Static and dynamic behavior of multiplex networks under interlink strength variation

It has recently been suggested \cite{Radicchi2013} that in a two-level multiplex network, a gradual change in the value of the "interlayer" strength $p$ can provoke an abrupt structural transition. The critical point $p^*$ at which this happens is system-dependent. In this article, we show in a similar way as in \cite{Garrahan2014} that this is a consequence of the graph Laplacian formalism used in \cite{Radicchi2013}. We calculate the evolution of $p^{*}$ as a function of system size for ER and RR networks. We investigate the behavior of structural measures and dynamical processes of a two-level system as a function of $p$, by Monte-Carlo simulations, for simple particle diffusion and for reaction-diffusion systems. We find that as $p$ increases there is a smooth transition from two separate networks to a single one. We cannot find any abrupt change in static or dynamic behavior of the underlying system.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Explosive Percolation: Unusual Transitions of a Simple Model

In this paper we review the recent advances on explosive percolation, a very sharp phase transition first observed by Achlioptas et al. (Science, 2009). There a simple model was proposed, which changed slightly the classical percolation process so that the emergence of the spanning cluster is delayed. This slight modification turns out to have a great impact on the percolation phase transition. The resulting transition is so sharp that it was termed explosive, and it was at first considered to be discontinuous. This surprising fact stimulated considerable interest in "Achlioptas processes". Later work, however, showed that the transition is continuous (at least for Achlioptas processes on Erdos networks), but with very unusual finite size scaling. We present a review of the field, indicate open "problems" and propose directions for future research.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, Review pape

Stakeholders Perceptions of a Universal Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education

The progress of sustainability within higher education has steadily increased in focus over the last decade and has increasingly become a topic of academic research. As institutions investigate, implement and market sustainability efforts, there is a myriadof sustainability assessment methodologies currently available. This assortment of standards being used by institutions do not help students and faculty assess the level of sustainability uniformly between institutions. A universal framework was proposed for facilitate stakeholder’s review of comparing sustainability assessments in higher education. This research reviews the creation of the framework and results from testing in an online environment. The lack of data collected during the testing phase provides some anecdotal evidence regarding what stakeholder consider important in terms of sustainability within higher education and may also indicate that there is no need for a universal sustainability assessment in higher education to be used directly by stakeholder

Percolation of randomly distributed growing clusters

We investigate the problem of growing clusters, which is modeled by two dimensional disks and three dimensional droplets. In this model we place a number of seeds on random locations on a lattice with an initial occupation probability, $p$. The seeds simultaneously grow with a constant velocity to form clusters. When two or more clusters eventually touch each other they immediately stop their growth. The probability that such a system will result in a percolating cluster depends on the density of the initially distributed seeds and the dimensionality of the system. For very low initial values of $p$ we find a power law behavior for several properties that we investigate, namely for the size of the largest and second largest cluster, for the probability for a site to belong to the finally formed spanning cluster, and for the mean radius of the finally formed droplets. We report the values of the corresponding scaling exponents. Finally, we show that for very low initial concentration of seeds the final coverage takes a constant value which depends on the system dimensionality.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure

Sustainable Academia: Translating the Vision of a Full Sustainable University into a Measurable Reality

There is a growing public expectation that universities should start focusing on delivering sustainability. The topic of sustainability in higher education has gathered a significant amount of interest from students, academics, governments and international organizations. With a plethora of declarations, initiatives, marketing and assessments, there is a need to assess what the stakeholders want in order to make decisions regarding an institutions sustainability. Ultimately, students are the ones using these sustainability marketing materials to assist in their decision at which institution they will pursue their studies. The sheer volume of interpretations of the word sustainability with regards to higher education institution leaves ample room for potentially misguided initiatives or marketing. A universal system for assessing a higher educational institution’s sustainability has not been translated into a measurable reality. It is proposed that a universal system would help create a common understanding of sustainability within higher education institutions and would help in stakeholder understanding, institutional accountability and impactful application of sustainable initiatives. This research looked to answer if a holistic framework could be created that would aid stakeholders in reviewing a university’s level of sustainability. And, if so, if this vision of a fully sustainable university could be translated into a measurable reality. The research was approached in a structured way. Each chapter represents a published and peer-reviewed step towards addressing if a holistic framework could be created that would aid students in reviewing sustainability tools, assessments and marketing. The qualitative and quantitative conclusions from each chapter influenced the subsequent chapters, eventually leading to the creation and testing of two digital tools. The interpretations of these published chapters are found in the conclusion of this dissertation. To assist the reader in effectively navigating this dissertation, an overview of the research questions, the methodology, and the summarized results are outlined below in Figure 0.1. A more detailed summary of each of the chapters follows

Validating the Need to Include the Economic Returns of Graduates as a Metric of a Higher Education Institutions Level of Sustainability

Higher education institutions play an important role in sustainability, in their own management and operation, in research and education, and in the undergraduate and graduate degrees they deliver. Often ignored, economic sustainability and future perspectives of students are important indicators too. The research presented in this paper validates that a student’s post-graduation economic performance should be part of a higher education institution’s metric for sustainability. The data collected in this research, as well as in other research, shows that almost 90% of respondents agree that economic metrics should be considered part of a higher education institutions level of sustainability. While there is no doubt about the economic gains of higher education, the results indicate that students utilizing a manageable 8% repayment of economic debt would be in debt for decades after graduation, further supporting the need for institutions to inform their stakeholders before such a life changing commitment

Is Higher Education Economically Unsustainable?

