Alaska has some of the richest mineral deposits on Earth and many of them remain untouched by humans. Exploration initiatives have the potential to greatly change “The Last Frontier’s” environment in the near future. These effects need to be considered now. There are many people chasing these deposits and with the use of new technologies, it has never been easier to access these remote locations. Alaska is called The Last Frontier because of its unforgiving climate and landscape and it is considered one of the few remaining places on earth that has been minimally touched by the modern age. One mineral deposit in particular that has been drawing attention lately is the Alaskan Pebble Mine. The Pebble Mine sits on top of a massive amount of precious minerals such as gold, copper, and molybdenum. Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., based out of Vancouver, Canada is the main driving force behind the Pebble Mine. This specific mine has been debated amongst The Environmental Protection Agency, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the U.S. Congress for multiple years. This mine has the potential for drastic impacts, not only on the environment, but also with the local and native Alaskans. The main issue with the Pebble Mine is that it is located in the Bristol Bay watershed which is home to nearly half the world's remaining wild sockeye salmon supply. This fishery employs thousands of workers, and brings in billions of dollars to the region every year. Heavy consideration must be given to the environment by the USACE when deciding on whether or not the Pebble Mine’s impact is reasonable.

The United States and China have entered a geopolitical competition for power and influence unseen since the Cold War. By examining the nature of this contest through the lens of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War and Graham Allison's Thucydides' Trap theory, it is possible to analyze the nature of this relationship, and make predictions as to where it may lead.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, in Phoenix, Arizona, is currently undergoing an expansion of its Sky Train people mover to extend past the passenger terminal and connect with the Rental Car Center approximately 2.25 miles from the terminal complex. This expansion will allow passengers arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to transfer to the Rental Car Center in a more efficient and direct way compared to the current bus system. Additionally, the plans incorporate potential future construction. Although the plans for this expansion have been in place for many years, construction only began relatively recently. A construction project of this size is not a commonplace occurrence in the industry, and it requires considerable planning, coordination, research, and cooperation in order to complete successfully. This paper describes the project and explores how project members cooperate with each other and additional project stakeholders, and it explores the multiple elements of making a construction project like this possible.

As construction and building methods advance so should their focus on reconstruction post-natural disasters. For the past 50 years there has been an average of 6.2 hurricanes making landfall, and several recent unfortunate occurrences in the past year that have caused immeasurable damage and taken priceless lives (Chris Landsea 2017). Damages could have been significantly reduced to residential homes and lives saved if proper, hurricane-resistant construction was used. It is important to continue advancement in efficient planning and reconstructive methods to restore individuals into their homes and ensure their safety in the future. Utilizing tested resilient building methods may increase construction costs but has a visible payoff through mitigation of economic losses in the future. This can also help develop response and mitigation plans based on the very specific conditions of each community or affected location. To do so, it is crucial to continue research and test various methods of construction and materials in residential homes. This study was a comparative analysis of the current roof systems implemented in residential homes, the role of hurricane testing facilities in maintaining building codes, and how damage incurred by hurricanes can be significantly reduced through a shift in the approach of homeowner insurance incentive. The purpose of this study was to provide a feasible and practicable solution for increasing implementation of hurricane resistant construction into homes. The results of this analysis concluded that there is a low percentage of homeowners investing in making their homes hurricane resilient. By re-inventing the incentive methods that insurance companies offer, this problem can step into the right direction in making more homes hurricane resilient consequently reducing damages, deaths, and economic loss.

The construction industry is inefficient. Technological advancements alone do not provide a full solution. By simplifying the complexity of a construction project, and implementing the views of IMT (Information Measurement Theory) through a value driven system, the construction industry can be improved. In Bechtel's recent film, Dream Big: Engineering our World, the integration of their company values on emerging engineers resulted in astounding solutions towards making the future of the construction industry more efficient as a whole. This thesis demonstrates how Bechtel was able to direct the Dream Big movement with an emphasis on leadership and simpler thinking of future generations. Under the direction of Dr. Kashiwagi's Research and Solution Model (KSM) it is possible for young people aware of their potential and understand "simplicity" to be effective leaders. Through observation, these new leaders understand that they have been making a difference since their birth. As individuals are able to identify their core values, they are better able to find their strengths, align their values with a company, and ultimately make the construction industry more efficient.

The paper was written for the International Group for Lean Construction Conference in July 2013 in Fortaleza, Brazil.

