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Dissertation Process: Overview

• Created by Kelsey Samsel , last modified on Apr 16, 2024

Doctoral Dissertation process

The process for completing a Doctoral dissertation is fourfold. 

• A student will prepare and defend a dissertation proposal consisting of the first three chapters before all members of the dissertation committee, including the chair.
• Once the proposal is approved by the committee, the student must complete the advancement to doctoral candidacy application process.
• Upon successful advancement, the student will conduct the research activities under the guidance of the dissertation chair and committee. 
• The student will defend the completed dissertation before the committee.  After successfully defending and satisfactorily completing any required revisions, the student would earn the Ph.D.

Prepare   Dissertation/Treatise proposal

• To determine if a faculty member is on the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC), which might impact their eligibility to be on your dissertation committee, talk to your advisor.  It is the responsibility of the student to secure a faculty supervisor and committee that meets the requirements of the Graduate School.
• The committee for a Doctoral dissertation must be comprised of four individuals.  The chair of the committee must be a faculty member with GSC status in the Department.  The second and third committee members must be faculty or and/or senior lecturers with GSC status in the Department. The fourth member must be an outside member, who holds a doctorate degree, who is not a member of the student’s GSC. The fourth member, if external to the University, will need to submit a curriculum vitae and a letter indicating his/her willingness to serve on the dissertation committee. 
• Prepare your proposal (traditionally, this is the first 3 chapters of your dissertation/treatise; however, you should work with your dissertation chair to determine the contents of your proposal).
• Once your dissertation committee chair approves your proposal draft, schedule a meeting for the oral proposal presentation and distribute copies to committee members.  
• Schedule a room, with the Graduate Coordinator, in which to present your proposal.

Apply for Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement into candidacy requires an application and approval by the student’s supervising professor, the departmental Graduate Advisor, and the UT Graduate Dean.

The name and rank of each person serving on the doctoral committee and an abstract of the doctoral research are submitted. The doctoral abstract can be broad and is changeable as the student progresses in the program. Once the on-line portion is submitted, it must be approved through UT Direct by the student's supervising professor, the Graduate Advisor, and the Graduate Dean.

PLEASE NOTE: The Graduate Advisor will not approve the on-line portion of the application unless the student completes all the paper forms in the application packet required by the Department. If you have questions about this process, please contact the Graduate Office.

• Read all the information listed under “Human Subjects” (User Guide, Special Topics, Training, IRB Access, IRB members, IRB Policies & Procedures at UT, Forms and Templates, FAQs, and Contacts.  Read the information entitled “About IRB” (including information on Researchers, What is Human Subjects Research? and Dates & Deadlines).
• Fill out the appropriate paperwork on Human Subjects Review and complete the  IRB Approval process . 
• Take the U T Copyright and Plagiarism Tutorial  and print out the certification for proof of completion. Include a copy of this certification when you submit your dissertation/treatise.

Complete Dissertation/Treatise Research Activities

• Two dissertation/treatise courses are required to be taken in consecutive semesters. 
• An advising hold on your registration record will be in place until you meet the IRB Approval Pre-requirement.
• Work with your chair to determine your progress.
• Complete data collection and analysis (for peace of mind, be sure to back up your work).
• Write the final dissertation/treatise draft.
• Submit your draft to your chair for approval.

Dissertation Guidelines

In most cases, the a Doctoral dissertation will include five chapters:

• Chapter I contains an introduction to the study and its context.
• Chapter II contains an examination of the relevant literature. 
• Chapter III presents a thorough discussion of the methodology for the research. 
• Chapter IV features a careful, insightful, and comprehensive coverage of the results of the research. 
• Chapter V includes interpretation, discussion, and implications of the research results. 

Of course, the focus of each chapter and the chapter order are only what is typical and thus do not necessarily apply to all dissertations. All decisions on these matters are completely in the hands of the dissertation chair and committee.  

It is expected that the writing, the use of citations, the review and understanding of the research literature, and the research skills would reflect the highest quality standards. In addition, the style guidelines are typically those of the APA format, those made available by the University, or any other legitimate style appropriate to the study and accepted by the dissertation committee.

Complete Final Oral Exam

Scheduling of the Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation/Treatise) will be predicated upon the quality of the execution, analysis, and writing of the dissertation/treatise and will be conducted only with Dissertation/Treatise Committee approval. While the Dissertation/Treatise Committee alone votes on the acceptability of the student's Final Orals, any member of the Graduate Faculty may participate during the Examination.

Oral Exams are to be scheduled by the student and the Office of Graduate Studies. The Request for Final Oral Examination must be formally submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at least two weeks prior to the Examination. Normally, students must submit to members of the Dissertation/Treatise Committee a final draft of the dissertation at   least four weeks   prior to the Examination.

• Submit the   Doctoral Application to Graduate   the first week of the semester in which you plan to graduate). 
• Submit your dissertation/treatise to your Dissertation Committee   at least four weeks   before your defense.
• Schedule your  Final Oral Examination   two weeks   before the desired date using the   Request for Final Oral   form. Your committee signatures signifies that they approve of your request for the final oral exam and serves as a receipt that they received your dissertation/treatise draft. 

Please then submit the Request for Final Oral Examination form, along with the Dissertation “front matter” to the Graduate School at   [email protected]   at least   two weeks   before the defense date.

• Work with your chair to determine the elements and presentation method needed for your final oral exam.
• Effective Fall 2020, the Graduate School will not schedule your final defense within   two weeks   of the last class day of the semester. Reference the   UT Academic Calendar   for deadline information.

After a successful defense,

• Make the appropriate corrections to your dissertation/treatise as suggested by your committee and upload the formatted dissertation/treatise by the deadline to the Texas Digital Library website,   https://utexas-etd.tdl.org/ .
• Seek signatures from your committee on the   "Report of Dissertation/Treatise"   form and submit by the Graduate School deadline:   Report of Dissertation form
• Submit all paperwork to the Office of Graduate Studies   ( [email protected] )   following the   deadlines of the semester   in which you wish to graduate.
• Submit  IRB Protocol Closure Report  (Electronic Closure) to Office of Research of Support and Compliance.  

Attend Graduation and Celebrate!!!

• Check the  Graduation Deadlines for Doctoral Candidates  for graduation information.
• Check the  commencement website for ceremony information . 

Extension of Candidacy Policy and Process

Dissertation/treatise completion requirements.

