Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Improving Follow-Up After School-Based Dental Screenings Using Koha Data In Monterey County, Andre N. Edmond

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Limited follow-up after school-based oral health screenings is a major issue for young children in Monterey County, especially for those who do not have a regular source of dental care. This project focused on improving how screening data is used to connect students to needed services. The internship was completed with the Monterey County Oral Health Program and aimed to develop a better system for tracking KOHA (Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment) data and improving follow-up care for students identified with dental needs. Key activities included analyzing screening data, entering into a tracking system, and comparing results from different schools. The …

Integrating Organizational Theory In Student Employee Development Across Dispersed Workplaces, Anica C. Chesnut

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Managing and developing staff at university residential desks presents unique challenges. One challenge is the complexity of supervising student employees while allowing them the opportunity to grow as well. Another challenge is the dispersed nature of residential desks across a university campus. Satellite desks present a difficulty to maintain community, a positive work culture, continuity of expectations, and procedures. Several organizational theory frameworks can be directly applied to the organization in order to reduce challenges. This capstone paper utilizes literature review and examination of current practices, to provide context of current inefficiencies while also critically analyzing pain points within the …

Christian-Based Community Engagement And Loneliness Among College Students, Ayodeji Fayemi

Master's Theses & Other Graduate Student Works

Loneliness among college students is a growing public health concern with significant implications for mental and physical well-being. Despite living in highly connected environments, many students report profound feelings of loneliness, which can exacerbate mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Loneliness also influences cognitive and social processes and has been linked to physical health risks, highlighting the need for effective interventions. This study examined whether Christian-based community engagement served as a protective factor against loneliness among college students. Grounded in Social Support Theory, the study assessed associations among loneliness, general social support, church-based support, religious coping, institutional integration, …

Efficacy Of Implicit Bias Training Within The Hazel Park Police Department, Luke Londo

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Among the many desired outcomes for uniformed police officers who undergo implicit bias training is a reduction in the level of discriminatory conduct related to such biases. Current research on the subject offers mixed results, and nearly all existing studies do not provide an empirical measurement of efficacy or other outcomes beyond officer sentiment. This case study examines and measures the impact of implicit bias trainings, which is a requirement for officers within the Hazel Park Police Department in Michigan, prior and subsequent to certification by using raw and sustained complaints of discriminatory conduct allegedly perpetrated by Hazel Park police …

Improving And Maintaining Public Trust In Law Enforcement: A Qualitative Case Study Of The Northville Township Police Department, Christopher Bachand

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Public trust is a key component of effective law enforcement. While historically cyclical, trust in American law enforcement agencies has trended downward in recent years following several high-profile use of force incidents. In response, many agencies have begun incorporating new theories and models into their policies and procedures aimed at increasing public trust. This capstone paper draws upon the relevant literature surrounding these theories and conducts a qualitative case study of the Northville Township Police Department. This agency consistently achieved above-average levels of confidence from its community members by incorporating these theories using a hybrid-synthesis policy implementation approach. This paper …

Public Safety Policy In Michigan’S Rural Upper Peninsula: Collective Efficacy, Youth Engagement, And Prevention, Christopher J. Reynolds

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Rural communities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula face unique public safety concerns due to resource limitations and geographic isolation. Small townships and cities lack sufficient funding and personnel to respond effectively to emergencies across large land areas. By building stronger families and communities, rural areas can prevent public safety concerns through preventative strategies, rather than reactive strategies that focus on incarceration. Through strengthening social networks and providing programs for youth to build leadership skills and good character, public safety will become a part of daily life in rural areas and not just a reaction to negative situations.

Body Worn Cameras For The Madison Police Department, Caleb Wright

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

Body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers can ensure accountability of the officers and transparency to the public. Though body-worn cameras have become increasingly popular in police departments, some departments do not use them. The Madison Police Department is one of these departments. Body-worn cameras have been implemented with policy models in many surrounding departments in Wisconsin and have proved to hold officers accountable and ensure transparency during complaints and cases. Leveraging literature on integrated policy approach and policy implementation, this capstone paper summarizes the needs and benefits of body-worn cameras for the MPD. This paper contributes to broader debates on …

The Macroeconomics Of Intergenerational Mental Health Dynamics, Boaz Abramson, Job Boerma, Diego Daruich, Aleh Tsyvinski

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We develop a quantitative macroeconomic theory of child mental health. The theory is grounded in child psychiatry, formalized in a life-cycle heterogeneous agent model of child development, and disciplined using micro data on mental health of children and parents. Intergenerational transmission of mental illness arises due to both biological factors and parental behavior. Parents experiencing mental illness have negative expectations and lose time due to rumination. As a result, they invest less in their child’s mental health. We use the model to evaluate policies designed to improve child mental health. We show that subsidizing mental health treatment for children generates …

