Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

System Analysis Of The Uri Hurricane Preparedness Plan, Rebecca Harlow

Senior Honors Projects

If a hurricane were to hit URI in the upcoming fall semester what would happen? This project is a thorough evaluation of the current URI plan, how it works, how it doesn’t and who has the answers. The project is framed from an information systems perspective. The analysis of the system is based on where vital information is stored, how it is communicated when needed and who is involved. To find the answers to these questions, in depth interviews were conducted with key emergency personnel. Among them are URI’s Director of Safety and Risk, J Kevin Culley, Major Baker of …

Participant List, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center

Conferences, Panels, and Events

A list of participants for the 2008 conference for grantees of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Workplace, Work Force, and Working Families Program hosted by Workplace Flexibility 2010.

The Selection Of Public School Principals In The 21st Century By Indiana Public School Superintendents, William C. Reichhart

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study determined what the most important qualities and characteristics Indiana public school superintendents take into consideration when interviewing and selecting an effective principal for their school districts. The study also examined if the superintendent's demographic information influenced the decisions of the superintendents in regards to the importance of selected criteria. 111 A questionnaire was developed by the author and sent to each of the 292 Indiana public school superintendents asking them to rank the selection criteria for each of the four sections on the questionnaire, Background, Management, Human Relations, and Instruction. In addition, demographic variables of size of the …

Harnessing Knowledge To Ensure Food Safety: Opportunities To Improve The Nation's Food Safety Information Infrastructure, Michael R. Taylor, Michael B. Batz

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Those working in the food industry face an abundance of information generated by diverse institutions and individuals.

Ensuring the safety of food is critically important to the public's health and a challenge for policy-makers seeking to enhance the government's role in this arena. Although the food industry has an inherent duty to make food safe, the effectiveness of what they do is highly dependent on the quality of the information they receive on potential hazards and good practices.

In this context, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded a project under the auspices of the Food Safety Research Consortium to examine …

Public Management Reform In Developing Countries: An Empirical Investigation Of Operational And Financial Efficiency Of Private Versus Public Airports In Latin America And The Caribbean, Alvin H. Brown

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Public enterprises in Latin American and Caribbean developing nations (LACDNs) are constantly struggling to make their public infrastructures in sectors such as banking, energy; telecommunications, trade, and aviation operate more efficiently and effectively. Public management reform is used to analyze the problems of government and provide solutions. The problems encountered are the growing cost of the public sector in conjunction with inefficient and unresponsive bureaucracies in LACDNs. Accordingly, the solutions involve governments focusing on ensuring that public enterprises are performing efficiently and effectively by adopting a holistic market approach for operating public enterprises. The purpose of this study is to …

The Irony Of Proving Discrimination, Rosalyn Wilson-Green

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Currently America courts require plaintiffs alleging discrimination to not only prove the existence of present day discrimination but to also prove the "discriminatory intent." This dissertation contains two applications of the theory of unconscious discrimination as it reveals the difficulty of prevailing in discrimination cases. The assumption applied is that policy-makers use theories that dismiss or render invisible the presence of subtle discrimination. This perpetuates the problem and hinders its adequate address. Since so many people suffer because of discrimination's invisible-yet present existence, measures must be taken to unveil the remedy this subtler form of discrimination. In this dissertation, I …

Public Management Reform In Developing Countries: An Empirical Investigation Of Operational And Financial Efficiency Of Private Versus Public Airports In Latin America And The Caribbean, Alvin H. Brown

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Public enterprises in Latin American and Caribbean developing nations (LACDNs) are constantly struggling to make their public infrastructures in sectors such as banking, energy; telecommunications, trade, and aviation operate more efficiently and effectively. Public management reform is used to analyze the problems of government and provide solutions. The problems encountered are the growing cost of the public sector in conjunction with inefficient and unresponsive bureaucracies in LACDNs. Accordingly, the solutions involve governments focusing on ensuring that public enterprises are performing efficiently and effectively by adopting a holistic market approach for operating public enterprises. The purpose of this study is to …

