unstructured process in the Malaysian public sector, influenced by various constraints such as administrative regulations, stakeholder interests, and policy compliance. Despite existing studies on PDM decision-making, research on Malaysia’s public sector remains limited. This study aims to develop a decision-making mechanism for determining appropriate PDM for Malaysia's public sector construction projects. The research adopts an interpretivist approach using a qualitative multiple-case study …

The Rise Of The Global Middle Class, Homi Kharas

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Rise of the Global Middle Class" by Brookings senior fellow in global economy and development, Homi Kharas.

For the last two hundred years, ever since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the most successful economies in the world have developed large, stable middle classes. With globalization, the expansion of the middle class has accelerated to a historically unprecedented speed. But global consumerism is scaling faster than the adaptation of institutions, ecosystems, and social norms. Brookings senior fellow Homi Kharas discusses his most recent book, …

Impact Of Incentive Policies On Mathematics And Science Teachers’ Retention In Guyana’S Rural Secondary Schools, Verna Adrian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on teacher retention in rural areas highlights persistent challenges, including geographic isolation, limited resources, and inadequate support. Studies have shown that financial incentives are critical for sustaining teacher retention, but a gap in the literature exists as to what specific non-financial challenges may also be important in influencing teachers’ long-term commitment. To address the social problem of teacher retention in rural secondary schools in Guyana, this study assessed the effectiveness of incentive policies in retaining teachers across four selected regions facing unique challenges. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The purpose of this …

Abortions In The Mountain West, 2022-2025, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on the number of abortions provided annually in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah between July 2022 and June 2025. The data are retrieved from the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount report,  which includes data on abortion volume across all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. This fact sheet focuses on the administration of both in-person and telehealth abortions in the Mountain West.

Early Learning Across Decades: Advances In Measuring Head Start Effectiveness, Chloe R. Gibbs

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The Head Start program, launched in 1965 and targeted to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, remains the largest early childhood care and education (ECE) program in the United States and the only one deployed at the federal level. As such, the Head Start literature spans several decades and now allows for synthesis of findings from different contexts, time periods, and research designs. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the rigorous evidence measuring Head Start’s effects on children, their families, and society. The focus is on how (1) the contrast between program and counterfactual conditions, (2) takeup of the program among …

Research Review: "Black Veterans' Insight On Racial Disparities In Military Administrative Separations", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Military service provides a path toward the middle class by granting veterans benefits, including healthcare and compensation for disabilities acquired during service. Military characterization of service, assigned by the Department of Defense at separation, can qualify or disqualify veterans from benefits access. Black service members are 50% more likely than White service members to receive an Other Than Honorable rather than an Honorable discharge, resulting in disproportionate impediments to the benefits designed to facilitate re-entry into civilian life and prevent poverty. Yet, the Department of Defense provides little meaningful remedy for Black veterans to correct less than Honorable discharges, instead …

Artificial Intelligence In Medical Ethics Education: A Descriptive Study Of Eight Models In Multiple Choice Question Generation, John Obeid, Christopher Bobier, Alex Gillham, Adam Omelianchuk, Daniel Hurst

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into medical education poses barriers and opportunities for medical educators. One of those opportunities is content creation for medical ethics assessment. Assessing the performance of AI in generating multiple choice questions (MCQs) in ethics that aligns with United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is important. The present study evaluates the performance of eight AI models-GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 Turbo 0125, o1 Mini, o1 Preview, GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, and Gemini-in regard to the relevance, clarity, and accuracy of generated ethics-based MCQs.