Position: The Pre/Post-Training Boundary Should Govern Ip In Industry–Academia Ml Collaborations, Dirk Bergemann, Soheil Ghili, Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Industry–academia ML collaborations routinely fail to launch—not for scientific reasons, but because academics must publish while companies must protect models trained on proprietary data, and no standard contract framework resolves this tension. Because contracts are negotiated by legal departments alone, many apparent legal disputes are incentive misalignment problems that only scientists at the table can correctly diagnose. We propose PBOS (Protect-the-Business / Open-Source-the-Science), a community-adoptable contract template anchored to a single technically-grounded boundary: pre-training artifacts (architectures, training code, benchmarks, untrained weights) are open science; post-training artifacts (weights trained on proprietary data) are business IP. This boundary is technically meaningful, legally …

Class Peers As Competitors And Educators: The Consequences Of Rank-Based Academic Rewards, Mark R. Rosenzweig, Bing Xu

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper examines the theoretical and empirical consequences of rank-based reward systems in schools in which students’ performance and effort are evaluated relative to their peers. In such environments, classmates act simultaneously as competitors—due to rank-determined rewards—and as educators through peer learning and assistance. Using nationally representative panel survey data from U.S. high schools, combined with administrative information on the location assignments of new refugee student cohorts, we exploit variation in school competition policies and class ability compositions to identify empirically their dual effects on student effort and peer learning. We develop a theoretical tournament model with heterogeneous students who …

Regional Economic Impacts And Emission Responses Under Solar Radiation Modification, Jenny Bjordal, Evelien Van Dijk, Henri Cornec, Anthony A. Smith Jr, Trude Storelvmo

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) has been proposed as a potential tool to limit increases in global or regional temperatures caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. While previous research has extensively examined the climate system’s response to various SRM strategies, as well as their aggregate economic consequences, the regional distribution of economic impacts has received less attention. In this study, we use NorESM2–DIAM—an Earth System Model coupled to a high-resolution integrated assessment model—to assess the economic impacts, measured in GDP per capita, in an idealised SRM scenario where incoming solar radiation is reduced by 1%. Our results suggest that, relative to …

Beyond Exposure: Predicting Ai Adoption Based On Comparative Advantage, Ilse Lindenlaub, Ryungha Oh, Maria Alejandra Rodriguez, Laura Veldkamp

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We document and explain the gap between measures of AI exposure and measures of AI adoption in the workplace. This leads us to propose a new AI adoption index based on comparative advantage. Using the representative German DiWaBe employee survey linked to worker and establishment information, we compare worker-reported AI use to prominent exposure measures and find that the relationship is weak. Motivated by this gap, we develop a framework in which adoption depends not only on technical feasibility—AI’s absolute advantage measured by exposure—but on profitability—AI’s comparative (dis)advantage relative to a specific worker—balancing AI productivity against AI user costs and …

Towards A Methodology For Measuring Rental Property Ownership In The United States, Stephanie Kestelman, Rebecca Diamond, John Eric Humphries, Kate Pennington, Winnie Van Dijk, John Voorheis

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Roughly one-third of U.S. households rent their homes, yet measuring who owns rental property is difficult: ownership is frequently obscured by LLCs, partnerships, and other intermediary entities that separate legal from economic control. We develop a method that traces ownership through administrative records—combining deeds and property assessments with the Census Bureau’s Business Register, IRS Schedule K-1 filings, and SEC filings on REITs—to identify ultimate owners and construct property portfolios across the full landlord size distribution. Applying the method to 11 large CBSAs, we find that individual landlords own a large majority of rental units, though their share varies meaningfully across …

From People’S War To People’S Rule: Rebel Governance And The Foundations Of Inclusive Democracy, Bhishma Bhusal, Michael Callen, Rohini Pande, Soledad Prillaman, Deepak Singhania, Apurva Subedi

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

How does wartime rebel governance shape post-conflict institutions? We study this in Nepal, where the Maoist People's War (1996–2006) dismantled a 240-year caste-based monarchy and ended with Maoists entering democratic politics. During the conflict, Maoists established sub-national “People’s Governments” that administered justice, collected taxes, and delivered local services. Using a spatial regression-discontinuity design, we show that exposure to People's Governments increased political knowledge and participation especially among historically marginalized indigenous groups (Janajatis). Exposure also reshaped party institutions and inter-party competition: candidate-selection committees in more exposed areas have 26 percent more Janajati members who, drawing on novel implicit-attitude data, exhibit less …