With the advent of sustainable building ordinances in the United States and internationally, contractors are required to deliver sustainable projects but have historically not been considered partners in developing the sustainability goals and objectives for projects. Additionally, as alternative project delivery methods gain popularity, contractors have an opportunity and—in an increasing number of cases—a requirement, to take a larger role in sustainability efforts beyond the design phase. Understanding the contractor’s self-perceived role in this industry is imperative to informing their future role in the sustainable construction industry. This paper presents data and analysis of a survey of general contractors in the Phoenix, Arizona market that asked for their opinions and viewpoints regarding sustainable construction. Respondents provided feedback about corporate profitability, growth forecast, and the perceived efficiency of the U.S Green Building Council’s LEED rating system. The survey also queried contractors about current and future work breakdown structures for sustainable project delivery as well as their underlying motives for involvement in these projects.
Academics from Arizona State University worked with local industry to develop the survey in 2012 and the survey was deployed in 2013. We sent the survey to 76 contractors and received responses from 21, representing a 27.6% response rate. Respondents include representatives from general contractors, mechanical contractors, and electrical contractors, among others. This paper presents the responses from general contractors as they typically have most contact with the owner and design teams.

A new honors class created at Arizona State University utilizes a new "thinking" paradigm. The new paradigm is a problem solution using deductive logic and natural laws to replace the traditional acquisition and usage of detailed knowledge. When utilizing deductive logic, less time is required for students to learn, and students are able to resolve unique issues with minimal amounts of information. Students use their logic and processing skills to replace the traditional need of collecting large amounts of detailed information. The concepts taught in the class have come from the industry success of the Best Value (BV) approach developed by a leading research group at Arizona State University over the last 17 years. The research group identified the source of the industry's problem is due to the traditional business approach of management, direction and control (MDC). With over 1500 tests conducted, delivering $5.7B of services, with results showing: 30% decrease in cost, 30% increase in value, and customer satisfaction improvement by up to 140%, the Best Value (BV) approach has been identified as more efficient and can deliver better quality services than the traditional MDC approach. Through the research group's implementation of the new paradigm in higher education, the author identified a windfall effect that was able to give students understanding and an increased ability to cope with stressful situations, disease and extraordinary complications. It also exposed students to potentially harmful practices in their lives and has helped them to change. The study tested in K-12 proved potential value in exposing the paradigm to K-12 students, and what impact it may have on future professionals. The author's results include satisfaction rating of 9.5 (out of 10), increased career alignment by up to 113%, increased understanding of self by up to 70%, and a reduction of stress by up to 71%. The author's K-12 case studies aligned with the successful results shown in the industry and college classes run by the leading research group. The pattern of the new paradigm shows as resistance to it decreases, productivity, efficiency, processing speed, understanding, and effectiveness all increase.

Abstract The purpose of this project is to utilize the models and concepts from Information Measurement Theory (IMT) to help minimize future decision making with respect to my career path. When I began this project, my future was clouded, my initial conditions were unknown, my stress over future career-path decisions was high, and I had eight possible career paths in mind. I have narrowed my career-path options from eight to four. In addition, I have determined a one-year plan that enables me to be prepared to pursue any of the four career paths that I have found align with me. In this project, I explored my dominant initial conditions with respect to my career path. I tracked the job history of my grandparents and parents. These efforts allowed me to identify the strengths and weaknesses that I was exhibiting by the age of three. Natural law dictates that the strengths and weaknesses of my younger self will be the same strengths and weakness that I excel at and struggle with today. I then used my understanding of natural law and the event model process to map the strengths and weaknesses of my parents and grandparents and to compare and contrast these to my strengths and weaknesses, including those that were apparent by the time that I was three years old. Focusing in on what I really want from a job, four main goals were established to grade the various future career-path options. Finally, I documented my transition from uncertainty to clarity. It began with my sobriety and ended with a milestone one-year plan that will give me information that I need to commit to my career path. This transition has had significant impact. The elusive "who am I" has been addressed, not completely but addressed sufficiently so that the question no longer plagues me. I know from where I have come. I have gained significant insight from those around me who know me. All of this has been documented for my own personal use, and for my children someday. This process permitted me to eliminate outliers from my eight original career paths, reducing them to four. In addition, application of IMT models and concepts has allowed me to see one year into the future. With my new-found knowledge, I will listen and watch the doors close on three of the remaining four career paths, as there is only one path I am meant to take.

The purpose of this creative thesis project is to create the framework of an educational class package based off of a course offered at Arizona State University. The course chosen for this project is an honors course titled Deductive Logic: Leadership and Management Techniques and is taught by Dean Kashiwagi, PhD. The class package is designed to be published over an online platform so students and professors from various institutions can access the material. Currently the platform is in its final stages of development and is slated to go live on July of 2014. The future development of the package will be geared towards facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration between institutions based off of course concepts.