Digital Commons Network^™

Convergence Research For Microplastic Pollution At The Watershed Scale, Heejun Chang, Elise F. Granek, Amanda Gannon, Jordyn M. Wolfand, Janice Brahney

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microplastics are found in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, and ecosphere. While there is a growing interest and need to solve this grand challenge in both the academic and policy realms, few have engaged with academics, policymakers, and community partners to co-identify the problem, co-design research, and co-produce knowledge in tackling this issue. Using a convergence research framework, we investigated the perception of microplastic pollution among different end users, delivered educational materials to K-12 teachers and practitioners, and identified key sampling points for assessing environmental microplastic concentrations in the Columbia River Basin, United States. Three community partner workshops identified regional …

A Tale Of Two Cities: The Racial Disparities Of Air Pollution And Asthma In South Fresno, California, Alonso G. Lee, Caleb Stipkovits, Eve Wiseman

SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper analyzes the relationship between PM2.5 pollution, asthma rates, and racial disparities in West, Central, and South-Central Fresno, California (WCSCF). Our findings reveal a moderate positive correlation between asthma prevalence and racial demographics, largely due to poor urban planning—for example, residential areas near high-traffic roads, industrial zones, limited green spaces, and political prioritization of economic development over health. The study identifies two policy gaps in California’s air quality legislation: First, SB 1000 has failed to hold Fresno accountable for addressing environmental justice concerns; Second, AB 617’s reallocation of Cap-and-Trade funds toward air quality monitoring does not tackle the root …

Suurj Volume 9 Entire Volume, Editors Of Suurj

SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Mapping Resilience And Community Through Transformed Green Spaces In Santa Clara, Bea Ricafort

Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program

This study builds on existing research showing that green spaces are vital multifunctional solutions that promote both community well-being and climate adaptation. By integrating social and environmental vulnerability into the framework, the GsSVI offers a more holistic approach to resilience—one that centers justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, while addressing exposure to extreme heat.

In alignment with item C-2-1 (Climate Resilient Land Use & Development) of the City of Santa Clara’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), this research analyzes the social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities across Santa Clara through a Green Space Social Vulnerability Index (GsSVI), highlighting high-risk areas. The Priority Index …

Educational Efficacy Of Private Well-Testing Workshops And The Surveillance Of Private Drinking Water Quality In Connecticut, Alec Janis, Michael Dietz, Meredith Metcalf

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

More than 820,000 Connecticut residents rely on groundwater from private wells, yet minimal regulations address well water quality. Extension programs across the United States have begun to provide private drinking water education and testing assistance to address this public health gap. Few studies have analyzed the efficacy of these programs.

We delivered four workshops across Connecticut, from November 2022 to November 2023, where participants were given an educational presentation on private drinking water and an opportunity to test their well-water quality at a subsidized cost. After participating in the workshops, participants believed they were more confident to begin annual testing, …

World Transit Research June 2025 Newsletter, Institute Of Transport Studies Monash University

World Transit Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Sustainability And Human Dignity Rights, James R. May

UMKC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Toward Integrated Urban Observatories: Synthesizing Remote And Social Sensing In Urban Science, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Urbanization is reshaping landscapes and posing unprecedented sustainability challenges, necessitating more integrative approaches to urban observation. This review synthesizes recent advancements in traditional remote sensing and emerging social sensing technologies, emphasizing their convergence within urban science. A systematic thematic analysis of 667 peer-reviewed articles highlights the methodological progress, practical applications, and theoretical innovations arising from this integration. Traditional remote sensing effectively captures urban physical features but lacks insights into human behaviors. Conversely, social sensing, leveraging digital traces from social media and mobile data, introduces essential human-centered dimensions into urban monitoring. The fusion of these complementary paradigms through advanced data analytics …

Implementing Un Sdg Auto-Tagging: A Practical Guide For Librarians, Kyle Morgan

Cal Poly Humboldt Library

No abstract provided.

Decommissioning Offshore Oil And Gas Infrastructure: Report Of Proceedings, May 2, 2025 Offshore Decommissioning Workshop, Martin Lockman, Ashwin Murthy, Romany M. Webb

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

On May 2, 2025, Ocean Conservancy and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law organized a workshop at Columbia Law School on offshore oil and gas decommissioning in the United States. The overarching goal of the workshop was to bring together offshore law and policy experts to outline a research and policy agenda for offshore decommissioning. Within this broad goal, we sought to (1) identify key opportunities to reform offshore decommissioning law in the United States, both in the short term and over the next decade, (2) identify knowledge gaps and highlight areas for future research, and (3) begin to …

Morris Climate Action Plan, University Of Minnesota - Morris

Miscellaneous Campus Publications

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century and impacts people, communities, and ecosystems—both locally and globally. The University of Minnesota Morris Climate Action Plan (CAP) provides a road map to address climate change through strategic mitigation and adaptation in alignment with the campus mission, goals and objectives. The 2025 CAP charts the course to reduce campus greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 87% by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The CAP was developed in tandem with the 2025 UMN Morris Campus Plan to address intrinsically linked strategic goals stated in MPact 2025 Systemwide Strategic Plan. …

Uni Political Science Newsletter, V20, 2024-25, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Political Science.

