Digital Commons Network^™

Community Voices, Climate Action Choices: Working Towards A Resilient Monterey County, Lesley A. Solano Alonso

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Vulnerable communities in Monterey County face disproportionate environmental and health impacts due to climate change, yet many residents remain unaware of the tools and resources available to support local action. This capstone project was implemented in partnership with Ecology Action (EA) and the Resilient Central Coast (RCC) campaign to increase awareness and engagement with the RCC platform. Serving diverse communities across Monterey County, the project included bilingual outreach efforts, community tabling, educational presentations, and a climate action survey. Over 650 residents were engaged directly, resulting in 99 new household sign-ups on the RCC website, a major milestone for the agency. …

Perceptions Of Identity And Blame Attribution In Sexual Harassment Scenarios, Avarie Lambert

Honors Theses

Sexual harassment is a widespread issue influenced by societal attitudes that stem from victim blaiming and rape myth acceptance. These perceptions are often shaped by the identities of the parties involved, however there is limited research on how gender and race influence blame attribution. The purpose of this study is to examine how different identities shape public perceptions of victims in sexual harassment scenarios. Through using a nationwide sample and survey experiment, participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight different hypothetical scenarios that differed by the race and gender of the victim, and the gender of the perpetrator. …

Understanding And Modeling Pooled Rideshare Acceptance: Influential Factors, Preferred User Experiences, And Implications, Rakesh Gangadharaiah

All Dissertations

This dissertation explores factors influencing pooled rideshare (PR) adoption to provide actionable insights for transportation network companies (TNCs) and policymakers. PR allows travelers to share rides with unknown passengers, offering benefits such as cost reduction and congestion relief. However, adoption remains limited due to safety concerns, privacy issues, and trust in rideshare platforms. A national U.S. survey with 5,385 respondents examined transportation preferences and barriers to PR adoption. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified five key factors influencing PR consideration—safety, service experience, privacy, traffic/environment, and time/cost. Second factor analyses examined ways to optimize PR experiences, revealing four factors—comfort/ease of use, …

The Interplay Of Housing Instability And Mathematics During Adolescence: A Retrospective Study Of Black Stem Folx, Sharetta M. W. Bufford

All Dissertations

Few studies have delved into the delicate nuances that impact Black students’ mathematics performance, nor have they paid much attention to the resources students leverage to overcome systems that perpetuate negative stereotypes about Black youth. For decades, studies about Black youth have been explored from a deficit perspective, shedding negative light on circumstances typically beyond the control of those being studied. Even more, some studies have placed blame on parents and parental figures in the lives of Black children for unacceptable school behavior and poor academic progress (Cobb II & Russell, 2015). Black youth have been portrayed as problematic, disruptive, …

Reforming Pensions In Africa: Addressing Coverage, Payout Disparities, And Dementia Outcomes For Sustainable Aging, Cyprian Mostert, Catherine Ajalo, David Andai

Brain and Mind Institute

No abstract provided.

Rebuilding The American Dream: Understanding And Alleviating First-Time Home Buyer Affordability Challenges In Northwest Arkansas, Samuel R. Butler

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Homeownership is a cornerstone of the American Dream. It is linked to numerous socioeconomic benefits such as social cohesion, civic engagement, imbalance in opportunities, education, and public health. However, in recent years, housing affordability across the nation and in Northwest Arkansas has become challenging.

Part I of this thesis explains the importance of homeownership nationally and the deteriorating conditions of first-time homebuyers. It explains the key drivers of housing affordability over time, and it explains the connection between zoning and affordability.

Part II focuses on the housing market in Northwest Arkansas (NWA). I forecast the NWA housing demand, which highlights …

Living In Essex: A Community Needs Assessment, Sue Berger, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Essex. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Essex residents age 18 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Essex citizens 60 and older.

The Association Between Economic Outcomes And Abortion: A Scoping Review, Larisa Nicole Stephenson

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Abortion access is not just an issue of autonomy, but an economic issue as well. Evidence of the intersectionality of abortion health care and economics has endured due to the financial cascading effects a denial of an abortion, or the inability to access an abortion, has on one’s personal, professional, and economic upward mobility. A change in recent policies impacting access to abortion warrants an updated synthesis examining the relationships between economic outcomes and abortion access for people of reproductive age in the United States (U.S.).

