Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Multimodal Equity In Resource-Challenged Mpos, Christopher Ferrell, David Reinke, John M. Eells

Mineta Transportation Institute

Ensuring transportation investments are equitable across different populations and travel modes is a priority for many agencies, yet existing tools often make these assessments difficult, especially for smaller and resource-constrained organizations. To address this gap, this report provides the findings of Phase II of our study on reviewing and developing transportation equity metrics. The Phase I project investigated transit equity metrics and provided recommendations on advancements in quantitative methods. Building on Phase I recommendations, this study investigates low-cost methods for comparing the equity between auto (roadway) and transit performance or investments for low resource transportation agencies. A literature review revealed …

Housing Affordability Analysis Of Hillsborough County, Fl, Usa – Quantitative And Geographical Analysis Using Spatiotemporal Data, Bomin Koh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Housing affordability assessments rely on the 30 percent income method and generalized linear regression (GLR)-based hedonic price modeling. Both provide broad insights but fail to capture spatial heterogeneity in affordability challenges. This study upgrades housing affordability assessment approaches by incorporating the residual income method and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). The primary objective of this study is to determine whether methodological improvements, residual income method and GWR, yield significantly different results and provide a more accurate and spatially adaptive understanding of affordability dynamics in Hillsborough County, Florida.

The 30 percent income method is widely used and classifies households as cost-burdened if …

Coat Of Many Crises: Dolly Parton's Brand Storytelling Through Compassion And Consistency, Riley M. Hunt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined Dolly Parton’s crisis communication across four major crisiscontexts: the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, the 2021 Middle Tennessee flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2025 Hurricane Helene floods. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, the research analyzed media coverage, public statements, institutional communications, foundation announcements, and philanthropic records to identify recurring patterns in how ethical leadership and stakeholder responsibility were communicated during these crises. Guided by ethical communication theory, ethics of care, stakeholder theory, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), and values-driven reputation management, the study explored how values were enacted through both communication and material action.

Findings indicated …

The Relevance Of Fr. John A. Kaiser For Human Rights And Peace Advocacy Today, Otieno Ombok

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay explores the relationship of the work of Fr. John Anthony Kaiser to Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. His life, work, and death embody the very principles and struggles that the new constitution was designed to address. The author also discusses how to continue the work for peace and justice in the spirit of Fr. Kaiser.

Psychologists’ And Psychiatrists’ Views On Criminal Behavior, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, And Federally Sentenced Indigenous Women In The Prairie Region And British Columbia, Rina Asghar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overrepresentation of federally sentenced Indigenous women in Canada reflects longstanding structural and systemic injustices within the criminal justice system. Constituting approximately 5% of the female population, Indigenous female offenders are disproportionately represented, especially in maximum security facilities and structured intervention units. This qualitative study examined psychologists’ and psychiatrists’ perspectives on the potential role of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) related neurocognitive impairments in increasing justice system involvement among Indigenous women in Western Canada. Guided by the multidimensional Indigenous developmental framework, which integrates historical trauma theory and attachment theory, nine psychologists and one psychiatrist were interviewed in semi-structured interviews. The …

Navigating Recovery From Toxic Leadership In The Pentecostal Church: A Qualitative Study, Traci Sumner Daniels

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research examined the ways in which Pentecostal Church members experience toxic leadership and their process of healing from such experiences. The research included interviews with thirteen people who experienced spiritual abuse or manipulation. The analysis of data produced four main themes, which included spiritual betrayal and disillusionment, emotional and psychological trauma, rebuilding trust in God and community, and rediscovering authentic servant leadership. The research defines toxic leadership as a form of leadership characterized by maladjusted, malcontent, and malevolent behavior that inflicts severe and enduring harm on individuals, groups, organizations, and communities through destructive behavior and dysfunctional characteristics (Semedo et …

Bridging Gaps In Data Utilization: An Evaluation Of The Rural Utah Data Symposium, Paul A. Hill

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Rural Utah Data Symposium, an event designed to address data-driven decision-making among rural leaders. The symposium features expert-led presentations on the rural economy, healthcare, housing, mobility, broadband, and wellbeing. Data were collected through an online exit survey with a 67% response rate (n = 35). Attendees rated presentation quality, learning outcomes, and overall satisfaction. Findings show high ratings and positive learning outcomes, demonstrating the symposium’s value in empowering informed decision-making. Recommendations include increasing interactivity among attendees, broadening content scope, and expanding statewide representation to further support data utilization in rural Utah.

