Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Tariffs On Auto Parts Trade With China, Canada And Mexico: Ai-Driven Strategies For Supply Chain Optimization, Katie Cerda, Layla Dickerson, Riley Gibson, Oluwabunmi Sanusi

Posters - 2025

U.S. tariffs (7.5-25%) on auto parts from China, Canada, and Mexico are severely disrupting the automotive industry, a key global economic driver. These tariffs dramatically increase production costs and vehicle prices, potentially by up to $12,200 per vehicle (CBS News, 2025; MarketWatch, 2025). These tariffs necessitate major supply chain adjustments, leading to inefficiencies (MIT Sloan, 2024). Supplier diversification, while intended to mitigate tariff impact, extends lead times and shrinks profit margins (XenonStack, 2025). The industry's complex supplier network is now highly vulnerable, compelling companies to seek more adaptable strategies. AI-driven technologies like predictive analytics and route optimization offer potential solutions …

Immigration: A Comparative Analysis Of The United States And Europe, Julissa Cavazos

Posters - 2025

* What can the United States do to improve the immigration system compared to Europe?

* What ideas and procedures could the United States adopt to alleviate the current immigration issue?

Hubungan Dukungan Sosial Rekan Kerja Dengan Stres Kerja (Studi Pada Pekerja Di Pt X), Aisyah Permatasari

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Workers are vulnerable to work-related stress due to job demands, time constraints, and limited leisure time, leading to psychological issues such as anxiety related to their work. In the context of social welfare studies, job stress affects overall workers’ well-being and disrupts their social functioning in the workplace. Social support from coworkers is potentially reduce stress in workplace, which is crucial for creating organizational well-being. It also helps workers improve job engagement, cope with fatigue, and manage stress. This study examined the relationship between social support from coworkers and job stress among 90 employees …

Caring Across Borders: Demographic Shifts And Migrant Care In Asean-Korea Dynamics, Saqib Fardan Ahmada, Wahid Nur Kartiko

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

This article aims to examine the migration policies and migrant care in the context of relations between ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Korea. As Korea is dealing with an aging population, an increase in female labour force participation, and an ultra low fertility rate, caregiving, especially for the elderly, has become a pivotal issue. Besides, the traditional nuclear family structure, which has historically served as the primary caregiver for the elderly, is also losing its prominence. In such demographic shift, migrant care workers from AMS are filling the demand for caregiving in Korea, leading to a cross-border international migration from …

Strategi Pemulihan Berkelanjutan Melalui Program Pemberdayaan: Studi Pada Petani Bawang Dan Coklat Di Wilayah Pascabencana Sulawesi Tengah, Resti Mirza Apriani

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Natural disasters in Central Sulawesi in 2018 damaged the onion and cocoa farming sectors, which are the main sources of livelihood for the local communities. Post-disaster economic recovery requires sustainable empowerment programs, such as access to capital, agricultural technology, and training to enhance farmers’ capacity. BAZNAS collaborated with PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) through SMI’s CSR program to implement an empowerment initiative for onion farmers in Guntarano Village (Tanantovea Subdistrict, Donggala Regency) and Duyu Subdistrict (Tatanga Subdistrict, Palu City), as well as cocoa farmers in Tuva Village (Gumbasa Subdistrict, Sigi Regency), areas affected by the Central Sulawesi earthquake. This study …

Perkembangan Dan Pengorganisasian Program Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Oleh Yayasan Nurani Dunia Di Purwakarta, Kamilah Dwi Kurniawati, Ismi Arsilah Rahmawati

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in advancing societal welfare. However, while their numbers have increased, public trust remains low, as NGOs are often perceived to lack the capacity to design and evaluate programs effectively and fail to engage local stakeholders (Bodja, 2006). Previous research has predominantly focused on NGOs' roles in enhancing community participation and social networks, overlooking the importance of program management and stakeholder relations. This article examines the development of program frameworks, program organization, and the involvement of local organizations in Yayasan Nurani Dunia, an NGO that focuses on community development and dedicated to program innovation. …

