A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dr. Zhu examined how a coastal diatom species copes with changing light intensity. She found that unique members of the light-harvesting family of proteins are regulated differently from the other members of this superfamily and are involved in photoprotection during long term high light stress. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Najafian investigated the problem of privacy management in social software systems. She proposed a theoretical framework for building privacy-management mechanisms in this domain that provide more control over information privacy and yet, are intuitive and easy to use for the average, non-technical user. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Lett used a mouse model system to demonstrate how a previously unknown guidance cue is critical for the proper formation of specific tracts during neurodevelopment. This research provides novel insight toward a better understanding of neural network formation and neurological dysfunction resulting from erroneous neurodevelopment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr Shieh used gauge/gravity duality correspondence to study strongly coupled systems in high-energy and condensed-matter physics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Iftody explored the conditions of reading popular cultural texts and discourses around childhood closely and collectively in the context of an online fan community. This work contributes to the development of counter-normative reading practices and strategies, or reading for ethics, in the context of teacher education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Mizobuchi used two approaches to problems in capturing the general tendency of changes in commodity prices and quantities over time. This included analyzing factors leading to improvement in the living standard in Japan over 50 years. His research contributes to improved accuracy in the description and prediction of economic states and trends. | Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Chen examined the design of pollution monitoring systems for the detection of contaminants in surface water and groundwater. He identified key factors affecting the probabilities of detecting contaminants, and was the first to use comprehensive modeling approaches to evaluate monitoring networks in a highly complex watershed system. His research provides important guidelines for practice in the design of contaminant monitoring networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2009 | Attention is essential to everyday life. Without brain mechanisms to guide the selection of information, our sensory systems become rapidly overwhelmed. Dr. Jefferies's dissertation develops and tests a new way to measure how attention is guided across space and over time, during the perception of rapidly changing visual displays. This measure was shown to be effective for both younger and older healthy adults. | Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Kumar successfully examined the prospect of employing a new approach based on hydrate crystallization for the separation of carbon dioxide from a fuel gas mixture widely known as pre-combustion capture. His findings validated the applicability of gas hydrates process to separate carbon dioxide from a fuel gas mixture. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Barney investigated a teaching and learning strategy based on a/r/tography, a method of inquiry derived from art related theories and practices. Dr. Barney?s research suggests an approach to teaching and learning that offers new ways to perceive of artist, researcher, teacher, and student identities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Datta examined the discourse of the largest women's mass organization affiliated with the communist party in India. She found that while the organization fights for women's rights, its ultimate aim to support the post-colonial nation-state's drive for capital accumulation curtails the scope of women's emancipation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Burgess examined how nature experiences arouse biophilia (love of living things). His research contributes to our understanding of the relationship between people and the natural world and illustrates the importance of including the larger biotic community in our discussions of educational reform. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2009 | The objective of Dr. Longstaff's dissertation as a collective work, was to contribute to the interdisciplinary body of research that seeks to integrate the fields of bioethics and risk analysis. The research successfully moved the practice of risk communication beyond procedural ethics to focus on the substantive values that guide such strategies in order to cope with the complexity associated with systemic health hazards. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Chen investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of heart disease, in particular the interaction of cholesterol-carrying proteins and the macrophage cells of the immune system, a process which contributes to the formation of plaques in the walls of arteries. These studies lead to a greater understanding of the disease and aid in the future development of novel therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Andrina conducted field and meso- scale experiments to improve our understanding of geochemical and flow behaviors within a mine rock pile in high a rainfall environment. She showed that limestone blending and limestone cover are suitable methods to minimize acid drainage from waste rock dumps in high rainfall environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Moll investigated how emotions influenced student learning in the context of participation in physics competitions. Dr Moll employed complexity thinking to understand how evoked emotions shaped the students? personal construction of science identity, attitudes, motivations and decision making about physics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr.Guan examined the Landau-Lifshitz and Dirac equations arising in quantum physics - both of which which relate to the motion of charged particles. She refined the current understanding of these two equations, proved global existence and blow up results for Landau-Lifshitz flow, and showed the Dirac standing wave solutions are unstable. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Hickey's research in the field of Tuberculosis provided new information regarding the localization and function of a type of bacterial protein termed a molecular chaperone. Dr. Hickey demonstrated for the first time that molecular chaperones can be found on the surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, and that these proteins play an important role in facilitating adherence between the bacteria and a host macrophages. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Stolte examined Charles Dickens's engagement with psychological discourse in his first-person fictions, revealing both what was at stake in Victorian psychological debate--the possibility of immortality--and the discursive means by which a physical model of mind was able to rise to dominance in the period. | Doctor of Philosophy in English (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Miresmailli demonstrated that the detection of volatile compounds emitted by plants under attack by pests can be used as an alternative source of information to help monitor insect pests in greenhouses. This research will assist in the development of new tools for pest monitoring and management. | Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Pan studied structures of two systems - the fusion peptide from the tick-borne encephalitis virus and nanocrystalline cellulose films. His studies on the fusion peptide assist us in understanding the fusion mechanism of enveloped viruses. He also found parameters which enable one to manipulate the nematic structure and crystallinity of nanocrystalline cellulose films. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Lehnertz investigated the biological relevance of histone lysine methylation in the development of blood cells. His findings have shown specific functions of two enzymes that catalyze the methylation of histones which have important implications for the pharmacological inhibition of these enzymes in regenerative medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Roumina studied mechanical properties of an Aluminum-Magnisium-Scandium alloy. He developed models predicting yield strength and work hardening of the Aluminum-Magnisium-Scandium alloy during thermo-mechanical treatments. Dr. Roumina demonstrated that processing recovered microstructures containing precipitates is a novel approach to improve mechanical properties of aluminum alloys. | Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Henderson investigated the application of potassium permanganate for the treatment of groundwater contaminated by industrial solvents. A computer program was developed and employed to assess contaminant treatment, and to identify the processes most important to the effectiveness of this technology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Robinson Kitt investigated the impact of being a firefighter on men's mental health. Through in-depth interviews, she found that firefighters' mental health is not only impacted by the job requirements, which often involve responding to and witnessing trauma, but also the occupational culture in which they work. | Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD) |