Methods: Each of the eight models was tasked with generating two sets …

The Stories Of African American Mothers Working Part-Time Without Mandated Job Protections, Chantelle Sharese Yancy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides unpaid, job‑protected leave only for eligible workers, and rules tied to hours, tenure, and employer size often exclude mothers working part-time. Research on U.S. family and medical leave has documented inequities in access to job protections. The lived experiences of African American/Black mothers navigating this gap remain underrepresented. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of African American/Black mothers who worked part-time without mandated job protections, with specific attention to FMLA. General systems theory provided the theoretical framework, and an Afrocentric paradigm centered African/African American/Black voice …

First Nations Education Policy: Joint Response, Ninti One, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Shaping educational policy

This is a joint submission made by Ninti One Limited and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to the development of the new First Nations Education Policy. The submission is grounded in a significant body of evidence derived from recent collaborative work, including the First Nations Teacher Strategy (FNTS), the Closing the Gap Schools Initiatives evaluation, and the VET Workforce Study. Insights are drawn directly from the lived experiences of First Nations students, educators, families, and communities with whom we work across our collective and independent projects. The paper presents recommendations across four interconnected focus areas to strengthen educational …

Leading Where You Live: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study Of Public High School Principals Who Reside In Their School Communities, Joseph Held

Doctorate in Education

Despite extensive scholarship on relational trust, social capital, place-based leadership, and culturally responsive practice, little is known about how a principal’s residency within the school community shapes leadership demands. This qualitative, multi-case study employed semi-structured interviews, reflexive memoing, and cross-case thematic analysis to examine how nine Minnesota high school principals who lived in the urban, suburban, and rural communities they served experienced leadership practice, equity work, and emotional labor. Findings revealed that residency functions as a consequential leadership condition that reorganizes how principals build trust, exercise judgment, engage families, navigate boundaries, and interpret equity-related tensions. Six themes illuminated residency as: …

What Is Happening In The World Today And Why: Humanity’S Evolving Consciousness And The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

What is happening in the world today and why? Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels. Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say. However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born--to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be. That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an …

Food Security Through Church-Sponsored Food Programs, Samantha Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A south-suburban Cook County, IL city lacks grocery stores with high-quality food options, which contributes to food insecurity. Residents often rely on highly processed, low-nutrient foods, contributing to nutritional vulnerability. Friendship Church’s food bank sporadically serves this food desert, but sustaining its operations is challenging. Using community-based participatory action research design and the food security theory, data were collected from 25 semistructured interviews with food bank beneficiaries and church staff/volunteers and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The four dimensions were examined: availability, access, utilization, and stability. Two questions guided the research: How do parishioners in one south-suburban Cook County community …

On The Legal-Theoretical Foundations Of Property Taxation Under State Ownership Of Land, Tianke Ban, Yilin Hou, Ping Zhang

Center for Policy Research

The general public and even some scholars challenge the legitimacy of levying the property tax under conditions where land is state-owned and multi-year land-use fees have already been collected at the time of house sales. This challenge points to the legal- theoretical foundations of property taxation: the core issue is whether the rights and economic utility of China's construction land-use-rights (CLUR) are sufficient to be treated as the object of property tax levy. China's Civil Law stipulates that CLUR holders have the rights to possess, use, and profit from the land during their use period, as well as the right …

After A Wildfire: Considerations For Building Environmental Testing, Andrew J. Whelton, E. Bollens, C. Ferrarezzi

Resilience to Emergencies and Disasters

No abstract provided.

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program Fy2025 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

Mediation offers a flexible alternative to court for resolving housing disputes, allowing parties to address a wider range of issues and solutions without the delays and formalities of the judicial system. The Housing Mediation Program (HMP or Program) was established in FY2021 as part of the Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), a coordinated state and federal response to the housing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), the EDI brought together housing agencies, Community Mediation Centers (Centers) through MOPC, and legal services to provide robust support for tenants and …

Veteran Families In The 2025 Mfls: Community, Transition Needs, And Family Financial Situation, Jeanette Harvie, Rosalinda V. Maury

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The 2025 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS), a collaboration between Blue Star Families and Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families since 2014, was released Feb 3, 2026. This year, the survey collected responses from over 6,000 military-connected individuals, including 2,846 veteran family respondents. Key findings include that 58% of veteran respondents described their military-to-civilian transition as difficult, with many reporting significant unmet needs for housing assistance, caregiving resources, and financial planning support at the time of transition. Preliminary analysis showed that veteran families who experienced difficult transitions may experience worse long-term outcomes, with 39% currently struggling financially …

