Digital Commons Network^™

Do Purpleair Monitors Democratize Data For The Environment?, Christopher Rick, Kyla Lorden

Student Publications

PurpleAir monitors may serve a vital role in marginalized or under-monitored communities nationwide. These low-cost monitors—roughly $300—give communities the ability to monitor their air quality at local geographies in ways that are infeasible for expensive, regulatory-grade air monitors. They also have the potential to aid community advocacy efforts around environmental and transportation policy by giving community members literal ownership over the monitoring, including precise locations, and philosophical ownership over the advocacy efforts. To determine the potential democratization of air quality data by PurpleAir monitors in socially disadvantaged communities, we analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhoods with PurpleAir monitors. We find …

Colonial Ambivalence And The Self: The Psychological Legacy Of Colonization, Nazia Khan

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Colonization may disrupt a person’s sense of self by introducing conflicting identities, where one part of identity is tied to colonization while the other attempts to decolonize (David & Okazaki, 2006). This identity conflict may lead to psychological distress because these identities are often in opposition to one another. Although colonized individuals may have been forced to adopt the colonizer’s social norms, people may also incorporate colonization-influenced practices into their self and cultural identity with and without recognizing their colonial roots. Colonial ambivalence is introduced as the simultaneous holding of positive and negative feelings regarding one’s colonized background. Individuals from …

Does The Form Of Conflict Termination Shape The Scale, Timing, And Selectivity Of External Refugee Return? Comparative Evidence From 30 Countries, And Three Selected Cases (Bosnia, Liberia, And Sri Lanka), Ibrahim Alkaseer

Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs

This study investigates how the form of conflict termination can shape the scale, timing, and selectivity of refugee return. While civil war literature is exhaustive on how the form of conflict termination may influence post-war stability, there is little to no research on how it can impact refugee return. Using a dataset of thirty post-conflict cases and spatial analysis of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, and Liberia, the paper tests whether government victories, rebel victories, or negotiated settlements predict return patterns. Ordinary least squares and Cox hazard models reveal that termination type alone reveals little variation once the models are …

2026 Research Day Program, Lincoln Memorial University

Research Day

This program contains abstracts and presentation summaries from LMU's 2026 Annual Research Day conference.

Disputing Geographies Of Sanctuaries: Legal Manifestations And Re-Imagined Practices In Adverse State Conditions For Migrants In Philadelphia County And Miami Dade County, Clara Ximena Villalba , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Spatial Disparities On Transportation To Dialysis: A Quantitative And Gis Analysis, Haylee Kirschner

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Access to dialysis treatment is a major concern for the over 500,000 people who suffer from End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). There are many factors that may affect one's ability to access treatment, but one that affects almost every in-center dialysis patient is transportation. This study examines how various spatial disparities, such as population density, Medicare coverage, Medicaid usage, poverty, commute times, and vehicle ownership, affect missed and shortened treatments due to transportation. To examine the relationship between spatial disparities and transportation-impacted treatment adherence, a random sample of 400 clinics were emailed to participate in the study, with 113 agreeing …

From Our Stories, To Our Streets (Osos), Jennifer Lopez

Student Publications

Youth traffic safety persists as a critical planning challenge and public health concern in New Mexico, where pedestrian fatality rates consistently rank among the highest in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, Governors Highway Safety Association, GHSA, 2023; Baca, 2025). Students (children), due to their daily interactions with roadways, whether when they walk, bike, ride transit, or drive/get driven to and from school, are among the most vulnerable groups within the transportation system (Ferenchak, N. Wesley, M., 2017. For many students in Albuquerque, the commute to or from school is one of the most dangerous parts of …

Perceived Barriers To Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems: Evidence From A Nebraska Producer Survey, Omid Tarashtwal

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Integrated crop-livestock systems offer agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits, yet reintegration has been slow across the Northern Great Plains despite sustained interest. Existing research has documented barriers to transition conceptually, but quantitative evidence on which barriers producers perceive as most important and which producer and operation characteristics are associated with stronger barrier perceptions remains limited. This thesis addresses that gap using data from the 2023 Nebraska Agriculture Operator Survey.

