Joseph Richardson, Electrical Engineering, “Quantitative Viscoelasticity Estimation from Displacements Tracked On-Axis to Acoustic Radiation Force Excitations in Kelvin-Voigt Materials,” February 20, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Room 5004. Major Professor: Dr. Caterina Gallippi.

Michael Palmer, Horticultural Science, “The Impact of Initial Plant Size and Chill Hours on Meristem Fate and Vegetative Development of Rooted Strawberry Transplants”, February 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m., 121 Kilgore. Major Professors: Dr. Mark Hoffmann and Dr. Ricardo Hernandez.

Marian Prieto Torres, Entomology and Plant Pathology, “Integrating Genomics and Biosurveillance to Advance Disease Resistance and Management in Cucurbits,” February 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m., PSB 4152. Major Professor: Dr. Dr. Lina Quesada.

Shawana Sheperd-Murtagh, CRDM, “Governing Reproduction in Digital Publics: Risk, Surveillance, and Marginalized Parenthood,” February 24, 2026, 12:30 p.m. D.H. Hill Library, Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery. Major Professor: Dr. Andrew Binder.

Alexander Betz, Mathematics, “Actions of Fusion Categories on Algebras,” February 25, 2026, 10 a.m., SAS 3282. Major Professor: Dr. Corey Jones.

Sarah Meghan Kriger, Chemistry, “Light-Up RNA Aptamers,” February 25, 2026, 11 a.m., COX 306. Major Professor: Dr. Phoebe Glazer.

Eder Garavito, TELS, “Examining Learner and Instructor Perceptions of Engagement in Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Physical Therapy Education”, February 26, 2026, 2:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Florence Martin.

Donggu Lee, Electrical Engineering, “Ray Tracing-Based MIMO Link Analysis and Performance Evaluation of Asymmetric Links for UAV Networks,” February 26, 2026, 3:00 p.m., EBII-3075. Major Professor: Dr. Ismail Guvenc.

Elijah Rutter, Mathematics, “A Symmetric Monoidal Frohman-Nicas TQFT for Sutured Manifolds,” February 27, 2026, 12 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Andrew Manion.

Abhirup Basu, Chemical Engineering, “Magnetic Field-Driven Assembly and Propulsion of Active Colloids Engineered from Anisotropic Nanoparticle Architectures,” February 27, 2026, 12:00 p.m., EBIII-2236. Major Professor: Dr. Orlin D. Velev.

Margaret Lawrimore, Geospatial Analytics, “From Zoning Maps to Urban Futures: A New Approach to Modeling Development Across Time”, February 27, 2026, 12:30 p.m., Jordan Hall Room 5103, Major Professors: Dr. Ross Meentemeyer and Dr. Georgina Sanchez.

Ozge Shera Kuddar, Bioinformatics, “Evaluation of DNA Metabarcoding For Characterization of Pollen in Surface Soil Samples With Potential Forensic Applications,” February 27, 2026, 1 p.m., Ricks Hall, Room 336. Major Professors: Dr. Kelly R. Meiklejohn and Dr. Benjamin J. Callahan.

Collin Ashley, Adult & Community College Education, “Adopting Intelligence: Decision-Making About Artificial Intelligence in Community College Administration”, February 27, 2026, 3:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Catherine Hartman.

Brenden Heinichen, Prestage Department of Poultry Science, “Advancing Predictive Nutrition in Commercial Turkeys: From Mechanistic Model Validation to Machine Learning Applications,” March 2, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Scott Hall 216. Major Professors: Dr. Peter Ferket and Dr. Ramon Malheiros.

Joseph Kaskel, Learning and Teaching in STEM, “Collecting Expert Opinions for Defining Computer Science Literacy in K-12: A General Qualitative Inquiry Approach”, March 2, 2026, 12:30 p.m., CTI Building Room 317, Major Professors: Dr. Daniel Kelly and Dr. Aaron Clark.

Cristyan Eduardo Quinones Garcia, Materials Science & Engineering, “Aluminum nitride devices for extreme environment electronics,” March 2, 2026, 3:00 p.m., RBI Conference Room. Major Professors: Dr. Ramon Collazo/Dr. Zlatko Sitar.

Jetta Lewis, TELS, “Exploring the Lived Experiences and Resource Needs of Neurodivergent College Students: An Explanatory Mixed-Methods Study”, March 3, 2026, 10:00 a.m., CTI Builiding Room 305, Major Professor: Dr. Jamie Pearson.

Stacie Reckling, Geospatial Analytics, “Geospatial Analyses to Assess Population Demographics and Representativeness in Wastewater-Based Public Health Surveillance”, March 3, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Jordan Hall Room 5103, Major Professor: Dr. Helena Mitasova.

