Homeland Security Challenges from a Regional Perspective: Examining the Potential Consequences of a Catastrophic Terror Incident in Washington D.C. for Surrounding States

Researcher: Brian J. Gerber, Assistant Professor, Division of Public Administration, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

SRA: Support of a graduate research assistant and $10,000 in the form of salary and benefits, travel, equipment, books, etc. or a combination.

Project Overview: As the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina illustrate, coordinating the evacuation and relocation of large numbers of people from a disaster event represents a significant challenge for all levels of government. The difficulties encountered with Katrina very well might be even more imposing for an unanticipated terror attack involving a nuclear, radiological, or chemical weapon. If a catastrophic terrorist event of sufficient magnitude occurs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the immediate or first order effect will be for area authorities to implement disaster response plans, including evacuation plans to remove resident populations from the incident site. A second order effect highly likely to occur following the terror incident is the movement of a substantial number of metro area residents, in a mostly unplanned manner, away from the event location. Numerous communities in a region encompassing West Virginia, western Virginia, southeastern and central Pennsylvania, and western Maryland can be thought of as receiving communities for this second order problem, must be prepared to accommodate such unplanned, and potentially chaotic, ingress.

The roles of communities in the region may include serving as transition staging areas facilitating travel through to other destinations or serving as semi-permanent relocation areas. Demands such as these actually represent fairly significant challenges. In many cases, inadequate capacity to deal with this kind of problem or inadequate local government preparedness for accommodating this mass migration challenge is highly likely. In a major terrorist event, such as the detonation of a small nuclear device in Washington, DC, potential inadequate coordination between federal, state, and local authorities and insufficient resources will endanger the region as a whole because of the likely second order effects of the event. Limited preparedness activities and constraints on resources will also likely adversely affect the ability of communities in the region to provide assistance, both in the immediate event situation and over a longer recovery period. It is reasonable to anticipate that communities in the broader region to the west, northwest and southwest of D.C. will receive large numbers of migrants from the affected metropolitan area, with potentially disastrous gaps in capabilities and consequences.

This project proposes to investigate, on a pilot study scale, three fundamental questions about this important policy question:

1. What do key local government officials (e.g. emergency management officials) view as potential effects from a D.C. terror event for their communities specifically and the region generally?

2. What are the key vulnerabilities, social and economic, from a major terror event for communities in the region?

3. How can communities in the region engage in effective preparedness actions so as to minimize adverse effects from mass migration following a terror attack?

Examining the Linkages between Neighborhood Design, Social Capital, and Health: Survey Design and Pre-test

Researcher: Kevin M. Leyden, Professor, Department of Political Science, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

SRA: Support of a graduate research assistant and $10,000 in the form of salary and benefits, travel, equipment, books, etc. or a combination.

Leyden will develop and examine the linkages between social capital and health in various types of neighborhoods in and just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This research is important for regional development because it posits that the way we design and build our communications affects us socially, physically and economically. This research effort builds upon a successful research design developed and first examined in Galway, Ireland. The findings of that initial survey were published recently in the American Journal of Public Health, which is the premier journal in public health.

Leyden will design and pre-test a new survey to be used to examine the linkages between neighborhood (or community) design, social capital, and health. In designing the survey, he will examine the validity and reliability of newly designed survey questions on subjects in the Morgantown area. An extensive research review would also be conducted of existing survey questions used to examine various aspects of health and social capital. The preliminary work on the survey would be used to write a major research proposal for potential external funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.

An Economic Analysis of Small Businesses' Contribution to Poverty Alleviation and Development in Rural Regions

Researchers:Tesfa G. Gebremedhin with Peter V. Schaeffer, Professors, Agricultural and Resource Economics Program, Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences

SRA: Support of a graduate research assistant and $10,000 in the form of salary and benefits, travel, equipment, books, etc. or a combination.

Traditional rural industries are under immense pressure from low labor cost off-shore producers. As a result, many jobs in traditional rural industries such as textiles and shoes are quickly disappearing. The impact of such losses on rural communities can be devastating and, if not addressed promptly, could lead to a vicious cycle of economic decline. Although policymakers and local leaders of many states have therefore begun to pay much greater attention to rural economic development, our knowledge of and experiences with policies that work is still limited.

The overall objective is to provide rural policymakers with comprehensive information on the role of small businesses in rural economic development, to help determine the appropriate place of a small business and entrepreneurship development strategy in the portfolio of rural economic development instruments and strategies. The findings from the empirical study will be used to develop a set of rural economic development policy recommendations in West Virginia. The specific objectives are to: 1) develop a database of the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of small businesses in West Virginia, 2) determine the linkage between small business and rural economic development in relation to local public service, labor mobility (migration), and poverty; 3) develop simulation models for empirical analysis and sensitivity analysis for alternative policy measures; and 4) draw policy implications from the small business-centered development strategy for rural communities.

Obesity, Technology, and Policy: Exploring the Connections and Implications for Sustainable Development of Appalachia

Researcher: Gerard D'Souza, Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics Program, The Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences

SRA: Support of a graduate research assistant and $10,000 in the form of salary and benefits, travel, equipment, books, etc. or a combination.

Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions across America and in Appalachia, where the problem is compounded by poverty and lack of access to recreation, fitness, and related amenities. Trends show that an increasing proportion of adults and children are obese and face growing health risks. The growing obesity trend can be attributed to a combination of economic, social, cultural, environmental, and political factors. Likewise, solutions can vary and involve a combination of private sector initiatives (such as marketing, advertising, and new food products or technologies), together with public policy interventions (through nutrition education, taxes and subsidies for example). The solution to the obesity problem is likely to be multifaceted and involve a multidisciplinary approach. More fundamentally, it requires a better understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity. In addition to addressing issues fundamental to the possible societal costs of the problem and benefits of potential solutions, including regional and economic development impacts, will be investigated. The latter can result from both a healthier work force and a healthier food system. In fact, one could hypothesize that obesity is a major barrier to the economic growth of Appalachia. A comprehensive, systems approach will be utilized in this research, something that has not been done previously in the analysis of this issue. The study should have implications for the industry, for policymakers and researchers in Appalachia and in other regions where obesity is linked to poverty and economic development.

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