Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Post-Earthquake Relief Efforts: A Case Study In Foreign Aid And Development, Ella Israeli

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

On April 25th, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, followed by a 7.3 magnitude aftershock on May 12nd, 2015. Immediate humanitarian aid was needed and promptly received. Now, seven months later, long-term relief efforts are beginning. The major players in both post-earthquake relief efforts and foreign aid are foreign governments, large organizations, and small organizations. In the immediate aftermath, relief workers supplied victims with temporary shelter, food, and healthcare. Now, in the long-term, the two major challenges faced are resettlement and reconstruction. This is true especially because of new problems created by the recent blockade. Victims still are need …

Too Many Rented Rooms: Creative Expression In The Tibetan Community And The Foreign Artist, Imogen Rosenbluth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though Tibetan society has always had a literary and creative bent, the genre of secular Tibetan poetry is still very much burgeoning. One of the most unexpected consequences of the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the subsequent exile of thousands of Tibetans has been the emergence of a new genre of testimonial writing by refugees, the majority of which is written in the English language. The corpus of work within this genre is still relatively small, but growing all the time, and this expansion begs several complex questions, foremost of which is what purpose such writing serves and to whom …

Assessing The Sustainability Of Selective Logging In Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika New Protected Area, Eileen Nakahata

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the past 50 years, more than 90% of dense low-altitude humid forest in the District of Vangaindrano has been lost to deforestation and the remaining fragments continue to be threatened by slash and burn agriculture and selective cutting by local populations. These activities are driven by widespread poverty, population growth, and lack of development, which have made subsistence increasingly difficult. This study investigates logging rates and the stock of five commercially valuable trees in the Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika New Protected Area. Fifteen 1000m² transects were established systematically within the territory of the Matanga commune. Within each transect data was collected …

Understanding Interactions Between Drivers And Pedestrian Features At Signalized Intersections, Pei-Sung Lin, Achilleas Kourtellis, Zhenyu Wang, Rui Guo

CUTR Faculty Journal Publications

Florida experienced serious pedestrian safety problems and had the highest pedestrian fatality rate in the U.S. from 2008–2011. Pedestrian safety at signalized intersections is the most serious concern due to frequent and severe conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. Pedestrian features directly related to pedestrian safety are used to increase driver compliance behaviors and reduce vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. This project aimed to explore driver behaviors at signalized intersections with four identified pedestrian features—“STOP HERE ON RED,” “NO TURN ON RED,” “TURNING VEHICLES YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS,” and “RIGHT ON RED ARROW AFTER STOP” signs—by using an innovative safety data source, the Strategic Highway …

The Boys And Men Of Color Framework: A Model For Community And Systems Change, Marc Philpart, Judith Bell

The Foundation Review

For too long, many African American, Latino, Native, and Asian boys and young men have been shunted into failing schools and pushed out of them for minor infractions, incarcerated in massive numbers, suffered from unaddressed health needs, died young, or entered adulthood without prospects to earn a livelihood.

In response to this crisis, an evolving body of work rooted in place has emerged to reverse persistent patterns of racial discrimination, build strong communities, and create pathways to opportunity by catalyzing changes in local and state systems that have the greatest impact on young males of color.

The experiences of PolicyLink …

Front Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Sheri Brady

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Achieving Communitywide Impact By Changing The Local Culture: Opportunities And Considerations For Foundations, Douglas Easterling, Judith L. Millesen

The Foundation Review

With place-based initiatives foundations generally seek to engage a broad set of local stakeholders in developing high-payoff strategies and to build their capacity. However more fundamental changes may be needed to bring about the ambitious impacts that foundations have in mind. This article explores the idea of changing community culture as a means of achieving large-scale impacts.

In trying to shift a community’s culture, a foundation is inherently seeking to change how residents think and act, as well as how the community defines itself. This raises both practical and ethical questions, particularly when the foundation is based outside the community …

Investing In Community Change: An Evaluation Of A Decade Of Data-Driven Grantmaking, Lois Greco, Maggie Grieve, Ira Goldstein

The Foundation Review

The Wells Fargo Regional Foundation has a well-established continuum of grantmaking and technical-assistance programs designed to improve the quality of life for children and families living in low-income communities in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The foundation’s decade long focus on neighborhood revitalization has helped to shape a resident-driven, collaborative, long-term, and data-informed approach designed to make neighborhoods more attractive for large-scale investment.

In 2014, the foundation engaged The Reinvestment Fund and Success Measures at NeighborWorks America to jointly evaluate the impact of its grantmaking and related programs from 2003 to 2013, to determine if practices in its approach …

Review Of Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide To Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, And Achieving Lasting Results, Hilda Vega

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Participatory Decision-Making In Contested Societies: Examples From The Field Of Community Philanthropy, Avila Kilmurray

The Foundation Review

This article examines participatory, placebased philanthropy in two locations, Northern Ireland and Palestine, drawing on the work of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland’s Fair Share Programme and the Dalia Association’s Village Decides initiative.

