Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Visualizing Vulnerable Jobs In Nevada, Peter Grema, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet summarizes data on Nevada and its metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) from the national report “Visualizing Vulnerable Jobs Across America,” by Marcela Escobari, Natalie Geismar, and Dhruv Gandhi of the Brookings Institution. Data from the original report and accompanying database are used to highlight the total number and share of vulnerable jobs in the Silver State during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gender, Technology And Innovation In Health Care Panel, Melanie Katsivo

Africa-Western Collaborations Day 2020

8 graduate student/recent graduate presentations on gender, technology, and innovation in health care. Moderated by Dr. Melanie Katsivo. Reporting of panel done by current GHS students of the 2021 class. Abstracts can be found under "Africa-Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts". Presenters as follows:

Florence Wullo Anfaara, "To Include or Not to Include: Men and the Liberian Women's Peace Hut Initiatives Towards Transformational Justice"

Uche Ikenyei, "Diversification of Research Methodological Approach During Model Enhancements in Health Information System Research"

Denise Kamyuka, "Female Social Entrepreneurship in Sport, in the African Context: Systemic Review"

Ebenezer Martin-Yeboah, "Through the Lens of Egocentric Design: Do …

Education, Migration And Development Panel, Henri Boyi

Africa-Western Collaborations Day 2020

8 graduate students/recent graduate presentations on education, migration and development. Moderated by Dr. Henri Boyi. Reporting of panel done by current GHS students of the 2021 class. Abstracts can be found under "Africa-Western Collaborations Day 2020 Abstracts". Presenters as follows:

Jemima Nomunume Baada, "Experiences of Social Reproduction among Migrant Women in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana"

Elmond Bandauko, "This is a Good Place to Live! Narratives and Counternarratives on Territorial Stigmatization in Harare's Informal Settlements"

Chinelo Ezenwa, "A History of 19th Century European Missionaries in Colonial Africa with Specific References to the Impact of Missionary Schools"

Rebecca Jackson, Jade Rozal, …

Advanced Placement Course-Taking And Act Test Outcomes In Arkansas, Sarah Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee, Charlene A. Reid, Jessica S. Goldstein

Policy Briefs

Since 2008, Arkansas has sought to dramatically increase the number of students participating in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. This program, which allows students to access college -level content while still enrolled in high school, has been linked to higher student achievement and attainment. This brief shares recent research from the Office for Education Policy investigating whether students who take AP courses demonstrate better college readiness and examines how these trends vary for different demographic and socioeconomic groups in the state.

Advanced Placement Course-Taking And Act Testing Outcomes In Arkansas, Jessica S. Goldstein, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Arkansas Education Reports

This report examines trends in Advanced Placement (AP) course-taking in Arkansas. The AP program allows students to access college-level content while still enrolled in high school. Using de-identified student-level data from 2015-16 to 2017-18 from the Arkansas Department of Education, this research investigates whether students who take AP courses demonstrate better college readiness and examines how these trends vary for different demographic and socioeconomic groups throughout the state. While we cannot estimate the causal effect of AP coursework on student outcomes, this study presents key findings related to the Advanced Placement program which are relevant to policymakers and educators in …

A Cross National Comparison Of Family Friendly Work Policies: The Potential Influence Of Cultural Values, Adeline Grace Hardten

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Around the world people must work for a living, but also must raise their families. To balance these obligations, parents need high levels of support. But the existence of family friendly work policies, defined as paid parental leave and affordable, high-quality childcare, vary significantly across nations, making it difficult for many to obtain the necessary support. Research indicates that countries providing supportive family friendly policies see economic benefits, increases in profitability, and stronger overall youth development. Even though research reveals strong positive outcomes, there is a deficiency of exploration into why more countries still lack comprehensive policies that support working …

The Influence Of Foreign Elite Rhetoric: National Identity, Emotions, And Attitudes Toward Austerity, Alessandro Del Ponte