Political Science Newsletter

Contents:

--- From the Department Head
--- UNI Creates Center for Civic Education, Hires Director
--- Panthers Vote Recognized
--- Deputy Secretary of State Visits Campus
--- Celebrating Leaders in Public Service
--- Women in Public Service
--- You're Next Leadership Conference 2025
--- Model UN
--- Vajpeyi Fellowship
--- Iowa Human Rights Research Conference
--- Student Research
--- Montalvo Receives Lux Service Award
--- Purple & Old Gold Award
--- Congratulations 2024-25 Graduates
--- Faculty Updates
--- Keller Receives Gold & Bold Award
--- Alumni, Friends Recognized with President's Distinguished Award
--- Alumni Updates

Assessing Solar Photovoltaic Accessibility And Social Vulnerability In Santa Clara, Andréa Georgenes

Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program

The City of Santa Clara is expanding its solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure to meet ambitious climate goals, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035 [1]. While solar energy is a clean, increasingly affordable alternative to fossil fuels, adoption remains uneven. Low-income households and communities of color continue to face barriers to access, highlighting a critical need to align clean energy goals with equity strategies.

The Language Of Development: A Case Study Analysis Of Climate Development In Central America, Alexandra Altomare

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to better understand the impact of locally led development activities on local populations. The focus of this thesis is on climate mitigation and adaptation activities in Central America led by international donor organizations such as USAID. The research consists of an in-depth review of existing literature and analysis from the fields of environmental justice, political ecology, postcolonial studies, and Indigenous Studies. This is accompanied by a case study analysis of various development projects in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as auto-ethnographic observations. In addition, this thesis analyzes the power and impact of language and …

Reconciling Theology, God, And Climate Change In The Pacific Islands: The Emergence Of Syncretism And Ecotheology, Dan F. Orcherton

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Advisory Opinions In International Law In The Context Of The Climate Crisis, Maria Antonia Tigre, Armando Rocha

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Between December 2022 and March 2023, three requests for an advisory opinion were submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Furthermore, a request for an advisory opinion from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCtHPR) is being prepared. As such, 2024–2025 marks an unprecedented moment in global climate litigation: as of November 2024, we are on the verge of having four of the world’s most important international and regional courts and tribunals answering crucial legal questions on the (ex …

Nature Et Relations Dans La Littérature Caribéenne Francophone De Fin Du Xxe Siècle Et Contemporaine, Louise Bonastre-Fajardo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

My research project argues that literature novels from the french-speaking Caribbeans contribute to testifying to relationships with the environment, with others, and with oneself. By recognizing nature as a subject of rights under Latin America's new constitutionalism to prevent environmental harm caused by humans, politics can acknowledge that nature is actually a part of a domination system. This study addresses a range of issues within existing power structures, by articulating the notion of "nature" with the notions of "natural" and "supernatural" in a selection of francophone late XX’s century and contemporary Caribbean novels.

An important literature on Latin American and …

Long-Range Transport Of Canadian Wildfire Smoke: Public Health And Earth System Impacts, Erica L. Simon

Environmental Studies Senior Theses

In the summer of 2023, Canada experienced an unprecedented wildfire season with total burned area reaching 15 million hectares, doubling the previous record. Notably, smoke plumes from Eastern Canada were transported to the Northeast United States, resulting in record-breaking measures of poor air quality in early June 2023. This thesis employs a multi-method analysis to understand the June 2023 Quebec wildfires, focusing on atmospheric science, public health effects in New York City, and albedo changes on the Greenland ice sheet. Through this analysis, I find record-high monthly mean aerosol optical depth values in June 2023 in three regions– the Northeast …

Land Access As Liberation: A Qualitative Study On Faith, Food, And Farming Of Urban And Rural Black Land Stewards In The United States, Dominique Edwards

Dissertations

Since 1920, Black farmers in the United States have held less than 2% of the nation's farmland, a direct result of race-based discriminatory policies embedded within federal, state, local, and county-level institutions (Daniel, 2013). Structural barriers—ranging from exclusionary lending practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the systematic dispossession of land through legal loopholes, heirs’ property laws, and violent racial terror—have contributed to this staggering decline in Black land ownership (Gilbert et al., 2002). The erosion of Black agrarian landholdings intensified in the latter half of the 20th century, as government programs, civil rights legislation, and technological advancements, …

Building Urban Resilience, Winston T. L. Chow

Asian Management Insights

Cities can lead on services, resources, and partnerships.

