Fall 2021 Doctoral Candidates

2021 Fall Semester Doctoral Candidates

College of Arts, Sciences, & Education

Heba Ahmed Khallaf Ali

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Dissertation: Energetic Cost and Physiological Trade-Offs Major Professor: Dr. Philip Stoddard

Mary M. Atherley

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Dissertation: Potential Associations of Racial Similarity and Certification Pathways on Teacher Retention Major Professor: Dr. Ethan Kolek

Alexa D. Barton

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation: Emerging Adult College Students’ Perceptions of Immigrants: A Multisite Experimental Study Major Professor: Dr. Dionne Stephens

Yarixa L. Cintron-Diaz

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry Dissertation: Characterization of Biological Samples using Multi Modal Mass Spectrometry Major Professor: Dr. Francisco Fernandez-Lima

Rosa L. Cromartie

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry Dissertation: Aptamer-Based Voltammetric Biosensing for the Detection of Codeine and Fentanyl in Sweat and Saliva Major Professor: Dr. Bruce McCord

Chandra Prasad Dhakal

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics Dissertation: Temperature-Dependent Protein-Chromophore Hydrogen Bond Dynamics in the Far-Red Fluorescent Proteins Co-Major Professor: Dr. Xuewen Wang Co-Major Professor: Dr. Prem Chapagain

Elizabeth V. Edgar

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation: Infant and Child Multisensory Attention Skills: Methods, Measures, and Language Outcomes Major Professor: Dr. Lorraine E. Bahrick

Adenike Fasiku

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry Dissertation: Ligands for Complexation, Extraction, and Sensing of Hg(II) for Application to High-Level Waste (HLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Major Professor: Dr. Konstantinos Kavallieratos

Thomas William Fieldsend

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Dissertation: Invasion Genetics of the Non-Native Geckos Phelsuma grandis Gray 1870 and Gekko gecko (Linnaeus 1758) in Southern Florida, USA Major Professor: Dr. Timothy M. Collins

James Aaron Hogan

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Dissertation: Functional Strategies of Tree Fine-Roots in Relation to the Soil Environment and Microbiome: Variation in Root Morphology, Tissue Chemistry and Physiology Major Professor: Dr. Christopher Baraloto

Hazel E. Hooker

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Dissertation: When Two Worlds Meet: Academic Advisors’ Understanding of the Exploratory Student Experience at a Hispanic-Serving Institution Major Professor: Dr. Benjamin Baez

Andria Paige Hubner Beal

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Dissertation: Exploring Epigenetics as a Tool for Population Assessment and Conservation in Large Marine Predators Major Professor: Dr. Jose M. Eirin-Lopez

Margaret Elizabeth Kieper

Doctor of Philosophy in Geosciences Dissertation: Selected Tropical Cyclone Satellite Analyses with an Emphasis on 37 GHz Color Composite Imagery Major Professor: Dr. Hugh Willoughby

Danilo Le Sante

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation: Examining the Relationship between Ideological Misfit and Employee Attitudes and Behaviors Major Professor: Dr. Asia A. Eaton

Fiona Lesley Macphee

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation: Tolerance to Psychostimulant Medication among Children with ADHD Major Professor: Dr. William Pelham, Jr.

Jacqueline O. Moses

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation: Considering Culture and Context: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Examining Adolescent Engagement and Parent Satisfaction in Urban Out-of-School-Time Programs Co-Major Professor: Dr. Stacy L. Frazier Co-Major Professor: Dr. Dionne Stephens

Maria F. Munoz

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics Dissertation: Optical Two-Dimensional Coherent Spectroscopy of Many-Body Dynamics in Quantum Materials Major Professor: Dr. Hebin Li

Brian Ng

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry Dissertation: Non-Target Analysis using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Characterize and Remediate Urban Waters Major Professor: Dr. Piero Gardinali

