Doctoral Exam Schedule

Delecia Utley, Plant Biology, “The Role of Circular RNA in Symbiosis in Legumes,” April 25, 2025, 10:00 a.m., Engineering Builidng 1, Room 3003. Major Professor: Dr. Heike Sederoff.

Leonida Cherotich, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Tissue Culture of Pine Seedlings to Improve Vegetative Multiplication Rate”, April 25, 2025, 1:00 p.m., Jordan Hall Addition Room 1220, Major Professors: Dr. Gary Hodge and Dr. Juan Acosta Jaramillo.

Caitlin Niven, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Influence of Temperature and Precipitation on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Global Environmental Health”, April 25, 2025, 11:00 a.m., Jordan Hall Addition Room 1214, Major Professor: Dr. Ayse Ercumen.

Xi Liu, PSY, “Understanding Respect Through the Lens of Chinese and American Cultures,” April 25, 2025, 11 a.m., Withers Hall Rm, 145. Major Professor: Dr. Amy Halberstadt.

Vicmarie Marrero-Colon, Toxicology, “Investigating the Function of Zac1 and the Imprinted Gene Network in Liver Disease Induced by the Early Life Environment,” April 25, 2025, 9 a.m., TOX 2104/2102. Major Professor: Dr. Michael Cowley.

Ragan Wilson, PSY, “The Impact of Video Format and Haptics on Viewing Sports Media Experiences,” April 25, 2025, 1:30 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Christopher Mayhorn.

Ethan Foote, Crop Science, “Refining Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Peanut Production Systems,” April 25, 2025, 2:00 p.m., WMS 2405. Major Professors: Dr. David Jordan and Dr. Jeffrey Dunne.

Edmartiz Hernandez Pagan, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, “Integrated Approaches for Rare Earth Element Detection, Biological Recovery, and Uptake Enhancement: Applications in Plants and Yeast,” April 28th, 2025, 10:30 a.m. Polk 128A. Major Professor: Dr. Colleen Doherty.

Sean Cone, TOX, “The Impact of Circadian Rhythm Disruption on Skin Cancer
Development Induced by Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure,” April 28, 2025, 11 a.m., TOX 2102/2104. Major Professor: Dr. Shobhan Gaddameedhi.

Phillip Agbesi, Forest Biomaterials, “The Development of Sustainable Innovation Electric Vehicle Ecosystems in the US”, April 28, 2025, 11:15 a.m., Jordan Hall Additional Room 1218, Major Professor: Dr. Rico Ruffino.

Benjamin Kincaid, Physics, “Designing a new generation of correlation-consistent effective core potentials for heavy transition metals, lanthanides and beyond,” April 28, 2025, 12 p.m., Riddick 202. Major Professor: Dr. Lubos Mitas.

Madison Mueller, Biology, “Biomarker discovery for freshwater mussel (Order Unionida) health and immune status evaluation,” April 28, 2025, 3 p.m., DCL 205. Major Professor: Dr. William Gregory Cope.

Nazia Alam, Computer Science, “Improving student learning and reducing training time in intelligent tutors via machine learning and self-explanation,” April 29, 2025, 11:00 a.m., Zoom. Major Professor: Dr. Tiffany Barnes.

Jessica Martinez-Baird, Genetics and Genomics, “Form and Function of the Myosin-II Myp2,” April 29, 2025, 11 a.m., RB101 and RB 256. Major Professor: Dr. Caroline Laplante.

Sally Bond, ELPHD, “Threshold concepts in the Practice of Evaluation Capacity Building”, April 29, 2025, 1:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Tamara Young.

Logan Dameris, Toxicology, “The Effects of Cadmium Exposure During Critical Windows of Susceptibility on Liver Health and the Role of the Imprinted Gene Network,” April 29, 2025, 12 p.m., TOX 2104&2102. Major Professor: Dr. Michael Cowley.

Ryen Frazier, Forest Biomaterials, “Influence of Dissolving Pulp Biomass Source and Purity on Cellulose Carbamate and Ionic Liquid Textile Fiber Production”, April 29, 2025, 2:00 p.m., Jordan Hall Additional Room 1214, Major Professors: Dr. Ronalds Gonzalez, Dr. Ericka Ford, and Dr. Joel Pawlak.

Robert Lang, ELPHD, “The Impact of High School Math and Science Teacher-Student Racial and Ethnic Congruence on STEM Engagement and Achievement,” April 29, 2025, 1:00 p.m., Center for Technology and Innovation Room 333, Major Professors: Dr. Joy Gayles and Dr. Anna Egalite.