Defining Community Philanthropy: Principles And Dimensions Of A Transformative Practice, Michael D. Layton

The Foundation Review

Community philanthropy is increasingly promoted as an alternative to institutional, top-down philanthropy, yet the term remains contested. In the Global North, it is typically associated with community foundations, while in the Global South the emphasis is on community itself.

This article offers a definition of community philanthropy as a practice rooted in context and power rather than a single institutional form. It identifies five transformative characteristics that distinguish community philanthropy from conventional giving and translates these principles into seven dimensions that can be used to identify and assess community philanthropy in practice.

For practitioners, evaluators, and funders, this framework offers …

A Multi-Dimensional Analysis Of Household Food Waste In The Republic Of Ireland: Drivers, Patterns, And Impacts, Courage Yaw Krah

Doctoral

Despite growing research on consumer food waste, existing efforts have fallen short of achieving meaningful reductions. This challenge has primarily been attributed to the complex behavioural and demographic diversity within populations, reflected in varying practices of food acquisition, storage, preparation, and disposal. In addition, there is a limited understanding of the broader impacts of discarded food, particularly the environmental, economic, and nutritional losses. This results in an oversimplified view of HFW and leads to less effective intervention strategies. An integrated assessment that incorporates environmental, nutritional, and economic consequences can provide a more holistic representation of the problem and support the …

Community-Guided Adaptation Of Violence Prevention Strategies: Insights From The Mississippi Violence Injury Prevention (Ms-Vip) Program, Erin Dehon, Masoumeh Karimi, Leila Seidfaraji, Michelle Brassfield, Melinda Todd, Rukia Lumumba, Matthew Kutcher, Matthew Morris, Fredrick Womack, Roy Hart, Lei Zhang

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

No abstract provided.

Cv: Jennifer Tello Buntin (Sociology), Jennifer Tello Buntin

Sociology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Food Security Through Church-Sponsored Food Programs, Samantha Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A south-suburban Cook County, IL city lacks grocery stores with high-quality food options, which contributes to food insecurity. Residents often rely on highly processed, low-nutrient foods, contributing to nutritional vulnerability. Friendship Church’s food bank sporadically serves this food desert, but sustaining its operations is challenging. Using community-based participatory action research design and the food security theory, data were collected from 25 semistructured interviews with food bank beneficiaries and church staff/volunteers and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The four dimensions were examined: availability, access, utilization, and stability. Two questions guided the research: How do parishioners in one south-suburban Cook County community …

Building The Blueprint: Seven Years Of Laying The Foundation For Leadership And Community Impact, Karen Manning, Tamika Barnes, Angiah L. Davis, Priscilla Dickerson, Thomas Jackson Jr., Deon King Sr., La Loria Konata, Sarah Rodgers

Georgia Library Quarterly

This article presents a foundational blueprint for establishing and sustaining the Georgia Library Association (GLA) Black Caucus Interest Group. Drawing on seven years of documented activity, it highlights the group’s most notable programs, advocacy efforts, and community‑building initiatives that have shaped its identity and impact within the broader library profession. The article traces key events that strengthened the caucus’s mission, including professional development offerings, strategic partnerships, and leadership engagement across the state. A timeline of the caucus’s chair history illustrates the evolution of its governance and the contributions of successive leaders who guided its growth. Together, these elements offer a …

Alternative Project Delivery Methods In California: The Path Forward, Ghada M. Gad, Maria Calahorra Jimenez, Chaimae Nacir, Ronald Shrestha

