Digital Commons Network^™

Sources Of Energy Production In Mountain West States, 2026, Kahlen Coss, Yash Kalla, Kian Parikh, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on electricity generation and energy sources in March 2026 for five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Each state's share of total U.S. electricity production and its generation by source (coal, hydroelectricity, natural gas, nuclear, solar, and wind) are included. The Choose Energy report, "Electricity Generation by State," includes data on all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ascc-M Based Transformational Education Model For Enhancing Carbon Literacy And Agroecological Resilience Among Rural Farmers, Alya Dwi Arianty, Fitria Fatichatul Hidayah, Eny Winaryati, Rica Mae Badilla Guarin

Jurnal Pendidikan Geografi: Kajian, Teori, dan Praktek dalam Bidang Pendidikan dan Ilmu Geografi

Climate change has become a major ecological and social challenge affecting food security and agricultural sustainability worldwide. The agricultural sector significantly contributes to carbon emissions through fertilizer use and land conversion, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to conceptualize a place-based, technology-enhanced Transformational Education Model grounded in Agro-Smart Carbon Capture Microbiome (ASCC-M) technology, designed to strengthen rural farmers' carbon literacy and agroecological resilience while advancing geography education through deeper understanding of human–environment interactions, spatial agricultural processes, and climate-related dynamics within real rural landscapes. The research employed conceptual design through systematic literature review and model development, integrating theories of transformative …

The Calculation Debate In A New Century: A Conversation Between An Austrian School Economist And A Socialist Philosopher, Tegan L. Truitt, Larry Alan Busk

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

No abstract provided.

Planification Against Extractivism: Towards A Democratic Agroecological Planification Against Agrarian Capitalism In A Estrada (Galicia, Spain), Jacobo Rivas Sanmartín, Rubén Camilo Lois González, Paula Noya Vázquez

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

This article analyses the expansion of vineyards in the parish of San Xiao de Vea, in the municipality of A Estrada (Galicia, Spain), as a concrete manifestation of extractive agrarian restructuring under contemporary capitalism. Drawing on land-use data, socio-metabolic indicators, and qualitative testimonies, it shows how financialization, speculative land practices, and state selectivity reorganize rural space, degrade mixed farming systems, and intensify contradictions between capital accumulation and the ecological and social conditions of reproduction. The article argues that existing green planning frameworks, shaped by market logics and technocratic indicators, are structurally incapable of confronting these dynamics. As an alternative, it …

Democratic Economic Planning From And For Social Reproduction: Foundations For A Postcapitalist Research Agenda, Sophie Elias-Pinsonnault, Bengi Akbulut, Audrey Laurin-Lamothe

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

As ecological and social crises render the transformation of capitalist economic organization increasingly urgent, the resurgence of interest in democratic economic planning confronts a foundational blind spot: the systematic neglect of social reproduction. This paper argues that any genuinely needs-based planned economy must extend its scope beyond formally recognized productive activities to encompass the full spectrum of reproductive labor through which human and non-human life is sustained and regenerated. Drawing on feminist political economy and the Marxist-feminist tradition, the authors argue that meeting needs requires more than reorganizing production: it demands confronting the question of who does reproductive work, at …

Understanding The Long-Run Effect Of Historical Redlining Practices, Yujian Lu

Geography ETDs

Historical redlining practices initiated by Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930s have produced enduring persistent socioeconomic and environmental disparities in U.S. cities. This dissertation examines their long-term impacts on social vulnerability, urban flood risk, along with public discourse about redlining practices. Results indicate that neighborhoods with HOLC grade A (greenlined) exhibit the lowest overall social vulnerability, while those graded D (redlined) face the highest across U.S. cities. In Chicago, associations between redlining practices and flood risk disparities are stronger than in Los Angeles, reflecting place-specific characteristics among environmental, socioeconomic, and demographic factors shaping flood risk disparities in long …

Biologically-Based Alternatives To Plastic Mulch Enrich Microbiome And Buffer Yield In Small-Scale Strawberry Production, Olivia L. Fragiacomo