The Role Of Affordable Housing In Enhancing Tenants' Economic Stability In Connecticut: A Focus On Income, Employment, And Housing Stability, Osaid Zubi

Dissertations

This study examined the role of affordable housing in promoting economic stability among low- and moderate-income households in Connecticut. Focusing on income security, employment opportunities, and housing retention, this research highlighted the significance of affordable housing as a means to alleviate financial strain, support job retention, and foster community resilience. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, the study gathered insights from tenants, policymakers, and developers through conducting interviews and a focus group. Connecticut was chosen as the study site due to its high cost of living and affordable housing shortage, exacerbated by its proximity to New York City. Findings underscore the economic …

Build Public Renewables, Again, Sandeep Vaheesan

Michigan Law Review

A review of The Price Is Wrong: Why Capitalism Won’t Save the Planet. By Brett Christophers.

Process Of Determining Multilevel Performance Indicators To Assess Network Effectiveness: A Qualitative Case Study Of Usaid’S People-To-People Reconciliation Programs, Prapti Sedhain

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Although the literature considers networks as effective mechanisms for resolving complex policy issues and delivering public services, assessing network effectiveness through proper evaluation is necessary to determine whether networks really work (Provan & Milward, 2001). However, evaluating effectiveness in networks is more complicated than in single organizations. Due to the multilevel structure of the network and the involvement of various key stakeholders with multiple and diverse interests, it becomes challenging for network managers and evaluation practitioners to determine relevant performance indicators for evaluation (Provan & Milward, 2001; Babiak, 2009; Herranz, 2019). Despite previous efforts by scholars to address this issue, …

Beyond The Bickering: Examining Event, Victim, And Offender Characteristics For Sibling Abuse Incidents In Oregon, Isabella M. Starr

University Honors Theses

Sibling violence (SV) is the most prevalent form of intrafamilial and domestic violence, yet it remains underrecognized and lacks the systematic attention given to other forms of family violence. Often minimized or misclassified as typical sibling rivalry, SV can inflict serious and lasting physical, emotional, and psychological harm on its victims. This study explores the characteristics of sibling violence incidents reported to law enforcement in Oregon between 2016 and 2023, using data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Through an analysis of 5,793 single-victim, single-offender incidents, the research examines demographic patterns among victims and offenders, incident dynamics, and typological …

Evidence-Based Practices And Us State Government Civil Servants: Current Use, Challenges, And Pathways Forward, Yuan (Daniel) Cheng, Leslie Thompson, Shuping Wang, Jules Marzec, Chengxin Xu, Weston Merrick, Patrick Carter

Center for Policy Design and Governance

This brief summarizes "Evidence-based practices and US state government civil servants: Current use, challenges, and pathways forward," co-authored by Yuan (Daniel) Cheng, Leslie Thompson, Shuping Wang, Jules Marzec, Chengxin Xu, Weston Merrick, and Patrick Carter in Public Administration Review.

From Flames To Change: An Exploration Of Housing, Fire, And Inequity, Helen Underhill, Charles R. Jennings, Brian Meacham, Danielle Antonellis

Publications and Research

Housing and fire safety are deeply connected: inadequate and poorly maintained housing poses heightened fire risk for occupants. An individual or household’s housing situation (including limited or constrained choice) interacts with issues such as affordability, access, location, quality, safety, occupancy levels, tenure type, and resident or immigration status. These dynamics shape vulnerability, and inequity becomes most visible in the event of a fire. The extreme end of this spectrum includes the unhoused, who occupy structures entirely outside of regulatory systems with little or no fire protection.