Mineta Transportation Institute

Alternative Project Delivery Methods (APDMs) are increasingly being recognized as effective alternatives to the traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB) approach for transportation projects. As APDMs gain traction among California’s transportation agencies, understanding the legislative frameworks that enable their use and the characteristics of each method is critical. This study benchmarks the existing use of APDMs in California transportation agencies of varying types and sizes, while considering the characteristics (advantages and barriers/challenges to implementation) of each APDM and the authorizations enabling its implementation. Based on these findings, it also provides recommendations for key factors to consider in APDM selection and implementation. The study …

Bridging Policy And Grassroots Action With Technology: A Framework For Civic Engagement In Environmental Sustainability, Mikhail Ola Adisa, Sonny Rosenthal, Shola Oyedeji, Ifeoma Adaji, Jari Porras

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Grassroots and civic organizations are increasingly recognized as “middle actors” in sustainability, leveraging ICT-driven solutions to bridge top-down policies with bottom-up citizen engagement and behavioral change. This study examines how civic organizations in Finland and Singapore integrate digital tools to support sustainable waste management practices aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, and 17. Guided by a Design Science Research (DSR) approach and drawing on Middle-Out and multi-level governance theories, we developed and validated the Integrated Sustainability Engagement Framework (ISEF) based on interviews with 21 civic organizations and iterative feedback. Findings highlight the central roles of policy translation, localized practices, …

The Effect Of The Socioeconomic Variety In Greater Cairo On Transport Mode Choices, Rafik Yanni

Theses and Dissertations

In the last decade, Egypt has experienced a noticeable upgrade in its infrastructure investment, implementing a lot of transport projects, especially in the Greater Cairo region. In a city with over 20 million residents, variations lie in socioeconomic elements like income, age, gender, and neighborhood, which shape people’s choice of mobility modes based on their culture and lifestyle. The questions then become: whom are these new projects targeting? What are the barriers to using these services? And is there any willingness to change commuting habits if conditions changed? This thesis investigates how the socioeconomic variety in Greater Cairo metropolitan region …

Developing Transformative Pilgrimage Tourism: Seeing The Relationship Between Stakeholders In Religion-Based Tourism Practices In Quds, Indonesia, I Nyoman Ruja

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The growing transformation of the pilgrimage tourism sector worldwide cannot be separated from relations between community groups, pilgrims and the tourism industry. This research analyses the relationships between stakeholders involved in faith-based tourism practices in Quds, Indonesia. Through a qualitative approach, we investigate, in Quds the interactions and relationships of multiple parties involved in the religious tourism industry, including pilgrims, government, local communities and related institutions. This research collects data through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. The results show that stakeholder relationships significantly create a sustainable religious tourism experience in Quds. Collaboration between pilgrims, the government and local …

Grassroots Governance And Resilience: The Role Of Barangay Disaster Communication Amid Political Uncertainty, Karl Lenin Calaramo Benigno, Elsie Pilar, Yolanda Sabado-Lao

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This study examines the role of barangay-level communication in disaster preparedness and response amid political uncertainty, focusing on Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Specifically, it investigates how comprehension of disaster warnings and COVID-19-related terms affects citizens’ compliance, and how demographic and barangay-related factors moderate this relationship. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving surveys of 44 respondents (household heads, barangay officials, and Sangguniang Kabataan officers) and key informant interviews to document communication practices, sources of information, and community trust. Statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.843, p < 0.001) between comprehension and compliance, highlighting the critical role of understanding in disaster response. Findings also show that traditional communication channels, such as barangay announcements and personal networks, remain central, while political uncertainty can indirectly undermine trust and affect message adherence. Youth participation via SK initiatives contributes to information dissemination but requires enhanced resources and training. This study contributes novel insights by integrating statistical evidence, qualitative analysis, and political context to explain the dynamics of grassroots disaster communication. Policy recommendations include capacity-building, hybrid communication strategies, participatory governance, youth engagement, and integration of political risk into preparedness planning, aimed at enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity in local communities.