• According to the Graduate School guidelines (Graduate School Handbook), students who have been admitted to doctoral candidacy have two years to complete their degree. The candidacy of each student is reviewed after two years and annually thereafter. At the end of the second year, the Office of Graduate Studies informs the Department Graduate Advisor that a student’s candidacy must be reviewed and a recommendation be made concerning an “Extension of Candidacy” or “Termination of Candidacy.”
• At the end of the second year of candidacy, an Extension of Candidacy for one last year may be requested and must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) of the department according to the process outlined in this policy.
• An extension of candidacy may be approved for up to one year (2 long semesters plus 1 summer semester) only. The student must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
• Under extraordinary circumstances, candidates may request an additional extension of candidacy provided the dissertation/treatise committee chair and the program head support such a request.

Extension of one last year

• The department graduate advisor informs the dissertation/treatise committee chair and the program head of the need for an extension request.
• The student, in collaboration with the chair of the dissertation/treatise committee and the program head, writes and submits a completion plan to the graduate advisor. This plan must include detailed activities and dates to complete and defend the dissertation or treatise, and a support statement from the dissertation/treatise committee chair.
• The graduate advisor presents the request for Extension of Candidacy to the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.
• The dissertation/treatise committee chair makes a brief report providing any additional information. The Graduate Studies Committee makes a decision regarding the extension request including any conditions, or termination of the student’s program.
• The graduate advisor informs the student of the decision including any conditions that might apply.
• The Graduate Advisor submits the Extension of Candidacy Recommendation to the Office of the Graduate Studies.
• This is the last extension of candidacy a student may request. 

Additional Extension

Only under exigent circumstances, as verified by the Chair of the dissertation/treatise committee and the program chair, a student may request an additional extension.

DOWNLOAD FORM:    Extension of Candidacy Application Form

Request to Delay Publication

Initial request for delay of publication.

If you wish to request a temporary delay of publication of your thesis, report, dissertation, or treatise, you must make this request before graduation. The request should be made by using this form. If no request to delay publication is made, the document will be freely available online.

Note that it is not appropriate to use a delay of publication to avoid securing copyright permissions required for publication. Any required publication permissions must be obtained prior to submitting the ETD. The graduate dean makes the final decision regarding delayed publication.

Restrictions and/or holds on publishing requested from ProQuest do not apply to the dissertation archived at the TDL.

Extension Request for Delay of Publication

Authors who already have an approved delay of publication, but wish to extend the time of the delay, may request an extension (up to seven years from the date of graduation).

Request to End Delay of Publication Prior to Scheduled Date

Authors who have an approved delay of publication, but wish to publish their ETD prior to the date initially requested, may request to end the delay of publication.

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Dissertations, Theses, and Reports From UT Austin

The UT Libraries collects dissertations, theses, and master's reports written by UT Austin students. Please note that it can take up to a year after the graduation date for copies to be received.

Dissertations from 2001-present and theses from 2010-present are available electronically. Print copies are available of older items. 

The most comprehensive list of UT Austin dissertations, theses, and reports is available in the library catalog . In the  Advanced Search  option, you can limit the resource type of results to dissertations. You may have to scroll down in the drop down menu to see all options. 

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Ordering Dissertations & Theses

Depending on the dissertation or thesis desired, UTD-affiliated users should first check the appropriate dissertations and theses database for availability. If a full-text digital copy of the dissertation or thesis is not available, the user will have several options to obtain the document:

• Sometimes, dissertations and theses of outside universities are available to borrow via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) . Fill out the form and we will let you know if the document in question is available.  
• In the case of UTD-only dissertations and theses, a paper or microfilm copy may be your only option. Search the catalog to find out the document's availability and call number. The library has equipment for viewing, scanning, and e-mailing or printing paper and microfilm documents.  
• In some cases, it does not hurt to contact the author of the dissertation or thesis. You will likely have to conduct a web search for the author's contact information. If the author in question has a digital copy, it is not uncommon for him/her to share the document.  
• Non-UTD-affiliated users may purchase a copy of the dissertation or thesis through  ProQuest's Dissertations Express   service. If a UTD-only dissertation or thesis is available only in paper or microform format, the user must come to the library to view and digitally scan or copy the document. The Eugene McDermott Library cannot scan/digitize and transmit its paper- or microform-only theses and dissertations to remote users.
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Home > All Theses and Dissertations

All Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES TO ENHANCE CELLEULLAR DRUG DELIVERY , Rahma Aly

REDESIGN OF LEG ASSEMBLY FOR REMOTE WALKING TRAINING DEVICE TO IMPROVE GAIT KINEMATICS , Jacob Anthony

REDESIGN OF ROBOTIC WALKING TRAINING DEVICE TO INVOLVE ZERO GRAVITY CAPABILITIES AND DAILY ACTIVITIES , Chad Ballard

MALARIA, A BURDEN FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA , ALPHA MAMADOU HADY BARRY

DNP Final Report: Promoting the Self-Efficacy of Caregivers of Children with Seizures Using Evidence-Based Practice , Malorie Brooks

DNP Final Report: DOUBLE GLOVING AS PART OF THE SURGICAL SITE INFECTION PREVENTION BUNDLE FOR COLORECTAL SURGERIES , DAVE P. CALUBAQUIB

CENTRAL LINE DRESSING CHANGE REGIMEN TO DECREASE CENTRAL LINE-ASSOCIATED BLOODSTREAM INFECTIONS , Ann Campbell

DNP Final Report: UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE CENTRAL LINE-ASSOCIATED BLOODLINE INFECTIONS , Robert Campbell

DNP Final Report: REDUCING READMISSION IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: AN EVIDENCE-BASED PROJECT , Seleria D. Fletcher

Resilience training for entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing students: An evidence-based practice project , Ashley N. Goar

DNP Final Report: HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) VACCINE CAMPAIGN , Joanna Schnupp Imperial

USING VIRUS LIKE PARTICLE CONJUGATES OF SYNTHETIC TARGETING COMPOUNDS TO DELIVER CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC DRUGS TO CANCER STEM CELLS , Austen W. Kerzee

"Hunter-Killer" Peptoid-Peptide Conjugate To Target and Eliminate Cancer Stem Cells , Breanne F. McElderry

DNP Final Report: AT-RISK NURSING STUDENT SUCCESS: IMPLEMENTING A TRANSITION WORKSHOP , Colea Owens

USING POSE ESTIMATION TO IDENTIFY GOALKEEPER MOVEMENT TIMING , Chethan Reddy

DNP Final Report: BALANCING SELF-CARE AND PATIENT CARE: AN INTERVENTION TO ENHANCE WELL-BEING FOR ACUTE CARE NURSES , Robert V. Rose Jr.

