Nistler CoBPA Faculty Research

Celebrate the impact of our research.

Dr. Laura Hand, Associate Professor in the Master of Public Administration Program, papers accepted in the International Journal of Care and Caring and Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Laura Hand, Associate Professor in the Master of Public Administration Program for her recent publications!

Title: “We’re keeping everything together with Band-Aids”: A case study of care work and family violence during a US oil boom
Journal: International Journal of Care and Caring
Authors: Elizabeth M. Legerski (University of North Dakota), Laura C. Hand (University of North Dakota)
Abstract: The Bakken region of North Dakota recently experienced an oil boom, resulting in population growth and social change, including increased family violence. Drawing on care work literature, we ask: how might rural resource development impact the care work associated with services for domestic violence survivors? Utilizing thematic analysis techniques, we examine data from in-depth interviews conducted with 50 care workers. We find that oil booms: (1) create more demand for care work; (2) lead to a scarcity of care workers; and (3) impact care delivery and burnout among care workers. Findings illustrate the importance of considering care as human infrastructure.
Title: The Potential for Coproducing Food Security in Public Housing Communities
Journal: Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs
Authors: Joanna Lucioi (Arizona State University), Meg Bruening (Arizona State University), Laura C. Hand (University of North Dakota)
Abstract: The coproduction literature has long acknowledged that citizens are active consumers and producers of public goods. Coproduction tends to be successful when citizens are already engaging in activities that can be enhanced through collaboration with activities of public managers, programs, and agencies. In this article, we investigate the strategies and activities public housing residents engage in to produce consistent access to sufficient nutritious food needed to support a healthy life. That is, we investigate residents’ food security. Focus group responses from adults and adolescents in six public housing communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area reveal barriers and opportunities for leveraging communities to attenuate place-based disadvantages associated with low food security. These responses also demonstrate a potential missed opportunity to engage in place-based solutions that use principles of coproduction to produce and maintain residents’ food security.