“Fairy-Tale Beginnings Are Often Pretty Bad.” Filling The Gaps Of The Adoption Experience With Narrative Inquiry, Christina B. Gunther, Michelle A. Cole, Robin L. Danzak

The Qualitative Report

This study utilized narrative inquiry to delve into some of the less-celebrated experiences of adoptees and their families. Drawing on focus group data from 17 adult participants with various connections to adoption, we co-constructed three composite narratives centering on darker aspects of the adoption experience: adoptees’ sense of loss, adoption as a secret or taboo, and the challenging implications of interracial adoption. By weaving together participants' authentic voices, the study provides rich insights into the multifaceted experiences of those touched by adoption. The narratives reveal complex emotional journeys of adoptees, including feelings of rejection and grief, identity struggles, and the …

Play For All: Financial And Legal Dilemmas In Proposing Adaptive Playgrounds, John J. Miller Dr., Jason W. Lee

The COSMA Journal

This case study examines the complexities of designing, funding, and legally complying with adaptive and inclusive playgrounds for children with disabilities. Inclusive playgrounds prioritize social integration by enabling children of all abilities to play together, while adaptive playgrounds focus on accommodating specific functional needs through specialized equipment. Both approaches support physical, cognitive, and social development and promote equitable community participation. Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), mandate accessibility in public and private recreational spaces, yet compliance alone does not guarantee meaningful inclusion. Additionally, funding remains a significant challenge, with full-scale adaptive playgrounds often costing hundreds …

The Built Environment And Its Effects On Health Outcomes In Metropolitan Miami, Jared Sanchez Hoehing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Obesity, depression and social isolation rates are an increasing worry in the United States. As planners, we help shape the built environment, which can influence a person’s health outcomes. To assess the effects the built environment has on health outcomes, this paper looks at the percentage of park space, the population density and the national walk index score, combined with several demographic and socioeconomic variables in the Metropolitan Miami region. The study uses the spatial autoregression results of the variables on each health measurement to determine the connection with each health outcome. Despite initial hypotheses that the built environment leads …

Airbnb And The End Of The Local, Nadia Beyersdorf

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how second-home ownership and self-catered tourism reshape community life in Tenby, Wales. While gentrification research often focuses on permanent displacement, less attention has been given to the movement of temporary residents that erodes local culture, social ties, and transforms everyday relationships in coastal towns.

Leadership And Creative Placemaking In Central Appalachia: Morehead, Kentucky, Toni C. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration

In rural Appalachia, longstanding patterns of extractive economic development, coupled with limited public investment and uneven institutional support, have contributed to persistent economic stagnation and a diminished sense of pride among residents. These conditions reflect deeper structural challenges, including economies shaped by resource extraction and external control. Addressing these conditions is critical to fostering economic growth, promoting cultural heritage, and enhancing overall well-being in the region. By cultivating resilient communities, leaders can create environments in which both the economy and local pride can thrive, contributing to a more prosperous and unified Appalachian region.

This study investigates the organizational and leadership …

Expanding Access To Urban Nature: Floating Gardens As Equitable And Inclusive Blue-Green Infrastructure In The Chicago River, Michael Hendricks, Alec Foster, Noha Shawki, Mariela Fernandez, Sage Rossman, Sierra Mack-Erb, Eric Peterson

Faculty Publications – Politics and Government

This study examines the social dimensions of Urban Rivers’ Free Kayak Days at the Bubbly Creek Floating Gardens in Chicago, Illinois. Floating gardens are a form of blue-green infrastructure that provide ecological benefits, including nutrient removal, habitat creation, and shoreline stabilization, while also offering recreational and educational opportunities. Guided by environmental justice scholarship, our interdisciplinary team conducted participant observation to evaluate whether Urban Rivers’ Freek Kayak Days effectively engaged residents from surrounding marginalized communities. Four themes emerged: (1) access and inclusion, highlighting reduced financial barriers but ongoing challenges related to safety perceptions, cultural relevance, and physical accessibility; (2) community engagement …

