Digital Commons Network^™

Just Places And Paths: Equitable Transit-Oriented Development In Vancouver, Washington, Hannah Althea, Jesse Tapia, Ken Yoneda, Blessie Saoit, Hayley Still

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The Southwest Washington Equity Coalition (SWEC) has been actively engaged in multiple efforts to uplift BIPOC communities in the City of Vancouver and Clark County. SWEC has partnered with Rhododendron Planning for a project to develop a toolkit to guide future Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) that considers the specific needs and desires of BIPOC communities, which can be used for current and future policy initiatives. This work comes at a time of escalating development, inward migration, and diversification, putting pressure on present and burgeoning BIPOC communities. Between 2010 and 2020, the population of BIPOC communities living in Vancouver, Washington, has …

Between The Sword And A Hard Place: Systemic Solutions To The Shortcomings Of The Missouri Public Defender System, Andrew A. Bohon

Missouri Law Review

“Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.” The attempt to solve a problem can sometimes topple a functional system entirely. The striving to improve a thing can frustrate its purpose. Limping along under the guise of functionality, however, many sociopolitical processes hinder our progress. Something works, so we cling to it in fear of making it worse. The idea has been aphorized that perfect is the enemy of good. Although a quaint and conservative philosophy, there is a countertheory: “Good is the enemy of great.”

People Power And Police Policy: How Denying Intervenors In Pattern-Or-Practice Police Litigation Undermines Police Accountability, Alexander Lindenfelser

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Vol. 48 No. 1 (2025): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Napela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 48, No 1-Jun 2025 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

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

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Key Determinants In Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations, Sania Pirouzi

Theses (2016-Present)

The growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) requires metropolitan areas to strategically plan the placement of charging infrastructure to support accessibility, efficiency, and sustainability. This study investigates key determinants for the optimal siting of EV charging stations, using Houston, Texas, as a case study. Through a comprehensive literature review and expert consultation, eight critical criteria were identified: land use type, population density, median income level of residents in the area, vehicle ownership rate in the area, young and middle-aged residents share in the area, flood risk, traffic density and proximity to major roads, and educational attainment of the residents in …

75 | Cana Of Galilee: Excavations At Karm Er-Ras 1999–2011, Yardenna Alexandre

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume describes the results of multiple small-scale salvage excavations that took place at the site of Karm er-Ras in the Lower Galilee between 1999 and 2011. Archaeological remains of ten strata were revealed, dating from Iron Age II to the Byzantine period, including architecture, pottery, glass, coins and special finds. The archaeological data reveals the history of settlement of this site, and its changing ethnic and religious affinities over some 1500 years. Following detailed analysis of the archaeological data and the literary sources, the author argues for the identification of the Roman-period village at Karm er-Ras with ‘Cana of …

From Promise To Performance: Reforming Blended Finance For Scale, Perrine Toledano, Ana M. Camelo Vega, Tucker Wilke

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Blended finance has the potential to help close the sustainable development financing gap. Strategically combining public and philanthropic capital to unlock private investment, it has proven to be an effective tool to de-risk impact investments. But without bold, structural reform, it risks remaining a niche tool – promising in theory, underperforming in practice. Drawing on over 65 expert interviews and in-depth analysis, this report from the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) maps the systemic barriers preventing blended finance from operating at scale, and outlines a practical path forward. With bold leadership and coordinated reform, blended finance can become a …

Exploring Early Childhood Development Programming In Kenya’S Arid And Semi-Arid Lands, Phyllis Magoma, Amina Abubakar, Martha Kaniala, Barack Aoko, Moses Wesala, Joyce Marangu, Susan Nyamanya, Margaret Kabue, Anil Khamis, Esther Chongwo

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Promoting high-quality early childhood development (ECD) is vital for individuals’ physical and social well-being and yields significant societal returns. However, children in marginalised regions like Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) face significant barriers to accessing quality ECD services.

Aim: This study aimed to document existing ECD services in Kenya’s ASAL areas, including their availability, types and key characteristics; identify gaps in their provision and propose solutions to enhance access and quality. Setting: This qualitative study was conducted in 10 ASAL counties in Kenya.

