Capstone projects

The project meticulously investigated the socioeconomic determinants of deaths of despair in Appalachia and Virginia. By thoroughly examining a range of variables, including employment rates, percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree or higher, demographic factors such as race and age group, median household income, and harm reduction programs, the project sought to uncover the underlying causes and identify potential solutions to this escalating crisis. The project results >>

The market for renewable energy in the United States has experienced the third-largest growth rate globally, due both to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act as well as individual state efforts to transition to renewable sources (International Energy Agency, 16). One such effort is the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires all energy production in the state to be renewable by 2050. (Virginia Department of Energy). In 2022, 11% of Virginia’s electricity came from renewable sources with solar power being the most prominent form (EIA Virginia). It accounted for 6% of all state energy production in 2022, which is more than double what it was in 2020 (EIA Virginia).

However, in spite of global, national, and state compliance with renewable energy initiatives, local resistance is common. Leading objections to the installation of solar photovoltaic facilities include the visual deterioration of the landscape, various ecological concerns, and a potential reduction in the value of neighboring residential properties. This project investigates the latter, as seen in Prince George's County. While some long-time members of the community wish to preserve the county's rich rural history, others recognize the value of transitioning to solar energy. Common concerns are similar to those mentioned above. Currently, there are two utility-scale solar facilities in the region: Fort Powhatan Solar Facility and Caden Energix Rives Road Solar Facility. By measuring the impact that a utility-scale solar facility has on the value of nearby residential properties, the team assessed whether a solar facility functions as a neighborhood amenity, disamenity, or neither. The project results >>

The project aimed to simulate future food insecurity in Southwest Virginia. We used publicly available information, such as the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, along with data compiled by Feeding America. When gathering this data, we focused on variables including income, age, educational attainment, and vehicle access which we found from existing literature to be potential determinants for food insecurity. We also selected variables used by Feeding America in their Map the Meal Gap report, such as unemployment and poverty rate. Using a regression model in R, we simulated food insecurity rates for the years 2010 through 2022 at the state level, and then brought them down to the county and city level. We also ran an XGBoost machine learning model to simulate future food insecurity rates for the years 2023 through 2027 at the county and city level.

We developed interactive maps that include food insecurity rates for both previous and future years, which are exhibited on this website to display our findings. Another map featured on this website shows the locations of farmers markets, grocery stores, dollar stores, and food pantries and distributors in Southwest Virginia that we gathered, as well as additional information. The results of our project could be used by Feeding Southwest Virginia and other food programs to demonstrate a need for increased funding to specific areas that we found are likely to see a rise in food insecurity in future years. The project results >>