Aim: This scoping review summarizes evidence pertaining to the association …

The Structural Barriers In Occupational Licensing For Undocumented Students, Itzayana J. Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Research has focused on understanding the barriers to financial stability, higher education, and access to healthcare among undocumented immigrants but less efforts have been geared towards identifying the obstacles they face in obtaining professional licensure. This exploratory study sought to identify the structural barriers to professional licensure for undocumented students in higher education. Methods: Qualitative data were collected on the licensing requirements of behavioral health careers in California. Using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administrations determination of behavioral health careers, specific professions were identified. The requirements for professional licensure were extracted from each profession’s official …

Examining Spirituality/Religiousness As A Protective Factor For The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Selena M. Balderas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The school to prison pipeline (STPP) is a systemic issue that reflects the intersection of educational inequities and punitive practices disproportionately affecting society’s youth in underserved communities. The STPP funnels students out of educational environments and into the criminal justice system through the overuse of punitive practices such as suspension, expulsion, and school-based arrests. This especially affects students of color, LGBTQ youth and those with disabilities and perpetuates cycles of injustice, poverty, marginalization, and incarceration. The social control theory provides a useful framework in understanding the relationship between deviant behavior and social bonds (Stewart & Rapp, 2017). When individuals …

Impact Of Crime On Interstate Transport Operations In Northcentral Nigeria, Muhammed Etudaiye Ohida

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The study investigated the impact of crime on interstate road transport operations in north-central Nigeria. The study relies on descriptive statistics to describe the features of the populations. 200 questionnaires were purposefully administered to the four major interstate motor parks in the capital of some north-central states (i.e., Minna, Lokoja, Benue, and Lafia) using random sampling techniques. The gathered data was analysed using percentages and charts, while the T-test statistics were used to test the study hypothesis. The result shows that there is a statistically significant influence of crimes on interstate transport operations in north-central Nigeria. The study concluded that …

A Theoretical Model Of Participatory Team Science Training, Angela E. Jordan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

BACKGROUND: Teams have long been used to address major scientific and societal problems, and interdisciplinary teams are understood to be the best approach to complex systems-based problems like climate change. Engaged research collaborations incorporating community members as equal partners in research projects are recognized as both a means of advancing equity and justice in research, and also of improving the success of research translation by developing solutions with community use-value. The science of team science (TS) and community-engaged research (CEnR) have emerged as scholarly disciplines, with attempts to define competencies, skills, functioning, and success. A growing body of literature in …

Parent-Child Contact In Family-Focused Programs For Incarcerated Individuals, Carol Marie Nettie Mcdonald

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The following research study will evaluate family-focused programs offered to incarcerated individuals and determine if these programs are hindered when there is little to no contact between parents and children during incarceration. Family-focused programs include parent/child bonding, and/or parenting classes and other similar programs. The research method that will be used in this study is a qualitative design and will gather data through interviews of formerly incarcerated individuals as well as former children (now adults) who have been involved in family programming. The study will also gather data from licensed clinical staff who have been involved in related programming while …

Social Workers Perception Of Co-Occuring Disorders, Mirella Ramirez, Raelyn Calderon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study investigates how social work practitioners in California view their approach to treating people with co-occurring disorders—disorders that involve both mental health and drug use problems. Eleven clinicians participated in in-depth Zoom interviews for the study, which reveals the main obstacles and variables affecting their treatment with patients who have co-occurring illnesses. The questions focused on the clinician's own experiences working with clients, including the challenges they face and common miscommunications or occurrences that have influenced their approach. Numerous challenges are shown by the research, such as complicated client needs, scarce resources, stigma, and a lack of family support. …

A Systematic Review Of Effective School-Based Interventions Against Bullying In The United States, Jessica Lopez Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Bullying remains a persistent issue within the United States (U.S.) educational system, affecting–among other things–students’ well-being, academic performance, and mental health. This mixed-methods systematic review was purported to address gaps in previous literature by identifying effective school-based interventions against bullying implemented between 2017 and 2024 in the U.S. Using a purposive sampling method, this review screened three electronic databases: APA PsycNET, ERIC, and JSTOR to garner relevant studies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed to ensure rigorous selection and analysis of relevant articles. There were four studies in this systematic review (n=4). The …

Barriers Individuals And Families Experience Utilizing Anti-Poverty Programs, Miranda C. Dube'

