Public Affairs Commons^™

Bridging The Divide: Gaps In Mental Health Resources For K-12 Students In Nevada, Nicole Diaz Del Valle

Student Research

Since 2014, Nevada has consistently ranked among the bottom five states, if not last, in the nation for youth mental health, with more than 34,000 youth reporting experiencing thoughts of suicide in 2025 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). The state’s student-to-counselor ratio stands at 456 to 1, nearly double the recommended 250 to 1 (American School Counselor Association, 2024). In Southern Nevada, these challenges are compounded with persistent provider shortages, chronic underfunding, and a fragmented system of care. This policy brief focuses on the barriers preventing students from receiving timely, effective mental health support in school settings …

College Degree Attainment In The Mountain West, 2010-2020, Isabelle G. Graham, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet presents data on the gaps in college degree attainment in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data appear in “Learning and Earning by Degrees: Gains in College Degree Attainment Have Enriched the Nation and Every State, but Racial and Gender Inequality Persists,” report published by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), a research and policy institute within Georgetown University that focuses on the connections between education, career qualifications, and workforce demands.

The Digital Economy And Equitable Access To Jobs In The Mountain West, 2023, Isabelle G. Graham, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data from a Brookings Institution report, “The future of the US digital economy depends on equitable access to jobs,” which compares the share of 2023 employment in highly digital jobs among women and minority groups for select U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This fact sheet reports data for nine Mountain West MSAs: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; Albuquerque, NM; Colorado Springs, CO; Denver-Aurora- Lakewood, CO; Tucson, AZ; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; Provo-Orem, UT; and Ogden- Clearfield, UT.

Reassessing Policy Responses To Irregular Migration In Receiving Democracies: A Process-Tracing Analysis Of Transactional Migration Governance, Otoniel Ramos

Student Research

This policy brief analyzes the growing use of transactional migration agreements (TMAs) by receiving democracies—bilateral arrangements that exchange financial or diplomatic concessions for the external enforcement of migration control. While politically expedient, TMAs often generate long-term strategic liabilities: they reduce state control over enforcement outcomes, expose receiving states to coercive leverage by partner states, and weaken normative commitments to transparency and rights protection. Using analytic process tracing and formal modeling, this paper identifies four recurring mechanisms by which TMAs evolve into systems of asymmetric dependence. It then evaluates three alternative policy frameworks—Exit Doctrine, Legal Category Reform, and a Structured Conditionality …

Ai Governance In The Gaming Industry: A Proposal For A Use Case Registry, Cesar D. Lozoya Martinez

Student Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into everyday life. From customer service chatbots and marketing strategies to player protection tools and surveillance systems, casino operations are embracing the trend. However, without a systematic framework to track the current and emerging use cases across the industry, concerns about transparency, ethical use, and potential consumer harm continue to grow. Rather than aiming to establish binding regulatory practices for an industry and technology that are both quickly evolving, this policy brief advocates for the creation of an AI-use case registry. The registry would comprehensively track gaming companies that are using AI. The growing …

Legislative Transparency And Self-Government: Nevada And First Amendment Application, Allister Dias

Student Research

With the rise in political tension in the United States, the call for transparency from elected officials has reached an all-time high. While the role of American democracy is to promote a sense of participation from constituents, the lack of information regarding policy decisions has exempted the public from the halls of the legislature. This policy brief examines legislative transparency in Nevada through the concept of self-government theory. Despite a 1994 constitutional amendment to require publicly accessible legislative committee meetings, exemptions from Open Meeting Law and statutory exemptions continue to limit public access and further the divide between the government …

Pedaling Toward Justice: Exploring The Role Of Community Advocacy In Shaping Bicycle Policy In Oakland., Claire Farrell Lowe

Master's Projects and Capstones

The way people move through a city fundamentally shapes their access to jobs, essential services, and economic and social opportunities. While Oakland’s bicycle infrastructure has improved over the past decade, vehicle-centric planning has historically sidelined cycling, creating mobility inequities. This thesis examines the role of community advocacy in advancing equitable bicycle planning and prioritizing cycling infrastructure as a core element of urban development. This thesis project follows the question: what role do advocacy groups play in addressing the gaps between the Oakland Bicycle Plan and its implementation? Through policy analysis, community engagement, and interviews with key informants from Bike East …

The Politics Of Being Heard: Communication And Power Struggles In Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Caroline Trejo

Master's Projects and Capstones

The environmental and public health challenges in Bayview-Hunters Point have catalyzed widespread community activism, as residents and advocates respond to the ongoing fallout from radiological contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Communication plays a vital role in bridging the gap between affected communities and government entities throughout the cleanup process. This research asks: how have the communication strategies of advocacy groups influenced government actions and policies during the Bayview-Hunters Point Shipyard cleanup? To explore this question, I conducted semi-structured interviews with three community advocates, two former members of a non-partisan civil jury, one independent researcher, and one government official. …

Having A Home To Come Home To: How Subsidized Housing Impacts Unhoused Pregnant Women, Stephanie O. Porvaznik

Master's Projects and Capstones

Community based organizations (CBOs) lead the charge in the fight to end housing insecurity and often must make up where local governments fall short. San Francisco is an example of a municipality that has a long history of addressing instances of housing insecurity for its residents, and where CBOs step in to provide housing support for populations with unique and special circumstances. One CBO that operates in San Francisco that I was interested in studying was the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP), and the Jelani House, a housing subsidy that is funded and operated by the HPP for pregnant women who …

2025 Craft Academy Senior Send-Off Program, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

The Morehead State University 2025 Craft Academy Senior Send-Off Program from May 9, 2025.