The analysis focuses on 241 Nebraska producers, including 179 crop-only and 62 livestock-only operations. Seven models are estimated, combining ordered logit estimation for single-item barriers with linear regression for averaged barrier …

Framing Emirati Womanhood: Heritage, Modernity, And Soft Power In Tourism Discourse, Valerie Priscilla Goby

All Works

This paper examines how Emirati womanhood is framed within the tourism discourse of the United Arab Emirates, analysing how gendered representation operates as both a cultural and political instrument in nation branding. Drawing on framing theory and informed by feminist perspectives on tourism and media representation, this study explores the visual and textual portrayal of women on official online platforms, including Visit Dubai, Visit Abu Dhabi, Emirates Airlines, and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth. These materials constitute a state-sanctioned narrative of national identity that integrates cultural heritage with modernity. Through qualitative framing analysis, four recurrent interpretive frames were …

Dairy Cows And Doughnut Holes: The Class Politics Of Municipal Boundaries And Logistics Land Use In Inland Southern California, Anthony Rumbos-Perez , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Interventions For Reducing Barriers To Future Employment Success In First-Generation College Students., Kellie M. Burke

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise a significant and diverse segment of the U.S. undergraduate population, yet they remain disproportionately vulnerable to barriers that impede both academic achievement and career advancement. These challenges, rooted in intersecting factors (e.g., race & gender), are amplified by institutional structures that inadequately address the realities faced by FGCS. Despite the proliferation of career development programs, internship participation, and subsequent employment, among FGCS remains notably low, revealing persistent gaps in support, access, and program efficacy.

This qualitative study evaluates the Rising Leaders Program, an agency-driven intervention designed to promote career readiness for FGCS at Kentucky universities …

Capital Flows And The Global Collateral Cycle, Ana Fostel, John Geanakoplos, Gregory Phelan

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Cross-country disparities in collateral technologies alone can account for large capital flows among mature economies, and allow the most advanced country to run a permanent trade deficit. When the collateral technology advantage is in creating negative beta (super safe) financial assets backed by positive beta assets, a Global Collateral Cycle emerges, with pro-cyclical gross and net flows and increased global asset price volatility. The supply of super safe assets is necessarily curtailed in downturns, providing a complementary (supply) channel to the flight to safety (demand) channel for explaining why US safe asset prices rise during crises.

Temporary Protected Status Populations In Massachusetts In 2026, Phillip Granberry, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal

Gastón Institute Publications

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is one of the best expressions of U.S. humanitarian protection and relief. It recognizes a basic truth: people should not be deported to danger.

May this report help build a stronger Commonwealth for all by advancing more thoughtful policymaking and stronger interventions that recognize the deep connections among immigration, community, and economic life.

Precision Or Invasion? Mapping The Personalization Paradox, Shyamala N. Chalakudi, Gnana Bharathy

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

AI-driven personalization has transformed consumer engagement, yet existing research offers no systematic way to determine when personalization shifts from helpful to intrusive. Current research and models explain privacy concerns or expectancy violations but do not measure the point at which personalization triggers user discomfort, creating the personalization paradox. This study introduces the Discomfort Threshold Assessment & Measurement (DTAM) framework, a conceptual model that identifies and evaluates this threshold by integrating Dual Process Theory, Expectation Violation Theory, and Privacy Calculus Theory. DTAM distinguishes between affective discomfort reactance and cognitive discomfort reactance and outlines how these constructs could, in future empirical studies, …

Bridging Communities Through Sport: A Social Work Study On Refugees Teaching Cricket To American Citizens, Nafees Alam

Social Work Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explores the psychosocial and communal impacts of a reciprocal integration initiative where refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia taught cricket to Americans in New York City, New York and Boise, Idaho (2022–2024). Grounded in Erikson's psychosocial theory and Bandura's self-efficacy framework, the study examines how sport fosters dignity, self-determination, and cross-cultural cohesion. This study recruited 15 refugee coaches and 30 American learners using qualitative methods through interviews, focus groups, and observations. Findings reveal refugee coaches gained self-worth and resolved Eriksonian conflicts, while 78% of American learners reported reduced stereotypes. Cricket fostered social capital, transforming public parks into …