Master's Theses

Much of commercial agriculture has used plastic mulch since the 1950s to contain fungicides and fertilizers, control weeds, retain soil moisture, and warm the top soil to start the growing season earlier. Research suggests that small-scale strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) growers may be able to incorporate biological techniques, such as wheat straw mulch with microbial amendments, to reduce the use of single-use plastic mulch with a comparable yield. For this study, I carried out a randomized complete block comparison of five strawberry management techniques: plastic mulch (PM), straw mulch alone, and straw mulch inoculated with either arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), …

Gradients Of Abandonment, William Tatman

Geography ETDs

As urban-rural disparities drive depopulation in rural areas worldwide, local strategies emerge as pathways for resilience. Research on Ojika, a Japanese island that has lost 75% of its population since the 1960s, reveals an Abandonment Gradient: a nuanced pattern of disuse adapted to modern polycrises. Extending the concept of "lying fallow" to homes and infrastructure, this thesis focuses on abandonment practices that reflect complex realities of labor, capital, and climate uncertainty. Rather than viewing depopulating communities as passive victims of out-migration, this paper argues they are critical sites for generating crisis response. Communally crafted attitudes toward unused space and more-than-human …

Who Bears The Burden: Tax Incidence And Water Governance In The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (Mrgcd) Within Bernalillo County, Michael W. Wilson

Economics ETDs

This study examines how property-value-based assessments within a large western irrigation and flood-control district distribute fiscal burdens across property owners. The empirical analysis is restricted to Bernalillo County within the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD), using parcel-level administrative data from fiscal year 2025 merged with 2021 irrigation service records and geospatial information. The analysis classifies 34,397 parcels by irrigation status, agricultural valuation enrollment, and primary use to evaluate whether non-irrigating residential and commercial parcels, including renter-occupied properties that lack direct irrigation access, bear a disproportionate share of financial responsibility for a district whose first listed priority under their primary …

Stop Blaming My Users: Illumination Of The Technocentric Mythos Bias, Ervin H. Frenzel, Richard Lightcap

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

 Abstract -This conceptual essay addresses the need for systemic and systematic transdisciplinary analytical techniques within cybersecurity and technical security. This conceptual essay is contingent upon recognition that cybersecurity is not simply technical in nature, it does not need an adversary, and more importantly it is based upon systems engineering and systems thinking.  The essay contributes a socio-technical attribution chain and field-specific ontology/taxonomy which distinguish user-triggered events from root causes, latent conditions, technical debt, validation failures, governance failures, and attribution bias before assigning responsibility to end users. It systematically defines an ontology inclusive of developer technical debt, organizational debt arising from …

A Socio-Ecological Study Of Coyote And Human Interactions In San Francisco Bay Open Space Preserves, Zhiyi Zhou

Master's Theses

Urban open space preserves support both intensive recreation and wildlife, but the information on carnivore activity and visitor perceptions is limited. This study combined camera-trap monitoring and on-site visitor surveys to evaluate activity patterns of medium- to large-bodied mammals and perceptions of coyotes at Windy Hill and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserves (South San Francisco Bay Area). From October 2024 to July 2025, thirteen cameras recorded 213,681 photo events; detections were standardized as detections per 1,000 camera-hours. Ten mammal species and two avian species were detected, including four focal carnivores: coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), mountain lion (Puma …

Spatial Identity In Transition: Revitalizing Surakarta’S Heritage Markets Through Community-Based Placemaking, Eko Nursanty, Sri Mulyani, I Wayan Andhika Widiantara, Arturo Galay Cauba

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Traditional markets are essential socio-cultural infrastructures in heritage cities, shaping everyday interactions, economic life, and collective memory. In Surakarta, four historic markets—Pasar Gede, Pasar Klewer, Pasar Legi, and Pasar Triwindu—sustain the city’s urban identity. However, rapid modernization, commercial restructuring, and shifting consumer behavior have disrupted their spatial and symbolic continuity, raising concerns about the erosion of cultural meaning. Previous studies examined traditional markets mainly from economic or architectural perspectives, rarely exploring how their multidimensional identity evolves under urban transformation. This study investigates how spatial, social, symbolic, and environmental dimensions collectively shape market-based authenticity and the urban identity of Surakarta. A …

