Digital Commons Network^™

Functionality Risk Assessment And Risk-Based Management For Critical Infrastructure Systems, Anteneh Zewdu Deriba

Dissertations and Theses

Critical infrastructure systems such as transportation networks serve as the lifelines of modern society, supporting economic activity and ensuring access to critical services. Their disruption under extreme events can produce consequences extending far beyond physical damage to individual assets. In transportation networks for instance, failures of critical assets such as bridges and tunnels can reduce accessibility of communities, limit freight capabilities for commerce, and increase travel distance and travel time of road users. These consequences associated with the system functionality loss are tied not only to the physical vulnerability and failure of individual assets, but also to the system configuration …

Bridging Fiscal Sustainability And Health Equity: A Policy Analysis Of California’S Healthcare Coverage Safeguards, Guadalupe Castaneda Martinez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Without structural policy intervention, approximately 4.6 million Californians remain at risk of being uninsured by 2030, worsening racial and ethnic health disparities and hospital uncompensated care burdens. This policy analysis advocates for a hybrid universal coverage model combining sliding-scale subsidies (California Senate Bill 78) with full-scope Medi-Cal expansion for all income-eligible residents regardless of legal status (California Assembly Bill 133). The framework relies on existing funding mechanisms, including the Managed Care Organization tax and the Health Care Affordability Reserve Fund. Comparative analysis indicates that market-only subsidies leave severe equity gaps, whereas immediate single-payer transitions pose substantial fiscal and administrative risks. …

Mountain Development In Nepal: Settlements, Infrastructure, And Economic Transformation, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

As Nepal urbanizes, expands infrastructure, strengthens local governments, and explores deeper connectivity with India and China, climate change is increasing floods, landslides, heat, and water insecurity. Rapid internal migration, rising disaster risks, youth outmigration, and dependence on remittances are also revealing the limits of conventional urban development, especially in the mountainous region. The central challenge for Nepal is no longer just to accommodate growing towns and cities, but to build settlements that are safe, productive, environmentally resilient, and capable of sustaining long-term prosperity.

This paper argues that Nepal's urban future must be guided by a new development paradigm centered on …

Lessons From Tanzania’S Ujamaa For Smart Settlements In Nepal: Social Justice And Economic Development, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Nepal’s constitutional commitment to a “socialism-oriented” state places social justice, equitable access to resources and housing, and protection of marginalized populations at the center of national development discourse. However, persistent landlessness, informal settlements, unemployment, youth outmigration, and unequal access to infrastructure reveal a significant gap between constitutional aspirations and socioeconomic realities.

This article examines lessons Nepal can draw from Tanzania’s experience with Ujamaa, the African socialist development model initiated by President Nyerere in 1967. Using comparative policy analysis, published research, official documents, and exploratory field observations from selected Tanzanian locations, including the capital and villages in the Iringa Region, the …

From Militarization To Military Enforcement: The U.S. Armed Forces And Immigration Control In The Second Trump Administration, Kit Johnson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Deportation After Death By Incarceration: A Right To Redemption, Jennifer Lee Koh, Tin Nguyen

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Zeus Network And The Commercialization Of Conflict: A Critical Analysis Of Exploitation, Representation, And Reality Television, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines Zeus Network as a prominent example of the commercialization of conflict within contemporary digital media. Through reality based programming that frequently emphasizes confrontation, public humiliation, emotional volatility, and interpersonal disputes, the network has cultivated a profitable entertainment model built upon spectacle and controversy. Drawing upon conflict theory, critical race theory, and media sociology, this paper investigates whether Zeus functions as a platform for cultural representation and economic opportunity or as a system that monetizes dysfunction for audience consumption. Particular attention is given to the portrayal of Black women and Black communities, whose experiences often become central to …

Socioeconomic Indicators And Terrorist Incidents In Sub-Saharan Africa: An Empirical Panel Analysis, 1970 – 2020, Ifeoma Okoye, Suhaad Awudu, Kaeviya Butler

