Digital Commons Network^™

The Spatial Economics Of Clean Energy In New Jersey, Anthony J. Bevacqua

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Clean energy policy is critically important in driving reductions of greenhouse gases and mitigating climate change. As clean energy technologies improve over time and interact with social systems and broader energy markets, there is a need for innovative environmental management that supports development of new clean energy policy. Understanding where these technologies may be deployed, quantifying the anticipated benefits, and mitigating risks are required for successful policy optimization. With these considerations in mind, this dissertation explores geothermal heat pumps (GHP), solar photovoltaics, and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). We call upon spatial economics to investigate these topics by incorporating …

Ferrate(Vi) For Wastewater Treatment : Phosphorus Removal, Lei Zheng

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Phosphorus (P) is a major nutrient present in municipal wastewater. Without proper treatment and management, residual P in treated wastewater finally enters into natural receiving water bodies. Nutrient pollution resulting from excessive P, together with the other nutrient, i.e. nitrogen (N), is a leading cause of eutrophication, a ubiquitous U.S. water quality issue. An overgrowth of algae during eutrophication brings extremely adverse impacts on the water quality. The algal bloom can rapidly deplete dissolved oxygen, lead to the death of aquatic life, increase water turbidity, and cause taste and odor issues. Moreover, some harmful algal boom can produce toxins to …

Show Me St. Louis: Risk Assessment Through An 80-20 Framework, Hannah K. Steinman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers of crime and place have long explored the uneven distribution of crime within the built environment and repeatedly identified where crime is concentrated. The longstanding question pertaining to crime at the micro-level, is why crime concentrates. This study operates within environmental criminology, through an 80-20 framework, to explore the spatial distribution of crime across streets with crime generators and attractors in St. Louis, Missouri to fill this gap in the literature. A conjunctive analysis of case configurations is used to identify unique high and low-crime street profiles. Crime data from 2018 – 2019 are used from the St. Louis …

“From Behind The Plow”: Agrarianism And Racial Uplift In African American Literature, 1881-1917, James O'Donoghue

Dissertations

My study challenges our current valorization of movement and flow in readings of African American literature. I do so through an exploration of the representations of the black agrarian masses who either choose to remain or could not afford the spectacular forms of escape to urban life which many essentialized as freedom. In the dramatic and pivotal decades following emancipation, African American leaders attempted to check the growing apartheid by the “combination” of diverse African American communities: North and South, professional and working class. This required that they move beyond the question of whether one was free or slave to …

In Support Of Natural History Digitization: Assistive Tools For The Mobilization Of Biodiversity Data, Caleb Powell

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Much of the primary biodiversity data supporting biology and environmental science are preserved in natural history collections (NHCs). Recently, these collections began to make those data digitally available through online portals thereby improving their accessibility and usability. The processes involved in creating digital representations of these physical objects are, as of now mostly manual and labor intensive. The goal of this work is to assist NHCs in making these data available. Pursuant to this goal, three assistive tools were produced based on experiences digitizing herbaria (i.e., NHCs focusing on the kingdom Plantae). The tools produced through this effort are: (1) …

Comparative Global Warming Potential As Environment Protection Criteria Of Production Systems: A Case Study Of Philippine Chicken Meat Sector, Theresa M. Espino, Luzvisminda M. Bellotindos

Applied Environmental Research

Demand for chicken meat has been increasing tremendously over the years globally at an average 2.4% per annum and in the Philippines at an average of 3.4% per annum. In view of the sustainable development goal (SDG) 13: Climate Change, the chicken meat sector needs to embark on more efficient production. It is not just about producing enough food, but doing itin a sustainable way. This study aimed to demonstrate the identification, evaluation and comparison ofthe environmental impacts of Philippine chicken meat production systems. The analysis was done through the cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and supported with the …

Perception And Behavioral Changes Of Thai Youths Towards The Plastic Bag Charging Program, Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee, Dawisa Hoontrakool, Danny Marks