Taylor O’Lear Reid, Prestage Department of Animal and Poultry Science, “Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Interventions and Housing Environments on Laying Hen Productivity and Pullet Development,” April 29, 2025, 1:30 p.m., Scott 216. Major Professor: Dr. Kenneth Anderson.

Daniel Weispfenning, “Material Analysis and Feasibility Study for Novel Reusable Protective Gloves for Medical Applications,” April 29, 2025 1:00 p.m., WCOT 2431. Major Professors: Dr. Cassandra Kwon and Dr. R. Bryan Ormond.

Saman Afshan, Public Administration, “Fair Shares: Examining the Dynamics of Social Equity Budgeting in Public Budgeting and Governance,” April 29, 2025, 1 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Bruce D. McDonald.

Jamie Breunig, Chemistry, “Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Heterocyclic Containing Natural Products,” April 30, 2025, 9 p.m., DAB 210. Major Professor: Dr. Joshua Pierce.

Charlotte Worster, Chemistry, “Tuning the Electronic Structure of Cobalt and Iron Complexes via Ligand
Modification for Small Molecule Activation,” April 30, 2025, 11 a.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Elena Jakubikova.

Kristen John, Molecular Biomedical Sciences, “Functional Characterization of Human Long Non-coding RNAs Within Influenza Infection and the Interferon Response,” April 30, 2025, 12 p.m., CVM A 101. Major Professor: Dr. Xinxia Peng.

Alex Buccelli, PSY, “The Power of Maternal Warmth in the Context of Early Childhood Experiences of Homelessness: Examining the Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Relations Between Parenting Stress, Maternal Warmth, and Child Functioning,” April 30, 2025, 1 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Mary Haskett.

Xiaolu Bai, Psychology, “Using Verbal Prompts to Enhance Driver Engagement in Partial Automation,” May 1, 2025, 10 a.m., Withers Hall, Room 135. Major Professor: Dr. Jing Feng.

Charles Cheron, Nuclear Engineering, “Implementation and Testing of High Burnup Fission Gas Release and Other Fuel Performance Models in COBRA-TF,” May 1, 2025, 10:00 a.m., Burlington Nuclear Labs – 1121. Major Professor: Dr. Maria Avramova.

Michael Clinkscales, Educational Leadership, “Principal Readiness in Turnaround Schools: A Qualitative Study of the Successful Characteristics of NC Restart Principals”, May 1, 2025, 2:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professors: Dr. Timothy Drake and Dr. Lam Pham.

Aaron Donaldson, ELPHD, “Educational Values of Adult English Language Instructional Programs: A Multisite Case Study”, May 1, 2025, 9:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Chad Hoggan.

Marlee Reed, Civil Engineering, “Elucidating the role of granular characteristics on the behavior of MICP-treated sands. May 2, 2025, 9:30 a.m., FWH 3301. Major Professors: Dr. Brina Montoya.

Mahdi Hasan, MEAS, “Internally and Externally Forced Interactions between Tropical Ocean and Hadley Circulation,” May 5, 2025, 10 a.m., Jordan Hall 1132. Major Professor: Dr. Sarah Larson.

Zachary Pugh, PSY, “Left to Their Own Devices: Examining user strategies in the selection and creation of digital tools,” May 5, 2025, 10a.m., Withers Hall, Room 105. Major Professors: Dr. Doug Gillan and Dr. Chang Nam.

Nicole Joyce Long, Biology, “Isotopic Applications in North Carolina: Taphonomic Effects on Stable Isotopes, Dual-Isotopic Modeling for Human Identification, and Applying a Multidisciplinary Approach to Forensic Casework,” May 5, 2025, 10 a.m., DCL 139. Major Professor: Dr. Ann Ross.

Reem Alameh, Chemistry, “Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Rhenium (I) Complexes, May 5, 2025, 11 a.m., PSB 4152. Major Professor: Dr. Felix Castellano.

Martha McGrath-Brown, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, “Navigating Barriers and Gender Performance: Exploring the Experiences of Women in Leadership within Men’s Professional Sports”, May 5, 2025, 12:30 p.m., Biltmore Hall Room 1003, Major Professor: Dr. Mike Edwards.

Mai Abdlmigeed, Chemical Engineering, “Investigation of Green Bio-Base and Mesoporous Zr-MOF Composites Using Atomic Layer Deposition for Organophosphate and Chemical,” May 6, 2025, 1:00 p.m., Room 2015. Major Professor: Dr. Gregory Parsons.