Will Lidwell, Design, “Superuniversal Communication: A Theoretical Framework for Communicating Across Beings and Worlds,” March 3, 2026, 11 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. M. Elen Deming.

Yiling Wang, Math, “Multipartite State-independent Uncertainty Relations,” March 3, 2026, 1 p.m., SAS 3282. Major Professor: Dr. Kailash Misra.

Jordyn McCrimmon, Psychology, “Examining Influences on Sexual and Reproductive Health Behaviors Among Black Adolescents: A Two-Study Dissertation,” March 4, 2026, 8 a.m., D.H. Hill Library, Room 2312G. Major Professor: Dr. Laura Widman.

Amanda Jewett, Adult & Community College Education, “It’s Your Story, Win, Lose, or Draw: A Collective Case Study of Community College QEP Directors”, March 4, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professors: Dr. Catherine Hartman and Dr. Makena Stewart.

Earl Gilmore Ford IV, Toxicology, “Old Drugs, New Uses: A Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Investigation into Antidotes and Analgesics in Cattle – A Study of Methylene Blue, Butorphanol, and Morphine,” March 4, 2026, 10 a.m., CVM Main A101. Major Professors: Dr. Ronald Baynes and Dr. Derek Foster.

Elizabeth Ham, Adult & Community College Education, “Making Sense of Change: How Boundary-Spanning Community College Leaders Navigate Workforce Alignment in North Carolina”, March 4, 2026, 11:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professors: Dr. Catherine Hartman and Dr. Keith Witham.

Matthew Earl Broussard, Mathematics, “Analysis and Optimal Control of Multiscale Interface Couplings of
Poroelasticity and Lumped Hydraulic Systems,” March 4, 2026, 12 p.m., SAS 4201. Major Professor: Dr. Lorena Bociu.

Rachel Bernstein, Genetics and Genomics, “Identifying candidates of DNA methylation-mediated dysregulation in night shift workers,” March 4, 2026, 2 p.m., Toxicology Auditorium. Major Professors: Dr. Cathrine Hoyo and Shobhan Gaddameedhi.

Dhanush Udayashankara Jamadgni, Materials Science & Engineering, “Design of GT-based Solid Lubricants,” March 4, 2026, 2:00 p.m., Room 3018. Major Professor: Dr. Martin Thuo.

Ashley Mackey-Whitworth, ELPHD, “Making Sense of Collaboration: Exploring Dual Enrollment Transitions Through the Perspectives of High School Counselors and College Advisors”, March 5, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Catherine Hartman.

Daniel Profili, Mathematics, “Conditions For Eigenvalue Configurations of Two Real Symmetric Matrices,” March 5, 2026, 9:30 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Hoon Hong.

Meghan Moore, Psychology, “Comparing Stress Mindset Intervention Approaches,” March 5, 2026, 11 a.m., D.H. Hill Library, Rm. 2310. Major Professor: Dr. Jennifer Burnette.

Haeleen Hong, Chemical Engineering, “Bio-inspired Design of Active Soft Matter Microcleaners for Broad-Spectrum Microplastics Capture and Removal,” March 5, 2026, 12:00 p.m., Room 2018. Major Professor: Dr. Orlin D. Velev.

Beth Bockoven, ELPHD, “I belong here: A Qualitative Study on Community College Student Sense of Belonging to STEM through Informal Science Education Venues”, March 5, 2026, 2:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Devon Graves.

Lexi Namer, Design, “Developing a Harm-Aware Framework for Digital Healthcare Design,” March 5, 2026, 2 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Sharon Joines.

Jiangfeng Xu, Chemical Engineering, “Sustainable Phosphorus Management: Engineering Multifunctional Hydrogels for Inorganic Phosphate Recovery and Organic Phosphate Catalysis,” March 5, 2026, 3:00 p.m., 302, Partners III. Major Professors: Dr. Jan Genzer/Dr. Kirill Efimenko.

Abbey Collins, Psychology, “Assessing Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Black Young Adult Women: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study,” March 6, 2026, 10 a.m., D.H. Hill Library, 2312G. Major Professor: Dr. Vanessa Volpe.

Vanessa Woods, Horticultural Science, “Biophilia Reactivity: The Temperment Trait of Human Attraction, Tolerance, and Fear Towards Biodiversity” March 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m., 121 Kilgore Hall. Major Professors: Dr. Melinda Knuth and Dr. Danesha Carley.