Who Pays For Preparedness? Valuing Disaster App Features Through A Factorial Survey Experiment In Flood-Prone Communities, Katsuya Tanaka, Tadashi Kito, Kohji Tanaka

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

This study evaluates public preferences for next-generation disaster preparedness apps using a factorial survey experiment in flood-prone Japanese communities. The analysis first reveals a fundamental heterogeneity in public receptiveness, identifying two distinct segments: a small "receptive" minority (approx. 20 %) willing to consider adoption, and a large "unreceptive" majority (approx. 80 %) that rejects the app regardless of its features or price. Consequently, focusing on the receptive segment, the study estimates the economic value of specific app features. Results show that functions for immediate personal safety and family security—such as Rescue Request and Family Status Confirmation—are most highly prized. These …

Empowering Rural Voices Through Deliberative Mini-Publics, Elizabeth B. Hinchcliff

The Rural Educator

This conceptual paper explores the tension between valuing and listening to community voices, while also providing a space wherein rural advocates and community members can come together to address difficult issues prevalent within rural schooling, through deliberative mini-publics. A multiplicity of reasons supports deliberative mini-publics, but I explore three in particular, the first being that they provide a space wherein an intentionally diverse set of community voices and perspectives can be shared, listened to, and explored. Second, the goal of any democratically deliberative space is to explore multiple perspectives as part of the process to seek solutions that contribute to …

Alternative Project Delivery Methods In California: The Path Forward, Ghada M. Gad, Maria Calahorra Jimenez, Chaimae Nacir, Ronald Shrestha

Mineta Transportation Institute

Alternative Project Delivery Methods (APDMs) are increasingly being recognized as effective alternatives to the traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB) approach for transportation projects. As APDMs gain traction among California’s transportation agencies, understanding the legislative frameworks that enable their use and the characteristics of each method is critical. This study benchmarks the existing use of APDMs in California transportation agencies of varying types and sizes, while considering the characteristics (advantages and barriers/challenges to implementation) of each APDM and the authorizations enabling its implementation. Based on these findings, it also provides recommendations for key factors to consider in APDM selection and implementation. The study …

Bridging Policy And Grassroots Action With Technology: A Framework For Civic Engagement In Environmental Sustainability, Mikhail Ola Adisa, Sonny Rosenthal, Shola Oyedeji, Ifeoma Adaji, Jari Porras

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Grassroots and civic organizations are increasingly recognized as “middle actors” in sustainability, leveraging ICT-driven solutions to bridge top-down policies with bottom-up citizen engagement and behavioral change. This study examines how civic organizations in Finland and Singapore integrate digital tools to support sustainable waste management practices aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, and 17. Guided by a Design Science Research (DSR) approach and drawing on Middle-Out and multi-level governance theories, we developed and validated the Integrated Sustainability Engagement Framework (ISEF) based on interviews with 21 civic organizations and iterative feedback. Findings highlight the central roles of policy translation, localized practices, …

A Hydrogen Hub Blueprint For The California Supply Chain, Tyler Reeb, Barbara Taylor

Mineta Transportation Institute

As global climate targets tighten and state regulations accelerate, hydrogen technology presents a significant opportunity to help California supply chain and transportation stakeholders comply with state emissions mandates and global goals aimed to reduce the impacts of climate change. However, while fuel cell costs and infrastructure have received attention, workforce development remains overlooked. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are especially promising for diesel-reliant sectors that are hard to decarbonize without negatively impacting operational efficiency. But scaling hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure in tandem with emerging consumer and industrial markets will not be easy. State and federal policies, often conflicting, further …

A ‘Digital Dominion’: Launching The Commonwealth Model Law On Digital Trade, Craig Atkinson

Centre for Digital Law

A legislative text published for the benefit of its 56 member countries, the Commonwealth of Nations officially adopted the Model Law on Digital Trade (MLDT) in September 2025. The Commonwealth MLDT addresses a persistent barrier to digital trade (i.e., all trade that is digitally ordered and/or digitally delivered): the laws of many jurisdictions do not sufficiently recognise the legal requirements of electronic commerce (e-commerce) and continue to emphasise paper-bases for commercial communications and transactions in domestic and cross-border contexts.