Collaborating With Our Ai Research Companion: Exploring The Use Of Microsoft Copilot To Conduct Inductive And Deductive Coding In Qualitative Research, David Wolff, Melissa Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Higher Education faculty balance time in teaching, scholarship, and service, along with many other duties in their roles (Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 2024). In our efforts to be stewards of our time and craft, faculty look for ways to be more efficient in these areas. With the increase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our personal and professional lives, this paper discusses the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), Microsoft Copilot, as an analytic tool in the qualitative data analysis process. Qualitative data was collected from transcripts of recorded meetings and an online journal that included text and …

Presence Without Exposure: Feminist Pedagogy In The Home-As-Classroom, Kristy Kelly

Feminist Pedagogy

This commentary reflects on teaching during and after COVID-era remote instruction, when the classroom moved into students’ homes and “presence” became equated with visibility. Drawing from a course-based study conducted with students, I describe how patterned differences in men’s and women’s experiences of online participation illuminated the unequal costs of being seen—costs shaped by privacy, domestic constraints, and the risks of interpretation. I argue that feminist pedagogy requires decoupling engagement from visual exposure and designing participation around those most vulnerable to surveillance and stigma in online spaces. The essay outlines practical shifts—camera-optional norms, modality-equivalent participation, structured breaks, and low-stakes entry …

Water Scarcity On Arizona’S Navajo Nation, As An Environmental Justice Issue, Chenoa Marks

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

For the Navajo–or Diné, meaning ‘the people’ in Diné Bizaad (Navajo language)–water is not only a resource. It is life, story, and relationship. It is tied to origin, movement, and balance within the natural and spiritual world. Water exists not only in rivers and rainfall, but in teachings, ceremonies, and the way knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next. In this sense, water is both physical and cultural, shaping how people live, understand the land, and connect to one another.

At the same time, water on the Navajo Nation–known by the Diné as Diné Bikéyah, also translated …

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

DePaul Discoveries

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

Scheduled Coal Plant Retirements In The Mountain West, 2022-2031, Kerima Awol, Sophia Booth, Ty Tan, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on publicly announced coal-fired power plant retirements in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, between 2022 and 2031. The Visual Capitalist’s 2021 report, “Road to Decarbonization: U.S. Coal Plant Closures,” includes information on the location, retirement year, and electricity generation capacity of coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement across the United States.

Scraping The Earth: Testing Ndvi As An Indicator Of Military Ground Maneuver Within The Israeli Invasion Of The Gaza Strip, Thomas A. Bergeron

LSU Master's Theses

The advancement of open-source (OSINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) has allowed independent researchers to study human conflict in new ways, with tools that were previously reserved only for state intelligence agencies. In order to advance methodologies, researchers must continue to evaluate new tools to study war.  Valued for its accessibility and moderate spatial resolution, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is one such tool that has not been widely systematically tested for its use in an open-source GEOINT investigation of modern conflict. This study tests NDVI as an indicator of military maneuver by leveraging a mixed-method approach against open-source kinetic …

Blue Economy In Madura: Research Trends And Structural Change, Herry Yulistiyono, Aditya Tri Prasetyo, Ari Warokka

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Studi Pembangunan

This study examines the development of the blue economy in Madura through bibliometric analysis, focusing on research trends and economic structural changes from 2020 to 2024, as well as analyzing gaps and potential areas for future research. The methodology employed is a quantitative approach utilizing bibliometric methods. Data were obtained from scientific publications and analyzed using metrics that measure the ratio of citations to publications.