Brianna S. Pankey

Doctor of Philosophy in Cognitive Neuroscience Dissertation: Extended Functional Connectivity of Convergent Structural Alterations among Anxiety and Mood Disorders: A Meta-Analysis and Functional Connectivity Analysis Major Professor: Dr. Angela R. Laird

Francisco Peña Guerra

Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Systems Science Dissertation: Integrating Compound Flood Conditions through 2D Hydraulic Modeling for Simulating Flood Risk Processes in Coastal Cities Major Professor: Dr. Assefa Melesse

Ranjita Poudel

Doctor of Philosophy in Cognitive Neuroscience Dissertation: Neurocognitive Mechanisms Associated with Real-World Financial Savings among Individuals from Lower Income Households Major Professor: Dr. Matthew T. Sutherland

Puck Charlotte Reeders

Doctor of Philosophy in Cognitive Neuroscience Dissertation: Investigation of Memory Related Cortical Thalamic Circuitry in the Human Brain Major Professor: Dr. Timothy Allen

Yanet Ruvalcaba

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation: Cyber Dating Abuse among Emerging Adult Latina Women Major Professor: Dr. Asia A. Eaton

Matthew A. Smith

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Dissertation: Quantifying How Coastal Flooding and Stormwater Runoff Drive Spatiotemporal Variability in Carbon and Nutrient Processing in Urban Aquatic Ecosystems Major Professor: Dr. John Kominoski

Linjia Su

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry Dissertation: A Study of the Mammalian High Mobility Group Protein AT-Hook 2 (HMGA2) and Its Interactions with DNA Major Professor: Dr. Fenfei Leng

Xiaoqing Tang

Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry Dissertation: Mechanisms of Chloroperoxidases-Catalyzed Enantioselective Transformations from Spectroscopic and X-Ray Crystallographic Studies of Enzyme-Substrate Complexes Major Professor: Dr. Xiaotang Wang

Pawlos S. Tsegay

Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry Dissertation: Oxidative DNA Damage Modulates Genome and Epigenome Integrity via Base Excision Repair Major Professor: Dr. Yuan Liu

Carlos M. Varela Perez

Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Dissertation: DNA Barcoding Enhances Large-Scale Biodiversity Initiatives of Deep-Pelagic Crustaceans within the Gulf of Mexico and Adjacent Waters Major Professor: Dr. Heather Bracken-Grissom

Shahin Vassigh

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Dissertation: Exploring the Role of Higher Education in Responsible Deployment of Artificial Intelligence Major Professor: Dr. Benjamin Baez

Alvah H. Chapman Jr., Graduate School of Business

Jobany Rico

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration Dissertation: Social Media and Public Discourse Participation in Restrictive Environments Major Professor: Dr. Karlene C. Cousins

John Herbert Schmidt, Jr.

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration Dissertation: Technology Assisted Choice in Medicare Part D Plan Selection Major Professor: Dr. Weidong Xia

College of Engineering & Computing

Mohammad Abedin

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Evaluation and Damage Detection of Highway Bridges with Distinct Vulnerabilities Major Professor: Dr. Armin Mehrabi

Maryamossadat Aghili

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science Dissertation: Deep Learning for Multiclass Classification, Predictive Modeling and Segmentation of Disease Prone Regions in Alzheimer’s Disease Co-Major Professor: Dr. Malek Adjouadi Co-Major Professor: Dr. Naphtali Rishe

Md Ashraf Ahmed

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Enhancing Serviceability and Resiliency of Transportation Networks Based on Topological Credentials and Systematic Design Interventions Major Professor: Dr. Arif Mohaimin Sadri

Fahmida Alam

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: ZnO Nanostructure-Based Wearable Biosensor Platform for Sweat Analysis Major Professor: Dr. Nezih Pala

Ghazaleh Azimi

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Mode Choice Behavior in the Era of Shared Mobility Major Professor: Dr. Xia Jin

Bashir Mohammad Sabquat Bahar Talukder

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Non-Invasive Techniques towards Recovering Highly Secure Unclonable Cryptographic Keys and Detecting Counterfeit Memory Chips Major Professor: Dr. Md Tauhidur Rahman

