The intersection of race and space in one neighborhood in Denton, Texas, a college town situated within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, reflects the lack of economic opportunities caused by a legacy of racial spatialization. SED, formally known as Solomon Hill, was once a predominately Black enclave; however, the city's population growth has fueled the expansion of the downtown area into neighborhood, transforming it into a hotspot for new investment. As the city rebrands itself in the name of urban entrepreneurialism, SED has become part of revitalization plans that include portraying the neighborhood as part of a cultural district, a tech hub, and an arts district. In order to understand the neighborhood today, we need to first examine its history; therefore, I provide a brief history of racial segregation in SED and examine the power structures that reinforced its marginalization. I then explain how the aforesaid transformation of SED as a cultural district, tech hub, and arts district and the expansion of downtown area into SED is a byproduct of the city's urban entrepreneurialism. Lastly, I discuss the function of the MLK Jr. Recreation Center, and their goals for connecting with the community through program evaluation and development centered around …

This study used ethnographic and qualitative research methods to provide data-driven support for the use of next-of-kin interviews to enhance overdose fatality review (OFR) datasets. This study's community of practice is a group of substance-use professionals that use OFRs to share confidential data and monitor Lucas County, Ohio substance use trends. To analyze OFR data collection, un-silo information, and understand how to include next-of-kin (NOK) interviews in the dataset, this study used rapid analysis, semi-structured interviews, and virtual participant observation methods. Rapid analysis showed current methods sufficiently collected demographic, vital statistics, and postmortem data from coroner reports; however, NOK interviews supplied narrative-derived information often missing or inconsistent in the dataset. Interviews with the community of practice and decedents' NOK showed dissonance between the two's perceptions of overdoses in Lucas County. Participants discussed themes, e.g., stigma, burnout, strained resources, and increasing fentanyl contamination-related overdoses. NOK needed accessible web-based resource options, linkages to current programs or services, stigma-free harm reduction education, and opportunities to form connections. Professionals explained the impact of widespread mental health problems, extreme social isolation, and economic pressures on overdose prevention during COVID-19. Potentially contaminated illicit substance use increased during the pandemic, overburdening the community of practice and straining …

In this thesis, I explore strategies used by the local timber industry to influence forest policy on the Black Hills National Forest. These strategies include leveraging political pressure, proposing alternative interpretations of existing laws, and first requesting and then rejecting scientific data. Discursive strategies used by the timber industry to influence US Forest Service policy are compared and contrasted with those used by the environmental movement. The paper explores when and why stakeholders use different discursive strategies to influence forest policy.