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How to Get the Point Across: Increasing Clarity of Third Grade Expository Writing
No full textA presentation that was delivered in the Fifth University Research Day at the Catholic University of America in 2020.This research was collaborated with Camille Fair-Bumbra
A Proposal for a Sustainable School in Arlington County
No full textA presentation that was delivered in the Fifth University Research Day at the Catholic University of America in 2020
Knighthood, Class, and Gender: A Comparative Analysis of the Romances of Chrétien de Troyes and George Lucas’s Star Wars
No full textA presentation that was delivered in the Fifth University Research Day at the Catholic University of America in 2020
Lost in Translation: Hispanic Health Disparities and the Link to Effective Communication [Poster]
No full textA presentation that was delivered in the Fifth University Research Day at the Catholic University of America in 2020
POPULATION GENETIC DIVERSITY OF SEAGRASS ENHALUS ACOROIDES: A MEASURE OF MARINE CONNECTIVITY IN THE MARIANA ARCHIPELAGO
No full textSeagrass meadows provide critical ecosystem services but are in worldwide decline from changes in their environmental conditions. This decline has resulted in seagrass loss, meadow fragmentation, and loss of gene flow between meadows, especially in the Western Indo-Pacific. This study focuses on the connectivity of the dominant seagrass species Enhalus acoroides in Saipan and Guam, the largest and most populated islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. I hypothesized the populations would be well connected within the islands and to the larger population in Southeast Asia. Microsatellite markers are genetic tools, to estimate population diversity at different loci. There was no variability found between the seven meadows of Saipan and the four in Guam at two loci. A number of explanations for this low variability are possible: populations are well-connected currently or were well-connected in the recent past, a bottleneck effect, restoration efforts have resulted in plantings of a single genotype across many sites, and/or the genetic diversity of these populations may have been underestimated because only two loci were considered. Thorough evaluations of marine connectivity are essential for the longterm protection of genetic diversity and restoration of fragmented meadows.Environmental scienceCNMI, Enhalus acoroides, genetic markers, GuamEnvironmental ScienceDegree Awarded: M.S. Environmental Science. American Universit
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SPATIAL PLANNING IN MEXICO: A COMPARATIVE CASE REVIEW OF SUCCESS STORIES AND FAILURES
No full textIn the field of spatial planning, traditional ways of creating public policies are being called into question and criticized and new forms of decision-making have resulted, based more on participatory democracy and even on the theory of social innovation. Even though Mexico’s Constitution recognizes the principle of participatory democracy, in practice, the exercise of public participation contemplated in spatial planning policy instruments is a token gesture on the part of the state and still needs to be aligned with the principles of collaborative rationality. This dissertation explores the concept, scope, and evolution of the right to public participation within the field of spatial planning through theory, legal research, and a comparative study of success stories within Mexico and beyond. It analyzes the differences between creating public policies using traditional structures versus participatory and collaborative processes, such as the innovative landscape governance approach.Within the international legal framework, the dissertation examines how the right to public participation and related rights have developed throughout history, focusing particularly on the universal and the inter-American human rights systems. It also analyzes the recognition of the right to a healthy environment, including specific obligations addressing public participation in global environmental treaties, the evolution of regional treaties that center on environmental access rights, and the importance of public participation within policy documents.Turning to Mexico’s legal framework, the dissertation explores the different constitutional provisions and regulations on which spatial planning in Mexico is based. It also explores the country’s main environmental and urban policy instruments and particularly seeks to dismantle the role and scope of public participation in its ecological land-use plans and urban development plans.At the core of the dissertation is a portrait of the role that public participation plays in spatial planning in Mexico, based on the opinions and testimonies of thirty-two interviewees with experience and involvement in spatial planning issues. Building on the interviewees’ findings and conclusions, it includes detailed case studies of spatial planning processes in two very different municipalities in Mexico. The first of these, Cuetzalan Municipality, Puebla, is an example of collaborative planning, coordination, and the successful implementation of spatial planning policies. The second, Valle de Bravo Municipality, is an example of failed spatial planning policies, a lack of coordination around environmental and urban issues, and limited opportunities for collaboration in the creation of public policies.To provide a point of comparison, the dissertation reviews three successful examples of spatial planning in Washington, DC, the Netherlands, and Barcelona as essential references in the area of participatory planning, offering innovative guidelines that could undoubtedly be applied in Mexico and many other countries that are in the process of transitioning toward stronger participatory spatial planning policies.The dissertation closes with some overall conclusions on the core elements that need to be present in any participatory spatial planning process, making direct reference to the current situation in Mexico.Environmental lawUrban planningcollaborative planning, environmental planning, landscape planning, public participation, spatial planning, stakeholdersWashington College of LawDegree Awarded: S.J.D. Washington College of Law. American Universit
Turning Public into Private Participation in GCC States' Infrastructure: Sustainable Institutions in a World of International Investment Standards
No full textFinancing resources are necessarily finite. State governments may envision prospects that entail the most developed infrastructure which provides residents of the country with paramount welfare. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States of which this study is premised are undergoing a pivotal period where oil rents have experienced volatile phases and the same government means of financing promising large infrastructure projects are no longer sustainable. The study focuses on Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE of the GCC States. The introduction of the private sector as a major actor in these countries’ development plans is a shared accord amongst the three states. This study looks into the utilization of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a tool for the Arab Gulf governments to implement their anticipated projects by empowering the private sector. By using law and development theoretical frameworks on regulations and institutions, the study asserts that the structure of the economic systems of the GCC States as largely welfare states must be well comprehended and outlined in terms of what empowering the private sector through PPPs involves. There are key aspects in light of international investment standards that would shape Gulf States’ institutional practices when adopting PPPs. These standards may nevertheless be balanced with notions like public interest to mitigate the extreme transformation to private sector lead in state development schemes.International lawLawPublic policyForeign investment, Infrastructure, Institutions, PPPs, Public investment, RegulationsWashington College of LawDegree Awarded: S.J.D. Washington College of Law. American Universit
A Case for Roman Cement: How the Revitalization of Ancient Roman Construction Material can Minimize the Built Environment's Ecological Impact
No full textA presentation that was delivered in the Fifth University Research Day at the Catholic University of America in 2020
Website Security
No full textA presentation that was delivered in the Fifth University Research Day at the Catholic University of America in 2020
Mental Health Literacy in the Black church: How Black Church Leaders Help Congregants Address Depression and Anxiety
No full textAfrican Americans have a history of steering away from mental health professionals and mental health facilities. Research shows that African Americans tend to underutilize mental health facilities due to historical and present institutionalized racism, misdiagnoses, and lack of representation in mental health facilities (Dempsey, Butler, & Gaither, 2016). Many African Americans thus turn to the Black Church for help meeting their psychological needs, and Black clergy members of the Black Church tend to use the teachings of the Bible to assist with problems, an application called biblical counseling. The current study assessed the mental health literacy of Black Church leaders, along with their approaches to help congregants deal with anxiety and depression. Black Church leaders completed an online survey asking both closed-ended and open-ended questions on their mental health literacy and the pastoral counseling techniques that they use to counsel African American congregants. The researchers found that female Black Church leaders significantly engaged in more dialogue about mental health within the church than male Black Church leaders. There was also a significant negative relationship between age and making referrals to mental health professionals for congregants, and Black Church leaders who hold a Doctoral degree were significantly more likely to provide general and depression counseling than leaders who hold a Bachelor’s degree or less. A better understanding of the mental health literacy levels and counseling approaches of Black Church leaders can lead to improved partnerships between licensed mental health professionals and Black clergy, ultimately strengthening the mental health of the African American community