Doctoral Exam Schedule

Minhua Nie, Chemistry, “Design and Synthesis of Novel Aza-sugar Clindamycin Antibiotics,” April 26, 2024, 9:00 a.m., D.H. Hill Library, Faculty Seminar, 2312N. Major Professor: Dr. Joshua Pierce.

Mawuli Deegbey, Chemistry, “Computational Studies of Fe(II) Complexes for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells and CO Coordination on Di-Copper Complexes,” April 26, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Dabney 120. Major Professor: Dr. Elena Jakubikova.

Kevin Volkel, Computer Engineering, “Exploiting Information Redundancy in the Design of DNA Storage Systems,” April 26, 2024, 1:00 p.m., EBII-3053. Major Professor: Dr. James Tuck.

Rui Wang, Textile Technology Management, “Lithium-ion Battery Health Prognostic and Prediction Based on Stochastic and Data-driven Models,” April 26, 2024, 3:00 p.m., WCOT- rm 3436. Major Professor: Dr. Mengmeng Zhu.

Emilia Cordero Oceguera, Sociology, “Transformative Harvests: Everyday Resistance and Relational Care in the Food and Agricultural Work of Mexican Migrant Farmworker Mothers in North Carolina,” April 29, 2024, 9:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Sarah Bowen.

Kelsey Hargrove, ELPHD, “How We Heal: A Multiphased Storywork Approach to Unveiling Black Women’s Body Image and Disordered Eating Experiences”, April 29, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Brean’a Parker.

Hsin-Hsuan Sung, Computer Science, “Runtime Optimization of Multi-Tenant DNN Executions on Heterogeneous Mobile Devices,” April 29, 2024, 11:00 a.m., EBII-3211. Major Professor: Dr. Xipeng Shen.

Vikram Kumaran, Computer Science, “A Framework for Designing Interactive Narrative Games Levels with Natural Language,” April 29, 2024, 12:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. James Lester.

Rachel Mills, ELPHD, “Early-career genetic counselors’ professional identity formation through experiences with continuing education at a professional conference”, April 29, 2024, 1:30 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Susan Barcinas.

Dahlia Alharoon, Psychology, “Aesthetics Beyond Digital Interfaces: The Influence of Visual Aesthetics on Perceived Usability, Trust, and Purchase Intention of Physical Products,” April 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Douglas Gillan.

Maxwell Bowles, Chemistry, “Late-Stage Modification and Metal-Coordination of Azapeptides,” April 30, 2024, 1:00 p.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Caroline Proulx.

Xiaoxia Champon, Statistics, “Categorical Functional Data Analysis With Application to Social Media,” April 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m., SAS 5202. Major Professor: Dr. Ana-Maria Staicu.

Tiffany Farina, ELPHD, “Experimenting With Choice Architecture in Website Design to Improve Community College Transfer Outcomes”, April 30, 2024, 1:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. James Bartlett.

Nick Grokhowsky, Geospatial Analytics, “Spatiotemporal analysis of innovation using an automated publication screening”, April 30, 024, 2:00 p.m., Jordan 5103. Major Professor: Dr. Helena Mitasova.

Samuel Hanson, Nuclear Engineering, “Polymer Composite Radiation Shielding with Computational Radiation hardness Assurance Methods for Spacecraft Electronics,” April 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Burlington-1121. Major Professor: Dr. Rob Hayes.

Maggie Johnston, ELPHD, “Relational Dimensions in Supervision: A Phenomenological Dissertation”, April 30, 2024, 10:15 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Sylvia Nassar.

Eric Teitsworth, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “Multi-scale Assessment of the Drivers of Neuse River Waterdog (Necturus lewisi) Distribution and Recruitment”, April 30, 2024, 9:20 a.m., Jordan Addition 1214. Major Professor: Dr. Jamian Pacifici.

Yuejiang Wen, Electrical Engineering, “High Dimensional Optimization for Electronic Designs,” April 30, 2024, 3:00 p.m., MRC-337. Major Professor: Dr. Paul Franzon.

Dimitri Malheiros, Prestage Department of Poultry Science, “Influence of Stress in Laying Hens in Differing Cage Densities and Mitigation of Stress Responses Due to Parasitic Infection and Insulin Sensitivity,” May 1, 2024, 8:00 a.m., Scott Hall 216. Major Professor: Dr. Kenneth E. Anderson.

Kerem Ziya Akdemir, Civil Engineering, “Decarbonization planning under climate change: An open-source approach using reduced network production cost models,” May 1, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Virtual. Major Professors: Dr. Jordan Kern/Dr. Jeremiah Johnson.

