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From Disaster To Resilience: Developing Smart Settlements In The Himalayas, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Nepal’s catastrophic 26 August 2026 Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood should be understood not only as a humanitarian tragedy but also as a potentially major turning point in updating national settlement and reconstruction policy. Engineers and scientists have described the floods as a glacier–bedrock collapse that triggered an ice-rock avalanche and debris flow. As per the live updates on September 7, 2026, the total death toll was 1,355, and 4,996 people were missing (The Hindu, 2026). Indian and Nepali rescuers worked urgently to locate and rescue people buried under hydropower tunnels, buildings, mud, and landslide debris.

UN News reported on September 3, …

Lessons From Tanzania’S Ujamaa For Smart Settlements In Nepal: Social Justice And Economic Development, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Nepal’s constitutional commitment to a “socialism-oriented” state places social justice, equitable access to resources and housing, and protection of marginalized populations at the center of national development discourse. However, persistent landlessness, informal settlements, unemployment, youth outmigration, and unequal access to infrastructure reveal a significant gap between constitutional aspirations and socioeconomic realities.

This article examines lessons Nepal can draw from Tanzania’s experience with Ujamaa, the African socialist development model initiated by President Nyerere in 1967. Using comparative policy analysis, published research, official documents, and exploratory field observations from selected Tanzanian locations, including the capital and villages in the Iringa Region, the …

Regenerative Writing: The Rhetorics Of Indigenous Futurisms As Pedagogical Praxis, Madeline R. Mendoza

English Language and Literature ETDs

This dissertation explores how land-based writing and Indigenous Futurisms can reshape writing pedagogy in higher education, focusing on English courses at the University of New Mexico. At the center of this project is the Land Memoirs assignment, which I designed to encourage students to engage land as a living relative and active participant in the learning process. Through the frameworks of Indigenous Futurisms, Land as Pedagogy, Rhetorical Sovereignty, and Pueblo understandings of marking, I analyze the rhetorical choices across student multimodal narratives, reflections, and interviews to examine the assignment’s pedagogical impact. My findings reveal epistemic differences in how Indigenous …

Keeping Communities Safe Through An Alternative First Response Model: Predictors Of Civilian First Responders’ Self-Efficacy In Handling Crisis Situations, Jasmine Desiderio

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The expansion of civilian alternative first responder models reflects a national shift toward community-based approaches to crisis intervention. Grounded in Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, this study examined the extent to which demographic characteristics are associated with crisis self-efficacy, explored how perceptions of the responder role relate to confidence, and identified supports necessary for effective crisis response. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed with civilian first responders in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Quantitative data were collected with the Crisis Self-Efficacy Scale, and semi-structured interviews gathered qualitative data. Exploratory regression analyses (n=31) were not reliably associated with crisis self-efficacy, while role …

Public Policy Apr 2025 Self-Study Report & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

Public Policy APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for AY2025, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.

Considerations For Assigned Water After Expiration Of The 2007 Guidelines, Kathryn Sorensen, Sarah Porter, Anne Castle, John Fleck, Eric Kuhn, Jack Schmidt, Katherine Tara

The Traveling Wilburys of the Colorado River

As Colorado River supplies and demands reach razor-thin margins, new tools to provide adaptive capacity will play a critical role in sustaining communities across the West. We must reduce our consumption of water, while finding ways to cushion the impact. One of the most innovative tools for doing this, developed over the last two decades, is “Assigned Water” - giving users the ability to store conserved water earmarked for their own future use. Originally developed as “Intentionally Created Surplus” in the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines, Assigned Water has been revised and expanded through U.S. Mexico Treaty Minutes and as …

Scholarai Scholarly Article Search Strategies With The Ayni Method Multi-Neutrosophic For Ethical Information Management In Ai, Ennio Jesús Mérida Córdova, Elizabeth Esther Vergel Parejo, Raúl López Fernández

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

In a digital world where scientific articles are published at an unprecedented rate, an additional step in the research process to facilitate discovery is an effective search and filtering for worthwhile articles. Thus, this study aims to solve the following research problem: how to search for scientific articles using artificial intelligence (AI) while applying ethical considerations and ancestral knowledge? The topical relevance is that as AI is a great vessel to seek potentially accessible knowledge, searches can be guaranteed through accuracy, inclusivity, and ethics. While many studies exist on the topic of AI related to searching, few, if any, extend …