Learning Through Imitation: An Experiment, Marina Agranov, Gabriel Lopez-Moctezuma, Philipp Strack, Omer Tamuz

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We compare how well agents aggregate information in two repeated social learning environments. In the first setting agents have access to a public data set. In the second they have access to the same data, and also to the past actions of others. Despite the fact that actions contain no additional payoff-relevant information, and despite potential herd behavior, free riding and information overload issues, observing and imitating the actions of others leads agents to take the optimal action more often in the second setting. We also investigate the effect of group size, as well as a setting in which agents …

A Novel Approach To Creativity Assessment: Forced Pairwise Ranking With Large Language Models, Phillip R. Gregory Jr

Master's Theses

Assessing creativity at scale remains a persistent challenge in cognitive science, as human raters are costly, slow, and often inconsistent in their judgments. This thesis introduced a novel framework for automated scientific creativity assessment using forced pairwise ranking, in which fine-tuned large language models compared response pairs and determined which was more creative. Five empirical studies were conducted using Llama-2-7B and Llama-2-13B models adapted via LoRA fine-tuning and benchmarked against human scored responses from the Scientific Creative Thinking Test. A regression baseline achieved Pearson �� = .74 on the test set, matching the human inter-rater ceiling reported in the literature. …

Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion Infrastructures And Faculty Composition: Associations With Undergraduate Student Outcomes At R1 Universities 2011-2021, Niyonta Nahia Chowdhury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study explores how the structure and composition of research universities relate to student outcomes. Specifically, it asks whether having visible Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) infrastructures and diverse faculty representation is associated with who enrolls, who graduates, and how graduation rates differ within racial groups at R1 universities in the United States. Using national data from 2011 to 2021, the project analyzes enrollment and graduation patterns across institutions while accounting for differences in geography, governance, and state political context.

Rather than focusing on individual students, the study looks at institutional patterns. It examines how the racial and gender makeup …

Beyond The Straight Road: A Narrative Of Growth Toward Integrated Social Work Practice, Samantha Bymaster

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

Msw Portfolio: Advancing Social Work Practice In International And Marginalized Communities, Emily L. Curtis

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

My portfolio presents an integrated reflection of advanced social work practice developed through my academic training and immersive field experiences across the United States, Germany, and New Zealand. Grounded in trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and strengths-based approaches, it demonstrates my application of the ten core social work competencies and five elements of advanced integrated practice within diverse and marginalized communities.

Drawing on my work with Māori and Pasifika women, refugee populations, and rural communities, this portfolio explains the importance of understanding individuals within broader cultural, historical, and systemic contexts. It emphasizes the need for socially just, culturally responsive, and relationship-centered …

An Exploration Of Personal Grievances And Susceptibility To Terrorist Recruitment Among Aggrieved U.S. Military Members: A Scenario-Based Qualitative Study, Jose R. Munoz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how personal, relational, and institutional experiences influenced susceptibility to terrorist recruitment among aggrieved U.S. military members. Using a scenario-based interview design grounded in the Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol-18 (TRAP-18), twenty current and former service members participated in standardized, one-on-one interviews. The study aimed to identify patterns of vulnerability and resilience that emerge from experiences of marginalization, isolation, emotional distress, and moral conflict within military contexts. A deductive analytic approach combined TRAP-18 indicators with Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis to interpret how participants conceptualized grievance, belonging, and institutional trust.

Findings revealed that radicalization susceptibility does not emerge …

Mental Health Outcome Disparities In Children With A History Of Maltreatment: A Qualitative Study, Anna V. Echaury

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child maltreatment is a widespread social issue that leads to lasting effects that include perpetuating cycles of violence and can lead to long term problems in adulthood. The presented study aims to focus on describing the mental health outcome disparities in children who have experienced child maltreatment. Although existing studies have addressed mental health outcomes, previous work has overlooked the disparities between children who have experienced maltreatment and children who have not. This qualitative study will collect data using interviews and utilize thematic analysis to analyze the collected data. This research will enhance understanding of the impact of child maltreatment …

Human Trafficking Of Children Efficacy Of Counter Trafficking Programs For Youth, Alma Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global problem, and it is a significant problem within the United States. Children are a vulnerable group that become victims of human trafficking operations. Human trafficking prevention programs are available to address this issue, but there is much needed research to test the effectiveness of the countertrafficking programs for high-risk children. This study is a systematic review of studies on countertrafficking programs. This study will use a mixed methods approach to analyze quantitative and qualitative data from selected studies. This study hopes to find if current counter-trafficking programs are effective in preventing at-risk youth from becoming …

