08 Decent Work and Economic Growth – �鶹��Ƶ

Developing a new hire mentorship program for Madison Metro Transit

Ada Inman — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:46:10 +0000

Madison Metro Transit experiences a significant level of turnover in its public transit operators, and was interested in exploring the feasibility and ideal design for a mentorship program that could support improved retention. A team of Strategic Human Resource Management developed a framework and materials that incorporate evidence-based best practices. [...]

Youth Water Conservation Engagement Strategies

Ada Inman — Fri, 08 May 2026 21:05:03 +0000

Communities across Arizona are increasingly focused on long-term water sustainability and public awareness, creating opportunities to engage younger generations in conservation efforts through education, outreach, and community-based initiatives. This project will explore youth engagement strategies centered around water conservation, with an emphasis on empowering students and young residents to become active participants in promoting sustainable [...]

Developing a Vision for the I-11/I-40 Gateway

Ada Inman — Fri, 08 May 2026 21:02:28 +0000

The City of Kingman, located in northwestern Arizona on the Colorado Plateau, is shaped by its historic resources, transportation legacy along Historic Route 66, and proximity to regional recreational assets, and is seeking planning strategies that preserve its historic significance while strengthening downtown economic activity. As the City examines connectivity, visibility, and traveler engagement within the I-11/I-40 gateway amid evolving traffic patterns, signage changes, and interchange planning, it aims to identify planning, design, and placemaking strategies that encourage interstate travelers to exit and engage with downtown rather than bypass it. MUEP students will evaluate existing conditions related to land use, multimodal access, trail connectivity on both sides of the interstate, historic resources, and recreational assets, incorporating findings from an ongoing historic resources survey where available. Through peer community research, stakeholder interviews, and targeted surveys, students will identify strategies that leverage recreation, heritage, retail opportunities, and gateway visibility to support downtown-focused economic development. The project will culminate in a set of research-informed planning and policy recommendations that strengthen connections between the interstate gateway and downtown, preserve historic character, and position Kingman to capture visitor interest and economic activity while reinforcing its regional identity.

Miami Historic Preservation Framework

Ada Inman — Fri, 08 May 2026 20:19:08 +0000

The Town of Miami is a historically significant community with a rich architectural and cultural legacy that reflects its mining heritage. As the community looks toward revitalization and long-term economic resilience, the Town is seeking to strengthen its historic preservation framework to better protect its assets, support local property owners, and enhance its appeal to visitors and future residents. To advance this vision, the Town is undertaking an effort to update its historic preservation policy and district map, expanding designations, incorporating additional eligible buildings, and aligning with SHPO and National Register standards, while also identifying a funding strategy that positions the Historic Preservation Committee to pursue grants and priority projects. Graduate public affairs and policy students will research best practices and develop preservation and funding recommendations that reinforce Miami’s heritage and future economic vitality.

Bioadaptation Project for the Ecosystems of the Valle de las Palmas River Basin – Tijuana (community intervention)

Ada Inman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:29:49 +0000

Teachers and students from FCITEC coordinated their courses around a project focused on community activity in Valle de las Palmas (municipality of Tecate, Baja California). This section of the project analyzes the legal, hydrological, resource management, and project administration aspects of construction waste management the Valle de las Palmas area, considering its impact on the local population and how to improve public health in the town.

Students and teachers from five educational programs participated on this project (Civil Engineering; Bioengineering; Software Engineering and Emerging Technologies; Industrial Engineering; and a Master’s in Public Health program). Field visits were conducted in the town and along the Valle de las Palmas stream, and in this first phase, community-based initiatives were implemented towards a public school.

The project is linked to an external organization called the Mexican Association for Recycling Construction and Demolition Waste (Asociación Mexicana de Reciclaje de Residuos de Construcción y Demolición A.C.) and aims to analyze local legislation and incorporate sustainable practices to reduce the environmental impact in the area.

On December 9th, a progress presentation was made before members of the community and local government, and work will continue during the 2026-1 semester (January-May).

Bioadaptation of ecosystems in the Valle de las Palmas-Tijuana river basin. Recycling of construction waste and glass

Ada Inman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:28:05 +0000

Teachers and students from FCITEC coordinated their courses around a project involving the community of Valle de las Palmas (municipality of Tecate, Baja California). The project seeks to evaluate the use of materials recovered from construction waste and glass in order to promote sustainable construction practices and mitigate the community’s vulnerability to soil, aquifer, and air pollution, as well as the risk of flooding inherent in the extraction of natural resources in the Valle de las Palmas area.
Students and professors from five courses in the Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering programs participated. Field visits were conducted in the town of Valle de las Palmas, and in this first phase, actions were implemented at a local school.
The project is linked to an external entity called the Border Environmental Education Project (Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental, A.C) and aims to incorporate sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact and promote the use of materials derived from construction waste in the area.

On December 9th, a progress presentation was made before members of the community and local government, and works will continue during the 2026-1 semester (January-May).