Methods: Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, 103 key informants, including pre-primary …

"Sex Out Of Boredom": Key Stakeholders' Perspectives On Teen Pregnancy Prevention In Emerging Immigrant Latino Rural Communities., Romina Barral, J Dennis Fortenberry, Astrid Guerrero Avitia, Mariana Ramirez, Abbey R. Masonbrink, Claire D. Brindis

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Teen pregnancy (TP) rates are 1.5 times higher among Latina youth than the United States national average and one-third times higher in rural counties. The Socio-Ecological framework recognizes the myriad of issues that impact TP, including four bidirectional levels of influence on teenagers' behaviors: macro, community, institutional, and interpersonal levels. We aim to fill critical knowledge gaps regarding the influence of key community stakeholders living in rural, Latino-majority communities shaping Latino/a, immigrant adolescents' TP-related environments.

METHODS: A purposive sample of 48 key stakeholders was drawn from three rural counties (Finney, Ford, and Seward) in southwestern Kansas from 2016 to …

Technology Infusion In Higher Education Curriculum: A Case Study Of The Strategic Educational Leadership Program, Chloe R. Kiser

Dissertations

This program evaluation examines the integration of technology-infused curricula in the Strategic Educational Leadership (SEDL) program at National Louis University (NLU). With the growing need for digital competence in educational leadership, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study used the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) Standards for Education Leaders to guide recommendations for curriculum enhancement. A mixed-methods approach explored how faculty currently infuse technology, key outcomes of aligning with ISTE standards, essential digital skills for doctoral students, and challenges faculty face in implementation. Findings revealed a shared interest among faculty and students in practical, real-world technology applications. The …

Mollusc And Crustacean Consumption In The First 1000 Days: A Scoping Review, Brietta M Oaks, Emmanuel A Gyimah, Eliza Kleban, Kathleen Ragsdale, Lora L Iannotti

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mollusc and crustacean consumption in the first 1000 d may improve maternal and child health by providing essential nutrients. However, in some contexts, molluscs and crustaceans have been associated with allergies and environmental contamination, potentially leading to adverse health and development outcomes. It is unclear whether the health benefits of consuming molluscs and crustaceans, collectively classified as shellfish in nutrition, are outweighed by the potential risks to pregnant women and children. We conducted a scoping review (PROSPERO: CRD42022320454) in PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO Global Health of articles published between January 2000 and March 2022 that assessed shellfish consumption during pregnancy, …

Spatiotemporal Association Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases And Deaths With Exposure To Wildfire Particulate Matter In 2020, Thomas C Mchale, David R Boulware, Kelly Searle, Leda Kobziar, Phinehas Lampman, Julio C Zuniga-Moya, Ben Papadopoulos, Andrej Spec, Naomi E Hauser, George R Thompson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Climate change is anticipated to have profound effects on human health, including in infectious diseases. Wildfires have been increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change and have been linked to worsening respiratory disease outcomes. We aimed to demonstrate whether there was an association between wildfire smoke and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in California during 2020.

METHODS: We used an ecologic cohort study with a spatial autoregressive model to test for associations between wildfire smoke, measured as particulate matter < 2.5 µg/m

RESULTS: In an adjusted analysis, we found a 1-month lag increase of 203 COVID-19 cases per 10 000 persons …

Multiple Collection Methodology For Studying The Connection Between Behaviour And Design In The Built Environment, María Beltrán Rodríguez

Artículos científicos

This study examines the relationship between urban design and convivial behaviour using a multipledata collection approach. By comparing two distinct urban parks—Superkilen in Copenhagen and Parc Central del Poblenou in Barcelona—the research demonstrates how different spatial configurations and design solutions influence social interactions. The methodology integrates direct observation, behavioural mapping, survey data, and graphic representation to systematically assess convivial behaviour across two diverse yet comparable environments. Both Superkilen and Parc Central del Poblenou were designed by high-profile architects with the intent of fostering interaction among diverse urban populations. While both parks were conceived as highly designed, convivial spaces, fieldwork reveals …

Subnational Diplomacy As 'Positive Fragmentation': Our Best Hope For A Peaceful Collapse Of The Nation-State?, Alison R. Holmes

New England Journal of Public Policy

The current phase of globalization is one of fundamental erosion in the efficacy of the territorial nation-state and slow implosion of traditional sovereignty-based models of the state system. Combined with the breakdown of the rationalist-universalist ‘consensus,’ sub-state entities up and down the “vertical axis” of diplomacy are increasingly asserting mutually exclusive concepts of power and self-determination that could lead to a potential fragmentation of the basic structures of governance. Linear theories of state development and traditional definitions of sovereignty, with its consequent forms of recognition, urgently need to be revised or the likelihood of a continued disruption of international collaboration, …