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

How does foreign elite rhetoric affect citizens’ emotions and attitudes about austerity? In a survey experiment conducted on the online blogs of the two major Italian newspapers, participants read a fictional news article where the German Chancellor addressed Italians. Across treatments, I varied whether the message blamed or praised Italians, and whether the message focused on economic or symbolic concerns. Praise generated enthusiasm whereas blame spurred anger and anxiety. Moreover, respondents with a strong national or European identity who read a message of praise were more enthusiastic, less angry, and less opposed to austerity. Finally, people who identify strongly with …

Covid-19 Reduced Outpatient Visits By Up To 70% In The Us, Pinka Chatterji, Yue Li

Population Health Research Brief Series

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for healthcare providers. Outpatient visits dropped by up to 70% relative to the same weeks in prior years.

Home Resources Supporting Workplace Resources: An Investigation Of Moderated Intervention Effects From The Study For Employment Retention Of Veterans (Serve), Sarah Nielsen Haverly

Dissertations and Theses

Social support directly impacts psychological outcomes both within the home and work domains. Hammer and colleagues suggest that social support at work from supervisors is related to a number of positive workplace outcomes. Kossek et al. elaborated that social support from supervisors is additionally effective when it is tailored to the unique needs of workers (i.e., role demands). The Veteran Supportive Supervisor Training (VSST) educates supervisors how to better support former service-members employed within the civilian workplace. Additional sources of social support are also key to positive outcomes for workers. Research shows that support from a partner or spouse can …

Thriving Private-Community Partnerships: Perspectives From Fiji’S Upper Navua Conservation Area, Jeremy Schultz, Kelly Bricker

Journal of Tourism Insights

Ecotourism has proven itself to be a forerunner in the advancement of environmental conservation all the while supporting cultural tradition, uniqueness, and pride among indigenous communities. Successful private-community partnerships associated with ecotourism operations are vital to the overall prosperity of both the businesses and the local communities. Such accomplishments can be seen through numerous livelihood goals including income, food security, health, reduced vulnerability, governance, and empowerment (Walpole & Wilder, 2008).

Private-community partnerships also support global initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (Ban Ki-Moon, 2015) and sustainable development frameworks including those proposed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, …

Understanding Contraflow Pop-Culture Tourism: The Case Of Transnational Fandom Of South Korean Pop-Culture And The “Hallyu” Tourism, Jungyun "Christine" Hur, Tony Kim

Journal of Tourism Insights

Pop-culture tourism has continuously grown its market among those who are fanatic of pop-culture, and destination marketers have noticed pop-culture as an effective marketing tool to attract more visitors. Pop-culture has been dominant by the US, but interestingly, a recent phenomenon sees a contra-cultural flow. This paper explores contraflow pop-culture tourism and guides the reader to how to understand this new tourism niche. Reviewing the case of transnational fandom of South Korean pop-culture, so called “Korean Wave” or “Hallyu” and its impact on inbound tourism, this paper suggests digital mediation as a key driver of contraflow pop-culture and transnational fandom, …

The Affordable Care Act And Entrepreneurship Lock: An Updated Examination Of Employer-Based Healthcare’S Effect On Self-Employment By Demographic Group, Sean Ruddy

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper capitalizes on a natural experiment created by differences in Medicaid expansion under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). A difference and difference model comparing states that did and did not expand Medicaid is conducted to investigate if providing an alternative and low-cost source of health insurance affects self-employment rates overall and across different demographic groups. The results suggest that living in a state that expanded Medicaid was associated with a 1.4 percent increase in the likelihood that an individual will be self-employed and that this effect is heterogeneous across different demographics, being largest among African Americans.

Child Food Insecurity In Nevada Counties, 2018, Ally Beckwith, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet synthesizes data on the child hunger discrepancies in Nevada counties from the Feeding America 2018 Map the Meal Gap Study. The information focuses on food insecurity experienced by children, and the food budget shortfall in Nevada.