Ddasaccident600, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The primary cause of this accident is listed as a Field Control Inadequacy because the Victim was working in a way that was unsafe and his error was not corrected. The secondary cause is listed as “Unavoidable” because there is not enough detail available to determine what really happened and it may be that the deminer was working as instructed when the accident occurred. If this is the case, the Field Managers bear considerable responsibility for not having learned from a similar accident involving this demining group only a few weeks previously. The repetition of the deminer working well outside …

Counting The Cost: The Economic Impact Of Cluster Munition Contamination In Lebanon, Greg Crowther

Global CWD Repository

This report seeks to estimate and project the economic cost of cluster munition contamination resulting from the 2006 conflict in Lebanon.

It focuses on three areas:

• The cost of lost agricultural production specifically caused by cluster munition contamination;
• The cost of responding to cluster munition contamination through internationally assisted clearance and risk reduction operations;
• The economic cost of deaths and injuries directly resulting from this contamination.

Different methodologies and assumptions have been used in approaching these issues – resulting in upper and lower estimates of the cost. The methodologies and assumptions adopted are explained in detail in the report and …

The Creative Economy In Small Places: Eight Cases And A Developmental Model, Jennifer L. Hutchins

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Eight case studies across New England offer understanding of the role of the creative economy in the community and economic development of rural towns and small cities. The cases include Providence and Pawtucket, RI; Burlington, VT; and Portland, Bangor, Norway, Dover-Foxcroft, and the St. John Valley, ME. Ten elements or “building blocks” are observed to be important, leading to an explanatory model for the development of the creative economy in small communities. These elements include creative people, education centers, cultural and natural amenities, business engagement, infrastructure, leadership, networks, strategies, time, and money. The creative economy in the eight communities has …

"Instant Karma": How Globalization Contests China's Abuses, Alison Brysk

Human Rights & Human Welfare

China’s rise from impoverished backwater to prospective superpower has been accompanied by the repression of tens of millions of its own people, at the hands of a nationalist, developmentalist government. Under contemporary conditions of globalization, suppression of civil liberties, domination of ethnic minorities, and unholy alliances with resource-rich dictatorships are no longer plausible requisites of this model—if they ever were. The broadening and deepening of economic globalization towards a more sustainable complex of political influence involves “soft power,” including international reputation and norms. Thus, China’s Olympian reach for true hegemony provides the best chance for human rights advocates to weave …

Geography, Poverty, And Development Policy In The New African Millennium: Monitoring The Millennium Development Goals Through Human Development, Joseph Tamba Koroma

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV I AIDS, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development. The eighth goal (MDG 8), aims to develop and strengthen a global partnership for development between rich and poor countries. Three main components of the latter (MDG 8) aim to accelerate the infusion of official development aid (ODA), liberalize international trade, and introduce information and communication technologies (ICT) in the hope of creating a conducive …

Comparisons Between High-Performing And Low-Performing Charter Schools, Bonnie J. Stephens

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to explore the common clcmcnls of high performing charter schools that are not present in low performing charlcr schools. Schools ,.vere selected for the study based on a comparison of the performance of their students on stale assessments to the local public school district students. Six charter schools from the Midwest states oflndiana, Illinois and Michigan were studied with a focus on lhc role or the principal, the school mission, teacher development, programming and curriculum and instrnctional philosophies. One major finding was supported: a mission based on high academic achievement for every student that was reflected …

The Fall 2008 Unl Bike Survey: Examining The Status Of Bicycle Transportation At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Brent Schmoker

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This study evaluates the state of bicycle use by University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) students during the fall semester of 2008. An online survey was administered to a random sample of graduate and undergraduate students to determine the factors that encourage and inhibit students from using bikes for transportation to campus. The results suggest that a significant portion of the student population uses bikes for transportation to campus but several factors combine to keep the overall number of bicycle commuters low. The paper concludes with suggestions for increasing bike commuting to UNL and predictions about the future of transportation in the …

Beijing's Olympics: Pride, Appearance And Human Rights, Thomas Beal

Human Rights & Human Welfare

One lazy summer evening in Beijing, about fifteen years ago, my wife and I were strolling down Jianguomenwai, the bustling street adjacent to our flat in the Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound. The day had been sweltering, and as the sun began to set the sidewalks filled with pedestrians who, like us, had escaped their stuffy apartments to take in a cool, soothing breeze.