Linlong Bian

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Dynamic Flood Management at the Watershed Scale Major Professor: Dr. Arturo S. Leon

Janhavi Chitale

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering Dissertation: Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Design Optimization of Compact, Counterflow Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Based Heat Exchanger Major Professor: Dr. George S. Dulikravich

Francisco Chitty Gozalo

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Development of an Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Joint Detail for Short-Span Bridges Major Professor: Dr. David Garber

Saman Farhangdoust

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Epoxy Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP)-Dowel Splice for Prestressed Precast Concrete Pile Major Professor: Dr. Armin Mehrabi

Arezoo Gerami Pour

Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering Dissertation: Understanding the Underlying Mechanism of Age-Related Underactive Bladder and Proposing a Treatment Option to Mitigate Its Symptoms Major Professor: Dr. Zachary Danziger

Hassan Jafari

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Challenges of Inductive Electric Vehicle Charging Systems in Stationary and Dynamic Modes Major Professor: Dr. Arif Sarwat

Temitayo Olayemi Olowu

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Advance Solutions for Voltage Control and Optimization in Smart Grids Major Professor: Dr. Arif Sarwat

Michelle Stephane Pierre

Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering Dissertation: The Corrosion Inhibition Behavior of Thermally Aged Chromate Conversion Coating Applied to Aerospace Aluminum 2219 Co-Major Professor: Dr. Norman Munroe Co-Major Professor: Dr. Shekhar Bhansali

Luis C. Puche Rondon

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Novel Attacks and Defenses for Enterprise Internet-of-Things (E-IoT) Systems Co-Major Professor: Dr. Secuk Uluagac Co-Major Professor: Dr. Kemal Akkaya

Neeranut Ratchatanantakit

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Digital Processing of Magnetic, Angular-Rate and Gravity Signals for Human-Computer Interaction Major Professor: Dr. Armando Barreto

Esmail Shahrokhinasab

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Improving the Long-Term Performance of Full-Depth Precast Concrete (FDPC) Deck Panels using Non-Proprietary Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Major Professor: Dr. David Garber

Sudip Subedi

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Optimization of Safety Control System for Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects Co-Major Professor: Dr. Nipesh Pradhananga Co-Major Professor: Dr. Arindam Gan Chowdhury

Solale Tabarestani

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Machine Learning for Multiclass Classification and Prediction of Alzheimer’s Disease Major Professor: Dr. Malek Adjouadi

Ingrid Torres

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Dissertation: Synthesis, Characterization, and Modeling of Different Nanostructured Materials for Electronic and Sensing Applications Major Professor: Dr. Frank Urban

Krishna Sai Vutukuru

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering Dissertation: Full-Scale Experimental Modeling to Study Wind-Induced Vibrations, Wind Driven Rain and Their Effects on Curtainwall Window Systems Major Professor: Dr. Arindam Gan Chowdhury

Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

Sergio Andruccioli

Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish Dissertation: Otherness, Peronism, and Violence in Juan Diego Incardona’s Saga Celinense Co-Major Professor: Dr. Santiago Juan-Navarro Co-Major Professor: Dr. Andrea Fanta

Melissa Bernardo

Doctor of Philosophy in Global and Sociocultural Studies Dissertation: Actually-Existing Resilience: The Adaptive Actions of Miami’s Redland Farmers and Potential Pathways for Transformation Major Professor: Dr. Gail Hollander

Marie Stephanie Chancy

Doctor of Philosophy in History Dissertation: Atlantic Legacies: Free Women of Color and the Changing Notions of Womanhood in the Long Nineteenth Century Major Professor: Dr. Rebecca Friedman

Veronica Diaz

Doctor of Philosophy in Global and Sociocultural Studies Dissertation: The (Cuban-)American Dream of Post-Soviet Era Cuban Émigrés: Perceptions vs. Realities Major Professor: Dr. Jorge Duany