Curating Equitable Transportation, Nikotris Perkins

PSU Transportation Seminars

Getting people and goods from here to there is central to the ways we live, work, and play in the United States. The transportation networks we create as planners, engineers, geologists, contractors, consultants, advocates, and citizens involve a multitude of decisions. These decisions have great impact on who can get where, when and how; often connected to our structures of social power. This seminar connects those dots, questions our ability to make change, and calls participants to be actively involved in a transportation system that is curated for those it targets: everyone.

Mental Health Stigma: A Wicked Problem, Katelyn Yoh

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Mental health stigma began in the 5th century, continued through the 18th century, and began to improve in the 1840s. Mental health has been viewed as negative and those who suffer from a mental illness or disorder also suffer from stigma as well as negative consequences, such as other mental health concerns, physical issues, and psychological issues due to stigma. This paper goes into deep detail about what mental health stigma is, how stigma is used from peers and internalizes and creates self stigma, what the results of stigma are (all negative), and lastly ways to help put an end …

Hunger In The United States, Trey A. Henry

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The issue of hunger in the United States is descriptively explained through the standpoints of child hunger, mental health, food security, and elderly people. It is detailed with explanations on how to overcome and adapt to the wicked problem that have plagued our country since it became one. The information produced by authors cited in this essay talk about the main points and the substantial issues that have progressed over time. It sheds light on how prevalent hunger can be with low-income families and the elderly people that do not have the aid to receive enough meals a day. In …

Time To Acknowledge Homeless Youth, Madison Frey

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Today, there are many wicked problems that we face. Climate change, phone usage, substance use, and many others. This may lead to us then neglecting some of the other wicked problems that do not directly relate to us. Homelessness is a wicked problem that has been faced for generations, and many have overcome it and went on to talk about their hardships. What is not spoken about so often is homelessness in youth. It is an ugly truth that needs to be recognized and talked about. They face several issues with not only various parts of their health, but aspects …

Lack Of Resources In Classrooms, Juliana Maffea

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

In different areas of the world, classrooms lack resources. Teachers are trying their hardest to teach their students with what is given to them, but it is not enough. The result of having a lack of resources is students not graduating, teachers burning out, parents scared for their students, and students not getting the proper education. An insufficient amount of resources in classrooms comes from the lack of funding or the improper use of spending in schools. There are solutions to this wicked problem, such as raising more money, making cuts, or changing the way schools spend their money. This …

Global Warming, Benjamin H. Gray Mr.

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Global warming is being affected in many ways on a daily basis and continuing using the same nonrenewable resources is hurting the human civilization as a whole today, and is going to hurt us even more in the future. The world is being affected economically today and is going to have to contribute a large sum of money to clean up the greenhouses gasses. There is also a problem with precipitation a drought due to the temperature and jet streams. Humans are choosing to migrate differently due to the change in temperatures and precipitation which goes hand in hand with …

A Letter To The United States Government On Wealth And Income Inequality, Matthieu Maier

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The United States of America is the world’s hotspot when it comes to income and wealth inequality. The wealthiest Americans are accumulating more and more wealth everyday while most Americans, who fall somewhere around middle-class, remain struggling and stagnant. The United States’ unchecked and deregulated system of capitalism is the root cause of our country’s inequities along with our government’s refusal to set aside self-interests and biases in order to combat these issues. From the inequality caused by rouged American systems larger issues are created that lead to complications in health, wages, standard of living, and race relations within our …

Wicked Problems: Depression, Sebastian Wendolowski

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Depression is a disorder that can affect anybody and is the leading cause of disability and disorders in the United States. This year, due to COVID-19, it has hit an all time high, affecting many more people. Suicide rates have been steadily growing across all ages, and this year is at a record high too, showing correlation with depression. There are two types of depression, major depressive disorder and chronic depressive disorder. Diagnosis of depression is typically done physically or through a questionnaire, which is compared into a DSM-5. There are many risk factors for depression and other common mental …