The Role Of The Principal In Leading School Improvement, Marilyn Jane Sudsberry

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to 1) determine the role the principal plays in leading school improvement, and 2) examine the relationship between change implemented and student achievement. Three high-performing, high-needs Title l schools and four low-performing, high-needs Title I schools were identified through lndimm Department of Education data. The high-performing schools met Adequate Yearly Progress in 2006, whereas the low-performing schools did not and were in at least year two of the school improvement cycle. Structured interviews were conducted with the principal and with teams of teachers. The interviews, along with field observations and analysis of the school …

From Visit To Action: How Zoo Visitor Characteristics Influence Environmentally-Responsible Behavior, Stephanie Joseph

All Theses

Over the last 30 years, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums have shifted focus from recreation to become centers of research, conservation and education. As awareness of environmental issues increases, zoos around the world have stepped up the challenge of engaging their visitors in learning experiences to enhance knowledge and awareness of conservation initiatives and eventually evoke action. Evaluation of these educational programs has also shifted from assessing whether a program works to determining for whom it works and why. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of locus of control, motivation, previous life experiences, personal interest and knowledge …

Identifying With Tourists: Examining The Emotional Solidarity Residents Of Beaufort County, South Carolina Have With Tourists In Their Community, Kyle Woosnam

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT Traditionally the relationship between residents and tourists in a community is superficial in nature (Ratz, 2000). Interactions between the parties are not only transitory, unequal and unbalanced, but they are also predicated on financial exchanges (Mason, 2006), and rooted in the dichotomy of 'self' versus 'other' (Wearing & Wearing, 2001).
Within the literature, calls for research have been made to examine a potential deeper emotional relationship between residents and tourists (McIntosh, 1998; Pizam, Uriely & Reichel, 2000; Prentice, Witt, & Wydenbach, 1994; Wearing & Wearing, 2001). Applying and testing the theory of emotional solidarity (Durkheim (1995[1915]), a sequential exploratory …

Opening The Aperture: Examining Images Of War In The Press, Jeffrey Albanese

Senior Honors Projects

A number of policymakers have attributed America’s defeat in Vietnam, the first “television war,” to a collapse of public support caused by nightly news coverage of combat with associated iconic photographs and moving images. The assumptions underlying this opinion are that photographs and video footage of war have an inherent pacifistic bias, that the emotional impact of visual images can override reason, and that powerful images can drive or overturn foreign policy. This has led subsequent administrations to increase their control over the media’s coverage of war. During the Vietnam War, the press was relatively uncensored. As a response to …

Housing Needs Study For The Portland Metropolitan Area Final Report, George C. Hough Jr., Sheila A. Martin, Gerard C. Mildner, Risa Proehl

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: Estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; Describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; Describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; Identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; …

Examining The Effects Of A Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Awareness Workshop On The Environmental Attitudes And Knowledge Of Undergraduate Students, Timothy T. Williamson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The philosophy of Leave No Trace (LNT) has been a component of outdoor ethics education since the late 1970s. LNT is an education program designed to teach stewardship, land ethics and outdoor recreation skills that protect shared resources. The LNT Awareness Workshop is a 30-minute intervention which is designed to introduce these ideas within these time constraints to diverse populations. This study examined the effects of the Workshop presentation on university undergraduate students as it concerned their attitudes and knowledge of outdoor ethics and LNT. A pre-posttest control group design was implemented with two control groups and two experimental groups. …

Community Service Intiatives Of Medical Students, Kerri I. Aronson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This Honors Capstone Project focuses on community service projects of medical students. Extensive research was done on the types of community service programs that exist in medical schools. The types of programs were divided into four different categories representing the various ways that schools conduct their community service initiatives. Schools may have multiple types of programs, and a combination of any of these programs is offered at many institutions. This project also examines nationally recognized programs and the awards received for excellence in community service initiatives.