DNP Final Report: Effects of Open-Access Scheduling on Patient No-Show Rates in an Outpatient Clinic , Maria Aileen A. Wilkinson MSN, MBA, RN

How Teacher Retention is Handled at an Elementary School , Steven D. Young I

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Nonlinear Triboelectric Energy Harvester for Frequency Up-Conversion Applications , Hadeel A. Abumarar

APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (ANN) IN DEVELOPMENT OF PREDICTION MODELS FOR PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES , Prashanta Kumar Acharjee

Teacher Retention: A Closer Look at Finding a Solution , Katie A. Adams

Targeting BRD4 in the Treatment of Pleural Fibrosis , Joy Adewumi

THE ROLE OF MYOCARDIN IN THE PROGRESSION OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER , Soromidayo Akinsiku

TOWARD THE DESIGN, SYNTHESIS, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ABIOTIC COILED-COIL PEPTIDES VIA SOLID-PHASE COPPER-CATALYZED AZIDE-ALKYNE CYCLOADDITION (SP-CUAAC) CLICK REACTION FOR THE PREPARATION OF CONTROLLED SELF-ASSEMBLY MOLECULAR BUILDING BLOCK , Liaquat Ali

Prevalence and beliefs associated with vaccine hesitancy among Muslim-Americans , Marina Ali

THE SCIENCE OF READING: INFORMING TYPICAL LITERACY PRACTICES AND IMPROVING IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH-INFORMED PRACTICES , Edward T. Anaya

LEVERAGING RESULTS-DRIVEN ACCOUNTABILITY TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES , Lori R. Anderson

GENERATION OF CHIMERIC RHINOVIRUSES PRESENTING SARS-COV-2 BROADLY NEUTRALIZING EPITOPES AND THEIR ANTIGENICITY CHARACTERIZATION , Danish Ansari

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA, CARE PARTNERS, CNAs/SITTERS, AND PROVIDERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC UP TO NOW: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY , Gaudensia Awuor

CAMPUS-LEVEL TEACHER TURNOVER IN TEXAS PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP FACTORS AND SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS USING HEIRARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING , Amy Welch Baskin

DNP Final Report: IMPLEMENTATION OF A PRENATAL ELECTRONIC EDUCATION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING INITIATION RATES IN NEW MOTHERS , Karen Bledsoe

Commitment to Collaboration: Development of a School Nursing Collaboration Instrument , Jodi S. Bullard

DNP Final Report: AN EVIDENCE-BASED INITIATIVE TO REDUCE RISK OF VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED EVENTS , Bailey Dee Burge

RESIDENTIAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY STUDY – ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION , Giovanni Cerrato

DNP Final Report: DECREASING STRESS & ANXIETY IN NURSING STUDENTS: A MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAM INTERVENTION , Jennifer L. Cole

THE COMPETENCY TO STAND TRIAL PROCESS IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND THE EFFECT TIME HAS ON OUTCOMES , Hannah E. Cornwell

IMPACT OF RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION ON ACHIEVEMENT , Aimee Leigh Dennis

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS’ COMPETENCIES AND CAREER SUCCESS IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY , Cheryl DePonte

The Role of General Mental Ability on a Virtual Reality Prospective Memory Task , Jeanné M. Dube

IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS OF SUB-LETHAL ALGAL TOXIN EXPOSURE IN ATLANTIC SALMON (SALMO SALAR) AND CHINOOK SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA) USING DIFFERENTIAL GENE EXPRESSION ANALYSIS , Brandon Ellingson

ROLE OF HISTONE DEACETYLASES IN REGULATION OF MACROPHAGE PHAGOCYTOSIS OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS , Benjamin Esiesimua

Neither Meek nor Docile: An Analysis of Margaret Hale and Jane Eyre in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre , McKell Ferguson

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF PROCESSES AND METRICS IN A DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM , Kristian E. Fischer

ESTIMATING ROTATOR CUFF INJURY RISK DURING REAR-END VEHICLE COLLISIONS USING OPENSIM , Brandon Fugger

EVALUATING HEALTHCARE STUDENT LEARNING PERFORMANCE DURING THE INITIAL YEAR OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY , Maria D. Garcia-Villarreal

DNP Final Report: MEDICATION ADHERENCE: EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE , Amanda George

Automated Sensing Methods in Soft Stretchable Sensors for Soft Robotic Gripper , Prosenjit Kumar Ghosh

Synthetic Studies of Dragonamide E and Its Potential Treatment of Leishmaniasis , Sarah E. Glaesemann

LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS, PRACTICES, AND SYTLES IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS IN THE U.S. TECHNOLOGY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY , SUSAN E. GLOVER

A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study Comparing Rural and Nonrural Critical Illness Survivors , Rebecca Greene

INOCULANT TO INFLUENCE: CULTIVATING CRITICAL CITIZENSHIP BY FOREGROUNDING ONTOLOGY THROUGH KENNETH BURKE AND WALTER FISHER’S RHETORICAL FRAMEWORKS , Mark Griffin

DNP Final Report: PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN NURSE STUDENTS , Rose Leal Guidry

ASSESSMENT OF DENTAL ANXIETY AND PHOBIA IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND DENTAL HYGIENE CLINIC POPULATION IN EAST TEXAS , Gangavaigai Guruparankumar

THE ART AND MYSTERY OF PRAGMATIC HISTORY , David Hardin

EVALUATION OF A DISTRICT’S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE , Alyta T. Harrell

THE UTEACH PROGRAM: MINIMIZING THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS AND TEACHING ACTUALIZED , Chanel Howard Veazy

AN ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF EAST TEXAS SALAMANDERS ACROSS THE CAMP TYLER OUTDOOR FIELD SCHOOL IN SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS , Justin C. Hunt

FUNCTIONAL IMPACT OF ETHYL-β-D-GLUCURONIDE ON MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS STIMULATED LUNG MACROPHAGES , Charles Inaku

DNP Final Report: Translation of evidence-based practice: Developing Nurses' ability to recognize and respond to clinical deterioration , Bryan Stephen Jordan

ADEQUACY OF EXISTING LIGHT TIMBER SHEAR WALLS TO BRACE STEEL FRAMES IN RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION , Sameer J. Karki

COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN OF FIBER-OPTIC PROBES FOR BIOSENSING , Suwarna Karna