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This proposed study aims to explore the barriers experienced by residents of the High Desert communities. Using a quantitative method approach, the proposed research will employ surveys to provide a comprehensive understanding of the outcomes experienced by the High Desert residents. Participants will be selected within the High Desert communities, aged 18 years or older, who have or are currently experiencing poverty. The findings from this proposed study would contribute to bridging gaps in understanding the barriers residents of the High Desert experience. By identifying factors that suppress successfully utilizing anti-poverty programs, this research proposal would aim to inform the …

Language, Equity, And Power: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Student Conduct Policies At Unl, Mandi Laib

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study conducts a Critical Discourse Analysis of student conduct policies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1977 to 2003 to examine how language reflects and reinforces institutional power structures. Utilizing Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory, this research investigates how conduct policies have historically marginalized Students of Color, LGBTQ+ students, and those facing economic hardship. Through a deductive coding process, themes such as institutional control, surveillance, and punitive framing were identified across four decades of student handbooks. While there are moments where student rights and restorative justice are acknowledged, these are often overshadowed by dominant discourse that prioritizes compliance …

Structuring The Sustainability Of Happiness In Critical Postmodernity: A Metadata, Mixed-Methods Study In Education, Roxanne Renee Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation study is built upon a pilot study that uses a meta-theoretical analysis on the culture of education. The purpose of it is to examine [un]happiness, a phenomenon influenced by the social, political, and economic systems in Western paradigms within a critical postmodern view, looking at the intricacies of schooling, as no studies have taken a bottom-up approach to investigate the voices of the main stakeholders: students, teachers, and administrators. My study questions whether a holistic, liberating, and socially responsive curriculum could engender a positive learning environment wherein happiness is sustainable. Within happiness studies, hope is essential, so much …

A Framework For Quantifying The Benefits Of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Development, Donya Negahbani

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Under the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, a significant portion of benefits derived from federal clean transportation investments is required to be directed to disadvantaged communities. Meeting this mandate necessitates a transparent and reproducible approach that quantifies various dimensions of value and allocates them equitably. This dissertation presents a flexible framework specifically tailored for the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Nebraska, effectively translating equity goals into rigorous spatial and economic analyses. The framework first identifies multiple distinct categories of benefit that reflect the societal value of charging access: energy savings, economic opportunities, environmental quality enhancements, and public health improvements. …

Educational Leadership In A Vuca World: The Crisis Management Experiences Of Rural School Superintendents, Lucas J. Grossnicklaus

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The job of both urban and rural superintendents is challenging, but it is the rural school superintendency that comes with unique challenges that aren’t always faced by their urban and suburban counterparts. The COVID-19 Pandemic brought about a number of crises for school superintendents such as school closures, mask mandates, and navigating positions taken by governors, teachers unions, and school boards. While concerns about school closures and mask mandates has dissipated, conflict within school districts has only seemed to grow since the pandemic.

This multi-case study explored the lived experience of rural superintendents in the Midwest who have experienced a …

2025 May, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2025.

Limitations Due To Occupational Credentialing For Immigrants In Massachusetts: Survey Report, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Jonathan Vega-Martinez, Maria M. Pache De Athayde

Gastón Institute Publications

The Gastón Institute began investigating occupational credentialing because of a previous research project with English for New Bostonians, which had found that many people in its ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes complained that lack of an occupational credential had caused them to suffer unemployment or underemployment. The Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation provided the funding for a study addressing the problem of determining the extent to which Massachusetts immigrants are having trouble in the labor market because they lack the proper occupational credentials. The study has two complementary components: a qualitative study with interviews of …

The Burden Of Care: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lived Experiences Of Homeless Shelter Administrators Leading Through The Pandemic And Lasting Implications On Program Operations, Marie Adele Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The theories guiding this study are Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, conflict theory, and complex systems theory, which explain the relationship between the theory and resource limitations and acquisition, systems, and nature of acquiring human needs. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe homeless shelter administrators'/directors' experiences delivering services during the COVID-19 pandemic on the Eastern Coast of the United States and Texas. It further seeks to unravel how the pandemic informed the delivery of services and program administration related to homeless shelters and its impacts. The research questions sought to understand the impact of COVID-19 on delivering services …

Critically Assessing Normative Methods And Their Limitations In Managing Crowding Within Parks And Protected Areas, Glendon R. Vansandt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Visitor experiences in parks and protected areas are shaped by a variety of environmental, managerial, and social factors. To ensure that visitors enjoy their time in these spaces, management agencies often adopt guidelines to establish acceptable levels for different aspects of these experiences. One of the most selected factors is perceived crowding, which reflects how crowded visitors feel in a given area. When perceived crowding exceeds desired levels, it can significantly diminish visitor satisfaction.