African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies

Terrorism remains a major security and development challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet the influence of socioeconomic conditions on terrorist activity remains unclear. This study examined the relationships between poverty, unemployment, GDP per capita, and terrorist incidents across 45 Sub-Saharan African countries using a quantitative explanatory design and secondary panel data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and the World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI). Terrorism trends were analyzed for 1970–2020, while inferential analyses focused on 2000–2020 because of greater socioeconomic data availability. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and negative binomial regression analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics. Pearson correlation …

Perceiving A Competitor: Culture And Cognitive Biases Of The Strong Enemy And The Pacing Threat, Allison Abbe

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The United States and China are prone to systematic cognitive and cultural biases that distort their mutual perceptions. Addressing these biases through cultural education and professional development is essential to overcoming blind spots in understanding the United States’ primary competitor. By applying dynamic constructivist theories from cross-cultural psychology to national security, this monograph builds on existing scholarship to reveal specific cognitive asymmetries between Western and East Asian observers. Differences such as holism, dialecticism, social inference, and perspective taking reflect the cultural lenses through which security actors perceive their competitors’ actions and intentions, but US observers often overlook the cultural factors …

Cultural Integration Of Ethiopian Immigrants And Refugees And Role Of Ethnic Nonprofits In Chicago, Aklilu Abraham Adeye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the availability of institutional services and interventions, cultural integration outcomes among refugees and immigrants often remain uneven. Existing literature has demonstrated the important role of nonprofit organizations in supporting refugee and immigrant resettlement and early integration. However, comparatively little research has examined how refugees and immigrants themselves experience the influence of nonprofit services on long-term cultural integration. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore how nonprofit services and programs influence the cultural integration experiences of Ethiopian refugees and immigrants in Chicago through the lens of the new assimilation theory and the integration context perspective. Data were …

Exploring The Experiences Of Nigerian Army Personnel With Toxic Leadership, Shamsideen Toyin Shafaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Toxic leadership has been shown to be present in Nigeria, promoting negative consequences for organizations and adverse effects on employee performance. However, how toxic leadership behaviors impact Nigerian Army operations and the performance of personnel have not been studied. Exploring toxic leadership in the Nigerian Army is important because the way in which leaders exercise influence determines the effects it has on followers. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of Nigerian Army personnel who had worked as subordinates of individuals who exhibited toxic leadership traits and its impact on their performance. The theoretical …

Economic Development Corporations In Small Communities, Mary L. Bullock

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Type A and Type B Economic Development Corporations (EDCs) in supporting economic growth in small Texas communities. Using key indicators such as population trends, employment, infrastructure, housing, and legal frameworks, this paper compares how each EDC structure addresses these issues. While both Type A and Type B Economic Development Corporations contribute to economic growth, Type B EDCs are generally more effective in small Texas communities due to their broad ability to fund housing projects, create critical infrastructure, and shape quality-of-life community development projects that have a more immediate and measurable impact on unemployment, population …

The Human Side Of Leadership: How Personality Assessments Build Self-Aware, Accountable, And Emotionally Intelligent Public Sector Leaders, Hillary Faulkner

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Public sector organizations face a persistent set of leadership challenges, including miscommunication, inconsistent accountability, and reactive decision-making, that are rarely resolved through technical training alone. This study examines how the intentional use of personality assessments can improve self-awareness, emotional intelligence, accountability, and communication among public sector leaders, and how those improvements contribute to more effective and cohesive leadership teams. Using a qualitative case study design, this research draws on Organization Analysis and Design (OAD) personality assessment data and in-depth interviews with two supervisors at a municipal government organization in Henderson, Texas, who participated in a structured six-month personality-based leadership development …

How Can Electronic Timekeeping Systems Provide Cost And Time Savings Compared To Manual Time Entry And Paper-Based Timesheets?, Jill Childs

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Paper-based timekeeping methods have historically been the default way for both municipalities and businesses to document hours worked by employees. However, due to analog timekeeping’s lack of verification methods, human error and intentional dishonesty combine to make this method unreliable. These discrepancies are also costly, as human resources staff must be compensated for the time it takes to verify entries and correct mistakes, and if unchecked, the falsified time can potentially result in thousands of dollars of unearned wages lost. This article details various methods and motivations for falsification and argues for the implementation of electronic timekeeping systems, such as …