Applied Environmental Research

Thailand has one of the highest usage of plastic bags globally, with over 45,000 million plastic carrier bags used annually. Because of its high plastic consumption and mismanagement of plastic waste, Thailand was ranked sixth globally in terms of its contribution to marine plastic pollution in 2015. While many countries have introduced plastic bag charges or taxes to reduce consumption, the Thai government is reluctant to do likewise due to political concerns about whether the public will accept this. This study presents findings on perception and acceptance level of university students towards plastic bag charging program in their campuses. We …

Phytoplankton-Water Quality Relationship In Water Bodies In The Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Giao Thanh Nguyen, Huynh Thi Hong Nhien

Applied Environmental Research

The study was conducted in March 2019 in three areas subject to impacts of agricultural production, residential areas and landfill in An Giang(Area 1), Kien Giang (Area 2) and Can Tho (Area 3), respectively, to assess relationship between water quality and diversity of phytoplankton. The results showed that water quality at 25 study sites is contaminated with organic matters, suspended solids and coliforms. The study found 422 species of phytoplankton belonging to five phyla of Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Dinophyta, Cyanophyta and Euglenophyta. The density of phytoplankton in the three studied areas ranged from 13 to 77,328 individuals L-1. Among the areas, …

Delay And Geographic Discounting Exert Multiple Control Over Climate Change Policy Preference, Celeste Noelle Unnerstall

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The procedures were informed by a pilot investigation conducted by this research team that is described below. In the primary study, students attending Missouri State University chose between a policy with no restrictions or taxation on their carbon emissions versus a restriction on the amount of mileage driven per month and taxation related to the mileage. The main study also included an added variable of the influence a redistribution taxation policy into different geographic distances would have on policy preference. Results were interpreted in terms of a multilevel hyperbolic discounting model using the “R” program. The results suggest that there …

Pitching Change: Micro-Community Of Higher Learning, Christopher Chaphe

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Being around sports growing up has given me some experiences that have shaped who I am today. Playing and watching sports is a common activity amongst my friends and family. These events spark engagement and camaraderie between us. The stadium in which these sports are played within are a key component to this engagement. They bring people together to enjoy and root on your favorite teams along side thousands of other fans.

Stadiums today are becoming a remarkable instrument to generate communal spirit besides marketing, recruiting and hosting games for universities. The iconic design of these stadiums has become more …

Spartan Daily, April 30, 2020, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2020

Volume 154, Issue 40

Tree Removal Analysis Of The 2018-2019 Gambles Mill Eco-Corridor Restoration, Zach Harrell

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Trees have been extensively researched, and it has been concluded that they are useful not only useful tools in enhancing biofiltration, as well as managing stormwater and retaining sediment, but they also benefit the health of the ecosystem as a whole. But as the University of Richmond’s Gambles Mill Eco-corridor was restored between 2018 and 2019 in order limit to the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other sediment flowing into the Little Westham Creek; many of the trees that combat these problems were removed. The following research intends to analyze the number of trees actually removed throughout the restoration, as …

Memorialization On College Campuses Today, Virginia Thornton

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This study uses the theoretical basis of placemaking and memorialization to examine the placement of memorial landscapes on college campuses. The research is based in case study analysis of other college campuses. It looks specifically at where and what is memorialized and what elements of placemaking are incorporated. The main postulate of my research is that the location of the memorialization of the suspected slave burial ground and history of slave labor on Richmond’s campus is appropriately placed in the Eco-corridor. The research suggests this postulate is not true, as the majority of other memorials have been placed in more …

Stormwater Management For A Healthier Campus Watershed: The Value-Add Of Green Stormwater And Watershed Management To The University Of Richmond’S Campus Landscape, Nia Cambridge

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Increasing competitiveness, educational opportunities and available funding, investment in sustainable infrastructure can be an immense value-add to the modern-day college campus. This paper explores the use of green low impact development to mitigate the effects of stormwater runoff on the University of Richmond (UR) campus. Rich in sediment, nutrients, heavy metals, bacteria and other organic matter, stormwater runoff is one of the main non-point sources of pollution in urban water bodies and a key area of opportunity for UR to improve stewardship to the nearby James River. A review of academic and industry literature was conducted to determine whether or …