Austin D. Semmel, Operations Research, “The Readiness – Utilization Trade Space in U.S. Army Aviation: Policy, Decision Behavior, and Information Quality,” March 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m., FWH 4280. Major Professors: Dr. Hans Sebastian Heese/Dr. Brandon McConnell.

Hwa Huang, MEAS, “Elucidating the Sources and Conditions Impacting Taste and Odor Compound Production in Central North Carolina,” March 6, 2026, 10 a.m., BI 3006. Major Professor: Dr. Ryan Paerl.

Kesa Jessup, ELPHD, “Balancing Purpose, People & Power: Adaptive Leadership Among Community Foundation Scholarship Professionals”, March 6, 2026, 11:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professors: Dr. Audrey Jaeger and Dr. Keith Witham.

Diego Cornejo, Mathematics, “Resolvent and Proximal Compositions: Theory and Applications,” March 6, 2026, 11:35 a.m., SAS 3282. Major Professor: Dr. Patrick Combettes.

Janelle Johnson, TELS, “Examining Intersectional Neurodivergent Experiences in Higher Education: A Mixed Methods Approach”, March 6, 2026, 12:30 p.m., CTI Building Room 305, Major Professor: Dr. Jamie Pearson.

Christopher Dunstan, Geospatial Analytics, “Dancing with Data: Geospatial Analytics for Tracing Innovation in Urban Dance Culture”, March, 6, 2026, 2:00 p.m., Jordan Hall Room 5103, Major Professors: Dr. Laura Tateosian and Dr. Aaron Hipp.

Elizabeth Brehler, ELPHD, “Frontline Perspectives on Enrollment Barriers: Addressing the Adult Learner Enrollment Gap in Community Colleges”, March 6, 2026, 2:30 p.m., Belk Center Room 1103, Major Professors: Dr. Audrey Jaeger.

Willow Alston-Socha, TELS, “Reading Comprehension as Self-Regulated Learning: An Empirical and Conceptual Examination of Metacognitive Monitoring”, March 6, 2026, 4:00 p.m., CTI Building Room 333, Major Professor: Dr. John Nietfeld.

Kerri Donohue, Adult & Community College Education, “Exploring the Professional Identity of Community College Science Faculty”, March 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Catherine Hartman.

Lauren McGuire, ELPHD, “Demographic and Institutional Factors Associated with Graduate Student Unionization at R1 Universities: A Quantitative Analysis”, March 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Paul Umbach.

Salem Hamad N H Alnaimi, Civil Engineering, “Towards Safer and Smarter Airport Infrastructure: A Data-Driven Approach,” March 9, 2026, 11:00 a.m., Research IV 3402. Major Professors: Dr. Daniel Findley/Dr. Billy Williams.

Nathan Kyler, Psychology, “Anxiety Mindsets in Parents and Children,” March 9, 2026, 12 p.m., D.H. Hill Library, Conference Room 2310. Major Professor: Dr. Jennifer Burnette.

Anita Best, Food Science, “From Butter to Bars: Exploring Flavor Chemistry and Consumer Perception in Dairy and Protein-Based Foods,” March 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m., 128 Schaub Hall. Major Professor: Dr. MaryAnne Drake.

William Kirschenman, Operations Research, “A Multi-Level Prioritized Packing Framework for Spatial Optimization,” March 10, 2026, 9:00 a.m., FWH 4103. Major Professors: Dr. H. Sebastian Heese/Dr. Russell E. King.

Shweta Meena, Electrical Engineering, “Plant Control Co-design Approach for AC Microgrids,” March 10, 2026, 9:30 a.m., Energy Board Room, Freedm Systems Center. Major Professor: Dr. Srdjan Lukic.

María Heysha Carrillo Carrasquillo, TELS, “Migrant Puerto Rican Teachers Navigating Colonialism in Rural North Carolina: A Collaborative Autoethnographic Study”, March 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m., CTI Building Room 333, Major Professor: Dr. Samantha Marshall.

Ziqi Wang, Mechanical Engineering, “Understanding and Engineering Oxides for Emerging Functionalities,” March 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m., EBIII-3115. Major Professor: Dr. Jun Liu.

Zhouyu Li, Computer Science, “Secure and Efficient Analytics of Dynamic Imagery Data,” March 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Ruozhou Yu.

Xinning Hui, Computer Science, “Enabling Flexible, Efficient, and Secure GPU Sharing on Serverless Computing for Machine Learning,” March 10, 2026, 12:00 p.m., EB2. Major Professor: Dr. Xipeng Shen.

Ana Cubas Baez, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Perceptions on Different Dimensions of Forestry and Land Management Across Multiple Contexts”, March, 10, 2026, 1:00 p.m., Jordan Hall Addition Room 1214, Major Professors: Dr. Rajan Parajuli and Dr. Erin Sills.