Succession, Sustainability, And Service: Workforce And Leadership Challenges In Rural Municipal Governments, Dewayne Armstrong

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Rural municipal governments across Texas and the United States face a convergence of workforce and leadership challenges that threaten long-term service delivery and organizational sustainability. An aging public-sector workforce, persistent recruitment and retention constraints, and fragile leadership continuity interact in ways that uniquely affect small and rural communities. Public works departments, which play a vital role in infrastructure maintenance and regulatory compliance, are particularly vulnerable as experienced employees approach retirement without adequate succession pipelines or mechanisms for institutional knowledge transfer. At the same time, small-town governments face ongoing difficulty attracting and retaining qualified personnel due to constrained fiscal capacity, geographic …

Medical Tourism Patient Guidance: A Content Analysis Of Risk Reduction Guidelines Available To Global Health Seekers., Alicia Mason, Angela Ashmore

Faculty Submissions

This study examines medical tourism (MT) patient guidance messages intended to reduce procedural risks—those directly related to biomedical treatments—and process risks, which involve logistical, administrative, and interpersonal challenges of seeking healthcare abroad. The analysis focuses on print and digital publications authored by individuals independent of the MT industry, including policy researchers, travel health experts, lifestyle reporters, and consumer-focused medical travel writers. Using a two-phase digital and database search strategy, 27 publications from 2009 to 2024 were identified and analyzed using exploratory content analysis methods. Findings reveal important differences in the scope and depth of guidance aimed at reducing risks for …

Fighting With Data: Design Implications For Ai-Enabled Mission-Command Systems, C. Anthony Pfaff

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Fighting with Data examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping military decision making by changing both the speed of command and the structure of cognition within mission-command systems. Rather than treating AI as a tool that merely accelerates existing staff processes, this monograph recognizes AI redistributes cognitive labor across a network of people, data, tools, and operational processes. In this new environment, commanders and staffs spend less time assembling information and more time interpreting meaning, judging uncertainty, and deciding how to act.

This shift in the human role requires a new way of thinking about trust in military AI. Traditional …

Wildfire Risk & Preparedness For Urban Rail Operators Supporting Large Stadium Events, Karl Kim, Eric Yamashita, Daniele Spirandeli, David Rother

Mineta Transportation Institute

The project team, in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, developed a four-hour training course designed to build a foundational understanding of how wildfire hazards affect rail systems infrastructure operations and how this knowledge can help equip urban rail operators with tools and best practices for proactive risk management. Led by the University of Hawaiʻi and the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, in partnership with Haley & Aldrich, Inc., this technical report presents an overview of the four modules and scenario planning exercise that together make up the four-hour Wildfire Risk & Preparedness for Urban Rail Operators Supporting Large Stadium Events …

Enhancing Wildfire Resilience In The Rail Industry: Developing A Community Resilience Extreme Events Portal (Creep), Karl Kim, Eric Yamashita, Daniele Spirandeli, David Rother, Chris Chiesa, Greg Hampe, Michele Toner

Mineta Transportation Institute

The Community Resilience Extreme Events Portal (CREEP) provides a centralized platform for accessing wildfire danger indices, critical asset locations, and vulnerability scores for rail segments. The project team developed a data-driven, indicator-based vulnerability assessment framework that defines vulnerability as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. To build this framework, the team selected publicly available datasets, prioritizing national datasets whenever possible to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and scalability. The portal allows users to analyze and visualize vulnerability across 1-kilometer segments of Class I freight and passenger rail lines in California, supporting planning and mitigation prioritization to help reduce rail-related fatalities, …

The Economic Benefits And Costs Of State And Local Incentives For Clean Energy Projects, Timothy J. Bartik, Gerrit Anderson, Brian J. Asquith, Kathleen Bolter, Kyle Huisman, Iryna V. Lendel, Jeremy Morris, Sevrin Williams

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Extreme Heat And Its Impact On Public Transit Ridership In Nyc, Craig Denton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the connection between extreme heat events and public transit ridership patterns in New York City, with a particular emphasis on low-income communities. It investigates the intersection of socioeconomic factors and heat-related challenges, analyzing how extreme temperature periods influence overall transit use and why certain routes or neighborhoods experience greater declines in ridership during these events.