The study was completed in collaboration with SUNY Upstate Medical University (UMU). A close …

The Effect Of Disability Insurance On Health Investment: Evidence From The Va Disability Compensation Program, Perry Singleton

Center for Policy Research

I examine whether individuals respond to monetary incentives to detect latent medical conditions. The effect is identified by an amendment to Title 38 that deemed diabetes associated with Agent Orange exposure a compensable disability under the VA’s Disability Compensation program. Since a diagnosis is a requisite for benefit eligibility, and nearly one-third of diabetics remain undiagnosed, the advent of disability insurance may have encouraged the detection of diabetes among the previously undiagnosed population. Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey suggests that the policy increased the prevalence of diabetes by 2.7 percentage points among veterans.

The Irony Of Proving Discrimination, Rosalyn Wilson-Green

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Currently America courts require plaintiffs alleging discrimination to not only prove the existence of present day discrimination but to also prove the "discriminatory intent." This dissertation contains two applications of the theory of unconscious discrimination as it reveals the difficulty of prevailing in discrimination cases. The assumption applied is that policy-makers use theories that dismiss or render invisible the presence of subtle discrimination. This perpetuates the problem and hinders its adequate address. Since so many people suffer because of discrimination's invisible-yet present existence, measures must be taken to unveil the remedy this subtler form of discrimination. In this dissertation, I …

Promoting Perceived Competence In Youth: Examining The Interaction Between Leaders' Facilitation Style And Youths' Autonomy Orientation, Angela Wozencroft

All Dissertations

In high ropes courses, there are many different types of facilitation styles that are effective. It is unclear how the environment that is created through particular facilitation styles impacts the outcomes participants experience. The tenets of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provide useful direction in understanding how two styles of facilitation interact with clients' personality in promoting positive outcomes such as perceived competence. The purpose of this study was to examine how the learning environment created through either an autonomy supportive or controlling facilitation style affects the perceived competence of at-risk youth participants in relation to their level of autonomy. Eighty-eight economically …

External Assessment Of Ddg's Humanitarian Mine Action Programme In Somaliland, Tim Lardner

Global CWD Repository

Danish Demining Group began operations in Somaliland in 1999, responding to a perceived need at the time. Over the following nine years, their operations removed significant numbers of mines and UXO and removed countless communities and individuals from the threat of mines and UXO. As time went on however, the organisation appeared to shift focus from a Danish Demining Group, to an organisation with a different set of objectives. That shift was initially away from mine clearance – understandable given the ongoing removal of landmines – and subsequently away from UXO clearance/removal – again, an understandable decision. This report considers …

Acknowledging The Impact Of Climate Change On National Security: A Long And Winding Road, Linda A. Malone

Popular Media

No abstract provided.

Community Forests: Needs & Resources For Technical Assistance In Northen New England, Misha Mytar

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The Community Forest Collaborative seeks to expand community ownership and management of forestland in northern New England and has documented the value of community forests both as a community investment strategy and as a component of regional landscape conservation strategies.

Research conducted over the last three years has determined that there needs to be a concerted effort to develop an infrastructure of support communities that want to acquire own and manage forestland. Two principle actions were recommended:

Expand resources for acquisition and management

and

Expand formalize and institutionalize technical assistance

Construction Of Demining Machines In The Kurdistan Region, Pehr Lodhammar

Global CWD Repository

A brief update on demining machines which was published in the UNMAS/GICHD Mine Action Technology Newsletter (May 2008).

Montana Nonresident Traveler Quarterly Travel Comparison: 2007, Melissa Dubois

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report shows the 2007 quarterly visitation and length of stay data for nonresident travelers to Montana. It also displays average daily spending for various expenditure categories, as well as total expenditures for those categories.