Institutional Reform In Support Of Xi’S Anti-Corruption Campaign, Rixin Wen

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Corruption remains a pervasive challenge that distorts markets, undermines public service delivery, destabilizes social order, and erodes governmental legitimacy. In China, anti-corruption has been a recurring policy priority since 1949, culminating in Xi Jinping’s sweeping campaign launched in late 2012. Conceptualizing corruption through a principal–agent framework, this dissertation argues Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign represents not merely an institutional inflection point in China’s supervisory architecture substantially enhancing enforcement capacity and elite discipline, but also the enforcement–perception interactive change, reproducing an asymmetry between punishment and public perception under the unvarying political foundation. This study employs a multi-method research design that integrates institutional …

กระบวนการเรียนรู้โดยชุมชนท้องถิ่นเป็นฐานเพื่อการยกระดับและสร้างคุณค่าทางเศรษฐกิจ จากฐานทุนในพื้นที่ : กรณีศึกษาเทศบาลเมืองสิงหนคร จังหวัดสงขลา, เธียรชัย พันธ์คง, ฟาริดา ซาชา, ธนากร พฤกษ์รัตนนภา, จักรกฤษณ์ หมั่นวิชา

Journal of Social Sciences

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาบริบทฐานทุนและเศรษฐกิจชุมชนในสิงหนคร 2) วิเคราะห์และสังเคราะห์กระบวนการเรียนรู้โดยชุมชนท้องถิ่นเป็นฐาน (Community-based learning : CBL) และ 3) สังเคราะห์ผลลัพธ์ของกระบวนการเรียนรู้และจัดทำข้อเสนอแนะเชิงนโยบายและแบบจำลองการพัฒนาเพื่อยกระดับและสร้างคุณค่าทางเศรษฐกิจจากฐานทุนในพื้นที่อย่างยั่งยืน โดยศึกษาพื้นที่ชุมชนเทศบาลเมืองสิงหนคร จังหวัดสงขลา ใช้วิธีวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ (Qualitative research) แบบการวิจัยเชิงปฏิบัติการแบบมีส่วนร่วม (Participatory action research : PAR) กลุ่มผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ ได้แก่ เทศบาลเมืองสิงหนคร กรมศิลปากร สำนักศิลปากรที่ 11 สงขลา เครือข่ายการศึกษาในพื้นที่ กลุ่มสตรี ผู้สูงอายุ กลุ่มวิสาหกิจชุมชน เกษตรกร ชาวประมง ผู้ประกอบการธุรกิจรายย่อยในพื้นที่ และกลุ่มภาคีต่าง ๆ