Jeniffer Fernández Hernández

Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish Dissertation: Develando la Cuba Profunda: Tradición Mágico-Religiosa en el Teatro Cubano Contemporáneo Major Professor: Dr. Maida Watson

Karen S. Fuller

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs Dissertation: The Impact of Governance Structure on Performance of U.S. Performing Arts Centers Major Professor: Dr. Sukumar Ganapati

Jacquelyn Jackson Johnston

Doctor of Philosophy in Global and Sociocultural Studies Dissertation: Becoming Feral: A Politics of Animal Sheltering and the Operationalization of Ferality to Manage Free-Roaming Cats Major Professor: Dr. Kevin Grove

Lana Shehadeh

Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations Dissertation: Political Economy of Religion: Maintaining State Legitimacy through Religious Discourse in the Arab Gulf Major Professor: Dr. Eric Lob

Olga Vega

Doctor of Philosophy in International Crime and Justice Dissertation: Predictors of Officer Self-Confidence in Police Interactions with Disabled Individuals in Florida Major Professor: Dr. Robert Peacock

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Doctor of Athletic Training

Patricia Barrett Jamison Kevin Morley Neal Patrick Stepp

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Danielle Marissa Agostino Shanice Armstrong Ronghua Bao Tatiana Barkoe Adel Bashirimoghaddam Lissa Bazile Rebecca Behnejad Natsanet Beiene Chelsey Bennis Alicia Marie Bennett Elda Beton Katie Christina Brennan Eliza Burdier Alexandra Castillo Naghmana Chughtai Sarah Ellen Cole Kayla Davis Roodolphe Desvarieux Tahnee Diaz Rodriguez Robert Michael Dillon Linnet Flores Nicole Francois Beth Gabriel Woody Georges Jillian Olivia Gil Daniel Gonzalez Erik Gonzalez Karina Grace Grubbs Sarah Gutierrez Jessica Hoke Gravil Joseph Rachel Harris Kaplan Ashley Rachelle Kelley Jasmine Lema Cesar Tadeo Lopez Israel Lopez, Jr Javier Daniel Luces David William Luth Michelle Martinez Thamar Maurice Kimberly McNeese Iris Molina Darlyla Naissance Felipe Ocampo Daniel Orozco Michael Otte Alexandra Palombo Araceli Plancarte Cosma J Pochette James Pyle Glenda Quinones Geisty Quintana Sharda Ram Katelyn M. Reckamp Ashley Reid Kellyann G. Robinson Liana Rodriguez Weslin Abisai Roldan

Veronica Sanchez Leon Ernesto Sarduy Jiselle Silva Effie Simoyi Alyssa Michele Staubitz Camille-Kae Torre Mary Elizabeth Transleau Stella Udechukw Brittany T. Williams Aisha Nathafa Williams-Hunte Kana Wright Karina Zaldivar Pamela Ziel

Afrah Saif

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Dissertation: Examining the Role of Knowledge and Cultural Values on Utilization of Mammograms among a Sample of Saudi Women Major Professor: Dr. Elena Bastida

Tanjila Taskin

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Dissertation: Sociocultural Factors Associated with HPV Vaccine Uptake among Hispanic Female Emerging Adults Major Professor: Dr. Miguel Ángel Cano

Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work

Lillian Anne Abreu

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare Dissertation: Income Attainment and Hispanic Female Householders: Examining Educational Attainment, Labor Attachment and Geographic Region Major Professor: Dr. Mario De La Rosa

Derrick J. Forney

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Dissertation: The Impact of HIV-Related Stigma on the Racial/Ethnic Disparities across the HIV Care Continuum among Adults Living with HIV in Florida Major Professor: Dr. Mariana Sanchez

Amani Othman

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Dissertation: Exploring Mental Health, Intersectionality of Religious Identity Struggles, and Islamophobia in Muslim Young Adults in South Florida: A Qualitative Approach Major Professor: Dr. Elena Bastida

Rochelle Parrino

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Dissertation: Three Essays on Insurance Coverage in the U.S. Healthcare System Major Professor: Dr. Timothy Page