Kara Schatz, Computer Science, “Domain-and Task-Aware Knowledge Graphs: From Construction to Completion,” May 1, 2024, 10:00 a.m., EBII 3211. Major Professor: Dr. Rada Chirkova.

Katie Kilmartin, Psychology, “The Impacts of Family Relationships, School Connection, and Neighborhood Collective Efficacy on Adolescent Wellness and Negative Affects,” May 1, 2024, 1:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Scott Stage.

Chanhueng Cho, Economics, “Essays on Resource and Environmental Economics.”, May 1, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Nelson 4302. Major Professors: Dr. Zachary Brown and Dr. Justin Baker.

Duncan Culbreth, Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, “Examining the Role of Synchrony in Online Learner Engagement”, May 1, 2024, 3:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Florence Martin.

Annisa Marlin Masbar Rus, Industrial Engineering, “A Comprehensive Exploration of Topic Modeling Applications to Inform Decision-Making in Healthcare,” May 1, 2024, 11:00 a.m., FWH-4361. Major Professor: Dr. Maria Mayorga.

Bethany Sutherland, MEAS, “Applications of Aerosol Type Specific Properties in Air Quality and Radiative Forcing,” May 1, 2024, 11:00 a.m., Jordan 1132. Major Professor: Dr. Nicholas Meskhidze.

Darien Dixon, Sociology, “No Longer Divided: Analyzing the Racial Integration of Schools in North Carolina,” May 2, 2024, 11:00 a.m., Building 1911, Rm. 129. Major Professor: Dr. Melvin Thomas.

Sasha Azad, Computer Science, “Little Computer People: A Taxonomy and Sandbox for Social Simulation,” May 2, 2024, 11:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professors: Dr. Arnav Jhala/Dr. Chirs Martens.

Jeanne McClure, Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, “Unveiling the Power of Learning Analytics: Investigating Cognitive Engagement through a Multifaceted Lens”, May 2, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Shiyan Jiang.

Nicole Pekarek, Education Research & Policy Analysis, “Self-Perceptions of Self-Efficacy Related to Certification and Career Trajectory in Alumni of an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Program: A Case Study.” May 2, 2024, 11:30 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Susan Barcinas.

Sen Zhang, Fiber and Polymer Science, “Comparison of Origami Actuators Driven by Different Actuation Mechanisms,” May 2, 2024, 3:00 p.m., WCOT Room 3438. Major Professor: Dr. Xiaomeng Fang.

Mai Ibrahim, CRDM, “Affective Encounters in Social Virtual Reality,” May 2, 2024, 4:00 p.m., Zoom. Major Professors: Dr. Helen Burgess/Dr. Grant Bollmer.

Malaika Edwards, ELPHD, “Formulating a Mental Health Diagnosis: A Phenomenological Inquiry of Licensed Counselors”, May 3, 2024, 2:00 p.m., Remote, Major Porfessor: Dr. Stanley Baker.

Himanish Ganjoo, Physics, “Illuminating Hidden Sector Dark Matter with Early Matter Domination,” May 3, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Zoom. Major Professor: Dr. Katherine Mack.

Lorenzo Watson, Education Research & Policy Analysis, “The Spiritual Narratives of Undergraduate African American Men at a Historically White University”, May 3, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Alyssa Rockenbach.

Jin Bai, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “From Redlining to COVID-19: How Humans Affect Bird Diversity and Distribution in Urban North Carolina”, May 6, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Jordan Addition 1214. Major Professor: Dr. Madhusudan Katti.

Jou-An Chen, Computer Science, “Unlocking the Potential of Bit and Sparse Support on Modern GPU’s for GNN and Graph Processing,” May 6, 2024, 10:00 a.m.,, EBII-2216. Major Professor: Dr. Xipeng Shen.

Hwan Oh, Chemical Engineering, “Dual-Material Area-Selective Deposition for Advanced Nanopatterning, May 6, 2024, 10:00 a.m., EBI-3018. Major Professor: Dr. Gregory Parsons.

Lilian Bridgits Okello, “Integration of Magneto-Capillary Effects in Novel Multiphasic Inks for 3D,” May 6, 2024, 12:00 p.m., EBI-2018. Major Professor: Dr. Orlin D. Velev.

Hannah Peel, Soil Science, “Understanding redox controls on As, VR, and V mobility in groundwater in the North Carolina Piedmont,” May 6, 2024, 2:00 p.m., WMS 2223. Major Professor: Dr. Owen Duckworth.