Badilisha Digital Resource Centers: School-Community Affiliate Hubs for Resilience

Ada Inman — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:21:52 +0000

The Vision:

The Badilisha Digital Resource Centers (DRC) project is a school-community affiliate initiative that transforms educational institutions into hubs for regional digital resilience. By leveraging professional-grade telecommunications infrastructure, we create a “Digital Commons” where university innovation directly fuels community economic growth.

Partners & University Assets:

Building on my foundation as an alumnus of Uganda Christian University, we collaborate with local institutions such as the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University and Dar Salaam University in Tanzania(IYF Partnered in April 2025). We utilize university assets—specifically ICT faculty and student researchers—to provide technical oversight and data-driven management for our community networks. This academic rigor is reinforced by my professional background as a Telecom Engineer for Safaricom and Zuku, ensuring all installations meet industrial standards.

Community Need & Proven Impact:

Many youth-led enterprises in our region struggle with the “last mile” of digital access. We have already addressed this by successfully installing managed internet services at Green Palm Secondary School and St. Claret Primary School. These sites serve as real-world proof that school-based digital hubs can effectively provide the connectivity required for local business incubation and student success.

Work Plan & Reinvestment Model:

During this partnership, we will:

Deploy Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) Access Point Repeaters to extend university connectivity into surrounding neighborhoods.
Implement a Social Revenue-Sharing Model where a percentage of service fees is reinvested into the hub for long-term maintenance and student innovation stipends.
Develop our 3.5-acre flagship site in Utange into a regional center for digital business continuity and an international franchise training ground.

The National City Earthquake Safety & Outreach Initiative

Ada Inman — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:41:12 +0000

This report contains a series of policy proposals developed by San Diego State University (SDSU) students, in collaboration with National City officials and the SDSU Sage Project, to increase the use of existing earthquake preparedness resources among National City residents. The primary focus of student research was the California Earthquake Brace + Bolt program and encouraging homeowners to engage in seismic retrofitting. Additionally, students developed policy recommendations aimed at increasing general earthquake safety, awareness, and education. Being located in Southern California, earthquake preparedness
is a topic the SDSU community is very familiar with and many students were able to use this as an opportunity to draw upon prior knowledge in their research.
Students worked to create policy suggestions specific to National City, based on methods proven effective in similar municipalities, by researching how the area’s demographics may impact the use of community resources. National City is a heavily Hispanic city, with a large population that does not speak English as a first language. As such, many of the policies in this report focus on bridging that gap in communication and establishing trust between community members and those with access to earthquake preparedness resources. Another major trend among policies developed by students was a focus on finding creative ways to lower the economic burden on residents interested in seismic retrofitting. This led to the creation of several innovative proposals focused on helping residents pay for seismic retrofitting, primarily where other government programs would not suffice. These policies may be more difficult to implement than direct outreach, but they represent an alternate approach the city could take to encourage seismic retrofitting.
The policies presented in this report were chosen for their adaptability as part of a larger earthquake awareness initiative, as well as their ability to function independently. As stressed by National City officials, the city budget does not have any extra funding for extensive earthquake preparedness programs. The purpose behind choosing policies which can operate independently is to work around these constraints and offer solutions that may be more budget-friendly. These policies are categorized based upon the type of actor affected: resident, government group, or external organization.

Mixed-Methods Tools for Program Co-Design, Iteration, and Assessment for a Guaranteed Income Program

Ada Inman — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:57:28 +0000

This report is a result of the collaborative partnership between the Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP) and the Sage Project at San Diego State University (SDSU). The BWRP, a project sponsored by Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD), is a guaranteed income (GI) program intended to uplift low-income Black women and their families out of poverty by targeting the challenges they face. Research contained in this report was conducted as part of Dr. Kristen Maher’s Fall 2024 Political Science Seminar in Foundations of Public Policy (POL S 603) class at SDSU. The POL S 603 course focused on the theory and practice of policy-making, which comprises the design, agenda setting, tools, and implementation process. Students who opted to participate were tasked with exploring, researching and evaluating methods for tracking the project’s impact. The aim was gathering participant experiences and assessing the effects of the project. This report provides an overview of mixed-methods research and assessment approaches through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, including a discussion of the affordances and constraints of narrative research, Photovoice, and community mapping methods.

Strategic Visioning for Scalable Workforce Program Alignment

Ada Inman — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:06:05 +0000

The City of Tempe is a forward-looking community dedicated to building a resilient and inclusive economy that meets the needs of its residents and regional partners. With a strong focus on workforce development, the City is evaluating how to better align its programs with evolving industry demands and long-term labor market trends. As part of this effort, students from the School of Public Affairs will analyze current workforce programs, identify gaps, and assess opportunities for strategic growth and improved industry partnerships. The project will result in two key deliverables: an internal report with labor market analysis and stakeholder input, and a strategic roadmap outlining scalable program enhancements for the next 3–5 years.