Fire is a naturally-occurring disruptive ecological force that is an essential part of certain ecosystems, and has historically been a tool used by indigenous fire stewards to maintain the health of the land. In the past century, fire has been severely suppressed throughout many areas of the Western United States as Western colonization and the suppression of native traditional ecological knowledge took place, causing a severe decline in ecosystem health and the accumulation of flammable vegetation, which has more recently contributed towards a frequency of catastrophic, high-intensity wildfires. Current fire management challenges include balancing social and ecological perspectives. In Colorado and other areas of the country, community wildfire protection plans (CWPP) are evolving as a means to involve a variety of community stakeholders in fire management decisions. Using Colorado CWPP boundaries as a social management unit and endangered species ranges as an ecological management unit, I analyzed the spatial overlap of these different factors. Since each CWPP has its own fire management policies, I drew implications from the results for which important factors different CWPPs should consider.

In 2020, the world was swept by a global pandemic. It disrupted the lives of millions; many lost their jobs, students were forced to leave schools, and children were left with little to do while quarantined at their houses. Although the media outlets covered very little of how children were being affected by COVID-19, it was obvious that their group was not immune to the issues the world was facing. Being stuck at home with little to do took a mental and physical toll on many kids. That is when EVOLVE Academy became an idea; our team wanted to create a fully online platform for children to help them practice and evolve their athletics skills, or simply spend part of their day performing a physical and health activity. Our team designed a solution that would benefit children, as well as parents that were struggling to find engaging activities for their kids while out of school. We quickly encountered issues that made it difficult for us to reach our target audience and make them believe and trust our platform. However, we persisted and tried to solve and answer the questions and problems that came along the way. Sadly, the same pandemic that opened the widow for EVOLVE Academy to exist, is now the reason people are walking away from it. Children want real interaction. They want to connect with other kids through more than just a screen. Although the priority of parents remains the safety and security of their kids, parents are also searching and opting for more “human” interactions, leaving EVOLVE Academy with little room to grow and succeed.

When examining the average college campus, it becomes obvious that students feel rushed from one place to another as they try to participate in class, clubs, and extracurricular activities. One way that students can feel more comfortable and relaxed around campus is to introduce the aspect of gaming. Studies show that “Moderate videogame play has been found to contribute to emotional stability” (Jones, 2014). This demonstrates that the stress of college can be mitigated by introducing the ability to interact with video games. This same concept has been applied in the workplace, where studies have shown that “Gaming principles such as challenges, competition, rewards and personalization keep employees engaged and learning” (Clark, 2020). This means that if we manage to gamify the college experience, students will be more engaged which will increase and stabilize the retention rate of colleges which utilize this type of experience. Gaming allows students to connect with their peers in a casual environment while also allowing them to find resources around campus and find new places to eat and relax. We plan to gamify the college experience by introducing augmented reality in the form of an app. Augmented reality is “. . . a technology that combines virtual information with the real world” (Chen, 2019). College students will be able to utilize the resources and amenities available to them on campus while completing quests that help them within the application. This demonstrates the ability for video games to engage students using artificial tasks but real actions and experiences which help them feel more connected to campus. Our Founders Lab team has developed and tested an AR application that can be used to connect students with their campus and the resources available to them.

As young women merge into the business world, the business environment structure often asks them to adjust or change their identity to be accepted by their male peers. Such identity changes include adopting masculine forms of professional dress, building relationships in the workplace, and dealing with personal life. Through a qualitative research methodology, the study explores the communication practices that women engage in to succeed in the masculine business/corporate environment. Research indicates various types of limitations in masculine environments in connection with the flexibility of schedule, equal pay, and balance between professional and family life, leading to emotional and psychological impacts. Moreover, findings indicate the use of resistance tools to assist women in the corporate/business environment in leadership mentoring, education, and information found on apps and social media. I highlight practical implications, discuss limitations, and provide recommendations for future directions.

Natural gas development in the Northern Appalachian region has skyrocketed dramatically over the past decade. Correspondingly to the unprecedented growth rate of the natural gas industry, population health risks have shifted dramatically in response to both aerial and water pollution. With energy as a key input in all sectors of Appalachian life, the Pennsylvania region serves as a fascinating case study where clusters of unconventional gas drilling wells intersect varying population densities and governing laws to create different levels of health risks. Studies have found that horizontal hydraulic fracking corresponds to an increased risk of upper respiratory symptoms (URS), low birth weights, premature births, and certain cancers (White et al., 2009). Also, zoning and local planning laws are policy tools local governments can use to directly influence community wellbeing (Diez-Roux, 2011). This study will focus on the spatial relationship between upper respiratory symptoms (URS), a key volatile health benchmark, and the zoning/planning laws that the Oil and Natural Gas Industry must adhere to. Our project seeks to provide a preliminary understanding of the interplay between different natural gas zoning laws and the resulting health implication risks that appear in the Marcellus shale region of Pennsylvania. This is necessary to appropriately regulate and monitor hydraulic fracking. To get a better understanding of this phenomenon, spatial autocorrelation and analysis of variance statistics are integrated to generate a surface-level understanding of areas impacted by natural gas development. To guide the creation of our models, we geographically process the unconventional well locations, upper respiratory symptom health utilization, and zoning law data to develop insights that policymakers can take into consideration. Regionally, natural gas has become an integrated part of the energy sector and a driver of local economic development. The patterns drawn from this assessment provide a novel way of understanding the population health risks posed by different zoning ordinance models.

Three main affiliations fall under the umbrella of American Jewry: Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative. Each differs in practice, but remains connected by the basis of their beliefs, ארון הספרים (Ah-rohn ha-sefarim). It is important to note that the term ‘Orthodox’ encompasses a vast and diverse group of Jews that vary in practice. Here, I will discuss two Orthodox subgroups, Hareidi Jews and Modern Orthodox Jews. In this essay, I discuss and explore the topic of Israeli and American conversion to Judaism, the relationship between conversion and Israeli politics, and its effect on Jews around the world. I utilize an array of sources, including political and religious texts, modern interpretation, and my own experience. I begin by briefly describing Jewish roots in the United States and Israel. Next, I rigorously outline American and Israeli Jewish affiliations, followed by a generous explanation of Jewish identity and conversion practices in the United States and in Israel. I end by sharing the effects of conversion practices on the global Jewish community and potential solutions to the problems that arise.

To understand the role communication and effective management play in the project management field, virtual work was analyzed in two phases. Phase one consisted of gaining familiarity within the field of project management by interviewing three project managers who discussed their field of work, how it has changed due to Covid-19, approaches to communication and virtual team management, and strategies that allow for effective project management. Phase two comprised a simulation in which 8 ASU student volunteers were put into scenarios that required completing and executing a given project. Students gained project experience through the simulation and had an opportunity to reflect on their project experience.