Strengthening Students' Political Thinking Skills By Researching The Annexation Of Texas, Rebecca Macon Bidwell, Jeremiah Clabough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The unit plan in this manuscript uses best practices from the C3 Framework published by the National Council for the Social Studies and Wayne Journell’s ideas about political thinking to engage students in discussion of the politics leading to the nomination of Governor James K. Polk as the Democratic Party nominee for president in the U.S. 1844 presidential election. Students explore the impact of candidates’ views of the annexation of Texas during this election as well as the influence of President Jackson on the nomination process in the Democratic Party. Ultimately, the election pitted Governor James K. Polk, the dark …

Hitler Must Be Killed: A Wwii Case Study, Jeffrey Byford, Presley Shilling, Alisha Milam

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies education during the 1960s experienced an educational renaissance known as the new social studies movement. Over 50 projects were funded by the National Science Foundation or private corporations to interject a student-centered curriculum into K-12 classrooms during this period. Nearly 60 years later, can student-centered decision-making activities be used in an era of high-stakes testing and planned curriculum? This article attempts to rekindle students' interest in decision-making and discussion by exploring elements in Moral Reasoning: The Value of Life from the Harvard Social Studies Project (HSSP). The activity called "Hitler Must Be Killed" helped students bring the content …

The Citizen And The Smart City: A Global Comparison Of Institutional Logics, Tim Bunnell, Zachary Spicer, Byron Miller, Teresa Abbruzzese, Paolo Cardullo, Sangwon Chae, I-Chun Catherine Chang, Greig Charnock, Ming-Kuang Chung, Kwon Heo, Sue-Ching Jou, Andrew Karvonen, Olga Kordas, Kong, Lily, Ramon Ribera-Fumaz, Haeran Shin, Orlando Woods

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Crucial urbanists’ placement of smart city initiatives in Western Europe or North America mostly on the “low” rungs of participatory ladders or scaffolds does not mean that smart urban development necessarily connotes democracy-eroding neoliberalization everywhere. This article offers a more globally variegated and dynamic understanding of the relationship between citizens and smart cities. We apply an institutional logics framework to the citizen-smart city nexus in seven cities spanning three world regions, considering the interplay of citizen-centric logics with techno-innovation-oriented and bureaucratic/managerial logics. Appreciating contextually specific institutional orders helps to explain why similar initiatives and intentions yield different outcomes across time …

Weather Rescue At Sea: Recovering Historical Weather Observations From 19th Century British Naval Ships, Praveen Teleti, Ed Hawkins, Clive Wilkinson

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Ship logbooks represent a critical source of historical meteorological data, providing valuable observations of barometric pressure, air temperature, sea surface temperature, wind force and direction, and other variables. Substantial quantities of these records are unavailable to climate science as they have not yet been transcribed. We present ‘Weather Rescue at Sea’, a citizen-science project which transcribed millions of weather observations contained in 19th Century UK Royal Navy ship logbooks. We describe the logbook structure and weather observation-taking instructions and discuss significant challenges with the translation of handwritten text into accurate data due to errors arising from ambiguous handwriting, historical terminology, …

High-Resolution Monitoring Of Intra-Seasonal Agricultural Drought Using Sentinel-2 And Machine Learning Across Bimodal Growing Seasons In Kenya, S. Mohammad Mirmazloumi, Harison Kipkulei, Rose Waswa, Tobias Landmann, Tom Dienya, Maximilian Schwarz, Fabrizio Ramoino, Clément Albergel, Gohar Ghazaryan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Drought presents significant challenges to agriculture, threatening food security and livelihoods, across many regions. In Kenya, recurrent droughts across diverse agro-ecological zones emphasize the urgent need for reliable and scalable drought assessment methods. Although drought assessment with various datasets has been carried out for this region, many of them often use course or moderate resolution data. This study uses high-resolution Sentinel-2 observations and machine learning to monitor intra-seasonal crop conditions and assess drought impacts across bimodal growing seasons. Using pixel-based supervised random forest models trained with multiple vegetation indices as input, we classify croplands into drought-affected and unaffected areas. The …

Empowering Change: Building Environmental Sustainability Initiatives And Becoming A Sustainability Champion, Amanda C. Karls

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

In an era marked by escalating environmental challenges and an urgent need for sustainable development, higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly positioned as critical actors in advancing sustainability within the communities they serve. Regional comprehensive universities (RCUs), in particular, occupy a distinctive position as access‑oriented, community‑embedded public institutions; yet sustainability efforts at these institutions often unfold under conditions of limited resources, diffuse responsibility, and informal governance. This dissertation examines how individual actors at RCUs effectively advance environmental sustainability initiatives in the absence of centralized infrastructure or formal authority.

