Access the Experts: CPACS Features

In This Installment of Access the Experts

Scott Tarry, Ph.D., UNO Aviation Institute Director, answers the question: “What impact has COVID-19 had on airports across the state of Nebraska?”

About Tarry

In August, Tarry joined a select group of Nebraska experts in providing leadership and guidance to the state’s airports and aviation agencies when Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts named him to the Nebraska Aeronautics Commission. Commissioners serve five-year terms alongside four other members to generally make decisions regarding public funding and planning for state airports and hiring pilots for state agencies.

Tarry is also a Distinguished Professor of Aviation within UNO’s Aviation Institute and director of the NASA NebraskaSpace Grant Consortium, as well as the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

In This Installment of Access the Experts

Mark Foxall, Ph.D., School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Community Service Associate,
answers the question: "What does policing look like in the future?"

About Foxall

Foxall is a criminology and criminal justice expert with real-world experience. Foxall joined the staff at the Douglas County Department of Corrections in 2000 and began serving as their director in 2011, a post he held until his retirement in 2018. Prior to that, he served as a police officer with the Omaha Police Department and as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

In This Installment of Access the Experts

Christopher Kelly, Ph.D., professor, Director of the UNO Department of Gerontology, UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service, answers the question: “What should family members do to keep connected to their loved ones when long-term care facilities are restricted to visitors?”

About Kelly

Kelly's research explores indicators of nursing-home quality as well as innovative long-term-care alternatives at the state and local levels. The latter efforts include working with public and private stakeholders to develop home and community-based services. Along with colleagues in the UNO Department of Gerontology and the UNO Center for Public Affairs Research, is a member of the UNO's Elder Care Workforce Research Triangle. With his colleagues at UNO and at Georgia State University, he continues to explore efforts to improve long-term-care quality, particularly through the recruitment and retention of direct-care workers.

In This Installment of Access the Experts

Emily Wright, Ph.D., professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service, answers the question: “October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, what are the signs someone might be the victim of domestic violence?”

About Wright

An expert in exposure to violence and victimization, Wright has research interests in differences in victimization among at-risk populations (gender, ethnicity)and effective correctional interventions as well as neighborhood context and victimization. She has received funding from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Justice for research regarding exposure to violence and victimization and has participated in peer review panels for the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Justice.

In This Installment of Access the Experts

Njoki Mwarumba, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness, UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service, answers the question: “What are the essentials a person needs to keep their family safe in a natural disaster?”

About Mwarumba

Mwarumba is an expert in public health disasters, specifically, how emergency managers and public health professionals collaborate before, during, and after public health emergencies and pandemics. She has a specific interest in social vulnerability during disasters, or factors that contribute to vulnerability among minorities, indigenous populations, and marginalized communities.

In This Two-Part Series of Access the Experts

Craig Maher, Ph.D., Director, School of Public Administration, UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service, answers the questions:

• “What role do property valuations play in property tax?” (Part One)
• “Is Nebraska's reliance on property tax to fund K-12 schools unique or is this how other states also fund public education?” (Part Two)

About Maher

An expert in public budgeting, public financial management, research methods, and research design, Maher’s research focuses on fiscal federalism. He has a particular interest in the effects of intergovernmental aid payments on local spending patterns, K-12 finance, the effects of state-imposed spending and revenue limitations on state and local governments. Additionally, he is currently focused on the measurement and explanation of local fiscal condition, particularly through the Recession of 2008.

In This Installment of Access the Experts

Josie Schaffer, Ph.D., Director and Senior Research Associate, Center for Public Affairs Research, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Public Affairs and Community Service, answers the question: “One of the biggest concerns for our state is rural depopulation and brain drain. What efforts are underway to create a stable future for rural Nebraska?”

About Schafer

Schafer’s expertise lies in examining the sources and types of information used in administrative and policy decisions. A recognized leader in her field, Schafer has prepared technical and survey reports for local governments, most recently in Kansas. She currently serves on the Board of the Midwest Public Affairs Conference.

Recently, Schafer helped launch the Nebraska Economic Recovery Dashboard, which provides data visualizations and key insights on the state’s economic health through the COVID-19 pandemic and into recovery.