Abstract
In complex systems, how may efficacy, reliability, usability, and trust be optimized?
How can running the SIBBORK spatially-explicit gap dynamics model for a new site on the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Rivanna cluster be made simpler and faster? To reduce time, steps, and fragility in configuring SIBBORK for a new site, two command-line tools were built and run on UVA’s Rivanna cluster: a Google Earth Engine Digital Elevation Model exporter and an enhanced data-acquisition utility. The exporter authenticates, auto-calculates UTM zones, clips to site bounds, exports to cloud storage, monitors tasks, and downloads results. The utility unifies Cloudiness, SoilGrids, MERRA2, and CMIP6 data retrieval behind a single, parameterized interface. Applied to a Maine test site, the workflow moved from a multi-day, multi-script process to a reproducible run with fewer failure points, enabling faster first-time success.
How do divergent perceptions of safety influence the efficacy of campus safety systems? A constructivist framework reveals divergent social constructions of campus safety among administrators, police, and student groups. At the University of Virginia (UVA), such inconsistencies limited the adoption of Rave Guardian, a safety app, and influenced the design of UVA Ready, a substitute app with clearer and timelier alerts, strong privacy controls, inclusive access, and friend-supported features. UVA Ready reframes alert tiers, opens access beyond university logins, and surfaces anonymity and virtual-walk options. Safety systems’ efficacy depends not just on the number of features they offer, but also on their suitability to diverse users.