Jianghao Shen, Electrical Engineering, “Light Weight and Expressive Neural Architecture Design and Search for Low-Shot Image Synthesis,” May 6, 2024, 2:00 p.m., EBII-3110. Major Professor: Dr. Tianfu Wu.

Karl G. Feld, CRDM, “Crisis Communication Decision-Making in a Modern Dictatorship: Towards a Government Communication Decision Wheel for the German Democratic Republic,” May 7, 2024, 9:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professors: Dr. Kenneth Zagacki and Dr. Alice Cheng.

Ziwen “Jackqee” Qiu, “Exploring Clothing Movement in 3D Apparel Motion Simulation,” May 7, 2024, 10:00 a.m., WCOT 4404. Major Professors: Dr. Anne Porterfield and Dr. Kavita Mathur.

Mirela Artner, Forest Biomaterials, “Understanding the structure-processing of cellulose nanofibrils towards a high-quality grade for packaging”, May 8, 2024, 9:00 a.m., BI 2102. Major Professors: Dr. Nathalie Lavoine and Dr. Melissa Pasquinelli.

Joseph Berman, Electrical Engineering, “Merging Machine Learning, Automation, and Physiological Modeling to Enable Intuitive Control of Upper Limb Prostheses,” May 8, 2024, 9:00 a.m., EBIII-4142. Major Professor: Dr. He Huang.

Trevor Adam Dunlap, Computer Science, “Enhancing Vulnerability Information Using Automated Analysis,” May 8, 2024, 10:00 a.m., EBII 2240. Major Professors: Dr. William Enck/Dr. Bradley Reaves.

Barbara Machado Marques, Forestry and Environmental Resources, “CRISPR Genome Editing for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Bioproducts in Forest Trees”, May 8, 2024, 2:00 p.m., Partners II Suite 2500. Major Professor: Dr. Jack Wang.

Matthew Clary, Materials Science & Engineering, “Magnetic Materials and Structures for Reprogrammable Soft Robots and Cardiac Devices,” May 8, 2024, 2:00 p.m., EBI-3018. Major Professor: Dr. Joseph Tracy.

Seonyoung Youn, Fiber & Polymer Science, “Development of Health Monitoring E-Textile Garment System Using Digital Simulation Technology,” May 8, 2024, 10:30 a.m., Wilson College of Textiles, room 4404. Major Professor: Dr. Kavita Mathur.

Gokhan Cakir, Electrical Engineering, “Methods to Improve State Estimation Performance for Real Time Monitoring on Distribution Systems,” May 10, 2024, 10:00 a.m., FREEDM Center/Energy Board Room. Major Professor: Dr. Mesut Baran.

Qinjin Jia, Computer Science, “Perceive, Generate, Evaluate: Automated Feedback Generation for Student Project Reports and Efficient Evaluation Thereof,” May 13, 2024, 2:00 p.m., Zoom. Major Professor: Dr. Edward F. Gehringer.

Briana Kemp, ELPHD, “Searching for Sisterhood: An Examination of the Lived Mentorship Experiences of Black Doctoral Women in Counselor Education”, May 13, 2024, 11:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professors: Dr. Stanley Baker and Dr. Rolanda Mitchell.

Kimberly Ideus, Learning and Teaching in STEM, “The Epistemic Emotion of Awe: A Tool for Teachers’ Professional Development”, May 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Nortel, Friday Institute. Major Professor: Dr. Gail Jones.

Lin Ge, Statistics, “On Sequential Decision Making: Online Optimization and Offline Evaluation,” May 14, 2024, 1:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professors: Dr. Riu Song and Dr. Luo Xiao.

Ryan Gordon Bing, Chemical Engineering, “Metabolic Engineering and Optimization of Non-native Solventogenic Lignocellulose Fermentation by the Extreme Thermophile Anaerocellum, May 14, 2024, 3:30 p.m., EBI-2018. Major Professor: Dr. Robert M. Kelly.

Eboni Malloy, ELPHD, “Engage, Empower, Educate: A Case Study of Black Female Adult Learners and Their Perspective on Meaningful Faculty Interactions”, May 16, 2024, 9:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Susan Barcinas.

Daniel West, ELPHD, “PACEing the Path to Engagement: A Quantitative Study of Campus Climate, Student Interactions, and Employee Engagement at Community Colleges”, May 20, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Belk Center Conference Room, Major Professor: Dr. Audrey Jaeger.