Step Pools: Examining The Flow Resistance And Stability Of Artificial Step Pools In Comparison With Their Natural Counterparts, Quinn Kirkpatrick

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This study looked at step pool stream studies, reports, and field data in five catchment areas. The areas of interest include the Rio Cordon catchment area in Italy, the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington, the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, various areas in California, the University of Richmond in Virginia, and the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado. The purpose of this study was to compare the flow resistance and stability after large flooding events of artificial and natural step pool sequences to potentially provide information to improve monitoring of newly installed step pools and the design of future step pool …

Stream Restoration As A Method Of Improving Local Water Quality, Emily George

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Projects of stream restoration are a known Best Management Practice (BMP) to approach stormwater management, and have been adopted globally as a means of improving local hydrology. Urbanization has led to an increase in impervious surfaces, resulting in deteriorated streams, many of which are subject to stream restoration. Stormwater control measures (SCM), such as stream restoration, are considered to be a subset of green infrastructure as a method to reconnect streams with surrounding riparian areas, revitalize original hydrology, and support the local ecosystems. This paper looks into the viability of stream restoration as a way of improving water quality, focusing …

Exploring Options For Mussel Restoration, Henry Hurt

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This paper seeks to explore the feasibility and possible procedures of restoring freshwater mussels to the Little Westham Creek (LWC) as a way to reduce excess organic pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus coming from upstream. To this end, the use of mussels in bioremediation and restoration procedures found in scientific literature were reviewed with the goal of creating a guideline of how such a project would be carried out at the Gambles Mill Eco- Corridor. Based on the results of past literature, water data collected by students in this seminar, and data from RES, it was estimated that a …

Cost Benefit Analysis And Beyond: Stream Restoration In Richmond, Virginia, Claire Powell

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This research assessed the costs and benefits of six recent stream restoration projects in Richmond, Virginia within the context of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (CB TMDL) pollutant reduction requirements. In order to meet these requirements, state and local governments promoted stream restoration as an important way to reduce Bay-wide inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids. The overall intention of this paper was to holistically evaluate the risks and positive impacts associated with stream restoration, with a focus on Little Westham Creek, a stream restoration project located on the University of Richmond campus. I hypothesized that …

Grant To Help Expand Environmental Studies Program, Shea Stewart

University of Mississippi News

UM English professor receives National Endowment for the Humanities funding

A Modern Cat-Tas-Trophe? The Relationships And Impacts Between Feral Cat Management And Sustainable Urban Development: A Literature Review, Gage Mofield

Honors Theses

For this literature review, I will be reviewing the impacts that feral populations have on sustainable development, specifically in urban environments, and doing an intensive analysis of the economic, social, and most significant, environmental impacts that feral cats have on the respective urban environment. Following this, I will then be reviewing the different management strategies that currently are in place for managing feral cat populations, specifically lethal methods of feral cat management, and then analyzing a non-lethal feral cat management program known as “TNR”, which stands for Trap-Neuter-Return, and seeing which methodology is the best suited for managing urban feral …

Icc Agenda, April 28, 2020, Individual Course Committee

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

What Are The Impacts Of Local Food Systems?, Jamie Chadwick

Hospitality Graduate Student Scholarship

Sourcing products locally is not just a trend, it is also an important step towards sustainable business practices. Sustainable business depends on balancing sales with the ability to maintain growth. Sustainability is a complex concept. In the charter for the UCLA Sustainability Committee, sustainability is defined as: “the physical development and institutional operating practices that meet the needs of present users without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, particularly with regard to use and waste of natural resources. Sustainable practices support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality. Sustainability presumes that resources are finite and …

Changes In Regional Snowfall In Central North America (1961-2017): Mountain Versus Plains, Jiyang Zhang, Haochi Zheng, Xiaodong Zhang, Jeffrey Vanlooy

Faculty Publications

Long-term snowfall change offers insight for understanding climate change, managing water resources, and assessing climate model performance, especially at regional scales where topography plays an important role in shaping regional climate and water availability. In this study, we examined the changes of annual snowfall using observations from 1961 to 2017 in central North America, a region with high contrast in topographic complexities. There is a general, yet distinct difference in the snowfall trends demarcated approximately along the 105° W meridian. To its east, which is dominated by plains, snowfall had increased overall, except in a limited area south of 42° …