This thesis presents two studies aimed at identifying the shortcomings of the management of perceived crowding. The first study conducts a comprehensive literature review that identifies …

Limited Supermarket Access Areas In The Mountain West, 2010-2020, Taylor Volk, Ivan Sun, Mohit Pande, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on limited supermarket access areas in the Mountain West from 2010 to 2020. The “Limited Supermarket Access Analysis” report, published by the Reinvestment Fund, offers data for populations that reside in Limited Supermarket Access (LSA) areas in U.S. states and in major U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) with a population of at least 1,000,000 people. This fact sheet presents both state-level and MSA-level data for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals In Our Community: Policy Recommendations To Address Discrimination-Related Stresses, Emylia N. Terry

Lincy Institute Events

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals face a wide range of mental and physical health challenges, which contribute to higher rates of suicide. SGM individuals encounter distress, discrimination, and in some cases, harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ laws and policies that contribute to additional mental and physical health stress. A web-based survey of 1,034 SGM participants in the United States measured the types and frequency of discrimination occurrences and related distress. The survey considers the variety of interactions between individuals and their relationships, while also measuring the community and societal factors that affect health outcomes for SGM individuals. This research evaluates many variables …

Accessing Critical Resources For Family Emergency Preparedness, Nancy L. Coffman

ATU Scholars Symposium

This study evaluates the accessibility and effectiveness of online disaster preparedness resources for families. Through content analysis of publicly available emergency planning materials, the research identifies four major barriers impeding family preparedness: technical jargon, geographic limitations, financial constraints, and incomplete information. The analytical sample included resources from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and specialized platforms, assessed through a researcher-developed evaluation instrument examining linguistic accessibility, geographic specificity, implementation feasibility, and informational comprehensiveness.

Findings reveal that while many resources demonstrated strengths in providing comprehensive content with clear language, significant deficiencies exist regarding geographic specificity and practical implementation guidance. Free resources often lacked depth, …

New Tricks? Understanding The Role Of Education, Incarceration, And Reentry On The Older Correctional Population, Angela S. Murolo Phd, Lena Campagna Phd

Journal of Prison Education Research

Abstract

Education in prison provides an opportunity for personal growth and increased professional opportunities upon release. As older people leave prison and return to communities, the need for education serves multiple functions including successful reentry and healthy aging. The aim of this research was to explore the current literature relevant to older people during incarceration and upon release. The authors conducted a systematic literature review on 15 years of research between 2008- 2023 to understand how education in prison impacts older people while incarcerated and upon release. Articles published prior to 2008 were excluded from this study. Twenty-seven articles were …

The Success Of The Clinton, Bush, And Trump Administrations In Securitizing Mexican And Central American Immigration Through Border Policies, Madeline Lynch

The Compass

U.S. political discourse has framed immigration from Mexico and Central America as a security threat, driven by political, economic, and racial motivations. American presidential administrations are able to further racialize and criminalize immigrants coming from the Global South through rhetoric in legislation and executive orders that frame migration as a national security issue. Administrations focus on this narrative to indicate that the security threat is harmful to the interests of Americans. Although few migrants do present security threats to the US, the rhetoric used by various presidential administrations generalize these populations as a political tactic to further control and militarize …

Understanding The Needs Of The Intellectually And Developmentally Disabled And Autistic Population In The Criminal Justice System, Emily Sateary

Master of Arts in Human Services

This paper explores the inequitable treatment of the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled and Autistic (IDD/A) population in the criminal justice system. Although progress has been made over the past century with understanding the unique needs of this population, they still face challenges at all stages of the criminal justice system. Behavioral, social skills, and sensory challenges make it difficult for the IDD/A population to avoid criminal justice contact and to understand the criminal justice process. Insufficient training for police and attorneys harms both persons with IDD/A and criminal justice professionals. This paper examines current practices in place that are barriers …