Caitlin Haedrich, Geospatial Analytics, “Advanced Geospatial Modeling through Tangible Interfaces and Computational Notebooks”, March 10, 2026, 1:00 p.m., Jordan Hall Room 5103, Major Professor: Dr. Helena Mitasova.

Rachel Rowan, ELPHD, “Understanding School Readiness in Context: The Role of Policy, Peers, and School Leaders in Pre-K Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices”, March 10, 2026, 1:00 p.m., CTI Building Room 325, Major Professor: Dr. Michael Little.

Saqlain Raza, Mechanical Engineering, “Nanoscale Interfaces: Impact on Thermal and Mass Transport,” March 10, 2026, 3:00 p.m., EBIII-3115-A. Major Professor: Dr. Jun Liu.

Corey Wishon, Animal and Poultry Science, “Evaluation of Cold Seed Hemp Pressed Cake as a Viable Protein Additive in Commercial Turkey Rations,” March 11, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Scott 216. Major Professors: Dr. Adam Fahrenholz and Dr. Jesse Grimes.

Nayma M. Romo Bechara, Plant and Microbial Biology, Deciphering the processes driving the evolution of opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” March 11, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Rm 2110 Garner Hall. Major Professor: Dr. Kasie Raymann.

Matthew Hawks, Design, “Thermally Autonomous Structures: Design development and comparative study of an integrated low-energy building thermal system,” March 11, 2026, 10 a.m., Brooks Hall Rotunda. Major Professor: Dr. Soolyeon Cho.

Mohamed Abdul Hameed, Nuclear Engineering, “From Electrons to Bubbles and Grains: Mechanistic Modeling of Uranium Nitride,” March 11, 2026, 10:30 a.m., BU-1121-Duke. Major Professor: Dr. Benjamin Beeler.

Muntasir Hoq, Computer Science, “From Code to Cognition: Explainable Student Knowledge Modeling in introductory Programming Courses,” March 11, 2026, 3:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Bita Akram.

Hamide Somuncu, Design, “Navigating Heat in Higher Education Campuses: Thermal Comfort, Environmental Satisfaction, and Lived Experience in Outdoor Spaces,” March 12, 2026, 9:30 a.m., Allred Gallery/Kamphoefner Hall. Major Professor: Dr. Celen Pasalar.

Colt William Nichols, Electrical Engineering, “Wearable Physiological Sensing Systems for Applying Quantitative Analysis to Behaviors and Wellbeing in Human-Dog Dyads,” March 12, 2026, 11:15 a.m., MRC – 454A. Major Professor: Dr. Alper Bozkurt.

Yavuz Selim Tozlu, Computer Engineering, “Efficient Hardware Acceleration for Real-time GPU Ray Tracing,” March 12, 2026, 11:30 a.m., EBII-3075. Major Professor: Dr. Huiyang Zhou.

Anurata Prabha Hridi, Computer Science, “A Privacy-Preserved Distributed Approach to Learning Analytics: Applying Federated Learning to Modeling Students’ Learning Behavior,” March 12, 2026, 12:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Bita Akram.

Dave Feltner, Psychology, “Trust and Doubt of a Robotic Military Scout in a Mission Command Task,” March 12, 2026, 3 p.m., DH Hill Library, 2310. Major Professor: Dr. Anne McLaughlin.

Amanda Solliday, Horticultural Science, “Assessing Sustainability Through Environmental Practices, Carbon Emissions, and Plastic Material Flow in U.S. Floriculture,” March 13, 2026, 9:00 a.m., 121 Kilgore Hall. Major Professors: Dr. Melinda Knuth and Dr. Brian Jackson.

John Nicholas Neuberger, Mathematics, “Goal-oriented optimal data acquisition and path-OED for
infinite-dimensional Bayesian inverse problems governed by PDEs,” March 13, 2026, 3 p.m., SAS 3282. Major Professor: Dr. Alen Alexanderian.

Kin Gomez, Chemical Engineering, “Dendritic beading and tools for the study of morphological and functional changes of neurodegenerative conditions using C. elegans as a model organism,” March 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m., EBI – 2018. Major Professor: Dr. Adriana San Miguel.

Adam Wade, ELPHD, “Voices from the Margins: How Queer Students of Color in North Carolina Community Colleges Make Meaning of their Multiple Identities”, March 16, 2026, 1:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Devon Graves.

Faiz Alam, Computer Engineering, “Secure Memory Virtualization for Heterogeneous Architectures,” March 17, 2026, 9:00 a.m., EBII-2095. Major Professor: Dr. Greg Byrd.