How Does Adult Foster Care Affect Mental Health Outcomes In California?, Christopher A. Stanley

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Mental health in adult foster care is an important threat to the overall mental health of the citizens of California. Mental health has challenged professionals and recipients of adult foster care. Although mental health and adult foster care have had some connections (i.e., people with mental health issues typically live in adult foster care), the mental health effects of living in an adult foster care have been overlooked. In particular, mental health has been separated from general medical issues and has been overlooked as a necessary part of a person's overall health. This capstone paper will draw upon the literature …

Key Factors That Influence The Successful Implementation And Sustainment Of Dei Within Probation Departments, Natalie Martinez

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

The successful implementation and sustainment of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within probation departments is essential to create a fair and just criminal justice system. This paper examines the principal elements that impact the implementation and sustainability of DEI practices in probation settings. This research identifies best practices and challenges in integrating DEI principles into organizational structures by analyzing existing literature, case studies, and policy frameworks. The findings highlight the importance of leadership commitment, policy integration, and measurement, as well as an environment that fosters an inclusive culture. Additionally, the study examines barriers such as resistance to change, policy …

An Examination Of The Role Bureaucratic Discretion Plays In Public Education Policy And Administration: A Revelation Of How Discretionary Discipline Impacts Historically Marginalized Students, Regina Francine Turner

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

An under-researched area of public administration, bureaucratic discretionary practices regarding student discipline and resulting inequitable consequences are explored throughout this study from a theoretical perspective. The study examines student discipline outcomes for conduct violations in America’s schools. Further, research will determine if data supports the notion that school leaders’ administrative discretion contributes to inequitable student disciplinary practices. Evidenced by research and corresponding data regarding discriminatory student disciplinary actions, this study relies on Critical Race Theory (CRT) as its foundation and theoretical framework.

Using relevant literature, research questions were formed, hypotheses were crafted, and statistical analyses were performed to test means …

Does Motivation Matter? An Investigation Of The Influence Of Public Service Motivation On The Performance Of Public-Private Partnerships In New Jersey, Giovanni Cusmano

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study is to address the lack of research on the relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and the performance of public-private partnerships. The purpose of this dissertation is to measure the relationship and influence of PSM on the performance of public-private partnerships and the relationship and influence PSM has on the public sector member, the private sector member, and lastly of the partnership itself. This study focused on a specific type of public-private partnership, the business improvement districts (BIDs) in New Jersey. This study sought to answer the following overarching question: What is the influence …

Modeling The Impacts Of Disruptive Events On Driving Behaviors, Transportation Safety, And Equity: Advanced Statistical Insights From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Xiaomeng Dong

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation aims to understand how disruptive events —particularly the COVID-19 pandemic—affect driving behaviors, transportation safety and equity by leveraging advanced statistical modeling techniques and data from Virginia. This research pursues three overarching objectives. First, it employs multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) to uncover the complex interrelationships among risky driving behaviors, injury severity, and pandemic-related factors, delineating the mechanisms through which COVID-19 has impacted crash outcomes via changing risky driving behaviors. Second, it leverages hidden Markov models to trace shifts in safety states over the pre-, during-, and post-pandemic periods, determining whether and when safety conditions return to pre-pandemic norms. …

Leveraging Allies, Partners, And Technology: A Case Study Approach To Identifying Best Practices For Improving Us Military All-Domain Urban Training, Kevin Michael Felix

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In this study, the researcher explored urban training gaps, opportunities, and synergies across the United States and five Allied and partner nations, and how synthetic training environments (STE) technologies should be optimized now and in the future to improve US all-domain urban training. The researcher adopted a qualitative multiple case study approach, analyzing military doctrine, urban warfare training strategies, and infrastructure in the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Israel, and Singapore to establish best practices across these countries. Urban warfare requires specialized skills to negotiate terrain, including high-rise buildings, subterranean networks, and dense civilian populations. However, the existing U.S. military …