As students continue to review the sustainability of higher education institutions, there is a growing need to understand the economic returns of degrees as a function of a sustainable institution. This paper reviews a range of international research to summarize the economic drivers of higher education attainment. Although the cost inputs to higher education are fairly well understood, the economic return of a degree is not. Students misperception of economic returns coupled with a dynamic definition of employability create the framework for unsustainable debt loads for graduates. This paper proposes three metrics that can be used to assess the economic sustainability of students graduating higher education that can be used to supplement the broader definition of sustainability within higher education

A model for the rigid body motions of skew bridges

This thesis investigates the rigid body motions of skew bridges, concentrating on the in-plane translational and rotational displacements of the bridge deck induced by impact between the deck and the abutments. Experience in the San Fernando Earthquake of February 9, 1971 demonstrates that this feature is particularly important for skew bridges. A simple model, in which the bridge deck is represented by a rigid rod restricted by column and abutment springs is examined first. This model illustrates the mechanism by which in-plane rotational vibrations is triggered after the closure of the gap between the bridge deck and the abutment. It also shows that the force-deflection relations of the columns and the abutments are particularly important features for the response of the bridge. methods for the exact and approximate estimation of the elastic stiffness of elastically founded, tapered bridge columns with octagonal cross section are presented next. The methods are applied to a bridge used later as an example. In addition, the yielding of the columns is examined and the force-deflection relations for bending about two orthogonal axes are estimated. The abutments are treated as rigid bodies and the soil embankments as Winkler Foundations with elastic spring constants increasing with depth. For the examination of the yielding of soil the Rankine theory is used. Based on these assumptions an approximate force-deflection relation for the abutments is constructed. The response of a more complicated bridge model applied to a bridge near Riverside, California is examined at the end of the thesis and examples of the results are given. This model, in which the bridge deck is still represented as a rigid rod, has three in-plane degrees of freedom: two orthogonal displacements and a rotation, and is capable of capturing many of the more important features of the nonlinear, yielding response of skew bridges during strong earthquake shaking

Introduction

The objective of this thesis is to provide a holistic framework to aid students in reviewing sustainability tools, assessments and marketing. The framework will not replace or compete with any of the existing tools but rather provide a simple, yet robust, starting-point that students can modify based on their own needs and perceptions. The framework will be derived from a qualitative assessment of current methods and then modified based on the quantitative analysis of various surveys. The aim of this dissertation is to explore the value in creating a universal framework to aid students in reviewing sustainability tools and assessments. In order to accomplish this, one primary boundary conditions must be set to guide the research. The boundary condition is understanding the limitations of the scope of each assessment. Each tool may vary in purpose, scope, function and state of development (Shriberg, 2002). They also vary in the weighing methods, flexibility and access to information (Gómez et al. 2015). Because of this, an assessment’s scope will be considered sufficient for the assessments purpose. However, the breadth of the scope in relation to a holistic framework will be reviewed in order to aide stakeholders in understanding a more universal view

Summary and Conclusions

This doctoral dissertation presented the creation of a holistic framework that would aid students in reviewing sustainability tools, assessments and marketing. The previous chapters present the methodological, peer-reviewed approach towards this research that consisted of qualitative and quantitative methods which combined relevant literature and stakeholder needs. In Chapter 2, a survey was conducted to identify features, trends, and needs in relation to sustainability in higher education. It indicated that there was a stakeholder need for a universal sustainability assessment system in higher education while also identifying a gap in current assessment systems; namely not including the economic well-being of graduates. In Chapter 3, a qualitative review was conducted to develop a theoretical framework for comparing sustainability assessments. It was empirically tested and resulted in a methodological framework for comparing assessment systems. In Chapter 4, the framework was utilized for a gap analysis on the prominent STARS assessment systems. During the research, the framework itself was identified as having a gap because it did not address the economic metrics that were needed by stakeholders. In Chapter 5, a qualitative review was conducted to determine the best economic metrics to be applied in sustainability assessments. The economic return of a degree is a very wellstudied topic but it is novel, and controversial, to include post-graduate economic metrics in sustainability assessments. Three metrics were proposed to be used in sustainability assessments: under-employment, starting salaries and over-education. In Chapter 6, a quantitative study was conducted to determine the best economic metrics to be applied in sustainability assessments. Stakeholders identified employment being their most important driver, but unsustainable perceptions were also identified in terms of the cost of education and the repayment of educational debt.  Utilizing the research, a website was created to test both the framework and economic metrics to validate their usefulness and relevancy to stakeholders. In Chapter 7, the relevance of the economic calculator was validated. Stakeholders strongly agreed that the metrics should be included in sustainability assessments. Furthermore, the data collected validated that a majority of stakeholders would accumulate an unsustainable amount of debt. In Chapter 8, the validation of the framework lead to inconclusive results. The low amount of data collected led to some anecdotal evidence that there may be no need for a universal assessment system for sustainability. The present chapter summarizes the main additions to science presented in this dissertation while also answering the research questions posed in the introduction. It also presents a discussion to the greater meaning of this dissertation and provides recommendations for future research. This chapter will consecutively discuss the following:  –– Additions to science –– Answering the research questions –– Discussions on key results, limitations, scope and the controversy of this topic –– Recommendations –– Outloo