Ryan Bartone, Toxicology, “Role of the Allergen Corona in Allergic Lung Disease Exacerbated by Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes,” March 17, 2026, 10:15 a.m., Tox Building, Rm. 2104. Major Professor: Dr. James Bonner.

Lin Whipkey, Design, “A Case-Study-Based Investigation on the Planning and Design of Tiny Home Communities in North Carolina,” March 18, 2026, 10 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Jianxin Hu.

Bee Rinaldi, CRDM, “Speculative Expressive Computing and Code as Epistemological Praxis,” March 19, 2026, 1 p.m., Visualization Gallery, DH Hill Library. Major Professor: Dr. Paul Fyfe.

Erica Vilsaint, ELPHD, “Navigating Race and Gender in Roles of Authority: A Case Study on the Coping Styles of Black Female Leaders in STEM Higher Education”, March 20, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr Susan Barcinas.

Micki Recchuiti, MEAS, “Investigating the Rheology of Basaltic Lavas on Venus and Earth via Remote Sensing and Experimental Methods,” March 23, 2026, 2:30 p.m., JH 1132. Major Professor: Dr. Arianna Soldati.

Jared R. Cossin, Chemistry, “Efforts Towards Diverse Polyketide Production via CoA Ligase and PKS
Engineering,” March 24, 2026, 9 a.m., DAB 210. Major Professor: Dr. Gavin Williams.

Deveshwar Hariharan, Electrical Engineering, “Cooperation Among Vehicles,” March 24, 3:30 p.m., EBII-3001. Major Professor: Dr. Seth Hollar.

Lei Xue, Civil Engineering, “Performance evaluation of asphalt mixtures using BMD + tests and indirect tensile test,” March 27, 2026, 9:00 a.m., FWH 4280. Major Professors: Dr. Y. Richard Kim/Dr. Shane Underwood.

Sarangi Joseph, Civil Engineering, “Sorption Equilbria of Per – and Polyfluoroalkl Substances (PFAS) on Activated Carbon,” April 8, 2026, 1:00 p.m., FWH 3280. Major Professor: Dr. Detlef Knappe.

Vinutha Ravinageswaran, Chemistry, “Exploring Interdisciplinary Knowledge Integration using Systems Thinking and
Mechanistic Reasoning frameworks,” April 14, 2026, 1 p.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Maria Oliver-Hoyo.

Francisco Ponce Carrion, Mathematics, “Combinatorial Problems in Applied Algebraic Geometry,” April 14, 2026, 2:30 p.m., SAS 3282. Major Professor: Dr. Seth Sullivant.

Javier I. Madariaga Roman, Mathematics, “Stochastic Iterations in Hilbertian Nonlinear Analysis,” April 17, 2026, 11:30 a.m., SAS 3282. Major Professor: Dr. Patrick Combettes.

Rohit Singh, Computer Engineering, “Revisiting Simple Paradigms for Exploiting Control Independence in Superscalar Processors, April 17, 2026, 3:00 p.m., EBII 2095. Major Professor: Dr. Eric Rotenberg.

Tran Anh Thu Nguyen, Chemistry, “Toward the Total Synthesis of Phyllobilins: Enabling Access to
Biologically Relevant Chlorophyll Catabolites,” April 21, 2026, 8:30 a.m., COX 306. Major Professor: Dr. Jonathan Lindsey.

Yongseok Jeon, Industrial Engineering, “Calibrating Digital Twins in Rapidly Changing Systems,” May 5, 2026, 9:00 a.m., FWH 4361. Major Professor: Dr. Sara Shashaani.

Kayla Hahn, Nuclear Engineering, “Plasma bubble spectroscopy: An in-situ method for material quantification of molten salts,” May 5, 2026, 3:00 p.m., BEL-1202. Major Professor: Dr. Alexander Bataller.

Keisha White, ELPHD, “To Be or Not to Be: An Exploratory Qualitative Study on Black Women District Leaders Aspiring to the Superintendency”, May 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Lance Fusarelli.

Doan Phuong Lien Cao, Chemistry, “Design and Synthesis of Porphyrins For Cancer Treatment,” May 7, 2026, 10 a.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Jonathan. S. Lindsey.

Davis Bryars, Nuclear Engineering, “Spectroscopic Characterization of Molten Salts,” May 7, 2026, 1:00 p.m., BUI 1202. Major Professor: Dr. Alexander Bataller.

John Yu, Electrical Engineering, “Decision-Relevant Probabilistic Forecasting for Power Systems-Methods, System-Level Evaluation, and Real-Time Implementation,” June 11, 2026, 1:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Wenyuan Tang.