Revitalizing Rural Grocery Stores In Northern New Mexico: A Community Handbook, Emily Arasim

Student Publications

Rural grocery stores are cornerstone institutions that are central to the health and well-being of their communities - not only providing food, but also serving as spaces of economic development, cultural and historic preservation, social connection, and resilience. In response to the loss of many rural stores over recent decades, the ‘Revitalizing Rural Grocery Stores in Northern New Mexico’ handbook brings together community histories, political analysis, and practical strategies to support their protection and resurgence. The handbook shares findings on the multi-faceted importance of rural grocery stores and the causal factors in their loss; maps and photographs documenting the condition …

A. Saranya, A. Kalavathi And S.Krishnaprakash, Neutrosophic Superhypersoft Sets, Florentin Smarandche

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Neutrosophic SuperHyperSoft Sets (NSHSS) represent an innovative extension of traditional soft set theory, integrating the principles of Neutrosophy to address uncertainties in decision-making processes. In this study, we recall the NSHSS and establish its foundational principles, including the relationships between various attributes and their corresponding values. The framework facilitates a structured evaluation process, allowing decision-makers to assess multiple proposals based on criteria such as environmental impact, feasibility, community engagement, cost effectiveness, and innovation. Each criterion is categorized into distinct levels, ranging from low to transformative, thereby enabling a nuanced analysis of project proposals. Through illustrative examples and tabular representations, we …

Center For Participatory Research Leads National Efforts In Community-Based Research, Dustin Roberto

HSC Newsroom

Nina Wallerstein, DrPH, is a Distinguished Professor of Public Health and director of the Center for Participatory Research at the University of New Mexico. She has spent more than four decades shifting health research toward community-based participatory research (CBPR). Her work emphasizes partnerships in which communities guide research priorities and retain ownership of findings.The center's work spans Indigenous health, including culturally centered family programs, CBPR, youth participatory action research and co-learning initiatives.

Tangible And Design Assistance In Historic Preservation Courses To Assist Communities In The Recuperation Of Their Existing Built Cultural Resources In New Mexico, Francisco Uviña-Contreras

Faculty Publications

The presentation proposed for the NCBDS 41 Conference to be hosted at the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) Department at the University of New Mexico (UNM) concerns the arduous work in the Historic Preservation and Regionalism (HP+R) Program in this institution. This significant opportunity to present courses in the HP+R Program aims to "exchange and disseminate information and ideas concerning preservation education and its relationship to community engagement and its connections to its historical past." This issue is particularly relevant in the context of the NCBDS 41 Conference, which touches on aspects of the "Pedagogy in Cultural Heritage through …

Land Struggles, Resistance, And Mutual Protection Along The Colorado-New Mexico Border: The Sacred Right Of Self-Preservation, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

Mutual protection societies proliferated in the American Southwest during a period of rapid social change, 1870-1930, coincident with significant changes in the region’s political economy and increased competition for land and water resources. To resist encroachment and protect their natural resources, hispano communities in Colorado and New Mexico organized mutual benefit and protective associations known as mutualistas, with a large number concentrated in the San Luis Valley of Colorado as well as in many rural counties of northcentral New Mexico. The Costilla Valley of New Mexico is a prototypical hispano settlement initially established as part of the expansive Sangre …

Prompting Progress: An Eight-Week Ai Literacy Cohort For Academic Advisors – A Program Evaluation Report, Leo S. Lo

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

As generative AI floods higher education, academic advisors—often the first humans students consult—must learn to partner with the technology, not compete with it. This eight-week, community-of-practice pilot at the University of New Mexico gave 15 advisors guided access to GPT-4 for degree planning, policy queries, and email drafting. Pre/post surveys showed familiarity rising from 2.50 to 3.50, overall AI-literacy from 2.71 to 3.90, and confidence from 3.07 to 4.00 on a 5-point scale. Workflow logs documented recruitment emails produced in minutes rather than hours. Participants highlighted ethical guard-rails as a new competency, not an afterthought. Results suggest advisor-centric programs can …

Core State Injury Prevention Program Listening Sessions Report June 2025 Report, Camille Velarde, Yvonnie Baik, Elena Martinez, Theresa Cruz

Reports & Documents

Background: Injury and violence remain pressing public health challenges in New Mexico, particularly in rural and underserved communities. To inform prevention strategies, the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center partnered with the New Mexico Department of Health and local organizations to conduct community listening sessions focused on upstream approaches addressing shared risk and protective factors.

