Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Jamaica Study Abroad: Cost-Benefit Analysis And Curriculum Design, Victoria Anderson

Capstone Projects 2015-Present

This Capstone proposes the design of a service-learning study abroad program between universities and PRM with the objective of increasing the monetary resources of the organization. To create a new flow of monetary revenue into PRM, Great Huts and PRM would form a cooperation, one in which the two entities would remain independent forprofit and nonprofit organizations respectively, but would have a mutual agreement in favor of the public interest of the community

Walkability And Bikability In Montour Falls, New York: Recommendations From A Comprehensive Plan, Chelsea Reome

Capstone Projects 2015-Present

Walkability and bikability describe how friendly or conducive a place is to walking and biking, respectively. In Montour Falls, they will: • Maintain small town environment • Enhance connectivity within the Finger Lakes Region via the Catharine Valley Trail • Provide low-cost transportation options for low-income individuals • Facilitate aging in place for senior residents

Federal Minister Delays Decision On Nuclear Waste Depository, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The federal minister of the environment, Catherine McKenna, has dealt a setback to the proposal put forward by government-owned Ontario Power Generation (OPG), for the underground storage of nuclear waste. The proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) would be located in Kincardine, Ontario, approximately 1.2 kilometres away from the shore of Lake Huron, and constructed underneath the world's largest operating nuclear power plant.

From Consumers To Creators: Wikistoriograhy And The Consensus Of Collaborative Learning In The Landscape Of Web 2.0, Curran Mcquade

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis reviews the significance of Wikipedia in an approach to internet historiography. Wikipedia incorporates Web 2.0 methods to create a new way to study and revise history through a consensus of multiple users and editors. The argument of the thesis is structured to address some of the qualms many academics have about Wikipedia, examine how historiography functions in an internet driven world, and finally how Wikipedia fits into the puzzle of internet historiography. It concludes that Wikipedia, the largest user-based information site in the world, must be at the forefront of discussion surrounding internet historiography.

Beyond The Abortion Wars: A Way Forward For A New Generation, By Charles C. Camosy. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishers, 2015, 221 Pages, $22, M. Therese Lysaught

Institute of Pastoral Studies: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A review of Charles C. Camosy's book Beyond the Abortion Wars: A Way Forward for a New Generation written by M. Therese Lysaught.

Rural Civic Action Project Poster, Heartland Center For Leadership Development

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

The final project for the Rural Civic Action Project is to create a poster that includes the Community Capital Mapping activity (CCMA; Keith & Kinsey, 2013). The Community Capital Maps provide an opportunity to evaluate the impact of the projects from the participants’ perspective. Fellows should include one map on their poster: the center of the map should be “Engaging in the Rural Civic Action Program. Also included on the poster is a narrative describing the map.

Parent Anxiety Causes And Consequences: Perspectives From Camp Program Providers, Barry A. Garst, Ryan Gagnon, Troy Bennett

Publications

Although out-of-school time experiences such as camp contribute to youth development, youth in-volvement in these developmental experiences is largely dependent on parents who determine which activities are appropriate for their children. A contributing factor to parents’ decisions to send their child to camp is the amount of risk and non-clinical anxiety that parents associate with the camp experience, yet little attention has been paid to these issues, particularly from the perspective of camp program providers. It is unclear to what extent parent anxiety is an operational and pro-grammatic concern for camp program providers. Informed by risk perception and parent involve-ment …

Trade And Agriculture Policy Options To Improve The Wheat Subsector In Afghanistan, Ghulam Hazrat Halimi

Open Access Dissertations

In Afghanistan wheat availability is important for national food security as it is the key staple food, accounting for over half of calorie intake. The country has imported on average 32% of its wheat consumption over the period 2000-2015, primarily from Pakistan and Kazakhstan. Since domestic production is volatile, consumer well-being depends on access to international markets.

Pakistan, a key supplier of wheat and flour to Afghanistan, has not been a reliable source for Afghanistan to meet its wheat deficit. Pakistan subsidizes and stabilizes its wheat production, and this benefited Afghan consumers before 2008. Pakistan restricted wheat and flour exports …

Why Children, Adults And The Elderly Are Living On The Streets In Moroccan Cities And What Morocco Is Doing About It., Nora Charidah

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this independent study project is to explore the determinants of homelessness in the cities of Morocco, more specifically in Rabat,Casablanca and Salé, and how Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) are working to eradicate this epidemic. Poverty, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness and Addiction can all be causes as well as results of homelessness; all of these factors have the potential of seriously affecting individuals throughout the entirety of their life. Children, Adults and the Elderly are all affected by poverty throughout Morocco yet street children and the rural impoverished are the populations of the homeless where most research predominately focuses. …

The Kenya Youth Survey Report, Alex Awiti, Bruce Scott

East Africa Institute

Kenya is a very youthful country. The median age is estimated at 19 years, and about 80 percent of Kenya’s population is below 35 years.

To a very large extent, Kenya’s youth — defined as individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 — will determine the shape of the country’s future. With that in mind, the East African Institute of the Aga Khan University commissioned a survey to understand the values, attitudes, concerns and aspirations of this critical segment of the population.