Nicholas Albergo, Computer Science, “Vision-Based Communication as a Formalized Language for Robotics: A Model-Free Approach Using Dense Optical Flow and Contour Analysis,” May 6, 2025, 12:00 p.m., 3103 Fitts-Woolard Hall. Major Professor: Dr. Kevin Han.

Eric Butoto, Crop Science, “Genetic and Environmental Factors Impacting Responses to Selection of Flowering Time and Mycotoxin Production in Maize,” May 6th, 10:00 a.m., WMS 2223. Major Professors: Dr. Ruben Rellan-Alvarez and Dr. James Holland.

Aaron Crowson, PSY, “Now You See Me: Investigating the Impact of Automated
Visual Search Aids on the Rate of Subsequent Search Misses Within a Driving Context,” May 6, 2025, 2 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Christopher Mayhorn.

Nicholas Rollins, Nuclear Engineering, “Development of Advanced Optimization Frameworks for PWR Power Uprates and Equilibrium Cycle,” May 6, 2025, 11:00 a.m., LMP 444. Major Professor: Dr. Jason Hou.

Haley Smith, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Exploring the Role of Facilitator Organizations in Citizen Science”, May 6, 2025, 1:30 p.m., Jordan Hall Addition 1214, Major Professor: Dr. Caren Cooper.

Lei Pan, Economics, “Three Essays on Soda Tax”, May 7, 2025, 10:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Xiaoyong Zheng.

Meggie Romick, ELPHD, “The Struggle is Real: The Stress and Coping Experiences of Doctoral Students with Mental Health Concerns”, May 7, 2025, 10:00 a.m., Hunt Library Teaching and Visualization Lab, Major Professor: Dr. Alyssa Rockenbach.

Hamid Sanei, Learning and Teaching in STEM, “Multi-Sensory Data Storytelling Through Self-Constructed Physicalizations: A Phenomenological Study of Embodied Engagement with Data”, May 7, 2025, 12:30 p.m., Center for Technology and Innovation, Major Professors: Dr. Hollylynne Lee and Dr. Sunghwan Byun.

Duncan Trosan, Nuclear Engineering, “Analysis of Dielectric Barrier Discharges and their use in Food Processing.” May 7, 2025, 3:00 p.m., Progress Energy Hall, Burlington. Major Professor: Dr. Katharina Staplemann.

Laura Pierrie, ELPHD, “A Program Evaluation of Standards-Based Grading and Its Impacts on Teacher Morale and Retention.”, May 8, 2025, 1:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Timothy Drake.

Ariadne Liesel Palma Parra, Civil Engineering, “Multi-directional Seismic Design and Performance of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Structures,” May 8, 2025, 1:00 p.m., FWH 3280. Major Professor: Dr. Mervyn Kowalsky.

Ivan Raigosa-Garcia, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Loblolly pine plantations productivity: Characterization, response to fertilizer and herbicide application, and its effects on net present value and carbon management”, May 8, 2025, 3:00 p.m., Jordan Hall Addition Room 1214, Major Professors: Dr. Rachel Cook and Dr. Justin Baker.

Rifet Musedinovic, Physics, “Polarized Ultracold Neutrons as a Tool for Precision Experimental Tests of the Standard Model,” May 9, 2025, 9 a.m. Riddick 415. Major Professor: Dr. Albert Young.

Ali Eloki, Physics, “Universal Coarse Geometry of Spin Systems,” May 9, 2025, 10 a.m., Riddick 202. Major Professor: Dr. Corey Jones.

Lucille Verster Rivera, Chemical Engineering, “Unravelling of the Degradation Mechanisms and Screening of Microplastic Release from Sysnthetic and Bio-Based Polymer Materials,” May 9, 2025, 10:00 a.m., EBI-2015. Major Professors: Dr. Orlin D. Velev/Dr. Lokendra Pal.

Matthew Mostrom, Chemistry, “Demonstrating The Importance of Many-Body van der Waals in Classical Molecular Modeling,” May 9, 2025, 2 p.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Brian Space.

Hongtao Zhong, Electrical Engineering, “Active Magnetic Metamaterials Based on Self-coupling Compensation Unit Cells,” May 9, 2025, 2:00 p.m., MRC 423C. Major Professor: Dr. David Ricketts.

Jon Kizer, Plant Biology, “Evaluation of non-thermal Plasma Activated Water as an alternative to nitrogen fertilizers,” May 12, 2025, 9:00 a.m., 2405 Williams Hall. Major Professor: Dr. Marcela Pierce.