Utilizing existing literature, NYC-specific transit and climate datasets, and the broader context of transit equity, this research aims to inform strategies that strengthen climate resilience within urban transportation systems. The study’s findings are intended to support policy development and planning initiatives that …

The Introduction Of High-Speed Rail And Its Impact On Mode Choice The Case Of Morocco’S Al Boraq, Michael Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Morocco's Al Boraq, Africa's first high-speed rail line, reshaped mode choice along the Casablanca-Tangier corridor. Drawing on ONCF ridership data, 234 rider surveys, and nine months of fieldwork, this ex-post assessment finds accelerated passenger growth, substantial induced demand, and mode shift from automobiles, informing Global South HSR development.

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

Nh Ece Research Agenda, Jess Carson, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Tyrus Parker, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care & Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium’s statewide research agenda identifies questions NH most needs answered to build, strengthen, and sustain its ECE system. The agenda is designed to help researchers, state leaders, funders, advocates, and community partners align work around shared priorities, avoid duplication, and make better use of high-quality evidence to guide policy, practice, and systems change. The Consortium will maintain this agenda as a living resource, updating it as the field’s needs and evidence base evolve. This agenda is meant to support coordinated action, not simply list possible research topics. Partners can use …

Market Rate Survey & Narrow Cost Analysis: 2026 Worksheet, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

Child care providers in New Hampshire can use this worksheet to gather the information they will need to complete the 2026 Market Rate Survey and Narrow Cost Analysis. Not all questions may be relevant to each program. All questions should be answered with information current as of September 15, 2026.

Nh Ece Research Consortium Member List, Evan England, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

NH ECE Research Consortium membership is open to individuals and organizations with relevant expertise that aligns with the purpose of the Consortium, including the advancement of knowledge to support early care and education in NH. Check out the current Consortium members in this graphic!

Coming Fall 2026: Complete The Market Rate Survey, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

From Open Banking To Banking-As-A-Service: Regulatory Challenges In The Evolution Of Financial Intermediation, Nydia Remolina Leon

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Over the past decade, financial innovation has moved from open banking, centred on consumer-permissioned data sharing, to banking-as-a-service (BaaS), which modularises core banking functions through application programming interfaces. This shift allows fintechs and non-financial platforms to embed financial products seamlessly, reducing transaction costs and fostering innovation. Yet the 2024 collapse of Synapse in the United States exposed the fragility of this model when intermediaries operate outside robust oversight, leaving consumers without recourse and revealing liability fragmentation and regulatory blind spots. This paper distinguishes BaaS from open banking, open finance, and embedded finance, and maps leading global models – from bank-led …

Exploring Discretionary Benefits’ Impact On Michigan Public Sector Employees, Sydnie N. Smith

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Productivity, well-being, and retention are factors that impact organizational success and goal attainment; in the public sector in Michigan, employees are the most valuable asset. This research paper seeks to answer the following question: How does the adoption of unlimited PTO policies shape workforce morale, productivity, and retention in public sector employment? Current research into paid leave policy’s impact on employees is scant, it is further limited in the scope of public sector employees. This paper believes that research is needed to determine the relationship between paid leave benefits and employee productivity, well-being/morale, and retention as it could improve public …

The Black Student Union At Northern Michigan University: Leadership, Community, And Institutional Change Through Student Activism, Marlanaysia Rosser

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

This paper explores how the Black Student Union (BSU) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) has influenced and contributed to the development of support systems for Black students in alignment with broader historical movements. Through archival records and four interviews with former BSU leaders, this study examines the impact of student activism on institutional change, leadership development, and community. The findings revealed that student activism at NMU reflected many of the concerns and strategies occurring across the nation during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. While the experiences of BSU members and institutional support shifted across generations, BSU remained a …