Methods: Four listening sessions were conducted in 2025 with stakeholders from county health councils and community organizations. Using a rapid qualitative analysis approach, researchers analyzed participant perspectives on local injury and violence concerns, familiarity with upstream frameworks, and communication preferences.

Results: Participants identified overlapping …

Partnering For Youth Empowerment: Establishing Boys And Girls Clubs In Tribal Communities, Johnny Abeyta Jr.

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study examined why Boys and Girls Clubs are not available in every tribal community and explored how culturally grounded youth programs support leadership, identity, and sovereignty. Using Tribal Critical Race Theory, Narrative Inquiry, and Indigenous Research Methods, the study centered the voices of Pueblo leaders, educators, policymakers, and alumni. Interviews identified barriers related to funding, transportation, facilities, and policy alignment. Participants described culture, mentorship, and safe spaces as essential for youth belonging and empowerment. The study introduced the Relational Sovereignty Model, which explains how cultural teachings, shared learning, resilience, and community care work together to support Indigenous youth. The …

Complexity, Coordination, And The Politics Of Global Health Emergencies: Institutions, Actors, And Responses, Jennifer M. Kerner

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation examines the politics of global health emergencies through three interconnected studies. First, it analyzes the declaration of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs), revealing that while World Health Organization (WHO) protocols influence decisions, political factors may also play a role. Second, a case study of the 2014 Ebola outbreak explores the complexities of international response coordination. It highlights the importance of established protocols, clear leadership, and effective communication, while also noting the challenges posed by resource constraints and inter-organizational dynamics. Third, the research investigates the impact of military involvement in global health emergencies. It reveals that military …

Archiving Erasure: Trans Absence In The Bennett Hammer Lgbt Collection, Isaac Suarez Flint

2026 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

A Few Lessons From Venezuela: Introducing A New Path Of Appropriate Farming And Appropriate Renewable Energy, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In development economics literatures, there is a known term for developing countries which tend to mismanage natural resources, that term is called natural resources curse. And two examples which have been discussed quite often is Venezuela and Norway. Here we also discuss other countries as well, including Argentina and a few lessons for Indonesia in choosing the next course of development path, especially with appropriate farming and appropriate renewable energy.

The Water Mills Of The Historic Río Arriba In Northcentral New Mexico, 1598-1975, José A. Rivera Ph.D, Thomas F. Glick Ph.D

Faculty Publications

The water mills of New Mexico played a major role in the agricultural economy of the Río Arriba for centuries following the introduction of wheat from the Old World to the Americas. Wheat, in its ground form as flour, was a staple during the Spanish colonial period. To process raw wheat, local grist mills (molinos) were essential infrastructure as were the aceq uias (ditches) that powered them. Situated near the banks of rivers, the internal components of each mill were driven by the gravity force of water from an acequia, itself diverted from the river. Researchers have documented …

The Impact Of Albuquerque’S Bus Rapid Transit System On Pedestrian Safety, Martina Mercure

Civil Engineering ETDs

This project will explore the impacts of several traffic safety countermeasures and roadway design changes on pedestrian safety along the Central Avenue corridor of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The motivation behind this research is the communities concern for the increase in pedestrian fatalities in the US and specifically New Mexico. The research will have a specific focus on pedestrian safety, but we will also address traffic safety outcomes for motor vehicle users and bicyclists. The City of Albuquerque has taken note of the traffic safety issues on Central Avenue and has implemented or is in the process of implementing several countermeasures …

Native American Studies 2023 Apr Self-Study & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

UNM Native American Studies APR self-study report and review team report for Spring 2023, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission

Native American Studies Apr 2023 Self-Study Report & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

Native American Studies APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for Spring 2022, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.