The article considers the rationale for a participatory grantmaking approach as well as the manner in which local communities and residents experienced the methodology, and describes and evaluates the role com-munity philanthropy org-anizations played in providing an important added-value dimension to traditional grantmaking.

The fact that both Northern Ireland and Palestine are politically contested societies is factored into the analysis presented by the author, who conducted …

Activating The Power Of Place: A Case Study Of Market Creek, Elizabeth Castillo, Angela Titus

The Foundation Review

This article tells the story of a placed-based initiative to develop well-being and wealth in the historically underserved Diamond Neighborhood in San Diego, and discusses the place-based philosophy of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and the foundation’s motivation for place-based work.

Its theory of change is presented through examples, along with the entry points the foundation chose for engagement and how it developed community capacity to engage effectively in this change work.

The article also discusses plans to transition ownership to the Diamond Neighborhood community when the foundation sunsets in 2030.

Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

The Boston Foundation’S Collaborate Boston Prize, Jennifer Aronson

The Foundation Review

This article describes how the Boston Foundation is leveraging Collaborate Boston, a competition launched in 2013, as a tool to support interorganizational and cross-sector collaboration in greater Boston to catalyze, surface, and implement ideas that have the potential to strengthen communities facing complex challenges.

After a discussion of Collaborate Boston’s theory of change and the prize design and process, the article shares early results from the inaugural 2013 competition, the foundation’s reflections, and subsequent iterations for 2014 and beyond.

The article concludes with an examination of the ways a prize can be a powerful tool for social change, and outlines …

Synergistic Interactions Of Dynamic Ridesharing And Battery Electric Vehicles Land Use, Transit, And Auto Pricing Policies, Caroline Rodier, Farzad Alemi, Dylan Smith

Mineta Transportation Institute

It is widely recognized that new vehicle and fuel technology is necessary, but not sufficient, to meet deep greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions goals for both the U.S. and the state of California. Demand management strategies (such as land use, transit, and auto pricing) are also needed to reduce passenger vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and related GHG emissions. In this study, the authors explore how demand management strategies may be combined with new vehicle technology (battery electric vehicles or BEVs) and services (dynamic ridesharing) to enhance VMT and GHG reductions. Owning a BEV or using a dynamic ridesharing service may be …

Examining The Relationship Between Leadership Decision Making Styles And Personality Type Within The Department Of Defense, Antoine Lamont Prince Sr.

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Leadership is perhaps the single most important function within the Department of Defense. While the old cliché “everyone is a leader regardless of position” may hold moral meaning, personnel in leadership positions are key. Under the umbrella of leadership is decision making. What leadership is to an organization, decision making is to leadership. Yet, despite this knowledge, unsound decisions are readily conducted. There are various theories as to why this holds true, one of which is personality type. Research however, shows that there is a limited amount of relevant knowledge to determine if there is in fact a …

Honor, Courage, Commitment: Understanding Sexual Assault In The United States Navy, Caitlin Veronica Muldoon

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Recently, sexual assault within the military community has been drawing the attention of the media, military leaders, politicians and every day citizens. Criminologists however have traditionally not addressed this crime, and have specifically not addressed sexual assault within the US Navy. This dissertation seeks to address the current gap in literature by examining the sociocultural workplace climate of the US military and its possible contribution to the occurrence of sexual assaults. Utilizing original data obtained by NCIS, regression models were ran to evaluate sexual assault victim and offender demographics. The surprising findings were then discussed within the context of possible …

The Impact Of Governance In Sports Institutions On Olympic Achievements From Decision-Makers' Perspective In The United Arab Emirates, Rasheed Ibrahim Al Matar Al Nuaimi

Dissertations

The success of sports institutions depends on the extent of achieving outstanding Sports results not only at the local level but on all regional and international Levels. Hence, the number of measures et1iciency of sports institutions Achievements, especially at the Olympics level as it is the highest rank in the Hierarchy of sports achievements. The present study begins from a basic Assumption that the weakness of the UAE's Olympic achievements is due to the Governance pattern and management and leadership styles in various sports Institutions and especially in the sports federations and sports clubs.

In this respect, this study aimed …

Outstanding Educational Performance Awards: Highlighting High-Achieving Arkansas Schools, 2015, Charlene A. Reid, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

In this report, we are presenting a list of the top 25 schools in each area. In some cases, these “top 25 lists” will contain more than 25 schools as some schools’ GPA scores will be identical. This is not a new phenomenon, as we also exceeded 25 schools in previous reports when using the percent proficient and advanced metric as an indicator for student achievement; however, there are fewer ties using the more precise GPA measure.