Heat, Smoke, And Resilience In East Central Spokane: Community Insights On Climate Adaptation, Sarah Bliss Matousek, Amanda Gray, Dante Jester, Brian G. Henning

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

This report presents findings from a multi-methods research initiative exploring the impacts of climate-related hazards—specifically extreme heat and wildfire smoke—on residents of Spokane’s East Central neighborhood. The project combined a community survey with a World Café-style symposium to gather both quantitative data and lived experiences from local participants. Key themes that emerged include the need for more cooling infrastructure, accessible health education, improved indoor air quality, and stronger neighborhood-level communication and support networks. The report highlights how systemic underinvestment in East Central intersects with climate vulnerability, underscoring the urgency of equitable, community-driven solutions. Recommendations include expanding tree canopy, increasing funding …

Challenges And Opportunities In Teaching Marxist Theory Courses: A Quality Assessment Study Under Plithogenic Sets,, Qingchao Wang

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Leadership Case Studies, Jayme Renfro, Anne Marie Gruber

Faculty Book Gallery

This volume is a collection of case studies by University of Northern Iowa's Master of Public Policy (MPP) graduate students, as well as undergraduate students studying leadership and management in public service. It is our hope that these case studies can be used as teaching and learning tools, as a deep-dive into leadership theory and practice.

Some details within the case studies, which are a combination of fiction and non-fiction, have been changed to protect privacy. Some student authors have chosen to remain anonymous or publish under a pseudonym.

Editor: Dr. Jayme Renfro, Associate Professor of Political Science, with support …

‘Making A Positive Environmental Impact’: Exploring The Role Of Volunteering At A Campus Community Garden, Dina Izenstark, Barbara Ann Boone

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Promoting sustainability in higher education is a social and environmental imperative. This paper explores how and why volunteering at a campus community garden (CCG) can serve as a unique context for promoting sustainability. Twenty-five undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 27, who had volunteered at a campus garden, participated in individual semi-structured interviews. A majority of participants identified as female (80%) and Asian American (52%). Using reflexive thematic analysis, we first found students were motivated to volunteer for personal and academic reasons as well as to learn more about gardening. Childhood gardening experiences influenced participants’ re-engagement as adults. …

The ‘Double-Exposure’ Of Riverine Communities In Northeast India To Dams And Climate Change, Costanza Rampini

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

East Portland Grid: Supporting Clean Industry And Residents, Allison Kirkpatrick, Andrew Azar, Diego Joao Murphy-Mendez, Evan Howington, Kate Carroll, Maura Paxton

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Supporting clean industry and residents in ways that are mutually beneficial requires a diversity of efforts. The Columbia Salmonry Group, working for the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, finds that designating the Sumner-Parkrose-Argay Terrace neighborhoods as a Green Resilient Industrial District (GRID) can, with the following recommendations, build on the work of community and city partners to sustain and grow clean industry in Portland. This area is well suited to be a GRID due to the close proximity of industry and residents, a history of over-planning and under-delivering of investment, and the engaged community. Focusing on the needs of …

Building Adaptive Capacity Through Community Visioning, Silas Carr, Isaiah Jackman, Brandon Huezo, Lara Opeifa

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

East Portland represents one of Oregon’s most diverse communities. This rich cultural tapestry reflects the strength and resilience of communities who have built vibrant neighborhoods despite facing systemic exclusion and displacement. This project focuses on community engagement efforts undertaken in collaboration with the Rosewood Initiative, a community-based organization operating in East Portland. However, the legacy of discriminatory policies and practices has created concentrated challenges in East Portland, which have relegated many residents to areas with inadequate infrastructure, limited access to services, and heightened exposure to environmental hazards. Climate change intensifies these challenges, with East Portland experiencing more severe urban heat …

Rebuilding Consent: Fear, Trust, And The Future Of Nuclear Energy, Austin Dunham

University Honors Theses

This thesis traces the cultural and emotional roots of nuclear fear in the United States and explores how those inherited anxieties continue to shape public resistance to nuclear energy in the face of a worsening climate crisis. Drawing on personal narrative, risk perception theory, and the history of nuclear discourse - from Hiroshima to Chernobyl to today - the research examines how trust, rather than technology, remains the largest barrier to progress. By analyzing the stories we tell about energy, disaster, control, and overall perceived risk, this work asks what it would take for Americans to imagine nuclear energy not …

Raising The Roof For All: Integrating Companion Planting Ecology, Policy And Community In Portland's Green Roof Future, Zoe Edelman

University Honors Theses

Green roofs, or ecoroofs, provide environmental and social benefits in urban areas. Ecoroofs manage stormwater by absorbing rainfall, reducing rooftop temperatures, supporting pollinators, and offering green space in densely developed cities. Portland, Oregon has adopted progressive policies that encourage green roof installation through incentives and building requirements. However, many ecoroofs in the city are underperforming due to poor maintenance, low public awareness, and limited access to rooftop spaces. This thesis explores whether companion planting can improve the ecological performance and long- term viability of extensive green roofs. A rooftop experiment at Portland State University tested the growth of radishes, with …

Re-Imagining As Re-Empowering, Zheyun Chen

Masters Theses

While landscapes designed have been shown to effectively promote healing, foster community, and facilitate social empowerment, the landscapes of domestic violence shelters are woefully understudied.

This thesis explores the potential of integrating and combining existing design elements into the landscape to create a system that fosters a “safe place” within an urban context.

In this thesis, I developed a series of typologies based on existing landscape elements that are not necessarily connected with trauma-informed care or a healing landscape. I examined these in an urban context, specifically at Casa Myrna, a domestic violence shelter in Roxbury, Boston, MA.

Through the …