The Application Of Lidar For Classifying Wildland Fuels, Madison Muschetto

Master's Theses

Accurate vegetation classification is critical for modeling wildfire behavior, particularly in fire-prone ecosystems where fuel type influences fire spread and intensity. This study evaluates the effectiveness of UAV-based aerial LiDAR, supplemented by multispectral imagery, for classifying grass, shrub, and tree vegetation types across a grass-dominated landscape. Using canopy height thresholds, vertical profile analysis, LiDAR predictions were compared against field-verified vegetation observations at 80 survey points. Results showed that LiDAR classified grass with high accuracy but was less reliable for detecting shrubs and trees, especially under canopy cover. Misclassifications were most common beneath tree canopies and in areas where low-stature shrubs …

Ecological Grief Among Farmers And Pastoralists In Ethiopia And Kenya, Syed Shabab Wahid, Christine Musyimi, Benjamin Oestericher, Linda Khakali, Lauren Carruth, Emily Mendenhall, Edna Bosire

Brain and Mind Institute

Climate change is a major cause of mental distress worldwide. In many ways, climate change has become a chronic disaster, while in other ways each acute event can accumulate and present challenges within and between communities. A growing body of evidence indicates that a changing climate can precipitate a cluster of negative affective states scholars call “ecological grief.” Ecological grief reflects psychological responses to climate changes and destruction of nature, species, culturally significant or sacred spaces. Until now, ecological grief has been conceptualized as a psychological response connected primarily to the destruction of the natural environment, and has not fully …

Blood And Mettle: The Effects Of Civil Unrest On Economic Mobility, Nathan D. Parks

Honors Projects

Civil unrest is a global phenomenon that often emerges through a combination of grievances and opportunity sparking change. Civil unrest is often used as a tool by the populace to initiate political, societal, or economic transformation. Economic mobility or the belief in it is a key contributor to mitigating individuals’ level of grievances. This paper uses lagged panel analysis to investigate the question of how civil unrest affects economic mobility beyond the time of unrest. Civil unrest is associated with changes in economic mobility, varying between positive and negative associations based on the type of unrest. Analysis was conducted using …

Chains Of Knowledge: Slavery, Low-Wage Labor, And The Role Of Intellectual Property In Antebellum Georgia (1789 To 1865), Kris Kallies

Journal of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

This article investigates Georgia’s engagement with intellectual property from 1789 to 1865, with an epilogue to 1920, arguing that the state’s economic reliance on unfree labor systems profoundly shaped its approach to technological innovation. Drawing from a newly constructed, state-specific patent database, the study reveals that Georgia’s low patenting rates—examining the areas of in mining and metallurgy, textiles, and the establishment of the Confederate Patent Office during the American Civil War—was not indicative of technological stagnation, but rather evidence of a region where innovation was informal, experiential, and embedded in labor hierarchies. The article advances the argument that the absence …

Tanzania Mbesese Initiative 2025, Genevieve Marie Tedder, Frances Street, Audrey Wojcik, Alex Trujillo, Tristen Mullin, Jessica Jane, Anna Marie Langer, Carissa Castro, Molly Linong Rojec, Haley Pilcher

Architectural Engineering

The Tanzania Mbesese Initiative is an ongoing project based in Same, Tanzania. The Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Design (MISD) is working in collaboration with ARUP and Cal Poly to develop a polytechnic college for the community in Same. Our team of ten students aims to support the design and construction process of the project.

Synthesis Of Publications On The Anomalous June 2021 Heat Wave In The Pacific Northwest Of The United States And Canada, Erica Fleishman, David E. Rupp, Paul C. Loikith, Karin A. Bumbaco, Larry W. O'Neill

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We synthesized more than 70 articles, most peer reviewed, that addressed the heat wave that occurred across the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada in late June 2021, breaking hundreds of daily and all-time daily maximum temperature records across the region. A persistent, extraordinarily strong ridge of high pressure was a primary driver of the heat wave. Contributing mechanisms were moisture originating in the tropical western Pacific Ocean, high solar radiation, low pressure offshore, large-scale subsidence over land, and unusually dry soils. Climate change contributed to the heat wave’s magnitude by increasing mean temperature, although it is unclear …

Poa Annua Ecology, Biology, And Integrated Weed Management Practices In Turfgrass, David Ervin

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poa annua L. is one of the most widespread and troublesome weeds of turfgrass. It persists as both an annual and perennial and is adaptable to almost any static maintenance regime, including adaptation to mowing heights and evolution of herbicide resistance. This management guide is intended to provide stakeholders with a summary of new and existing knowledge on integrated Poa annua management. Here we review the basic biology and ecology, as well as practical integrated weed management (IWM) strategies developed for its control.