Towards Unbordered Worlds: Mutual Aid Amid Border Internalisation In New York City, Holly Maclean

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explores the relationship between mutual aid and border regimes through the case of Tompkins Distro, a mutual aid group that organises a weekly food distribution in the East Village of New York City. It focuses specifically on two forms of border internalisation that have shaped the emergence and context of Tompkins Distro: welfare state bordering and interior border enforcement. Drawing on four months of participant observations, interviews with core organisers, and documentary analysis, the study examines how Tompkins Distro meets people’s needs each week through a framework of collective care that actively rejects border logics of deservingness and …

20 Things You Should Never Say To A Patient, Richard H. Madow Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This feature article details the financial advantages of utilizing MDA-endorsed vendors to improve practice profitability. It explains the vetting process performed by volunteers to ensure vendors offer meaningful discounts and vetted solutions. The source highlights specific services, such as PPO fee negotiation, dental marketing, and insurance verifications, which can save a practice over $58,000 annually. By leveraging collective bargaining, members gain access to revenue-boosting solutions without exhaustive trial-and-error searching.

February 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter, Evan England, Jess Carson, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The February 2026 NH ECE Research Consortium Newsletter features a spotlight on the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. Also find the latest data, research publications, Consortium resources, upcoming events, opportunities, and more.

2026 February, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for February of 2026.

Counter-Urbanization In China: A Systematic Review Toward A Comprehensive Typology, Chengxue Yang, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Drawing on a systematic review of both international and Chinese-language scholarship on counter-urbanization in China, this article proposes a comprehensive typology of counter-urbanization migrations—consisting of eight types of new migrants—based on the diverse motivations driving such migration. We build a bilingual corpus of 273 research papers published between the 1970s and 2025. Integrating bibliometric mapping and qualitative synthesis, we conduct a systematic review to trace the temporal evolution and thematic diversification of counter-urbanization research. The review reveals persistent conceptual ambiguity surrounding counter-urbanization in the Chinese context, which this study addresses by conceptually distinguishing counter-urbanization from suburban expansion, population decentralization, and …

Navigating Climate Change In Carbon Negative Bhutan: Insights From Policy Influencers And Comparison To The Wider Himalayan Region, Tashi Dorji, Angus Morrison-Saunders, David Blake

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges and spares no nation. Bhutan, as the only carbon negative country in the world, is no exception and being in the Himalayas – a region warming faster than the global average – further intensifies climate risks. This study explores how Bhutan navigates climate change through the perspectives of 41 policy influencers, including politicians, civil servants, and leaders from nongovernment organisations and the media. The findings are compared with scientific literature from the broader Himalayan region to identify shared vulnerabilities (e.g., glacial lake outburst floods, water scarcity, and agricultural disruptions) and …

Towards Enabling Environmental Social Enterprises: Two Case Studies From Egypt, Rana Emad Kamaly

Theses and Dissertations

Social enterprises (SEs) and environmental social enterprises (ESEs) are emerging as promising potential players in addressing global and Egyptian social and environmental challenges. Operating as a hybrid model of financial sustainability and environmental and social impact, ESEs operate through innovative business models to address community issues, waste management, and resource scarcity through financial sustainability. However, there is a lack of research on ESEs operations, challenges, and the enabling factors that can support their growth and impact. This study explores the enabling factors and challenges affecting ESEs in Egypt through qualitative research, analyzing two case studies from Egypt by conducting semi-structured …

Roadmap To Implement Statewide Veterans Coordinated Care In New Mexico, Nosa Akol, Zachary Bridgewater, Vincent Delsignore, Emily Graham, Mary Rachel Keville

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The New Mexico State Legislature is interested in building a statewide coordinated care network to better connect veterans and their families to service. This document translates community input into an actionable roadmap for implementation. This outlines key activities, objectives, and milestones across each phase of the project--designed to guide state leaders and implementation partners from design to launch to steady state operations.