The Nature Of Environmental Planning In The Carnué Land Grant, Desiree Loggins

Geography ETDs

In 1819, the Spanish Crown established Cañón de Carnué land grant as a buffer between the colonial settlement of Albuquerque and raids from Plains Apache and other nomadic tribal nations. Upon entering the U.S. period of Manifest Destiny, Carnué land grant heirs lost much of the land they stewarded as a collective to the Cibola National Forest. While the state generates laws and policies that complicate the prioritization of subsistence land uses by land grant communities, Carnué’s presence is felt as grantees reform relationships to their environment and assert their personal stake in stewardship and care. I argue that Carnué’s …

The Use Of Appreciative Inquiry In Identifying Pueblo Core Values, Kristyn N. Yepa

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

This study used appreciative inquiry to identify core values or concepts essential to the Jemez Pueblo community to inform an evaluation framework used by community strength-based programs in Jemez Pueblo. Key informant interviews and a focus group were conducted in Jemez Pueblo with key program staff and tribal leaders. The audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using inductive reasoning to identify core values. In addition, grounded theory was used to develop a conceptual model from the themes generated from the analysis. The PICOT question was, "Can the Appreciative Inquiry method help uncover core values of a Pueblo community?"

Community School Implementation, Melanie Blea

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

A community school model is one way that struggling schools can restructure under the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act. Schools operate under the idea that the needs of the whole child must be met before academic advancement can begin. Implementation of a community school model includes obtaining feedback from all stakeholder groups in a school community (students, staff, parents, and community organizations) and examining data to make collective decisions that generate shared responsibility and accountability. The four pillars of a community school (integrated student supports, expanded learning time and opportunities, family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership and practices) …

Project Echo Annual Report 2022, University Of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center, Project Echo Communications Team

Project ECHO Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

No “Box To Be Checked”: Environmental Justice In Modern Legal Practice, Clifford J. Villa

Faculty Scholarship

For nearly thirty years, environmental justice has been part of our civic conversation and included in the mission of federal agencies. But while public attention to environmental justice has waxed and waned over time, environmental justice principles have endured and developed into rules of law. This development may be expected to continue and accelerate with recent events such as the nationwide outcry after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on people of color, and the express priorities of the Biden administration. This paper seeks to help legal practitioners and other interested parties comprehend …

What Does Social Entrepreneurship Mean To Change Agents In New Mexico? A Phenomenographic Approach To Understanding Social Entrepreneurship, Audriana Stark

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

Social entrepreneurship has been identified as a solution to some of the world’s most pressing problems, including health, education, and environmental issues. Despite the rise in literature about social entrepreneurship, there is still a lack of understanding how place-based social entrepreneurship is being conceived and experienced by practitioners. Therefore, this study uses a phenomenographic approach to understand what social entrepreneurship means to change agents in New Mexico, a place characterized by social and economic challenges, as well as an abundance of natural and cultural resources. The findings revealed five distinct categories of description for social entrepreneurship including: Category 1. No …

Towards Creating Smart Cities In Nepal, Ambika P. Adhikari, Keshav Bhattarai

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Many urban centers in the world are seeking to become smart cities. Nepali city leaders are also aspiring to make their cities smart. A smart city basically has clever improvements made in three sectors of its operations: technological, human, and institutional. Globally, many cities have recently made impressive enhancements in at least one or more of these areas. Nepal’s National Planning Commission (NPC) in 2016 had released a concept paper on smart cities for Nepal, defining smart cities as sustainable, information and technology-based, with high quality services and replicable (NPC 2016). As most Nepali cities still operate with limited infrastructure, …

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Of Navajo Nation Water Resources In The San Juan River Basin, Nm: Utilizing Traditional Navajo Ecological Knowledge, Kirena Elana Yanibaa Tsosie

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The Navajo Nation consists of 110 chapters, local government subdivisions, organized into five regional agencies. Over half of the Navajo Nation chapters have traditional names in the Navajo language that describe a local water source including springs, washes, rivers, ponds, and reservoirs. Therefore, traditional Navajo names consist of Traditional Navajo Ecological Knowledge (TNEK) and can assist in documenting water sources that can be further assessed for vulnerability and sensitivity to climate change. There are 52 Navajo Nation chapters located in the San Juan River Basin and 28 chapters have water related names. Water sources associated with place names will also …