The results indicate a significant increase in the number of publications on the blue economy in Madura, peaking in 2023 with 29 researchers focusing on diverse topics. Performance metrics analysis revealed Marine Policy as the …

A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Media Framing Of Illegal Mining In Ghana, Ebenezer Ato Kwamena Aidoo, Patrick Ansah, Fredrick Daoyenikye, Maame Aba Afful

Faculty Scholarship

Illegal mining in Ghana has attracted considerable public and policy attention due to its far-reaching environmental, social, and health consequences. Our study examines how Ghanaian news media frame illegal mining, the tone of media coverage, and the stakeholders represented in news narratives. Using a quantitative content analysis, 800 news articles were sampled from six widely read media outlets, Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, TV3 Ghana, GTV, Joy FM, and Citi Newsroom. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to examine differences in framing, tone, and stakeholder representation across outlets. Findings indicate that news organizations emphasize distinct frames, resulting in varied …

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

International Journal on Responsibility

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

Measuring The Economic Effectiveness Of Climate Smart Agriculture In U.S. Rice Production Systems, Adriana Dimas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the economic performance and adoption potential of climate-smart irrigation practices in Louisiana rice production systems, with particular emphasis on Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). Rice producers in the U.S. Mid-South face increasing challenges associated with rising input costs, water management constraints, and climate variability, creating interest in production practices that improve resilience and resource-use efficiency.

The first component of this study analyzes the profitability and risk efficiency of alternative irrigation systems using stochastic simulation and Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function (SERF). Results indicate that Hybrid AWD systems in Morehouse Parish consistently generated the highest risk-adjusted …

การดูดซับตะกั่วจากน้ำเสียสังเคราะห์โดยใช้ซิลิกาเจลเคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีน, จุรีรัตน์ ทองทาย, เขมรัฐ โอสถาพันธุ์, สุธา ขาวเชียร

Applied Environmental Research

การวิจัยครั้งนี้ศึกษาความสามารถในการดูดซับตะกั่วในน้ำเสียสังเคราะห์ของ ซิลิกาเจลที่เคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีน (Polyethyleneimine หรือ PEI) ซึ่งทำการศึกษาที่ความเข้มข้นต่ำ โดยได้ทดลองเตรียมซิลิกาเจลเคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีน (Sil/PEI) และหาอัตราส่วนในการเคลือบที่เหมาะสม แล้วนำมาทดลองกำจัดน้ำเสียสังเคราะห์ตะกั่วโดยการทดลองแบบแบตซ์ ที่พีเอชช่วง 4-7 และศึกษาผลของความแรงไอออน (Ionic strength) ต่อความสามารถในการดูดซับ แล้วเลือกพีเอช ที่เหมาะสมเพื่อนำไปศึกษาความสามารถในการดูดซับโดยใช้การทดลองแบบคอลัมน์
จากการทดลองเตรียมซิลิกาเจลเคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีนพบว่าการเตรียมด้วยวิธี ชิมแพรกเนชั่นแบบแห้ง (Dry Impregnation) ในอัตราส่วนการเคลือบร้อยละ 5 โดยน้ำหนักต่อปริมาตรของสารละลายโพสีเอทธิสีนไอมีนในเมทานอล เป็นวิธีที่เหมาะสมที่สุด และผลการทดลองความสามารถในการดูดซับตะกั่วโดยการทดลองแบบแบตซ์ พบว่าที่พีเอช 4 และ 5 ไม่สามารถกำจัดตะกั่วได้ และความสามารถในการดูดซับตะกั่วจะมีประสิทธิภาพเพิ่มขึ้นมากที่สุดเมื่อเทียบกับซิสิกาเจลที่พีเอช 6 โดยผลของการดูดซับตะกั่วที่ความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้น 5 มิลลิกรัมต่อลิตร ซิลิกาเจลเคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีนสามารถดูดซับตะกั่วได้ 6.72 มิลลิกรัมต่อตัวกลาง 1 กรัม คิดเป็นร้อยละ 59.18 และซิลิกาเจลสามารถดูดซับตะกั่วได้ 3.02 มิลลิกรัมต่อคัวกลาง 1 กรัม คิดเป็นร้อยละ 26.71 และความสามารถในการดูดซับจะเพิ่มขึ้นเมื่อความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้นเพิ่มขึ้น ส่วนที่พีเอช 7 ในช่วงความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้นต่ำกว่า 10 มิลลิกรัมต่อลิตร ซิลิกาเจลเคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีนมีความสามารถใน การดูดซับใกล้เคียงกับซิลิกาเจล ผลการศึกษาผลของความแรงไอออนพบว่า ความแรงไอออนไม่มีผลต่อความสามารถในการดูดซับตะกั่ว และผลการศึกษาแบบคอลัมน์ พบว่าความสามารถในการดูดซับตะกั่วของ ซิลิกาเจลเคลือบด้วยโพลีเอทธิลีนไอมีนมี ค่ามากกว่าซิลิกาเจสอย่างชัดเจน และที่ อัตราการไหล 5 มิลลิลิตรต่อนาที และ 10 มิลลิลิตรต่อนาที พบว่ามีความสามารถใน การดูดซับใกล้เคียงกัน