CONCEPTUALIZING FIRST-YEAR WRITING AGENCY: THE TRANSFER-RHETORICAL GENRE-VOICE TRIAD AS AN ENACTMENT OF RHETORICAL AGENCY , Amanda Kerr

PREDICTIVE MODELING OF ASPHALT PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS , Rami Khalifah

DNP Final Report: Preventing Critical Care Nurse Burnout: An Evidence Based Approach to Raising Awareness , Trendalyn S. King

THE ROLE OF MTORC2 IN MESOMESENCHYMAL TRANSITIONING IN HUMAN PLEURAL MESOTHELIAL CELLS , Perpetual S. Kyei

The Impact of Mentoring Practices on New Faculty and Staff , Paige Lloyd

Factors of Teacher Retention , Toni Lopez

THE EFFECTS OF SCHOOL BOARD BEHAVIORS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES: AN EVALUATIVE STUDY OF LONE STAR GOVERNANCE , Morris Lyon

THE IMPACT OF RACE/ETHNICITY ON OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN EAST TEXAS CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS , Jackie Schniederjan McDonald

Modifiable health disparities and cardiovascular disease risk factors in Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers: A meta-analysis , Cindy Mendez

CELLULOSE MATERIALS FOR DRUG DELIVERY APPLICATIONS , Reham Mohamed

CEREBRAL VASOMOTOR REACTIVITY TO ASSESS BRAIN DYSREGULATION IN POST COVID NEUROLOGICAL SYNDROME , Musharaf Mohiuddin

A MACHINE LEARNING APPROACH FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA (BPD) IN PRETERM INFANTS USING INTER HYPOXEMIA INTERVALS , Ratri Mukherjee

THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN THE TELEWORKING CONTEXT IN THE U.S. PUBLIC SECTOR: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL CASE STUDY , Elizabeth Nesuda

PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR GAMMA (PPAR-γ) REGULATION OF INDUCTION OF INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS BY ORGANIC DUST IN THP-1 MACROPHAGE CELLS , Peter Nsiah

HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION OF SACCHARINA LATISSIMA FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOFUEL , Mayokun A. Oke

EFFECTS OF INTERLEUKIN-22 (IL-22) ON NECROPTOSIS, INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES, AND METABOLISM OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS STIMULATED TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS MOUSE MACROPHAGES , Bismark Owusu-Afriyie

MONITORING THE EFFECTS OF POULTRY WASTE ON FISHES AND MACROINVERTEBRATES IN THE SABINE RIVER , Karley R. Parker

DNP Final Report: Conquering RN Turnover: Implementing Flexible Scheduling to Improve Job Satisfaction , Camille Y. Parsee

THE EFFECT OF A PERSONALIZED LEARNING MODEL ON THE MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY STUDENTS , Jaclyn L. Pedersen

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED STRESS AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY TO THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS , Ashley J. Pierre

TO STUDY HEART RATE DYNAMICS OF PRETERM INFANTS USING LSTM BASED DEEP LEARNING MODEL , Soniya Poudel Chhetri

INVESTIGATION OF MAGNETIC BISTABILITY FOR A WIDER BANDWIDTH IN VIBRO-IMPACT TRIBOELECTRIC ENERGY HARVESTERS , Qais Qaseem

STATUS SURVEY OF EIGHT RARE AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN EAST TEXAS , Alexandra Randall

The Role of Cultural Capital in Improving Advanced Placement Outcomes , Kolbe Ricks

MODELING A PARKINSON’S DISEASE LIKE STATE IN ZEBRAFISH LARVAE UTILIZING 6-HYDROXYDOPAMINE , Adrian Romero

CLEAN ENERGY & SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT BY CARBON DIOXIDE MITIGATION STRATEGIES , Md Fahim Shahriar

IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR OLDER STRUGGLING READERS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCE , Kathryn Stone

Teachers' Use of Assessment Data to Improve Instruction and Student Achievement , Donna Summers

EVALUATION OF PERSONALIZED LEARNING , JORLY THOMAS

ALZHEIMERS DISEASE STAGES ARE CLASSIFIED BASED ON BIOMARKERS FOUND IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID USING MACHINE LEARNING CLASSIFIERS , Vivek K. Tiwari

DNP Final Report: Vascular Access in Burn Patients: An Evidence-Based Practice Project , Amanda Venable

THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF IFN-γ PROMOTED NECROPTOSIS IN MACROPHAGES , Meghan R. Vogt

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OPTIMIZATION PLATFORM FOR COMMON FIXED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS , Amro Ahmad Zahrawi

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

AEROACOUSTIC ANALYSES FOR NOISE REDUCTION APPLICATION , Mahmoud M. Abdalmola

DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC GENES IN CRYPTOPHYTE ALGAE (HEMISELMIS CRYPTOCHROMATICA CCMP 1181) , Chastity D. Aguilar

EFFICIENT ENERGY HARVESTING WITH APPLICATIONS IN VIBRATION AND IMPLANTABLE BIOSENSORS , Mohammad Atmeh

DNP Final Report: Psychosocial Screening for Oncology Patients , Robyn V. Beard

MICRO-RNA ANALYSIS OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES SECRETED BY ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES AND EPITHELIAL CELLS IN RESPONSE TO CADMIUM , Anisha Bhakta

METHODOLOGY TO COMPARE PERFORMANCE OF RESIDENTIAL HVAC SYSTEMS OPERATING IN COOLING MODE , Manoj Bhandari

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Home > Student Work > Graduate Studies > Theses and dissertations

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Electronic graduate theses and dissertations from Utah State University.

Students requesting changes to thesis/dissertation:

Upon final deposit in the Institutional Repository (IR), a thesis/dissertation becomes part of the student’s official academic record. No changes may be made to the thesis or dissertation after it has been approved by the School of Graduate Studies.

A student may submit a request to include an addendum to the completed document. This requires the support of the thesis/dissertation chair and written approval from the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. The author must submit a written request to the School of Graduate Studies including the proposed addendum and a letter of support from the dissertation chair. The School of Graduate Studies will forward the addendum and approval to the Library, and the addendum will be added to the record in the IR.