We interviewed 1,854 respondents ages 18-35 from across the country, including both urban and rural areas. The …

Detroit Health Department: Lead Report 2016, Abdul El-Sayed, Alex B. Hill, Haifa Haroon

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

The Epidemiology team at the Detroit Health Department rigorously stress- tested Detroit’s lead numbers. The findings suggest a true decline in EBLL levels rather than a decrease in lead testing or a change in the characteristics of the children who are being tested.

Examination Of Common Errors Committed During Eoc Operations: A Content Analysis Study, Michael Kenneth Ryan

Dissertations

One of the key aspects in the learning process, whether it is at an individual or organizational level, is the ability to recognize where errors occur. This is especially important in the field of public safety where small errors can present a serious threat to the safety of first responders and victims of disasters. Up to this point, there has been no systematic study to identify the most common errors that occur during emergency operations center (EOC) activations at the local level of government. Following the introduction, one chapter explores the history of emergency management and the difficulties local jurisdictions …

Social And Equal Justice In America In The Case Of Stand Your Ground Law, Andrew I.E. Ewoh

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Stand Your Ground In Florida: The Effect Of Race, Location And Weapons On Convictions, Kevin M. Wagner, Dukhong Kim, Jeremy C. Hagler

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

The implications of laws allowing citizens to respond with deadly force when they believe they are threatened is the subject of significant conjecture in the media and scholarship. The adoption of “Stand Your Ground” laws has increased across the nation despite little data or findings that attempt to capture the ramifications of enacting this policy. This research explores the effect of the “Stand Your Ground” legal defense on criminal convictions in Florida. After exploring the historic assumptions and motivations behind the adoption and use of the Stand Your Ground law in Florida, we use data gathered from local newspapers, the …

The Fight Or Flight Response: A Look At Stand Your Ground, Andrea Headley, Mohamad G. Alkadry

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

In addressing the historical importance—or lack thereof—of the Stand Your Ground law, this article discusses the evolution of self-defense laws. Specific landmark cases are discussed as they relate to establishing the foundation of self-defense. The article also examines various issues that have been inherent within the Stand Your Ground debate. Statistical analysis of Stand Your Ground data from the State of Florida is conducted using binary logistic regression model to test the relationship between case outcomes and a number of other variables involving demographics, and the nature of the confrontation that led to the crime

Codification Of Fear: Syg Laws, Thelma L. Harmon

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

There is a long history of American states’ codification of “fear” into laws. Laws that can be traced as far back as the 17^th century, which were devised to appease white America’s perceived fear of Blacks. Slave Acts were the first of such laws. When slavery was abolished rendering slave laws obsolete, Black Codes and then Jim Crow laws took effect. For over three centuries, these overt racial laws justified racial fear and legitimized the deprivation of basic human and civil rights of Black Americans. Although overt racial laws such as the Codes and Jim Crow have …

Wpa News 99 (2016), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Spring 2016), number 99

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Recommendations And Resources For Evaluating Community School Programs, Janet C. Fairman Ph.D., Amy F. Johnson Phd

School Improvement

The legislative definition of “community schools” is intentionally broad and anticipates the possibility that community schools might vary significantly in their locally-developed goals and intervention programs. The needs of students and their families may vary by community, as does the array of existing resources available in the surrounding area. This leads to a broad set of possible strategies that may imply different expected outcomes and evaluation processes.

The grant program requires pilot schools to meet certain application criteria. Applications require schools to submit an audit or needs assessment, a community resources assessment, an outline of plans and goals based on …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2011-2015 Summary Report, Isabel W. Ashton, Christopher J. Davis

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Program and Fire Effects Program have been monitoring vegetation in Agate Fossil Beds National Monument for over 18 years. While methods have changed slightly, this report summarizes data from over 80 locations from 1998-2015. We use these data to explore status and trends in upland and riparian plant communities, the occurrence of rare plants, and the effects of the Fossil Hills trail installation on the surrounding vegetation. A summary of the current condition (2011-2015) and trends (based on 1998-2015) in plant communities at Agate Fossil Beds NM (AGFO) is found in …

Coalition For Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, Vol 41-Xx, No. 4, Coalition For Prisoners' Rights

Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters

Voting Rights and Wrongs

What's Real, What Isn't

Re Solitary Confinement

Vieques en Puerto Rico

Walk With Us!: Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Some More Numbers

Planning For Aging In Place: Stimulating A Market And Government Response, Mildred Warner, George C. Homsy, Lydia J. Morken

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

Using a national survey of local governments, we explore the drivers of planning and service delivery for older adults. Our regression models find that planning for aging and elder engagement are the most influential factors explaining the level of community services for elders. Services are lower in less dense suburban and rural communities, and market-based services are lower in communities with more senior poverty. This creates two challenges for planners: to help generate a market response for aging services, and to articulate the link between the built environment and services so communities that lack supportive physical environments can become better …

Medicaid Expansion In The United States: A State Comparative Study Examining Factors That Influence State Decision Making, Tiffany J. Henley