Why So Few? Sense-Making The Latino Librarian’S Place In The Hispanic-Serving Institution: A Phenomenological Approach, Valentin Macias Jr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite record Latinx student enrollment across California's higher education systems, Latino men remain severely underrepresented in academic librarianship, comprising less than 0.5% of librarians nationally. This persistent gap represents a critical equity issue within a profession that increasingly serves diverse student populations. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of twelve Latino male academic library professionals at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) through in-depth interviews to understand the factors shaping their professional identity, the barriers they encounter, and what sustains their persistence in the profession. Using transcendental phenomenology as the methodological approach and Critical Race Theory as the theoretical framework, the study …

Effects Of Orexin/Hypocretin Receptor 1 Antagonist On Adult Drinking Behavior And Rest/Wake Activity After Adolescent Alcohol Consumption In Rats, Carolyn Cueto

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adolescent alcohol consumption has been a growing concern in developing alcohol use disorders and alcohol-related sleep issues/disorders later in adulthood. The orexin system is involved in the homeostasis of sleep/wake cycles, feeding, drinking, and motivation. Alcohol consumption increases orexin neuron activity leading to high motivation and drug-seeking behavior for alcohol use and negatively impacting sleep. Ideally, inhibiting the orexin system could be a potential target for reducing consumption and motivation for alcohol use in adulthood as well as improving alcohol-related sleep issues. Previous work has shown that SB-334867, an orexin- 1 receptor (OX1R) antagonist, reduces ethanol-related behavior, but there is …

Building Bridges: Evaluating Teacher Preparation And Program Activation Of Ethnic Studies In California’S K-12 High Schools Through An Autoethnography, Jose Aguilera-Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines the lived experiences of secondary Social Science educators teaching Ethnic Studies in the early stages of program activation, with particular attention to the challenges that are often invisible to policymakers, institutions of higher education, and K-12 school districts. Using an autoethnographic approach, the research examines key elements of Ethnic Studies Program Activation, including infrastructure support, capacity building, professional development led by experienced Ethnic Studies practitioners, and teaching with fidelity. The findings aim to provide actionable guidance for educators and district leaders to support new Ethnic Studies teachers at the secondary level and to inform leadership teams at …

Suplexing Silence: A Media Analysis Of Sexual Misconduct In Pro Wrestling’S #Speakingout, Tommy W. Mccardle

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The 2020 #SpeakingOut movement marked a pivotal moment in professional wrestling, as survivors of sexual misconduct publicly challenged longstanding industry norms surrounding power, silence, and accountability. This study employs thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to examine how survivor narratives and organizational responses constructed competing meanings during the height of the movement between June 1 and August 31, 2020. Drawing from publicly available posts on X (formerly Twitter) and official company statements, the analysis explores how discourse functioned as a site of both resistance and institutional preservation. Inductive analysis of survivor narratives produced three primary themes: Abuse of Power, The …

Transition From Group Homes To Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs: A Qualitative Study, Sam Alexander Skipper

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines California’s shift from traditional group homes to Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTPs), a central component of the state’s Continuum of Care Reform (CCR). STRTPs were introduced to provide intensive, trauma-informed treatment for youth with complex behavioral and mental health needs. While the policy goals behind this reform are well-intended, less is understood about how the transition has affected young people’s lived experiences and longer-term outcomes. Using a qualitative design grounded in Transition Theory, this research centers on the perspectives of young adults ages 18–25 who moved into an STRTP within the past six to twenty-four months. This …

Assessing Family Burden In Borderline Personality Disorder: Family Functioning, Relationship Dynamics, And Emotional Well-Being, Alina Palomino, Gabriela Rivera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the impacts of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) on the family system, specifically in the areas of family functioning, relationship dynamics, and emotional well-being through the assessment of burden. The proposed study would employ a mixed-methods approach to provide a comprehensive understanding of how families adapt to the behavioral and emotional patterns of this mental health condition. Quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews would be incorporated to enhance understanding of this dynamic. Semi-structured interviews would provide deeper insight into emotional dynamics, communication patterns, caregiving roles, and coping strategies, while the Burden Assessment …

Maltreatment In Out-Of-Home Care: Former Foster Youths' Perspectives On Experiences And Investigation, Sarah Avila

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One of the tasks of the public child welfare system (PCWS) is to remove children from their home when abuse or neglect has occurred at a level that warrants removal. The PCWS places these children in licensed foster homes under the assumption that they will be safe and nurtured under the care of licensed foster caregivers. However, previous research have consistently shown that children experience ongoing maltreatment while in out-of-home care. This negligence is especially alarming when considering the United States’ rates of children in the foster care system. Despite the prevalence of this issue, little qualitative studies have been …