Opening the Black Box: Soil Microbial Communities in Field-Based Plant-Soil Feedback Experiments , Julia Kate Aaronson

Laboratory Modelling of the Various Components of Backward Erosion Piping Behavior Due to Converging Flow With Different Constricted Outlets , Ibrahim Ahmed Abdelmotelb Ibrahim

Diversity in Tech: Analyzing the Mismatch Between Corporate Framing and Impact , Rana Abulbasal

Improved Sustainability and Efficiency of Partial Depth Concrete Bridge Deck Repair , Israi I. H. Abu Shanab

Long-Distance Recreational Travel Behavior and Implications of Autonomous Vehicles , Sailesh Acharya

Fish Community Impacts and Conservation Implications of a Novel Barrier on the San Juan River, Utah , Zachary T. Ahrens

A Study of Controlled Attention in Children With and Without Developmental Language Disorder , Logan Alva

The Active CryoCubeSat Technology: Active Thermal Control for Small Satellites , Lucas S. Anderson

Locating Low Head Dams Using a Deep Learning Model in ArcGIS Pro With Aerial Imagery , Caitlin R. Arnold

Statistical Graph Quality Analysis of Utah State University Master of Science Thesis Reports , Ragan Astle

Centering Indigenous Knowledge: Reimagining Research Methods, Pedagogies, and Sustainability With Niitsitapi Awaaáhsskataiksi (Blackfoot Elders) , Sandra Bartlett Atwood

Low-Erosion Nozzle Materials for Long-Duration Hybrid Rocket Burns , Russell S. Babb

The Relationship Between Discipline-Specific Subject Matter Knowledge and Discipline-Specific Science Teaching Efficacy of Elementary Teachers , Douglas Ball

Toward a More Holistic Understanding of Uranium-Related Views and Experiences of Residents in the Four Corners Region of the United States , Matthew J. Barnett

Exploring Body Image Related Cognitive Fusion as a Maintenance Mechanism of Eating Disorder Pathology , Jennifer L. Barney

Drug Cartels and Government in Mexico: A Replication and Extension , Lindsey A. Beckstead

Local and Regional Landscape Characteristics Driving Habitat Selection by Greater Sage-Grouse Along a Fragmented Range Margin , Aidan T. Beers

Executive Functioning in Children With Autism and Co-Occurring Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Analysis , Kandice Benallie

Probabilistic Verification for Modular Network-on-Chip Systems , Jonah W. Boe

Aerodynamic Implications of a Bio‐Inspired Rotating Empennage Design for Control of a Fighter Aircraft , Christian R. Bolander

We Travel Together: Examining the Drivers and Functions of Animal Movement in Biotic Seed Dispersal , Binod Borah

The Right Mind: Rhetorics of Mental Health Disability and Accommodation in Higher Education , Rachel Welton Bryson

Using Linked Digital Activity Schedules to Promote Cooperative Thematic Play , Vincent E. Campbell

Happy or SAD? Quaking Aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) on Cedar Mountain, Southern Utah , Jaycee Cappaert

Surface-Functionalized Silica Nanocarriers for Mitigating Water Stress in Wheat and Benefiting the Root Microbiome , Anthony Cartwright

Effect of Increasing Levels of Gossypol and Fatty Acids Coming From Whole Cottonseed on Rumen Fermentation, Nutrient Digestibility and Microbial Community Composition in Continuous Culture Fermenters , Camila Castro Veloz

Signatures of Black Holes , Alexandra B. Chanson

A Mechanistic Examination of Interspecific Competition Between Wild and Domestic Herbivores , Courtney Check

Fremont Legacy in Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold: A Radiocarbon Analysis of the Pectol Collection Coiled Basketry Using Bayesian Modeling , Chelsea Cheney

Water Conservation Through Drought-Resilient Landscape Plants and Deficit Irrigation , Ji-Jhong Chen

The Mental Health Correlates of Microaggressions Towards Transgender and Gender Diverse People of Color: Moderating Effects of Identity Affirmation and LGBTQ+ Community Connectedness , Kevin Chi

A Generative Neural Network for Discovering Near Optimaldynamic Inductive Power Transfer Systems , Md Shain Shahid Chowdhury Oni

Augmented State Linear Covariance Applications for Nonlinear Missile Engagements , Jeffrey Scott Clawson

Technical Communication Inclusionary Interventions Into Academic Spaces , Sam Clem

An Evaluation of Stress Tolerance in Restoration Plant Species in Response to Fire, Drought, and Invasive Plants Through the Lens of Functional Traits , Adam M. Clifford

Is Ownership of or Proximity to Residential Solar Installations Associated With Environmental Opinions and Civic Engagement? , Jace Colby

Development of Large-Scale Pseudo-3D Shear Wave Velocity Models at the Garner Valley Downhole Array Site , Isabella Corey

By Other Means: The Political and Economic Motivations for the Formation of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902 in the United Kingdom , David Cornell

Mission Planning Techniques for Cooperative LEO Spacecraft Constellations , Skylar A. Cox

Use of Protective Lactic Acid Bacteria Adjunct Cultures to Decrease the Incidence of Gas Defects in Cheddar Cheese , Rhees T. Crompton

Generative Neural Network Approach to Designing and Optimizing Dynamic Inductive Power Transfer Systems , Andrew Pond Curtis

Patient-Therapist Congruence on Aspects of the Therapeutic Alliance in Psychotherapy for Medically Unexplained Symptoms , Sarah Daehler

Student Perceptions of Male and Female Instructors in a Post-Secondary Welding Course , S. Kjersti R. Decker

Making Space for Student Agency: A Multilayered Exploration of Agency and Writing in a First‐Grade Classroom , Kara DeCoursey

Consequences of Host Life Cycles for Symbiont Genome Evolution , Ashley Elizabeth Dederich

Greater Sage-Grouse Response to Tree Canopy Removal: Habitat Vegetation Composition and Sage-Grouse Use 10–15 Years Post Treatment in the Southern Periphery of the Species Range , Benjamen Donnelly

“Whan the Turuf is Thy Tour”: Analyzing Gender Codes of Burial Monuments in Late Medieval and Early Modern England , Shelbie Durrant

Physical Model of Rainwater Along Roadway Filter Strip , Ryan C. Eberhard

The Influence of Surface Roughness Frequency on Rotating Sphere Aerodynamics , Jack C. Elliott

Exploring the Process of Mindful Breathing With Stressed Mothers , Caleb D. Farley

Multispecies Genomic Sex Identification Using DDX3 Gene Polymorphisms , Jessica Felts

"There's No Good, It's Just Satisfactory": Perfectionistic Reactivity in NCAA Student-Athletes , Daniel J. M. Fleming

The Body Seeking Magnificence , Taylor Franson Thiel

ACT and Veterans: A Multiple Baseline Study Using ACT To Treat Anxiety Disorders in U.S. Military Veterans , Jeremiah E. Fruge