Buddy Team 9: The Legacies Of Hiv/Aids Caregiving (New York City, 1990-1993), Jeff Donaldson-Forbes

University Honors Theses

An autoethnographic thesis asks, How were the volunteers of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) Buddy Team 9 (NYC, circa 1990-1993) impacted by HIV/AIDS caregiving? The author, a former member of GMHC Buddy Team 9, provides context to the HIV/AIDS crisis in a particular era (1990-1993), place (New York City), and cultural setting (via volunteer work supporting a major AIDS service organization).

"I Just Kind Of Wish People Knew We Existed:" Rethinking Queer Visibility, Identity, And Belonging In Rural America, Alyson C. Hagen

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how LGBTQ+ individuals in rural America navigate identity, visibility, and belonging amid the pressures of metronormativity--the dominant cultural narrative that equates queerness with urban life. Through qualitative interviews with five queer adults who lived in rural settings, the study shows that rural queer life is shaped by not only structural erasure and limited resources but also adaptive strategies, emotional labor, and creative community-building. Participants described environments where queerness was often unspoken or denied, yet they developed contingent forms of visibility, online belonging, and grassroots kinship to survive and thrive. Although all participants had migrated to urban areas, …

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 …

Glacial Lakes Segmentation Using Multispectral Remote Sensing Data And Deep Learning Models, Debankan Das

Master’s Dissertations

The identification and delineation of glacial lakes through segmentation is crucial for tracking glacial changes and evaluating potential dangers from sudden flood events (GLOFs). These floods can severely impact populated areas and man-made structures downstream. Recent advances in high-quality satellite imagery have sparked increased attention toward using advanced machine learning methods, particularly deep learning, to enable precise and automated glacial lake detection. In this study, we explore the effectiveness of deep learning-based pointwise semantic segmentation for glacial lake mapping using multisource remote sensing imagery, including both optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. We experiment with a novel stack combination …

Unlocking Private Equity Investing: A Primer, Yin Wang, Steve Balaban

Asian Management Insights

Private equity might provide higher returns, but investors should be aware of the associated risks.

Discovering Sri Lanka: Examining The Marketing Strategies Behind Successful Tourist Destinations, Victoria Powell

University Honors Theses

Building on the observation that Sri Lanka is emerging as a tourist destination, this thesis compares the national destination marketing campaigns of Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to identify how their strengths have contributed to their success. Using a comparative analysis, the research examines each destination’s brand positioning, distribution channels, campaign messaging, visual identity, and brand consistency. A deeper analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) is conducted on Sri Lanka's destination marketing campaign to present the study's findings and communicate recommendations. Ultimately, the analysis is used to recommend strategies for Sri Lanka's destination marketing efforts to …

Objects Against Convention: An Objective Study Of Claude Cahun's Overlooked Works, Zuzu Longstreth

University Honors Theses

The French artist and writer Claude Cahun (1894-1954) is best known for her early self-portraiture. These photographs take place in theatrical spaces and witness the artist donning costumes and masks, playing out different identifiers and gender roles. Beginning with the discovery of Cahun's work in the 1990s, the scholarly conversation has focused entirely on the artists early work based on a perceived kinship with postmodern notions of identity. While this early body of work is fascinating, attention to it has been singular, shaping how the rest of Cahun's work is understood. To trouble this one-dimensional view of Cahun as an …

Access To Healthcare For Rural Transgender Adults In The United States, Devon Smith

University Honors Theses

Urban and rural healthcare differ significantly in the amount of facilities, providers and kinds of specialty care that are offered in each environment. The United States is split into urban and rural counties in any given region, and based on those population sizes, are the allocation of healthcare resources for residents. In rural areas in the U.S., transgender adults lack access to gender-affirming care and encounter a lack of gender-affirming care providers due to workforce shortages, discrimination, and a lack of cultural competency. To determine if these residents lacked access to care compared with their urban counterparts, I performed a …