ผลการวิจัยพบว่า ทุนทางทรัพยากรและเศรษฐกิจที่สำคัญ ได้แก่ ผลิตภัณฑ์สิ่งบ่งชี้ทางภูมิศาสตร์ (GI) 3 รายการ คือ ปลากะพงสามน้ำ มะม่วงเบาสงขลา และไข่ครอบสงขลา ทรัพยากรในทะเลสาบสงขลา การรวมกลุ่มของวิสาหกิจชุมชน เช่น กลุ่มขนมโบราณ กลุ่มผ้ามัดย้อม กลุ่มมะม่วงเบา กลุ่มปลากรอบ ทุนทางวัฒนธรรมและประวัติศาสตร์ที่สำคัญ คือ ประวัติศาสตร์เมืองเก่าสิงหนคร (ซิงกอรา) และทุนทางสังคม คือ วิถีชีวิตคนพุทธ-มุสลิมที่กลมกลืน มีเครือข่ายการศึกษาและกลุ่มอนุรักษ์ทรัพยากรชายฝั่ง กระบวนการเรียนรู้ของชุมชนเพื่อการพัฒนาทางเศรษฐกิจและสังคมในพื้นที่ เกิดจากความเชื่อมโยงระหว่างภูมิปัญญาท้องถิ่นกับการได้รับความรู้จากภาครัฐ สถาบันการศึกษา ภาคเอกชน และอาศัยเทคโนโลยีดิจิทัลในการอัปเดตองค์ความรู้ ผลลัพธ์ของกระบวนการเรียนรู้ ได้แก่ การพัฒนาผลิตภัณฑ์ใหม่ 6 ชนิด จำนวนกลุ่มเปราะบางที่ได้รับการพัฒนาทักษะอาชีพ 93 คน กลุ่มวิสาหกิจจำนวน 19 กลุ่ม ที่มีรายได้เพิ่มขึ้นร้อยละ 10 และพัฒนาพื้นที่การเรียนรู้ จำนวน 5 แห่ง สำหรับข้อเสนอแนะ การวิจัยควรมีการพัฒนาอาชีพเสริม เช่น การทำขนมและการแปรรูปอาหารทะเลที่เชื่อมโยงเรื่องราวประวัติศาสตร์และวิถีชีวิตเข้ากับการออกแบบผลิตภัณฑ์ใหม่ และใช้การตลาดดิจิทัล เพื่อเชื่อมโยงเส้นทางท่องเที่ยวชุมชน ผ่านกลไกการเรียนรู้โดยใช้ฐานทุนในพื้นที่เป็นหลัก

Lake As Body: Ecofeminism And Animacy At The Great Salt Lake, Shae Barber

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Water shapes cultural, social, and ecological systems. Yet, dominant economic, political, and academic frameworks often treat water as a backdrop or passive resource, ignoring it as an active participant in meaning-making and relationship-building. Viewing water as “nonliving” obscures how it participates in and co-creates relationships, limiting understanding about impacts of and responses to climate change and environmental degradation.

This thesis takes a mixed-methods and participatory approach including semi-structured interview, photovoice, and participatory mapping to examine relational practices between environmental advocates and the Great Salt Lake, a desiccating saline lake in Utah, U.S. As the lake continues to decline, dominant Western …

Sangha: Displacement And Memory In Nikkei Dena, Isabella Rae Uriu

Honors Theses

Sangha: Displacement and Memory in Nikkei Dena explores how layered displacements have shaped the Nikkei (Japanese-American) community in Altadena and Pasadena (Dena), CA, and how Nikkei resist forces of displacement and ‘unbelonging’ through cultural practice, community care, and memory-work at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple. This thesis argues that these practices of place-making build belonging and sustain the Nikkei community across displacement; particularly, the forced removal and incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II, freeway displacement during the mid-century, and most recently, the 2025 Eaton Fire, which has displaced tens of thousands of Denans, including a small, but …

Othering And Belonging In The Face Of Displacement, Stephanie Fayette

Social Justice | Senior Theses

This project showcases the perspectives of residents in affordable housing in the Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco, CA. The long-time residents share how rising housing costs, redevelopment, and neighborhood change affect their sense of identity, stability, and belonging.  In Bernal Heights, as redevelopment projects expand and housing prices continue to rise, long-term residents face pressures that extend beyond affordability. They face the possibility of losing not just housing, but community memory, cultural visibility, and social stability. This research seeks to understand how residents define belonging amid these changes and how displacement operates not only as physical removal but also …

Diagnosis And Proposal For Addressing The Depopulation In Northern California Towns, Cahal T. Connolly

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines population decline in small Northern California towns as a process of functional depopulation. Demographic loss becomes most damaging when it weakens the institutions that make communities livable. Focusing on rural towns facing aging populations, economic contraction, climate risk, housing instability, and service erosion, the thesis argues that sustainability cannot be measured by population change alone. Instead, towns must be evaluated according to their ability to maintain municipal services such as schools, healthcare, emergency services, infrastructure, local governance, and civic life. The thesis develops a stabilization framework that distinguishes among stabilizable, transitional, and structurally declining communities based on …