Science exams were only administered in grades 5, 7, and to students completing Biology. There are very different performance patterns by grade: Fifth …

Rogers, Vicki Brown (Fa 823), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archive Project 823. This collection “Stagecoach Days: Stageline between Columbia and Campbellsville, K[entuck]y,” decribes the days when motor transportation was not an option. This project was put together by Vicki Brown Rogers for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

'Hope For Every Addicted American' An Opioid Epidemic In The Age Of Ethopolitics: Implications For U.S. Drug Policy And Governing Problematic Subjects, Elizabeth Newcomer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The United States is in the midst of an unprecedented drug epidemic instigated by overprescribed pain relievers and cheap, accessible heroin. Beyond its immense scope, what makes this opioid epidemic distinctive is a widespread awareness of its effects among privileged populations and a political consensus that it cannot be effectively addressed with existing, punitive drug policies. Building upon analyses of the drug addict identity and policy change as well as critical addiction studies, I critically examine the discourses of the opioid epidemic, considering their impact on U.S. drug policy since 2000 and analyzing the implications of these changes for governing …

Imagining What Could Be: The Role Of Youth Leadership In Realizing College For All, Tara Bahl

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In New York City, there exists an uneven landscape of college guidance among high schools, creating a college "guidance gap". While some schools offer robust counseling that helps students contextualize college admissions information toward making relevant college decisions, other schools have elevated student-to-counselor rates and do not have access to other educational resources necessary to effectively support students. Using ethnographic research and survey data, anchored by dynamic narrative inquiry, this dissertation explores how young people enrolled in under-resourced schools can act as agents of change in the lives of their peers within the context of college planning. Youth Leadership for …

Getting Out Of The Ghetto: Harm Reduction, Drug User Health, And The Transformation Of Social Policy In New York, Rachel Faulkner-Gurstein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is a qualitative study of the emergence and evolution of harm reduction drug policies in New York City. It examines harm reduction as a case of the institutionalization of a public health policy movement. Harm reduction seeks to treat the medical and social consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence. The dissertation examines the process by which harm reduction has managed, in the words of one informant, to 'get out of the ghetto' and become increasingly integrated into New York's public health establishment. Harm reduction has undergone three stages of institutionalization. It began as an activist policy movement. …

Understanding Failure: Social Workers Reflect On Their Licensing Examination Experience, Scott Graybow

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Passing the social work licensing examination is a critical part of the professional development of contemporary social workers. However, the literature has consisted largely of debates over the ethical and theoretical merits of professional licensing that fail to shed light on the lived experiences of social workers sitting for the examination. This dissertation study sought to gather and analyze data about the manner in which social workers experience licensing examination failure. A series of semi-structured, narrative interviews captured the nuance, complexity and uniqueness of this experience. The study had three major objectives that gave it direction. First, the study sought …

View From The Front Gate: A Comparative Study Of Nyc Schools From A College Admissions Perspective, Sharon Hardy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study evaluated patterns of college applications from NYC Schools to CUNY. Specifically, a cohort of former large high schools that were reorganized into small schools of choice (SSCs) under the City's Children First education plan were studied. Coupled with the assessments of college admissions directors, the study concluded that despite an increase in applications, the outcomes of student academic quality and college preparation from a college admissions perspective were mixed.

Law Enforcement Innovation And Diffusion: A Network Analysis Of Police Accreditation, Jeremiah Paul Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study seeks to identify network structures capable of predicting innovation uptake among law enforcement organizations. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, diffusion is studied through the lens of a single innovation, state law enforcement accreditation. Quantitative data culled from a variety of social artifacts in two New England states are used as a basis for the study. Relational data extracted from meetings held by a private police chief's association over an 11 year period were used to construct an affiliation matrix. Social network analysis demonstrates that actors with high levels of centrality are more likely to self-select state accreditation enrollment than …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels On Youth And Adult Smoking Behavior In Southeast Asia, Jessica Brooke Steier

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the impact of graphic cigarette warning label policies enacted in Thailand and Malaysia on youth and adult smoking outcomes. We sought to examine the effect of the policy on youth smoking intention, susceptibility, and behaviors. Among adults, who were all baseline smokers, we sought to examine the effects of graphic warning labels on smoking intensity, quit attempts, and cessation. Secondary data were utilized from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) South East Asia (SEA) Survey, a nationally representative cohort survey for which eight years of data spanning from 2005 to 2012 were available. …

Strategic Insights: Economic Power: Time To Double Down, John F. Troxell

Articles & Editorials

No abstract provided.

Spurling, Teresa (Fa 822), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archive Project 822. This collection “The Railroad and the Growth of the Spurlington Community” focuses on the small hamlet, located in Taylor County, Kentucky, and the importance of the railroad to its development. The information was gathered by Western Kentucky University student Teresa Spurling for credit in a folk studies class.