Michael Wilkinson, PSY, “Mitigating the Mental Cost of Using Virtual Reality,” May 12, 2025, 11 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Jing Feng.

Austin Pyrch, Chemistry, “Probing 1st Row Transition Metal Complexes for Radical Generation and
Photoredox Applications,” May 12, 2025, 1 p.m., PSB 4152. Major Professor: Dr. Felix Castellano.

Katy May, Learning and Teaching in STEM, “Exploring Environmental Health Literacy Among Communities Impacted by PFAS Exposure: A Mixed Methods Study”, May 14, 2025, 3:00 p.m., CTI Room 317, Major Professor: Dr. KC Busch.

Mary Estrada, TELS, “Global Professional Development for Educators: A Case Study of North Carolina Teachers in Buenos Aires”, May 16, 2025, 10:00 a.m., Hunt Library Visualization Lab, Major Professor: Dr. Angela Wiseman.

Madeline Lockhart, Nuclear Engineering, “Kinetics Parameter Identifiability in Multi-source Multiplicity Analysis Analysis of Uranium-233 Oxides,” May 16, 2025, 11:00 a.m., Burlington 1121. Major Professor: Dr. John Mattingly.

Anil Radhakrishnan, Physics, “Adaptive Neural Architectures for Physical Systems: Exploring the Intersection of Nonlinear Dynamics and Machine Learning,” May 16, 2025, 12:45 p.m., Riddick 415. Major Professor: Dr. William Ditto.

Gaurav Dhungel, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Long-term Sustainability of Oaks in the US: Role of Management and Markets”, June 2, 2025, Partners II Suite 2500, Major Professor: Dr. Justin Baker.

Monica Simmons, Community College Leadership, “Faculty Perceptions of Their Role in Workforce Readiness and Professional Development with Traditional Teaching Responsibilities”, June 6, 2025, 9:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professors: Dr. Audrey Jaeger and Dr. Bobbie Frye.

Usman Amin, Food Science, “Food Structure Building Blocks Derived from Milk and Pluses: Soft Matter and Enzymatic Modification Aspects,” June 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m., G40 Schaub Hall. Major Professor: Dr. Haotian Zheng.

Magdelene Lee, Chemical Engineering, “New Technologies to Augment Biomolecular Data Assembly and Storage Capacities,” June 11, 2025, 3:00 p.m., Toxicology 2104. Major Professor: Dr. Albert Keung.

Karishma Rajeev Matange, Chemical Engineering, “Driving scalability of DNA based data storage systems through innovation in write and access functionalities,” June 13, 2025, 11:00 a.m., EBI-2018. Major Professor: Dr. Albert Keung.

Leandra Caywood, Chemical Engineering, “Mapping and modeling the dynamic transfer functions of eukaryotic gene regulation,” June 17, 2025, 12:00 p.m., Toxicology 2104. Major Professor: Dr. Albert Keung.

Tianyu Li, Chemical Engineering, “Engineering Vibrio natriegens for degrading and assimilating Poly(ethylene terephthalate),” June 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m., EBI-2018. Major Professor: Dr. Nathan Cook.

Jennifer Campbell, Community College Leadership, “What’s Motivating Mom: The Lived Experiences of Single Mother Community College Students”, June 25, 2025, 10: a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Audrey Jaeger and Dr. Catherine Hartman.

Munmun Basak, Forest Biomaterials, “Functional Agro-residue and Nonrecycled Waste Derived Nanocellulose for Packaging and Agricultural Applications”, July 1, 2025, 9:00 a.m., Biltmore Hall Room 2221, Major Professors: Dr. Lokendra Pal and Dr. Lucian Lucia.

Yang Xu, Statistics, “Causal Decision Making: From Offline Evaluation to Online Learning,” July 8, 2025, 1 p.m., Remote. Major Professors: Dr. Rui Song and Dr. Wenbin Lu.

Ivan Sanin Sprague, Chemistry, “Rapid One-pot Synthesis of Quinolizinium Scaffolds via Formal Cycloaddition between Stabilized Azinium Ylides and Cyclopropanones,” July 16, 2025, 1 p.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Vincent Lindsay.

Juliana Pin, Operations Research, “Optimizing a Nationwide Supply Chain for Oilseeds in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production: Pennycress, Camelina, and Carinata,” August 8, 2025, 11:45 a.m., PSB 4152. Major Professor: Dr. Daniela Jones.