Today, the United States’ electricity mix is primarily generated by climate-change causing, air-polluting fossil fuels. More than 60% of the nation’s total generation comes from natural gas, coal, and petroleum. Recent headlines have celebrated the fact that renewable energy generation–at 21.5%– finally surpassed coal (19.5%) for the first time in 2022. However, there is still… Read more »
Research
Investigating Physical Controls of Nitrogen Isotopes in Terrestrial Ecosystems
The news is full these days with stories of increasing droughts and floods. These events, which will increase as climate change continues, have clear economic impacts. As an environmental scientist however, I am interested in how climate change may impact other natural systems. One such system is the nitrogen cycle, which describes the transfer of… Read more »
Germany and the United States Speak! Impacts on Diversity by recruiting from Vocational Training Programs
While studying abroad in Germany, I once asked a question of a German business founder and CEO speechless for a couple minutes, and the experience stuck in my mind to this day. The question I asked our class guest speaker was about his company’s engagement in external recruiting to hire workers for his manufacturing firm…. Read more »
Navigating Counterterrorism in a Post 9-11 World: C/PVE Programs in Democratic Countries
The 2022 Annual Threat Assessment presented by the entirety of the intelligence community references domestic terrorism, homegrown terrorists, and extremism as larger threats to national security than any other form of terrorism. For the purpose of this study, terrorism is defined as, “the violent act of an individual group that aims to promote a political… Read more »
How Are We Supporting Survivors of Sex Trafficking?
Each year, roughly 200,000 people in the United States fall victim to sex trafficking. This tragic statistic is actually known by experts to be a gross underestimate of how many individuals experience trafficking every year. Inaccurate data, combined with an overall lack of awareness about the issue as a whole create a daunting environment for… Read more »
Is Your Education Suffering Due to State Budget Cuts?
As a student at Indiana University, I thought that my success as a student depended on hard work, hours spent studying, and my performance on exams. However, as the world progressed into the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession that followed, I saw students struggling all around me. From more students leaving the university to… Read more »
Financial Implications in Traffic Citations
Financial implications in policing are beginning to be widely researched. Traffic stops are a common part of life. According to a wide variety of research there are 40-42 million traffic citations issued each year in the United States. My research focused on looking at where traffic fines go. In some states, these traffic fines can… Read more »
Overlooked Effects of Pollution on Reproductive Health
It is generally well-known that pollution in the environment can have negative effects on our health. However, not all negative health outcomes are treated equally in the medical and academic fields when it comes to researching these effects. Despite likely having a direct environmental cause among other contributors, reproductive diseases I like to call “traditionally… Read more »
Improving Interactions Between Foster Care Entities: Insights from Court Appointed Special Advocates
The foster care system in the United States is a complex web of federal- and state-level government agencies, social workers, foster care parents, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). With over 500,000 children in foster care and a shortage of foster homes, ensuring that every child has access to a safe and loving home is… Read more »
We Need to Restore Mangrove Forests. How Can We Do It Effectively?
Mangroves are a type of coastal forest ecosystem that provides a multitude of ecosystem services, ranging from protecting coastlines from storm damage to acting as habitats for commercially valuable fish species. These ecosystems also help fight climate change. Ecosystem services provided by mangroves were estimated to be over $180 billion worldwide. Despite these benefits, mangroves… Read more »