New Policy Tools And Traditional Policy Models: Better Understanding Behavioural, Digital And Collaborative Instruments, Michael Howlett, Sarah Giest, Ishani Mukherjee, Araz Taeihagh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The study of policy tools has been undertaken for several decades. This work has isolated and examined many different types of instruments or levers utilized by governments to implement their policies and examined in detail how they are arranged into mixes, packages, or portfolios of tools. However, recent developments in society and technology have highlighted the potential to use new or previously underutilized policy instruments for both traditional tasks and to address new challenges associated with emerging technologies and other contemporary issues. These tools include social media platforms, collaboration, behavioral insights, and data-driven approaches to policy-making and policy design using …

How Seeing Rural America As A Commons Can (Re)Build Mutual Respect Across The Rural-Urban Divide, Lisa R. Pruitt

West Virginia Law Review

This Essay, written for a symposium that honors and amplifies Ann Eisenberg’s 2024 book, Reviving Rural America: Toward Policies for Resilience, contemplates benefits that could flow from taking seriously Eisenberg’s conceptualization of rural America as a commons. In particular, I argue that the mutual respect and collaboration necessary for a successful commons could help heal the rural-urban rift, which has widened dramatically in the last few decades. Recent studies suggest that rural residents have what scholars call a rural consciousnesses, which means that living in a rural place is a key aspect of their identity. One feature of this identity …

Policymakers’ Perceptions About Providing Affordable Housing In Rural Georgia, Robert Joseph Wiley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature showed that low-income households face a persistent deficit of affordable housing, forcing these families to live in dilapidated housing or to live beyond their means to pay for adequate housing, and that this problem transcends rural and urban counties. Further, researchers indicated that solving this problem provided a stable workforce and a better quality of life for all income groups. A gap in the literature showed the need for more research on nonmetropolitan communities addressing housing and neighborhood revitalization; therefore, through this qualitative multiple-case study local policymakers' perceptions of the affordable housing problem in rural Georgia were explored. …

Preferences And Willingness For Starting Daily, On-Demand, And Long-Acting Injectable Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Transfeminine Persons In The Us, 2022-2023, Duygu Islek, Travis Sanchez, Stefan Baral, Carolyn Brown, Joanna A. Caldwell, Jennifer L. Glick, Danielle Friedman Nestadt, Jeb Jones, Iaah L. Lucas, Supriya Sarkar, Annemiek De Ruiter, Patrick S. Sullivan, Mariah Valentine-Graves, Savannah Winter, Vani Vannappagari

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Background There remains limited information concerning US transfeminine persons preferences across varying PrEP options. We examined PrEP option willingness, preferences, and associated factors among a US nationwide sample of transfeminine persons. Methods Sexually active transfeminine persons age 15 + were recruited online between June 2022-October 2023 through social media advertisements. Transfeminine persons not diagnosed with HIV were asked about willingness to initiate, and ranked preference, of three PrEP options- daily oral (DO), on-demand, and long-acting injectable (LA-PrEP). Log-binomial models were used to examine PrEP modality willingness and associated sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. Results Among 2657 transfeminine persons not currently using …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: March 2025, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In March 2025, U.S. employment rose by 228,000, with notable gains in health care, social assistance, and transportation, while the overall unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%. Veteran unemployment declined overall, though trends varied by age, gender, and race, with some subgroups—such as older veterans and Black veterans—experiencing increases.

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: April 2025, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

In April 2025, the U.S. added 177,000 jobs, with the national unemployment rate holding at 4.2%. Veteran unemployment declined to 3.5% from 3.8% in March, while Post-9/11 veterans saw a drop to 2.9%. Male veteran unemployment fell to 3.1%, but female veteran unemployment rose to 5.9%. Black and Hispanic veterans experienced significant improvements, with rates falling to 4.8% and 2.9%, respectively—both lower than their nonveteran peers. Younger veterans (25–34) and those aged 45–54 saw notable declines, while veterans aged 55–64 experienced a slight increase. Despite gains, disparities remain, especially for female and older veterans.

