The journey to support people with disabilities began nearly 70 years ago when federal laws began to inform educational practices and ensured accountability that people with disabilities should be able to live a full life. Transportation is one skill that people with disabilities need in order to reach their goals. Transportation impacts nearly…

Transportation Security is considered one of the important aspects of U. S. Critical Infrastructure resilience and civil security. However, safety issues in transportation regarding 'struck-by' incidents involving Emergency First Responders (EFRs) (Fire, Police, and EMS) while performing essential duties on roadways stand to diminish this…

The first chapter analyzes how Premier League games in London impact demand for the city's bike-sharing system. Bike-sharing systems affect mode choice for within-city transportation. Using bike rental data from Transport for London, this chapter exploits the plausibly-exogenous timing of Premier League games to identify how proximity to stadiums…

This study examines three key areas where economic policy intersects with development: the influence of international student enrollments on the academic major choices of domestic students in the U.S., the effects of high-speed railroad infrastructure on employment in China, and the influence of monetary policy on housing prices in China. Each…

This qualitative case study is situated in the area of educational leadership. It aims to explore possible strategies for increasing community-integrated employment for graduates of a Job Training Coordination Program at OakVeil High School. It is important to consider the lived experiences, hopes, fears, and barriers experienced from a…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of four Black women frontline supervisors deemed essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlighted the effects COVID-19 had on Black women who were mandated to report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This…

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) has been widely studied. However, very little research can be found that includes driver considerations. Many professional trades, such as plumbers, electricians, or concrete cutters, carry specialized certifications. Unlike traditional VRP, where the driver is excluded from all considerations, not every driver…

My research inquiry is centered on the larger project of building a transformational, empowerment model of worker voice in workplaces. The purpose of my research is to explore/illuminate the question, "How can I use workers' stories to center and advance collaborative worker voice on the job through peer-driven training initiatives?" I…

As autistic individuals grow into adulthood, they are much more likely to experience a need for employment-related skills, with research on these skills lacking relative to child-focused research. Accordingly, this dissertation examined existing literature on employment-related skill development and based on community consultation, developed…

This doctoral capstone project assesses the impact and effectiveness of using peer mentoring workbooks as a tool to enhance the transition of college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A peer mentoring workbook was developed using theoretical frameworks to guide its design and identification of primary occupations, roles,…

This dissertation consists of three papers. In each paper, I use applied econometric methods to study the interaction between immigration policy and the postsecondary policy. The findings offer insights about how immigration policy can influence the education outcomes of undocumented individuals. In my first paper, I explore the effect on…

The process and mechanisms of knowledge transfer are discussed extensively in the innovation literature, but much existing work is based on evidence from leading innovator economies, such as the United States and European countries. Emerging innovator economies are generally understudied; yet, for several reasons, the insights derived from leading…

According to the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE, 2008), there were 679,724 homeless students in the United States enrolled in schools in 2006-2007. In the 2017-2018 school year, there were 1,508,265 homeless students in the United States (U.S. Department of Education, 2020). In just over 12 years, the homeless student population had…

Due to the growing number of students enrolling as homeless in American public schools, a quantitative design was applied to determine if students in an Illinois suburban, kindergarten through eighth grade school district (District A), who are enrolled under the McKinney-Vento Act and are receiving resources of food, shelter, clothing, and…

Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) accomplish outcomes in the areas of employment, continued education, and independent living at rates much lower than their peers without disabilities (Newman et al., 2011). Limited reliable and independent transportation is one barrier youth with IDD face in accessing these…