Guided by the overarching research question—How can individual actors at regional comprehensive …

Connectivity And Tourism Flow In Small Island Developing States, Edmir Luciano Dos Santos Ferreira, João Paulo Madeira

International Journal of Islands Research

Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) faces unique sustainability challenges, with connectivity emerging as a critical factor. These nations, often situated in remote locations, encounter significant accessibility constraints and limited infrastructure, which restrict tourist flows and adversely affect economic development. The primary aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between connectivity and tourism flows in SIDS, exploring how connectivity, proxied by geographical and cultural-political distance, influences tourism in these regions. Furthermore, the study seeks to determine whether belonging to different SIDS regions or exhibiting varying levels of development helps destinations attract greater tourist flows, by examining several …

Making Space To Learn: Prison-Less Places, Nicole Patrie

Journal of Prison Education Research

Diversifying modalities or modes of program delivery inside prisons is necessary and important to increase access to programs; however, this also demands that learning is intended to occur in most places of a prison. In this paper I present the concept prison-less places, relational, temporary places where the prison is less noticeable and where learning becomes possible. Exploring three dimensions of learning, I argue that the existence of prison-less places brings balance to these dimensions and is crucial for learning to occur inside prisons. As the boundaries between program and prison space become more fluid and permeable with modalities …

Cover And Foreword, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Foreword

Volume 66-2, November 2025, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 66-2, November 2025: Complete

A Note From The Editors, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

A Note From the Editors

Quantifying Potential Spatial Accessibility To Adult American Sign Language Classes In Los Angeles County, Caroline R. Baumann

The Geographical Bulletin

This research examines potential spatial accessibility of adult American Sign Language (ASL) learning opportunities in Los Angeles County, California (USA). Over 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents, who typically do not know sign language. Research has shown that deaf children whose parents learn sign language tend to have better outcomes than those who do not. Thus, adult accessibility to sign language classes is crucial for the success of deaf children. The Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method was used to calculate a provider-to-population ratio using network analysis and aggregate these ratios within population catchment areas. The …

Dune And Geographic Perceptions Of Today’S Artifical Intellisence Revolution, Seth T. Kannarr

The Geographical Bulletin

Today we are in the midst of an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. As generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini become increasingly available and accessible for more people to use, so does the growing concern for the ethics of their use and future consequences of this technology by geographers and the general public. By taking a look into the universe of Dune, a science fiction work that operates in a future world without AI “thinking machines”, we can gain insight into public perception and rising fear mongering regarding AI tools. As we proceed as a society, we …

Rethinking Poverty Indices: Unveiling The Unseen Realities Of India, Soumyabrata Mondal, Anand Prasad Mishra

The Geographical Bulletin

This article critically assesses India’s recent claims of rapid poverty reduction by examining the methodological, political, and data-related foundations of the Niti Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). It scrutinises key methodological choices such as indicator selection, weighting structures, and the dependence on NFHS (National Family Health Survey) data which only partially reflect the socioeconomic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on debates surrounding the Alkire–Foster framework, the essay highlights how modifications to the MPI such as the inclusion of widely achieved indicators and the exclusion of consumption expenditure may underestimate deprivation and produce overly optimistic trends. It argues that …

Prairie, Nature, Innovation: Midwest Identity Represented In State Quarters, Kady Nolte, Gillian Acheson

The Geographical Bulletin

The US Commemorative Quarter Program, begun in 1999, was wildly popular with millions of people collecting the coins. Fifty new designs were introduced for the quarter’s reverse that intended to represent each state’s unique history and identity. These coins are a piece of material culture that can be studied to understand how they represent place identity, specifically state and regional identity in the US Midwest. In this study, quarters were examined using content analysis to understand how each design represented its state. Coins were studied individually and then wholistically to identify commonalities shared within the Midwest. Three themes were identified …