A Frobenius-Schur Extension for Real Projective Representation , Levi Gagnon‐Ririe

An Interval-Valued Random Forests , Paul Gaona Partida

Assessment of Evapotranspiration, Transpiration, and Water Stress Using sUAS Information Over Commercial Vineyards Across Central California , Rui Gao

Getting the Dirt on Phosphorus Pollution in Mountain Lakes: Are Rising Soil Temperatures Contributing to Eutrophication in Mountain Watersheds? , Gordon O. Gianniny

Establishment of a Transgenic Human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 Hamster Infection Model for the Evaluation of Therapeutics Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 , Scott A. Gibson

Precise Determination of Charge Distributions in Electron Irradiated Polymers Via Pulsed Electroacoustic Measurements With Applications to Spacecraft Charging , Zachary Gibson

Contextualization of El Salvador’s Need for a Powerful Executive: A Lockean Analysis of Nayib Bukele's Approach to Public Security in a Historical, Political, and Social Synthesis , Manuel Agresio Girón Alemán

Fishing Out Nutrients: The Spatiotemporal and Ecological Dynamics of Fishery-Based Nutrient Extraction , Adrián A. González Ortiz

Investigating the Effect of Greediness on the Coordinate Exchange Algorithm for Generating Optimal Experimental Designs , William Thomas Gullion

Reclaiming Fault Resilience and Energy Efficiency With Enhanced Performance in Low Power Architectures , Noel Daniel Gundi

Generalizing Deep Learning Methods for Particle Tracing Using Transfer Learning , Shubham Gupta

From Mountain Streams to Urban Rivers: An Assessment of Microplastic Sources and Characteristics , Macy Gustavus

The Impact of Formative Assessment Cycles on Students' Attitudes and Achievement in a Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Introductory Statistics Course , KimberLeigh Felix Hadfield

An Exploration of Issues Facing Vertiport Integration in the Wasatch Front , Katelynn Hall

Designing a Rubric for Evaluating Curricular Resources in Montana's Indian Education for All Repository : A Design-Based Research Approach , Megan M. Hamilton

Top Mat Reinforcement Alternatives for Concrete Pavement Slabs With Embedded Inductive Power Transfer Systems , Thaddeus J. Hansen

Co-Creating Culturally Inclusive Climate Change Programming: A Qualitative Study With Indigenous Populations in Southeast Utah , Bayli R. Hanson

Estimating Seasonal Crop Water Consumption in Irrigated Lands Using Soil Moisture and Reference Evapotranspiration , Oliver Henry Hargreaves

Relationships Between School, Teacher, and Feature Characteristics and Teachers’ Access to Features Within Digital Curriculum Resources for Mathematics Instruction , M. Jill Harmon

Public Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Domestic Climate Migrants and Migration in the U.S. , Brittany Shae Harris

Effects of Diet on Gene Expression of Markers of the Gut‐Brain Axis in the Mouse Brain , Janna Hart

The Barriers to Movement: The Effects of Anthropogenic Linear Features on the Space-Use Behaviors of Mule Deer and Pronghorn in Utah , Ronan B. Hart

The Supreme Court and Presidential Elections: An Analysis of Divisive Decisions and Judicial Review in Presidential Elections , Jeff Hastings

App-Based Academic Interventions for Children With Autism , Cassity R. Haverkamp

Livestock Risk Protection: An Analysis of Coverage Length and Level to Determine Optimal Contract Selection , Logan B. Haviland

Stressor: An R Package for Benchmarking Machine Learning Models , Samuel A. Haycock

Proxy Voting Coordination Mechanisms: Determining How Agents Should Coordinate in a Continuous Preference Space , Michael D. Hegerhorst

Who Is Accessing IPSE Programs? Examining the Demographics of Students Enrolled in Inclusive Post-Secondary Education , Madison Heider

Coding Bootcamps - Perceptions and Outcomes , Logan L. Hendricks

Impact of Forage Conditioner Systems on the Harvesting of Alfalfa , Derrick Hendry

Volatile Cycling and Metasomatism in Flat-Slab Subduction Zones of the Central Andes , Coleman Hiett

Understanding Parent-Adolescent Transmission of Values , Jesse P. Higgins

Practical Improvements for Pivot and Surface Irrigation , Jonathan A. Holt

Finite-Difference Time-Domain Acoustic Simulation Using Immersed Boundary Methods on Multiple Media, Bubble Scattering and Moving Sources , Jiacheng Hou

Population Physiology, Demography, and Genetics of Side-Blotched Lizards ( Uta stansburiana ) Residing in Urban and Natural Environments , Spencer B. Hudson

Redox-Active Materials Design and Mechanism Study for Redox Flow Batteries , Maowei Hu

Mountain Lion ( Puma concolor ) and Feral Horse ( Equus ferus ) Interactions: Examining the Influence of a Non-Native Ungulate on Predator Behavior in a Semi-Arid Environment , Peter C. Iacono

Dynamic Inductive Power Transfer Systems With Reflexive Tuning Networks Designed by Machine Learning , Shuntaro Inoue

Viability and Performance of RF Source Localization Using Autocorrelation-Based Fingerprinting , Joseph L. Ipson

Influence of Hydrologic History on Nitrogen Cycling in Lake Sediments , Emily Jainarain

Convexity Applications in Single and Multi-Agent Control , Olli Nikodeemus Jansson

Physics-Guided Deep Learning for Solar Wind Modeling at L1 Point , Robert M. Johnson

Comparative Study of Clustering Techniques on Eye-Tracking in Dynamic 3D Virtual Environments , Scott Johnson

Student Veteran Innovation Workshop: Exploring Purpose-Driven Camaraderie , David Brian Kartchner

Physiological Consequences of Adrenal Enlargement and Implications for Toxin Resistance in North American Snakes , Megen E. Kepas

Comparing 1D, 2D, and 3D Hydraulic Models in Urban Flooding Applications , Taylor Kesler

Page 1 of 88

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Advancing to Doctoral Candidacy

When you’re ready to advance to doctoral candidacy, consult with your department regarding policies related to your program of work and to ensure you’ve completed any steps that must be taken prior to candidacy.

Forming the Dissertation Committee

All doctoral students, in consultation with the committee supervisor(s), must secure the agreement of a minimum of four people to serve on their dissertation or treatise committee.

The supervisor and at least two other committee members must be members of your program's Graduate Studies Committee (GSC).

At least one committee member must be from outside your gsc., some departments may require that more than four individuals serve on the dissertation or treatise committee..

