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While the school year is winding down at UMass Dartmouth, the staff at the Public Policy Center are picking up steam as we recently began work on three large and important projects. To meet the increased demand for our services, the Public Policy Center is growing, having recently hired a new graduate research assistant, Holly Stickles, and a new administrative assistant, Jodie Beksha-Tinsley. We are also currently searching for a full-time Research Associate.
Click here for more information about the position.
The Public Policy Center is very proud of our three graduate research assistants who are graduating this year - Trevor Mattos, Michael McCarthy, and Jason Wright - but also thankful that they will be here over the summer to assist us with completing the research projects that are currently underway.
We will continue to share information through our PPC website
, which includes recently released studies, our blog, and media appearances. Also, if you haven't already, follow us on Twitter @PublicPolicyCtr where regular updates are posted. Thank you for your interest and continued support for our work across the Commonwealth and beyond.
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Informing a New Vision for Fall River Housing
We are presently engaged in an analysis of how Fall River’s housing demand has changed over time in relation to demographic changes in its population, testing some commonly held assumptions about the socioeconomic forces driving population change in Fall River, and analyzing how these dynamics influence housing demand in the City.
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Measuring the Size and Impact of the Massachusetts Maritime Economy
The PPC recently launched an in-depth study of the Massachusetts Maritime Economy that is being conducted on the behalf of the Seaport Economic Council in collaboration with leading state and industry stakeholders.
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Assessing Cross-border Economic Relationships
In cooperation with the SouthCoast Development Partnership, we are hard at work re-examining regional economic patterns, demographic changes, and trading relationships in order to develop an evidence-based understanding of the functional economic region that includes the Southcoast. This includes evaluating the extent of the cross-border connections with our neighbors in Rhode Island.
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Recently Released Study Highlights Fiscal Benefits of Housing Development
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Case studies of six communities finds state tax revenues more than offset local shortfalls when they occur
A PPC analysis of a sample of Massachusetts housing developments finds that the state tax payments made by their residents more than offset any negative local fiscal impacts associated with these developments. The study revisits six mixed-income developments examined in a 2007 UMass Donahue Institute (UMDI) study and uses a statistical model to estimate the state tax impacts of the residents of the developments who are new to the state. While the 2007 UMDI study found that municipal service costs exceeded municipal tax receipts in three of the six developments, the new PPC study finds that these net costs represent less than one third (31 percent) of new state tax revenues associated with these developments. This suggests that state tax revenues from new housing are large enough to compensate communities for the negative local fiscal impacts of new housing.
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The release of this study was met by a wave of attention from the media and those close to the issue. This included an
appearance by Professor Goodman on WBUR News - the Boston NPR station. Click here to read or listen to the interview. You can find a full copy of the study by visiting our website or clicking here.
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Evaluating Taunton's Hope VI Project
The PPC continues to evaluate the Taunton (MA) Housing Authority's HOPE VI project. This project involves replacing distressed public housing with two new developments, while providing supportive services to the residents of the now-demolished Fairfax Gardens.
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Identifying Barriers Faced by Prospective Nursing Students
The PPC is collaborating with the UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing on a Diversity Nursing Scholars Program that will identify strategies to increase the pipeline of nursing students from the New Bedford area.
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Providing Technical Assistance to SHIFT
We continue our work providing technical and research assistance to the Southeastern Health Initiative for Transformation (SHIFT) program, which aims to reduce health care costs across the Commonwealth by preventing chronic conditions.
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Supporting the LifeWork Project of the Women's Fund
The PPC is working with the Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts to evaluate the LifeWork Project. Lifework provides a comprehensive support system for women, creating pathways out of poverty for low-income women and single mothers in the New Bedford area. The 2015 analysis will track progress for four cohorts of program participants.
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Southcoast Urban Indicators Project
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As always, we continue to update the data on the SCUIP cite and add new indicators. SCUIP is designed to meet the information needs of citizens and leaders of Fall River and New Bedford.
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- 04/18/16: The New Bedford Standard Times highlights the PPC’s collaboration with the United Way of Greater New Bedford (and many others) to empower the South End of New Bedford.
- 04/07/16: SouthCoast Matters, a regional public affairs program discusses the work of the PPC and the policy challenges facing the SouthCoast with Professor Goodman.
- 03/30/16: Professor Goodman’s recent keynote address before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is covered by Banker & Tradesman.
- 03/15/16: Boston NPR affiliate WBUR discusses the PPC’s analysis of the hidden benefits of housing development with Professor Goodman.
- 03/10/16: Professor Goodman comments on some significant revisions to state employment data in the Boston Globe.
- 03/07/16: The SouthCoast Insider discusses regional economic development conditions and challenges with Professor Goodman.
- 03/04/16: Professor Goodman offers his perspective on why incomes appear to be declining in some Massachusetts communities in the Boston Globe.
- 02/20/16: The Fall River Herald News reports on and editorializes about the PPC’s forthcoming analysis of housing conditions and needs in the City of Fall River.
- 01/26/16: Senior Research Associate Elise Korejwa offers her perspective on what it takes to get preschool right in the New Bedford Standard Times.
- 01/26/16: Professor Goodman discusses the role the aging population is playing in local labor markets with the Attleboro Sun Chronicle.
- 01/24/16: Banker & Tradesman discusses a new small business loan program with Professor Goodman.
- 01/22/16: Professor Goodman comments on the prospects for continued robust job growth in Massachusetts in the Boston Globe.
- 01/14/16: President Obama’s final State of the Union address is the topic of Professor Goodman’s latest column in the Fall River Herald News (and other Gatehouse newspapers).
- 01/04/16: Professor Goodman comments in the New Bedford Standard Times on the occasion of UMass Dartmouth being designated a Carnegie Doctoral Research University.
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Research Associate, Public Policy Center
The Research Associate will serve as a lead policy analyst or principal research team member on a variety of applied policy research projects in a number of substantive areas including but not limited to: program evaluation, economic analysis, housing, and workforce development. Applicants should have a master's degree in economics, public policy, planning, sociology, or a related discipline. Click here for more information.
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Hiring? Let us know and we'll spread the word.
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ABOUT THE PUBLIC POLICY CENTER
The Public Policy Center (PPC) is UMass Dartmouth's applied social science research, technical assistance, and public service unit. The PPC's primary goal is to inform public policy discussions by providing policymakers with university quality research, technical assistance, and analytical services designed to help make our state, region, and communities better places to live, work, and do business. We do this by leveraging the substantial skills of our students and faculty partners, and enhancing the connections between the University and the communities it serves.
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Executive Director
Michael Goodman, Ph.D.
Director of Research
David Borges, MPA
Senior Research Associate
Elise Korejwa, MS, MPP
Graduate Research Assistants
Michael P. McCarthy
Trevor Mattos
Jason Wright
Holly Stickles
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Jawanza Foster
Kelsey Silva
Administrative Assistant
Jodie Beksha-Tinsley
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508-990-9660
ppc@umassd.edu
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
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