การกระจายอำนาจในการส่งเสริมและรักษาคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อมแก่องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น, สุนีย์ มัลลิกะมาลย์

Applied Environmental Research

บทบาท อำนาจ และหน้าที่ขององค์กร ปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น ในการพิทักษ์รักษา ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อมของไทย นั้นเป็นไปตามหลักการการกระจายอำนาจ ซึ่งมีกฎหมายรองรับที่สำคัญ 2 ฉบับคือ รัฐธรรมนูญแห่งราชอาณาจักรไทย พุทธศักราช 2540 มาตรา 290 และพระราชบัญญัติกำหนดแผนและขั้นตอนการกระจายอำนาจให้แก่องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น พ.ศ. 2542 และหลักการนี้ในประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกาและญี่ปุ่นก็มีความคล้ายคลึงกับของไทย ที่ยอมรับว่า การปกครองระบอบประชาธิปไตยที่สมบูรณ์แบบนั้นจำเป็นต้องมีการกระจายอำนาจจากราชการส่วนกลางสู่ส่วนท้องถิ่น โดยเฉพาะการพิทักษ์รักษาทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ และสิ่งแวดล้อมที่มีความเกี่ยวพันโดยตรง กับองค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น
จากการวิจัยพบว่า อำนาจหน้าที่ขององค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่นด้านการพิทักษ์รักษาทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อมนั้น อยู่ภายใต้กฎหมายเกี่ยวกับสิ่งแวดล้อม 2 กลุ่มคือ กลุ่มกฎหมายที่มีบทบัญญัติกระจายอำนาจให้แก่องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่นแล้ว กับกลุ่มกฎหมายที่ยังไม่ได้มีการกระจายอำนาจให้แด่องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น ซึ่งเป็นปัญหาและอุปสรรคด้านการถ่ายโอนภารกิจด้านนี้แก่องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่นอยู่ ดังนั้นการวิจัยจึงได้มีข้อเสนอให้ปรับปรุงแก้ไขภายใต้แนวทาง ดังนี้
1. แนวทางการดำเนินการปรับปรุง แก้ไขกฎหมาย โดยกำหนดให้องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่นมีบทบาทในการจัดการด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมอย่างเข้มแข็งเป็นรูปธรรม เช่น การจัดทำแผนจัดการคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อมในเขตพื้นที่ปกครอง การเข้าร่วมพิจารณาให้ความเห็นชอบเกี่ยวกับการริเริ่มโครงการหรือกิจการการมีอำนาจบังคับใช้กฎหมาย เป็นต้น
2. แนวทางการปรับปรุงแก้ไขแผนปฏิบัติการกำหนดขั้นตอนการกระจายอำนาจให้แก่องค์กรปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น พ.ศ. 2545 โดยการปรับปรุงแก้ไขภารกิจเพียงเท่าที่มีอยู่ และหากจะเพิ่มภารกิจใหม่ ก็ให้สอดคล้องกับอำนาจหน้าที่ด้านการ ส่งเสริมและรักษาคุณภาพสิ่งแวดล้อม
3. แนวทางการเพิ่มพูนความรู้ด้านกฎหมายสิ่งแวดล้อมแก่บุคลากรองค์กร ปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น โดยการจัดทำหลักสูตรอบรมความรู้ด้านการบังคับใช้กฎหมายสิ่งแวดล้อมแก่ผู้บริหารระดับนโยบาย และผู้ปฏิบัติงานขององค์กร ปกครองส่วนท้องถิ่น