Retired faculty who have been nominated or granted emeritus status and who were members of the GSC upon retirement may request continued membership on the GSC with approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. Such requests should be accompanied by the recommendation of the appropriate GSC, and be submitted to the graduate school by the GSC chair. If approved, the continued membership will be reviewed annually.

Such faculty may serve on student committees as a GSC member or as a co-supervisor, but may not serve as a sole supervisor. In the event that a GSC member of a dissertation committee terminates employment with the university, except as discussed above, an additional current GSC member must be added to the committee. A former faculty member may remain on the dissertation committee, but will assume status as an outside committee member.

CVs/Resumes for Non-GSC Committee Members

The Graduate School requires a CV/resume for committee members who are not on the program’s Graduate Studies Committee. Degree plan evaluators will search for them, but in cases where a CV/resume cannot easily be found online, it is the student’s responsibility to provide this information. One of the degree plan evaluators will contact the student should a CV/resume be required.

Applying for Candidacy

Update your contact information.

After your committee is formed, visit All My Addresses at the link above to update your name, address and phone number.

Complete the Degree Candidacy Application form

Students must have registered and paid tuition during the term in which the candidacy application is submitted.

As part of the application, you will be required to include a brief (60 lines or less) description of your dissertation or treatise proposal approved by your committee supervisor. This should be prepared in advance; the application will time out after 30 minutes of inactivity and you will lose any changes not yet submitted or saved.

Request for Change in Doctoral Committee

Changes to committee membership require special approval, so students should be certain the membership is complete and correct before initiating the application.

Petition to Write Dissertation in a Language other than English

Those who wish to write a thesis, report, dissertation or treatise in a language other than English must petition to do so.

Certifying Academic Credentials

The program of work for the Doctor of Philosophy includes the courses taken toward fulfillment of the degree requirements, as established by the Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate School.

The program of work must:

Have a minimum of 30 semester hours of advanced coursework, including a minimum of 6 hours of dissertation;

Include only courses taken within the past six years;, include coursework that is sufficient in academic breadth/depth..

Contact your Graduate Adviser to determine the specific requirements for your degree.

Completing Registration Requirements

Continuous registration.

Once the Dean of Graduate Studies approves your application and you have been admitted to candidacy, you are required to continuously register for the dissertation course (_99W) or treatise course beginning the next long term. (Music majors and treatise option students should check with their graduate adviser for registration requirements.)

The Graduate School regularly reviews and approves candidacy applications during the first half of terms, but applications submitted after the halfway point may not be reviewed immediately or in time for pre-registration.

If you will be applying for candidacy later in the term and want to sign up for the required _99W course the following term, it is suggested you pre-register for a placeholder course of the equivalent hours until your application is reviewed and approved.

If you advance to candidacy after the 12th class day you are not required to enroll in the _99W course until the next long term, after which point you must remain continuously enrolled in dissertation hours until graduation.

If you have questions about advancing to candidacy or completing the application, contact your departmental graduate office.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The graduate school, spring 2024 gsra award winners – human health and culture.

The Graduate Student Research Awards are used to advance the scholarship of graduate students and faculty working in partnership. Grants up to $5,000 are awarded to the selected student/faculty pairs and are intended to help support student research, scholarship, and creative activity; give students experience writing grants; and foster the mentoring relationship between faculty and graduate students.

Twenty-two outstanding research programs were awarded for spring 2024 across many colleges and departments. We hope that you will read about the work these graduate students and faculty partners are engaged in here at UT.

Beyond resilience: A strength-based intervention for LGBTQ+ communities of color

Kriti Jain —PhD student, psychology 

Intersectionality suggests that individuals who hold multiple marginalized identities face unique challenges to their mental health. Queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) are a group that experiences additive minority stress, and it is necessary for research to examine the unique experiences of this understudied and underserved population to design interventions to address their specific needs. Kriti Jain, a doctoral student in psychology, proposes a trial to examine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a strengths-based intervention to improve mental health, well-being, and positive identity in this population. The intervention is based on the psychology of radical healing and aims to empower QTPOC, promote radical hope, and support collective liberation.

The Event: A movie musical

Michael Ray —MMusic student, music 

Michael Ray, a master’s student in music, used the GSRA award to write, record, video, and edit an original 45-minute musical. Entitled “The Event,” the musical is an exploration of humanity’s relationship with Earth. Ray aspires to pull the audience into a fictional world that will allow them to feel deeply for the characters in situations not so very different from our own. Ray collaborated with a lyricist to write and create demos for eight songs, recruited recording artists, collaborated with a recording engineer to solidify the soundtrack, cast actors, hired a choreographer and costumer/props designer, and created the final project which was presented recently in the Knoxville area.

A multi-proxy study of human dispersals and paleodiets in the south-central Andes

Rebecca Ann Kraus —MA student, anthropology 

The peopling of the Andes Mountains is significant in South America’s population history as it fostered the formation of highly complex pre-Columbian societies. Because European colonization strongly affected the genomic diversity of Indigenous South American groups, a precise characterization of past population interactions and migration patterns can only be achieved by analyzing ancient DNA from pre-colonial populations. Rebecca Kraus, a master’s student in anthropology, proposes to study eight pre-colonial individuals from an Argentine archaeological collection by sequencing complete mitochondrial genomes, analyzing stable isotopes, and radiocarbon dating. These combined data will advance our understanding of genomic diversity, geographic mobility, and dietary trends among pre-colonial South-Central Andeans. The research outcomes will also contribute to locally-desired knowledge of the region’s past among the invested communities of northwest Argentina.     

Assessing visual short-term memory in infants and comparing 2D vs. 3D performance

Victoria Jones —PhD student, psychology

Navigating the visual world requires perception, maintenance, and processing of the sensory input in visual short-term memory (VSTM). Because an individual’s VSTM capacity may be predictive of later cognitive performances, it is critical to understand the development of this mechanism and the persistence of individual differences throughout infancy. VSTM capacity is difficult to assess in infants, relying primarily on 2D stimuli, like multi-colored circles, to assess memory. Victoria Jones, a doctoral student in psychology, proposes to study how well these 2D tasks translate to real-world 3D visual processing. This study will test infants using two visual short-term memory tasks; one using physical blocks (3D), and one using scanned images of the blocks (2D). The data collected from these tasks using similar measures could critically inform the generalizability of how well the skills being tested using 2D methods translate to real-world 3D tasks.      

Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) analysis of burned mammal and fish remains

Taylor Bowden-Gray —PhD student, anthropology 

Archaeologists and forensic anthropologists depend upon accurate species identification of skeletal remains for their investigations. However, this can be challenging due to high fragmentation rates and poor preservation of bones in some contexts, which have rendered specimens unidentifiable beyond very broad categories. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), based on analysis of the amino acid composition of collagen, offers a method for identifying ambiguous or unidentifiable bone fragments. Taylor Bowden-Gray, a doctoral student in anthropology, aims to investigate the feasibility of analyzing burned bones, as high temperatures change the nature of collagen, possibly resulting in a loss of usable samples. Bowden-Gray plans to identify the degree of burning that can reliably yield collagen to identify different mammal and fish bone elements. By developing a system of visual criteria, in conjunction with the bone structures, researchers can make informed decisions on whether ZooMS will be a good option for species identification of burned remains.     

Feeling manipulated: analysis of the human cytomegalovirus’ viral protein vCXCL-1 on monocyte function 

Morgan Hetzel —PhD student, microbiology 

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a virus that remains dormant within humans until the host becomes immunocompromised due to cancer treatments, late-stage AIDS, organ transplantation or the lack of an immune system in a developing fetus. Approximately 85% of the adult population is infected with HCMV, and when it emerges, it can contribute to complications that can lead to hearing loss, long-term disabilities, and death. Morgan Hetzel, a doctoral student in microbiology, plans to study HCMV and how it has evolved genes that manipulate the immune system to work in the virus’ favor. One of the strategies employed by HCMV is to mimic proteins produced by our own immune system and Hetzel’s study will make it possible to distinguish between responses induced by host proteins versus those induced by HCMV. Data generated from this work will not only allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind HCMV dissemination, but it could also lead to development of better treatment strategies for mitigating the symptoms of disease resulting from HCMV.       

Determining selection or training of constricted migration of melanoma cells

Christopher Playter —PhD student, biochemistry & cellular and molecular biology 

The leading cause of death associated with cancer diagnosis is metastasis, where cancer cells spread from where they first formed to another part of the body. Why some tumor cells metastasize while others do not is still unknown, as is why these metastasizing cells are different and more aggressive than the original tumors. Christopher Playter, a doctoral student in biochemistry & cellular and molecular biology, intends to investigate two possible reasons for these differences. One possibility is that these cells are more aggressive due to selection, representing the initially aggressive subset of the tumor. The other possibility is that the cells have undergone training during migration, where force and stress exerted during the process of migration change the properties of the cell over time. Playter will use single-cell RNA-sequencing to compare cells from both migratory and non-migratory cells to determine the relative contributions of selection and training to the final aggressive migratory state. This knowledge will help in understanding how metastatic cells become aggressive in cancer patients and suggest gene profiles that could inform future clinical prognosis of a cancer patient’s likelihood of experiencing metastasis.        

Reevaluating plant δ15N as a forensic tool to identify clandestine graves

Sarah Schwing —PhD student, anthropology 

When a human body decomposes, the 15N-enriched nitrogen from the body becomes available to plants. Sarah Schwing, a doctoral student in anthropology, proposes a study to test a non-destructive technique for detecting clandestine graves where the ground surface has long since healed the visible scar of disturbance. The goal is to examine whether plant δ15N values can be used to detect hidden human burials. Schwing’s project design utilizes four pre-existing graves and two control graves to compare the original δ15N levels to the plant growth. Results from this study can contribute to efforts to recover buried human remains and associated forensic evidence for use in identifying victims and as potential evidence in a court of law. 

Exploring the experiences of veterinary students with disabilities

Claire Burdick —MSSW student, social work 

In higher education, apparent and less apparent disabilities are underrepresented due to the history of exclusion for disabled people due to assumptions about their capabilities and lack of legislation protecting disability rights. Many colleges of veterinary medicine (CVMs) in the U.S. are working towards increasing the diversity of their student bodies and the veterinary profession with cultural competency training, outreach to communities that are underrepresented, and examining admission criteria. Claire Burdick, a master’s student in social work, seeks to expand upon emerging research on diversity and inclusion in veterinary education by exploring the experiences of veterinary students with disabilities in academic and experiential learning. Burdick’s project will amplify underrepresented voices in research by listening directly to them and learning what supports they want and need for a successful higher education experience.

Bacterial analysis of expressed breast milk pre- and post-bottle feeding

Emily Wojtowicz —PhD student, nutritional sciences 

Breastfeeding is widely recognized as the ideal feeding method for infants due to its numerous health benefits for mother and child and its positive impacts on society, the environment, and the economy. Unfortunately, several barriers to breastfeeding exist, including perceived insufficient milk supply and returning to work. More than 84% of breastfeeding parents express breastmilk within the first four months postpartum, often to provide breastmilk to alternative caregivers during times of separation. Leading health agencies recommend discarding breastmilk remaining in the bottle within two hours of initiating feeding due to safety concerns despite major gaps in the literature to support these recommendations. This burdens mothers trying to compensate for discarded breast milk and exacerbates concerns about perceived milk insufficiency. Emily Wojtowicz, a doctoral candidate in nutritional sciences, will utilize her skills as a registered dietitian (RD) and international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) with support from the biomedical nutritional science program to investigate the bacterial composition and potentially pathogenic bacteria within expressed breastmilk pre- and post-bottle feeding. Investigating the safety parameters surrounding re-feeding expressed breastmilk is crucial in establishing evidence-based recommendations, safeguarding infant health, and potentially revising outdated guidelines to ensure the optimal utilization of expressed breastmilk without compromising maternal and infant well-being. .

Impact of social determinants of health and profiles of traumatic, adverse, and positive childhood experiences on cognitive and psychological symptoms in multiple sclerosis

Caterina Obenauf —PhD student, psychology 

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease impacting the central nervous system, manifesting in symptoms ranging from depression to fatigue. Understanding risk factors for non-visible symptoms of MS is vital for early detection and monitoring since worsening of cognitive symptoms precede worsening of physical symptoms in MS. Social determinants of health, such as traumatic and adverse childhood experiences, are recognized as contributing significantly to MS-related disability and access to healthcare, but limited research exists on their impact on mental health. Caterina Obenauf, a doctoral student in psychology, intends to study the effects of traumatic and childhood experiences (both positive and negative) on people with MS. The approach taken in this study will ensure that experiences of people with MS are not overshadowed by a deficit-oriented perspective, taking a nuanced approach that explores positive childhood experiences and post-traumatic growth. This not only challenges prevailing assumptions about the capabilities of people with disabilities, but also promotes their dignity by recognizing the significance of resilience. 

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