Research · Selected work
Schools as Critical Infrastructure
A decision-support framework for prioritizing school investments across resources, urgency, regulation, uncertainty, equity, stakeholders, and governance.
- Period
- 2023–2026
- Status
- Collaborative research framework · Interactive prototype
- Perspectives
- Research · Engineering · Design
30-second case brief
Question, responsibility, method, result.
- Question
- A decision-support framework for prioritizing school investments across resources, urgency, regulation, uncertainty, equity, stakeholders, and governance.
- Responsibility
- Systems analysis, interface structure, RURU framework, stakeholder matrices, and prototype development
- Methods
- Resources · Urgency · Regulations · Uncertainty (RURU)
- Result
- 20 services across seven categories · Transparent RURU decision space
Project scope and responsibility
- Context
- Drexel University and Temple University collaboration
- Role
- Systems analysis, interface structure, RURU framework, stakeholder matrices, and prototype development
- Framework
- Resources · Urgency · Regulations · Uncertainty (RURU)
- Service scope
- 20 school-based services across seven categories
- Prototype scope
- Transparent decision-support framework · Interactive demonstration inputs
Schools as civic infrastructure
Schools increasingly deliver services beyond instruction, including food access, childcare, health, information technology, and community support. This collaborative project develops an equity-centered decision-support structure for comparing those needs without hiding the assumptions that shape a recommendation.
Interactive tool · RURU 4D map
Map services across four decision dimensions.
Select an entry, adjust its position, or add a new one. Point position shows urgency and resources; size and tone encode uncertainty and regulation.
Editable browser model based on the project’s RURU framework. It is a decision-structuring aid, not a risk prediction.
Five-layer decision architecture
A layered architecture keeps the front-end assistant and user interface separate from the computational engine, changing datasets, and stable reference information. That separation makes it easier to audit, update, and expand the prototype as new services and evidence are introduced.
RURU decision space
RURU organizes each service through Resources, Urgency, Regulations, and Uncertainty. The three-dimensional prototype uses resources, urgency, and uncertainty as spatial axes, with regulation represented through color, so decision makers can inspect trade-offs rather than accept an opaque score.
Stakeholders and values
The stakeholder matrix extends a conventional power–interest map with the values, responsibilities, and service priorities of each group. Worked examples for food, childcare, and information technology show how engagement strategies change across service contexts.
Interactive prototype
The browser-based prototype lets readers explore the RURU space directly. Demonstration positions and weights make the framework inspectable and adjustable, establishing a transparent foundation for future validation with service providers and decision makers.
