Fantasy football is a game derived from America’s National Football League and involves players managing “teams” of fantasy football players. Given that the game contains elements of value, risk, and reward, this project aims to draw parallels between fantasy football and Modern Portfolio Theory, a well-regarded theory describing portfolio construction and performance in financial markets. This hypothesis is tested through a simulation of the 2019 – 2020 fantasy football season using this strategy; a sample team is generated, the team is adjusted as per the rules outlined in the risk-reducing and value-preserving strategy, and the results are tabulated per the team’s fantasy football scoring output. The results show that a volatility-reducing strategy fails to achieve a consistent, good performance from the fantasy team portfolio, but can result in a relatively successful season. Key issues to consider in this outcome are the low volume of data, the high volatility and situational nature of the underlying statistics from which fantasy scoring is derived, and the inefficiency of financial markets. The value of this research demonstrates that strict algorithmic, numerical, or technical methods are insufficient to succeed in fantasy football, and that information availability, access, and speed, along with a significant allotment of luck, are needed to succeed. The implication for the financial field is that the rules and theories formulated for it are based on certain crucial assumptions such as a centralized supply and demand for securities, an objective theory of value, and efficiency of markets, which cannot be translated directly to fantasy football.

American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is a non-profit logistics aid firm that provides supply chain assistance to non-profit organizations in times of crisis. It acts somewhat as a non-profit 3PL, connecting nonprofits seeking humanitarian aid goods, materials handling equipment, warehousing, logistics transportation, and expertise to an outstanding network of partner companies and organizations who help to deliver on their requests. In June of 2020, our team began an internship to identify and implement key process improvements for ALAN’s internal and external processes. This thesis is a summary of our findings, our solutions proposal, and their applicability to other non-profit organizations.

American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is a non-profit logistics aid firm that provides supply chain assistance to non-profit organizations in times of crisis. It acts somewhat as a non-profit 3PL, connecting nonprofits seeking humanitarian aid goods, materials handling equipment, warehousing, logistics transportation, and expertise to an outstanding network of partner companies and organizations who help to deliver on their requests. In June of 2020, our team began an internship to identify and implement key process improvements for ALAN’s internal and external processes. This thesis is a summary of our findings, our solutions proposal, and their applicability to other non-profit organizations.

American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is a non-profit logistics aid firm that provides supply chain assistance to non-profit organizations in times of crisis. It acts somewhat as a non-profit 3PL, connecting nonprofits seeking humanitarian aid goods, materials handling equipment, warehousing, logistics transportation, and expertise to an outstanding network of partner companies and organizations who help to deliver on their requests. In June of 2020, our team began an internship to identify and implement key process improvements for ALAN’s internal and external processes. This thesis is a summary of our findings, our solutions proposal, and their applicability to other non-profit organizations.

Cities are living systems. Their form and function are constantly changing to reflect the preferences and needs of their residents. One process of change in a city occurs when rapid investment pours into a neighborhood that was previously neglected. This so-called revitalization serves as a catalyst for many city improvements like new residential buildings, glamours commercial complexes, and even enhanced public transit. This process, also known as gentrification, can be a force for good as it results in population growth and economic opportunity. But with enough investment, prices -- including rent -- can be forced upwards equally as rapid. This is when gentrification can result in potentially negative outcomes for residents who can not keep up with the rent increases and are displaced from a city. Culture, as defined by people and business in an area, is the pride of many cities. A loss of culture through displacement is an outcome that anti-gentrification advocates want to avoid. But, cultural displacement may not always comprise a loss. In certain cases, displacement is just the natural byproduct of city evolution. An ideal solution to this state of affairs would be for cities to encourage gentrification while discouraging displacement. This study will explore how.

The key to success is hard work and determination. Achieving success is always under construction. This project began as a simple analysis of the firm's progress, as at the time it was in desperate need of new clients and a marketing strategy to strengthen its visibility on campus.Through this evaluation, our team found that the firm was in an abysmal state and the previously noted problems were not the only issues of concern. From our research we found that in order for the firm to grow and become a successful student run consulting firm, there are several interorganizational issues that need to be understood and addressed. The intention of New Venture Group and the Consulting Scholars academic program is to provide students the opportunity to garner practical learning experiences. These potential opportunities are not taken full advantage of because of the afflicting problems that exist. The purpose of this thesis is to understand what problems exist within the firm and the next steps that should be taken to resolve them.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how the cultural conceptions that American Arizona State University (ASU) students have of Germany change with experience. More specifically, this thesis answers how these cultural conceptions change after students learn the German language or visit the country. In order to accomplish this, three representative groups of people with varying levels of experience were interviewed. Structurally speaking, the thesis first provides background information why the topic was chosen and how a survey was designed to conduct a study on the topic. Next, the data from the study is presented in its raw form as well as in organized charts and graphs. A set of observations that were taken from the data will be explained, supported, and then analyzed. The thesis then concludes with a discussion of how the study could be improved or changed to further analyze the topic.