Impact Of Carbon Credits As Revenue Enhancers In Blended Adaptation Finance For Nature-Based Resilience Solutions Across Emerging Economies, U.L. Narasimha Rao

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

Emerging economies face an annual adaptation finance gap of $300–$500 billion. Nature-based resilience solutions (NbRS) such as mangroves and agroforestry remain critically underfunded despite their cost-effective climate benefits. Carbon credits have been examined mainly in mitigation contexts; their role as revenue enhancers in blended adaptation finance for NbRS is untested. This study had three objectives: quantifying revenue uplift from credits, evaluating how certification reduces investor risk, and forecasting scalability under different blend ratios. A qualitative comparative case study was applied to 12 NbRS projects across emerging economies. Eight cases were from India; the rest came from Kenya and Indonesia. Data …

Advocacy For Inclusive Play In South Dallas: Expanding Access For Children In Underserved Areas, Aryanna Fellows, Mary Jan Greer

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to advocate for more inclusive and accessible playgrounds for children of all abilities in underserved communities in South Dallas. Guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) Model, the project evaluated playground accessibility and identified environmental barriers that limit participation for children with disabilities. Methods included a community needs assessment, playground observations using a standardized accessibility assessment tool, surveys, and stakeholder collaboration. Participants included community members, caregivers, organizational stakeholders, and children who utilize local playgrounds. Findings were synthesized to develop evidence-based recommendations and educational resources to support future playground improvements. The expected outcomes included increased awareness of inclusive playground …

Financing Global Public Goods: ‘Green Capitalism’ Vs Foreign Aid In Zambia’S Luangwa Valley, Kathleen Bergs

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

Financing climate and biodiversity conservation amid persistent poverty has intensified debate over the ethics and effectiveness of market-based approaches relative to foreign aid. This article examines whether the form of finance shapes financial sustainability and ecological justice in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley. Guided by political ecology, it compares the commercially oriented Luangwa Community Forests Project in the South Luangwa landscape with the donor-dependent North Luangwa Conservation Programme. The analysis draws on 57 semi-structured interviews, 15 focus group discussions, participant observation and documentary review, triangulated with existing household surveys. The findings reveal convergence in governance challenges and stakeholder support for sustainable revenue …

Upper Mora River Corridor Plan. Path To Social And Economic Recovery. A Working Paper, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

The Working Paper outlines a plan for the Upper Mora River Corridor as a path to the social and economic recovery of the watershed and its communities in the Mora Valley of New Mexico in the aftermath of the year 2022 wildfires. The first section of the plan includes an historical overview of the traditional gristmills of northern New Mexico and places where a few of them are preserved and still standing. The next section goes into detail as to the early commercial mills situated along the upper Mora River Corridor with a focus on the four remaining mills: the …

Mitigating Negative Consequences Of New Urban Growth In Disadvantaged Communities, Shishir Mathur, Christopher E. Ferrell, Cindy Adrian

Mineta Transportation Institute

New housing and development in California are often planned in communities that already face economic hardship, environmental burdens, and limited access to reliable transportation. Recent research finds specifically that in the San Francisco (S.F.) Bay Area and Southern California (SoCal) metropolitan regions, there is a high propensity to plan new urban development in socially, economically, and environmentally disadvantaged communities (DACs) with poor transit accessibility and limited personal mobility. This project first reviews the literature to identify potential unintended negative impacts of high concentrations of new urban growth in DACs across social, economic, educational, environmental, and transportation dimensions. It then identifies …

Tipping In The Digital Age: Comparing Group And Individual Tipping Behavior Across Cashless Payments, Akosua Sayer Koduah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tipping has long been central to the U.S. hospitality industry, where it provides a substantial share of service workers’ income. What was once a cash-based practice is now increasingly mediated through digital platforms such as card readers, QR codes, and peer-to-peer apps. These systems introduce features such as visibility of the decision, preset defaults, and group payment options that reshape how customers decide whether and how much to tip. While traditional tipping has been widely studied, research on digital restaurant tipping remains limited. This study focuses on two underexplored mechanisms: visibility (whether staff can observe the decision) and group context …