Precious Kamsiyo Ejikeme Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 8:30 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Noushin Ghaffari COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: Dr. Judy Perkins TITLE: INTEGRATING GIS AND MACHINE LEARNING TO UNCOVER SPATIAL, TEMPORAL, AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO BICYCLE CRASHES ABSTRACT: The recent drive for a cleaner environment has led to an increase in greener modes of transportation. Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular choice for environmentally conscious individuals [...]

Glory Ollordaa Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 10:00 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Yingchun Li TITLE: DEGRADATION OF DYE BY GRAPHITIC CARBON NITRIDE (g-C3N4) USING H2O2 ABSTRACT: The industrialization of sectors such as textiles, leather, and paper has led to severe environmental challenges due to the discharge of synthetic dyes into waterways. These synthetic dyes are toxic, non-biodegradable, and disrupt aquatic ecosystems by affecting photosynthesis [...]

Chinenye Chisom Eze Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 11:00 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Harshica Fernando COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: Dr. Sheena Reeves TITLE: LITHIUM TANTALATE, SOLID-STATE SYNTHESIS, UREA, PROCESS OPTIMIZATION ABSTRACT: Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) is a multifunctional perovskite oxide widely applied in electrooptic modulators, piezoelectric sensors, and infrared detectors. Conventional solid-state synthesis often suffers from high processing temperatures, lithium volatilization, and incomplete phase formation, driving energy use, [...]

Ijeoma Chukwuemeka Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 11:00 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Andrea McDonald TITLE: ATTENTION-DEFICIT AND HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN: AN EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL EXPERIENCE, ATTITUDE, AND PERCEPTION ABSTRACT: Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder affecting children worldwide, yet disparities exist in its diagnosis, treatment, and management among Black children. Socioeconomic factors, cultural beliefs, and systemic [...]

Promise Otuokere Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 11:00 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Yunxiang Gao TITLE: DYE ADSORPTION ON CURVED CARBON LATTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY APPLICATIONS ABSTRACT: Dye contamination in industrial wastewater remains a major environmental challenge, requiring selective and reusable treatment materials. This study comprehensively evaluates the adsorption performance and surface interactions of pristine and acid-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for removing [...]

Lucrecia Harris Dissertation Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 1:00 pm Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Patricia Miller TITLE: INVESTIGATING PARENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND THE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY ABSTRACT: Parent and community involvement in education has garnered significant attention as a pivotal factor in enhancing educational outcomes and champion social improvement (Eden, Chisom, and Adeniyi, 2024). However, the Latino [...]

Confidence Ogbonna Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 1:00 pm Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Gururaj Neelgund TITLE: SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND PHOTOTHERMAL PROPERTIES OF TRANSITION METAL COBALTATE NANOPARTICLES DEPOSITED ON NANOGRAPHENE OXIDE AND NANOGRAPHENE ABSTRACT: Developing efficient photothermal agents with strong near-infrared (NIR) responsiveness is essential for advancing biomedical applications such as cancer therapy and imaging. In this study, transition metal cobaltate nanoparticles (CuCo2O4, NiCo2O4, ZnCo2O4) were [...]

Xavier Crawford Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 1:00 pm Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Jaejong Park TITLE: OPTIMIZATION OF CONTINUOUS CARBON FIBER REINFORCEMENT STRATEGIES IN 3D-PRINTED ONYX COMPOSITES ABSTRACT: Continuous fiber reinforcement in Fused Deposition Modeling allows the production of composite parts with improved strength-to-weight ratios compared to standard polymer prints. However, overall performance depends on reinforcement strategy, layer height, print orientation, and material usage, which [...]

Saquib Shahriar Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, December 2, 2025 @ 3:00 pm Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Jaejong Park TITLE: DESIGN AND INTEGRATION OF A BIOMIMETIC INTELLIGENT GRIPPER FOR OBJECT PERCEPTION AND GRASPING WITH THE FRANKA EMIKA PANDA ROBOT ABSTRACT: Robots are becoming an essential part of our daily lives. Nowadays, they are widely used in factories, hospitals, and delivery services. However, one of the challenges for robot designers [...]

Virtual Employer Forum: Careers at Handshake

December 3, 2025 Virtual Employer Forum: Careers at Handshake With Benjamin Corriette Zoom registration: https://howard.zoom.us/meeting/register/dN3zOyUITjSDuq6sAwW-jQ  

Lea Taylor Doctoral Project Proposal Defense, Friday, December 5, 2025 @ 9:00 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Abida Solomon TITLE: ALL-OR-NOTHING: A DNP PROJECT TO IMPROVE UNIARY CATHETER MAINTENANCE BUNDLE DOCUMENTATION COMPLIANCE IN POSTPARTUM ABSTRACT: Introduction: Urinary catheter maintenance bundle compliance is a key nursing quality indicator closely tied to patient safety. In the postpartum department, inconsistent adherence to the all-or-none bundle elements has contributed to documentation variability, particularly [...]

Joulvous Drake Doctoral Project Proposal Defense, Friday, December 5, 2025 @ 11:00 am Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Chloe Gaines TITLE: UTILIZATION OF AN ON-SITE PRIMARY CARE CLINIC - AN EVALUATION ABSTRACT: Employers are increasingly incorporating on-site primary care clinics into their workplace health strategies to improve access to care, lower costs, and reduce employee absenteeism. However, even with these clear advantages, many organizations report low clinic utilization levels. Purpose: [...]

Ashley McClary Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, December 6, 2025 @ 1:00 pm Central Time

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Reginald Bell TITLE: EXPLORING THE DRIVERS OF BLACK AMERICAN WOMEN’S PERCEPTIONS OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP AND THE QUEEN BEE PHENOMENON IN HUMAN RESOURCES ABSTRACT: In the current business landscape, Human Resource Management (HRM) stands as a pivotal department within organizations but has had a troubled history, marked by periods when it was viewed [...]