Examining A Unl College Success Program Through The Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model, Osvaldo Palma Vargas

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

Higher education institutions have faced difficulties in providing environments designed to promote positive success outcomes among diverse student populations, especially first-generation students. While literature has focused on college success programs’ practices as a solution, there is a noticeable gap in what these programs do that integrate first-generation students’ cultures. This ethnographic-inspired study sought to identify what cultural practices within a college success program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Trenchard Foundation Institute of Excellence (TFIOE), contributed to creating culturally engaging campus environments for first-generation college students. Using Museus’s (2014) culturally engaging campus environments model (CECE) as a framework, I conducted …

Navigating Outsourced Manufacturing: General Motors' Strategic Challenges In Mexico, Alvaro Soler, Jose Maria Gallegos

Posters - 2025

Outsourcing manufacturing has become a strategic necessity for many global corporations in today’s fast-changing global economy. Over the past decades, many U.S. companies have outsourced production to regions like Latin America and China, seeking geographical advantages, lower labor costs, and access to skilled workforces to remain competitive. General Motors, one of the largest automobile manufacturers globally, exemplifies this trend. By outsourcing production to Mexico since 1935, GM highlights how multinational companies strategically use outsourcing to optimize costs and improve efficiency. Employing over 25,000 workers and contributing over 12% of its annual production in 2023, GM demonstrates the broader significance of …

Piecing Together The Past: Documenting The Philanthropic History Of Lincoln’S Arts And Culture, Audrey L. Ellis

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project explores the creation of a book chapter discussing the history of philanthropy in Lincoln, Nebraska, focusing on its impact on arts and culture. The chapter will be published in Fall 2025 by the Lincoln Community Foundation. By documenting philanthropy in the arts and culture spaces, this book and chapter hope to inspire further giving by showcasing the benefit that has been reaped through giving. Through research of public records and a series of interviews, this chapter examines Lincoln’s key donors and arts organizations from the mid-19th century to the present. This project explores the process and key takeaways …

Ethical Ai Use And Classroom Integration Training Modules, Daniel Boudon

Open Educational Resources

This project focuses on developing comprehensive training modules to equip students and faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to ethically and effectively use AI tools in academic settings. The training consists of interconnected modules that cover a wide range of topics, including the ethical use of AI, evaluating AI-generated content, integrating AI tools into curriculum design, and creating AI-enhanced classroom activities. Additional modules emphasize fostering digital literacy, staying updated with AI advancements, and collaborating on best practices for AI in education.

Designed for flexibility, the modules cater to diverse academic disciplines, making them suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, …

Evaluation Of Long-Term Performance Of Transportation Earthworks Prone To Weather-Driven Deterioration Under Changing Climate, Amr Morsy, Emma Varela

Mineta Transportation Institute

Embankments are key transportation infrastructure features providing essential support for long, linear stretches of transportation infrastructure, including highways and railways, in California and globally. Clay embankments are susceptible to weather-related deterioration processes that can gradually compromise their stability and, in some cases, lead to unexpected failures. Climate change, along with the associated shifts in weather patterns, is projected to adversely impact weather-related deterioration processes, leading to exacerbated failures and/or shorter service life. This study evaluated the impact of climate change on the rate of weather-driven deterioration of embankments in two locations in California: Los Angeles and Sacramento. Specifically, a multi-phase …

Latent Active Transportation Methodology, Maria Chierichetti, Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki

Mineta Transportation Institute

Understanding and estimating latent demand for active transportation, such as walking and cycling, is essential for designing infrastructure and policies that promote sustainable mobility. Unlike traditional demand models that focus on observed trips, latent demand estimation seeks to quantify the unrealized potential for active travel due to barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, safety concerns, or lack of connectivity. This study develops a comprehensive latent demand model tailored for California, integrating geospatial analysis and multimodal accessibility assessments. The methodology employs a GIS-based corridor analysis approach, utilizing spatial accessibility metrics and distance decay functions to evaluate potential demand. It incorporates employment and …