Covid-19 Is More Important Than College Football, Gavin J. Riley

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

College Football has been around since 1869, and while it has faced many hardships, this may be the toughest test. With the arrival of the fatal coronavirus, the NCAA, along with the many colleges must find a way to have a safe college football season. Although, it can be argued that having a college football season is not worth risking the lives of many. The NCAA’s plan to go through with a season has strict protocols and guidelines that all teams must abide by, but many players and team members do not feel safe with these guidelines. With the use …

Tackling Poverty, Mark A. Smith-Micthell

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

For many decades America has been stuck in a loop of having millions of impoverished citizens despite being one of the richest countries in the world. Lack of education, mass incarceration, and failed government policy are just some of the many causes of a very perplexing problem. Poverty is a downward spiral that emphasizes the inconsistencies between government policy and the weakness of the country's economy, which can only begin to be overcome if opportunities to help the less fortunate are developed.

Life After A Pandemic, Vito Zazo

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

This paper is a research paper designed to explain how Covid-19 is a wicked problem. I talk about the symptoms that Covid-19 can cause and how this disease does not affect everyone the same way. I talk about the death count from Covid-19 and the statistics behind it. I then talk about how the news has not informed the people correctly on how to prevent the spread of the virus and how it is being handled, because all major news networks are fueled by political views. I talk about the bipartisan views our country has and why it is so …

Are Electric Cars The Future?, Nick Gable

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

My paper is about switching to electric cars for transportation. The end of fossil fuels is soon, and we must preserve them. We must cut down on fossil fuel use to save the environment from pollution. I use statistics on emissions and pollution from conventional cars and explain why we need to switch to electric cars sooner rather than later. I argue that there should be stipulations by the government regarding electric cars and conventional cars on the lot. I also say that we should start producing lots of electric cars as soon as possible.

The Future Of Education As A Wicked Possibility, Eric Busser

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Over the past few decades, technology has become more and more integral in education. The online education response to the COVID-19 pandemic shows how capable technology in distance learning has become in recent years. Education still has a lot more room for implementing technology, and this paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of the inevitable implementation of distance learning in education.

Obesity In The United States Of America, Ana Litzy Cruz

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Obesity is a chronic disease that has increased rapidly in the United States during these last two decades. This disease not only affects people physically, but this disease affects people mentally. Many studies show that the reason that most people develop this disease is due to mental health. And yet society and social media continue to quite literally use obesity for publicity. Now in days, we see so many programs to help those with obesity, but the goals set are not attainable for people with obesity because the programs are more so geared toward either healthier people or financially stable …

The Problem With The School System, Julianna Vanvalin

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

From the beginning of America, schools have existed in some shape or form. However, once the school system became standardized its failings started to show through. The modern school system is discriminatory against disabled students and students of a low socioeconomic status. It also does not properly prepare students for their future, and promotes poor mental health. In order to fix the school system, it is important to recognize the current failings in regards to students and aim to improve them.

The Real Child Welfare System, Najee Williams

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Child welfare began as a series of different policies created to ensure children and families could receive aid when needed. The well-intentioned program has saved countless children and families. Yet we have somehow arrived at a time where if the child welfare program is mentioned it leaves a bitter taste in our mouth. Delving into this I aspire to educate others on the hardships of child welfare and where the tainted image derived from. Finding no singular source, I raise questions such as the following to gain different forms of clarity. Should the parents deemed unfit be a source of …

Climate Change, Dan Etling

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

Abstract

Climate change is a problem with no single solution. It has many parts, and, in this article, I break down each component of the wicked problem that is climate change. A shift in power and leadership bring change across the board, so what does the new president have planned for climate change? Anytime someone thinks of climate change, the immediate thought that comes to mind is the carbon footprint but how serious is that? If cars are the leading cause of carbon emissions, what’s the other option? Are we supposed to not drive places? Many people already know about …