Qianli Zhao, Computer Engineering, “An Analytical Framework for PPA Estimation of Systolic Array-Based Hardware Accelerators,” May 21, 2024, 9:00 a.m., JB Hunt – 3109. Major Professor: Dr. Rhett Davis.

Annie Paulukonis, Geospatial Analytics, “Fields and Foragers: Linking Pesticide Landscapes to Wildlife Demography for Pollinator Risk Assessments”, May 24, 2024, 2:00 p.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Helena Mitasova.

Joyce Smith, MEAS, “Analyzing Student Performance Trends in Face-to-Face and Online Delivery Modes for an Introductory Geology Lab Course: Impacts of Learner Traits, Course Perceptions, and Instructional Materials,” May 29, 2024, 10:00 a.m., 1132 Jordan. Major Professor: Dr. David McConnell.

Wentao Liu, Biomedical Engineering, “Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Enhancing Human-Robot Symbiosis in Robot Control Design,” May 30, 2024, 9:00 a.m.., EBIII-4142. Major Professor: Dr. He Huang.

Zidan Li, Chemical Engineering, “Evolutionary Strategies for Enhanced Performance in Bacteria,” June 7, 2024, 12:00 p.m., EBI-2018. Major Professor: Dr. Nathan Crook.

Chenyin Gao, Statistics, “Tensor Completion for Causal Inference,” June 10, 2024, 11:00 a.m., Remote. Major Professor: Dr. Shu Yang.

Nancy Ingabire Abayo, Civil Engineering, “Geologic Considerations in Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spreading Assessments,” June 12, 2024, 9:00 a.m., FWH -3280. Major Professors: Dr. Ashly Cabas Mijares/Dr. Brina Montoya.

Luke Allen, Geospatial Analytics, “Observed mesoscale surface air pressure waves and in-cloud characteristics in the context of winter storm structures”, June 13, 2024, 2:00 p.m., Jordan 5103. Major Professor: Dr. Sandra Yuter.

Obtin Alkhamis, Chemistry, “Aptamer Development for Molecular Sensing,” June 14, 2024, 12:00 p.m., COX 400. Major Professor: Dr. Yi Xiao.

Savanna Smith, Environmental Engineering, “Microbial community analysis and assembly processes in engineered bioreactors,” June 19, 2024, 8:00 a.m., FWH-3301. Major Professors: Dr. Francis de los Reyes III/Dr. Joel Ducoste.

Victor Augusto Duraes de Faria, Operations Research, “Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics to Energy Systems,” June 19, 2024, 10:15 a.m., FWH-3361. Major Professor: Dr. Anderson de Queiroz.

Temitope Ibitoye, Environmental Engineering, “Characterizing Disease Transmission Using Next-Generation Environmental Surveillance Tools,” June 20, 2024, 9:00 a.m., FWH 4280. Major Professor: Dr. Angela Harris.

Carly Catella, Chemical Engineering, “Development of peptide and nanobody toxin inhibitors for treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection,” June 20, 2024, 10:00 a.m., PSB-1322A. Major Professors: Dr. Nathan Crook/Dr. Stefano Menegatti.

David Dickson, Physics, “Quantifying the Efficiency of Roche Lobe Overflow in the Formation of Merging Black Hole Binaries,” June 24, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Riddick 400P. Major Professor: Dr. John Blondin.

Leah Weaver, Civil Engineering, “Phanerodontia chrysosporium fungal bioremediation and geomedia amendments as treatment for contaminants in bioretention stormwater systems.” June 25, 2024, 10:00 a.m., FWH 3280. Major Professor: Dr. Tarek N. Aziz.

Talitha Batts, ELPHD, “The Impact of Virtual Vocational Teacher Education When Integrating Apprenticeship Learning for Educators in Kenya: A Narrative Study to Justify Teacher Education to Stimulate Economic Growth and Workforce Development.”, June 27, 2024, 1:00 p.m., Remote, Major Professor: Dr. Michelle Bartlett.

Gabriel Silva de Oliveira, Computer Science, “Understanding Coding Struggle in a Large Project-Based CS2 Course,” July 16, 2024, 1:00 p.m., EBII-3211. Major Professors: Dr. Collin Lynch/Dr. Sarah Heckman.

Evelyn Smith, Adult & Community College Education, “Examining Quintraditional Students’ Viewpoints of Instructional Practices in Community College”, July 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m., Remote, Major Professors: Dr. James Bartlett and Dr. Carrol Warren.