Unmarried, Married, And Divorced People In The Mountain West, 2023, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet presents the ratio of unmarried men to unmarried women, as well as percentage rates of single, married, and divorced people for sixteen Mountain West cities in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. The Smart Asset report, “Where Most People Are Single or Married – 2025 Study” reports data for the 119 most populous cities in the U.S. from the 2023 one-year American Community Survey conducted by U.S Census Bureau.

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

To What Extent Is Social Media A Tool For Political Mobilization?, Bridget Westrum

Political Science Theses and Capstones

This study looks at the potential impacts of social media advocacy on mobilizing the pubic. Drawing from the Pew Research Center’s 2018 American Trends Panel, I look at Americans’ views of technology, political involvement, and their perceptions of social media and online engagement. I found that younger respondents view social media as more important to their political engagements. I find a significant relationship between census region and perceived importance of social media on issue involvement, as well. Respondents from the southern United States who consider themselves to be "very liberal" report a greater influence of social media on their involvement …

Live Entertainment Tax, Khalea Demesma

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

The Live Entertainment Taxis a 9% tax that is exclusively for casinos, nightclubs, and venues that have a minimum occupancy of 200. The Live Entertainment Tax is managed by both the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which oversees events that are held at gaming establishments, and the department of Taxation, which handles events held at all other venues. Clark County is home to the Las Vegas Strip, which is where the majority of the revenue from this tax is collected.

Are Community Philanthropic Organizations Planning For Climate Change?, Beth Gazley, Rachel Cash, Laurie Paarlberg

The Foundation Review

Although their role is sometimes overlooked, an Indiana statewide study confirms that most community foundations and United Way agencies directly contribute to meeting local disaster response needs.

Although half of all community foundations and United Ways report past service disruptions due to the more severe weather caused by climate change, the majority have not discussed the need to plan for disasters with their boards of directors to assure business continuity.

Community foundations lag behind United Ways and direct service nonprofits in risk mitigation, and their leaders are more likely to downplay the potential impacts of climate change on state residents. …

Perceptions Of Identity And Blame Attribution In Sexual Harassment Scenarios, Avarie Lambert

Honors Theses

Sexual harassment is a widespread issue influenced by societal attitudes that stem from victim blaiming and rape myth acceptance. These perceptions are often shaped by the identities of the parties involved, however there is limited research on how gender and race influence blame attribution. The purpose of this study is to examine how different identities shape public perceptions of victims in sexual harassment scenarios. Through using a nationwide sample and survey experiment, participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight different hypothetical scenarios that differed by the race and gender of the victim, and the gender of the perpetrator. …

Barriers Individuals And Families Experience Utilizing Anti-Poverty Programs, Miranda C. Dube'

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This proposed study aims to explore the barriers experienced by residents of the High Desert communities. Using a quantitative method approach, the proposed research will employ surveys to provide a comprehensive understanding of the outcomes experienced by the High Desert residents. Participants will be selected within the High Desert communities, aged 18 years or older, who have or are currently experiencing poverty. The findings from this proposed study would contribute to bridging gaps in understanding the barriers residents of the High Desert experience. By identifying factors that suppress successfully utilizing anti-poverty programs, this research proposal would aim to inform the …

Front And Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Emergent Models Of Place-Based Philanthropy: A Review Of Six Foundations’ Initiatives, Douglas Easterling

The Foundation Review

Traditional approaches to place-based philanthropy, including comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs), are characterized by four design features: 1) a centralized stakeholder group that serves as the primary nexus for the foundation’s engagement; 2) an extensive planning process on the front end; 3) the planning group’s initial strategy serves as the basis for the foundation’s investments throughout the initiative; and 4) foundation staff play a largely transactional role in reviewing proposals, awarding grants and monitoring progress. This linear, structured approach to community change has had only limited success over 30 years of foundation practice.

In response, a growing number of foundations have …

Strengthening Evaluation Contracting Partnerships: Fostering Stronger Relationships Between Funders And Small, Proximate Evaluation Firms, Hippolyt Pul, Carlisle Levine

The Foundation Review

Foundations often support initiatives in multiple countries and cultures, including within the United States, with limited access to or familiarity with the people and local contexts in which activities occur. To gain a deep and nuanced understanding of their investments’ relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability, foundations are often eager to partner with evaluators close to the contexts and people who participate in and are most affected by their investments.

Yet, foundations’ procurement and contracting systems may not be built for these partnerships. Through the Strengthening Evaluation Contracting Partnerships Initiative, we are addressing this challenge by helping foundations, small and proximate evaluation …