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and a Supreme Court ruling that the federal government cannot compel states to expand Medicaid, a policy window has opened for states to change Medicaid policy. States are now faced with the option to expand Medicaid. Although the literature on Medicaid expansion indicates that politics plays a determining role on states’ decisions on Medicaid expansion, comprehensive analyses of dominant factors that affect these decisions on Medicaid is lacking in the field of Medicaid policy. This study will explore the decision making process of state level policies and the …

Exploring The Role Of Organizational Motivations In Cross-Sector Watershed Collaboration, Luisa M. Diaz-Kope

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Watersheds are complex, dynamic and nested ecological systems that span across multiple jurisdictions. The complexity of watershed pollution requires adaptive and responsive strategies that incorporate government intervention along with community stakeholder engagement. This study explores the motivational determinants that drive local cross-sector watershed collaboration. Cross-sector collaboration offers local watershed stakeholders a holistic approach to address community watershed issues. These collaborative partnerships involve the voluntary engagement of member organizations from different industry sectors directing resources and working together to address local watershed issues of mutual interest.

This research explores the social processes and the motivations that drive organizations in different industry …

Investigating The Relationship Between Latent Driving Patterns And Traffic Safety Using Smartphone-Based Mobile Sensor Data, Kenneth Wynne

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Crash frequency modelling has been used in the past as an attempt to quantify the expected number of crashes occurring on a certain segment of roadway given a set of variables and factors describing the roadway segment and the traffic along that segment. These models are referred to as the Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). In past studies, these SPFs have focused primarily on roadway geometric information along with limited traffic exposure data such as traffic volume. Alternate data sources for probe vehicle data are increasingly available and this research sought to exploit this new …

Rhetoric Vs Reality: Public Opinion On Immigration In The United States, Elizabeth M. Belair

Student Publications

The United States has a rich and interesting history of immigration. The country itself was created by waves of immigrants who came from across the globe. Although immigration has always existed in the U.S., the number of immigrants coming to the United States has increased during the 21st century, and as a result, a controversial debate surrounding the consequences of immigration has emerged. In this paper I examine how Americans view the debate on immigration, specifically focusing on what affects public opinion on this topic. I find that shifts in public opinion do not reflect changes in immigration patterns but …

The Future Of Aging In The Town Of Brewster: Brewster Council On Aging Needs Assessment Study, Jan E. Mutchler, Ceara Somerville, Maryam Khaniyan, Mai See Yang, Molly Evans

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes efforts undertaken by the Town of Brewster Council on Aging, in partnership with the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Brewster’s older population. The focus of this report is on two cohorts of Brewster’s residents — those aged 45 to 59, and the cohort of individuals who are currently aged 60 and over (“seniors”). The content of this report is intended to inform the Town of Brewster, the Brewster Council on Aging, and organizations that provide …

Age-Friendly Yarmouth Needs Assessment Report, Jan Mutchler, Ceara Somerville, Maryam Khaniyan, Molly Evans, Mai See Yang, Lindsey A. Baker, Hayley Gleason

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Communities throughout the nation are pursuing new strategies to promote health and quality of life among their residents. In 2014, the Town of Yarmouth joined the Age-Friendly Network through the World Health Organization and embarked on a five-year process to evaluate the community’s age-friendly features, plan for improvements, and implement change. The primary purpose of this report is to describe findings developed as part of the initial needs assessment phase of Yarmouth’s age-friendly initiative.

An Evaluation Of Noise Reduction Strategies At Large Commercial Airports In The United States: A Policy Analysis And Framework Classification, Tyler Spence

Open Access Dissertations

Noise pollution from aircraft, specifically in the vicinity of airports as aircraft takeoff and land, is a problem that has been shown to have negative impacts on the welfare of humans, animals, and the surrounding environment. The problem may only become worse as air travel increases for cargo and passenger operations, populations increase, and the overall number of aircraft increase. Currently, guidance has been issued from the International Civil Aviation Organization on how to combat the issue of noise pollution through policy, both at that national regulatory level, and at the local airport level. This study evaluated the local airport …

Transit Performance Measures In California, Caroline Rodier, Emily Issac

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research is the result of a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) request to assess the most commonly available transit performance measures in California. Caltrans wanted to understand performance measures and data used by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and transit agencies to help it develop statewide measures. This report serves as a summary reference guide to help Caltrans understand the numerous and diverse performance measures used by MPOs and transit agencies in California. First, investigators review the available literature to identify a complete transit performance framework for the purposes of organizing agency measures, metrics, and data sources. Next, they review …

Rerouting Mode Choice Models: ​H​Ow Including Realistic Route Options Can Help Us Understand Decisions To Walk Or Bike, Joseph Broach

PSU Transportation Seminars

For a number of reasons—congestion, public health, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, demographic shifts, and community livability to name a few—the importance of walking and bicycling as transportation options will only continue to increase. Currently, policy interest and infrastructure funding for nonmotorized modes far outstrip our ability to successfully model bike and walk travel. In the past five years, we have learned a lot about where people prefer to bike and walk, but what can that tell us about whether people will bike or walk in the first place? The research presented here is designed to start bridging the gap …