Approved Courses, April 28, 2020, Individual Course Committee

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Evaluating First-Generation Students’ Career Readiness, Mariana N. Robledo De La Torre

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Research shows that first-generation students have historically had less guidance and resources to support their educational attainment and career development (Tate et al., 2015). This has resulted in considerable growth in the amount of support systems, programs, and services implemented by educational institutions across the United States to help first-generation college students thrive in higher education and their future careers. This study sought to improve my understanding of the career readiness of first-generation students at USD. By engaging with and gathering data from first-generation students, I have greater insight about ways of supporting first-generation students’ career readiness and vocational confidence …

Community And Conservation In Wallacea: Making The Case For The Region, A Methodological Framework, And Research Trends, Micah R. Fisher, Bart Verheijen, Muhammad Alif K. Sahide

Forest and Society

This introduction provides a review of articles published in the special section on community conservation in the Wallacea region. As editors to the special section, we worked with contributors over a series of workshops to reflexively identify challenges to conducting research on community and conservation in this important and often overlooked region. The challenges are attributable to the dynamism and remoteness of the region, as well as its peripheral position relative to the center of government in Indonesia. We begin this article by making the case for a concerted field of study for the Wallacea region. Next, we draw on …

Dark Ride: Disneyland. Using Educational Games For Critical Media Literacy Education, Benjamin Thevenin

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article describes Dark Ride: Disneyland - a mobile game that encourages Disneyland guests to critically consider Disney’s representations of history, culture, and technology. The game was the creation of a group of faculty, students and professionals associated with Brigham Young University. The article contextualizes the game and its development in relation to concepts including media as public pedagogy, critical inquiries of place, critical and creative media literacy, creative production as research, and educational videogames. It reviews the project’s objective to foster critical reflection and creativity among those involved in developing the game and hopefully to extend media literacy education …

Rangelands Management: A Foresight In Afghanistan, Yashpal Singh Saharawat, Abdul Rahman Manan, Hyatullah Esmati

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Afghanistan, a land locked country with arid and semi-arid climatic conditions and the average amount of rainfall is 250 mm per year, heavily depends on the rangelands for livestock feed. Permanent pasture cover around 46% of the total land area i.e. 30 million ha rangeland exist in the country (Thomson et al. 2003), whereas forestry covers around 3% of total area i.e. around 1.9 million ha. Based on seasons, the rangelands of Afghanistan divided into three categories; the winter (16 million ha); the spring and autumn (16 million ha) and summer (22.5 million) pastures. Rangeland degradation is quite severe …

6th Graders In Stem: Development Of An International Climate Team And Weather Station At Washington Elementary, Rachel Anne Lindsey, Pamella A. Cedillo, Jen Pierce, Cheryl Finley, Hannah Courtright, Chris Taylor

2020 Undergraduate Research Showcase

While opportunities to become involved in climate and STEM-related clubs exist at the middle and high school levels in Idaho, few are available at elementary schools. This project establishes Boise’s first International Climate Team (ICT) at Washington Elementary to address this need. Within the program, 6^th graders maintain their own school weather station, interpret local weather and climate, establish a new STEM Club, and develop team leadership skills. In conjunction with service learning partners at Washington Elementary, the Boise School District, and Boise State University we mentor the ICT and STEM club and provide support for the installation and …

Stampede April 24, 2020, Western Michigan University

Stampede: E-newsletter for students

• Caps off to the grads!
• Kordell Smith (Business)
• Alaa Sleymann (Biological Sciences)
• Kobe Brown (Theatre)
• WMU nursing program students, faculty are pandemic prepared
• Student social media campaign helps WMU community #staypositive
• Campus community pitching in to provide WMU students with essentials
• Aviation alum delivers critical supplies, personnel for pandemic response
• WMU senior engineering students solve problems facing business, industry and people
• Future Broncos use talents to help frontline health care workers
• Broncos at home
• Music challenge aims to build harmony, community from a distance
• For the birds: Avian adventures bring comfort while social distancing