Week of Events
Monday, July 6, 2026
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July 6, 2026 -Nana Rasmata Master’s Thesis Defense, Monday, July 6, 2026 @ 2:00 pm Central Time
Nana Rasmata Master’s Thesis Defense, Monday, July 6, 2026 @ 2:00 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Cajetan Akujuobi TITLE: DESIGN AND HARDWARE VALIDATION OF A 5G NR OFDM TRANSMITTER ON THE INTEL DE10-NANO FPGA ABSTRACT: Fifth generation (5G) wireless networks have made Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) the backbone of modern physical-layer communication, enabling high spectral efficiency, resilience to multipath fading, and support for everything from smartphones [...]
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
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July 7, 2026 -Latonya D. Holman Doctoral Project Defense, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 @ 10:00 am Central Time
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July 7, 2026 -Parthiv Debnath Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 @ 11:00 am Central Time
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July 7, 2026 -Natasha Abney Doctoral Project Defense, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 @ 11:00 am Central Time
Latonya D. Holman Doctoral Project Defense, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 @ 10:00 am Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Abida Solomon TITLE: EVALUATION OF A BREAST CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM FOR FEMALE VETERANS WITHIN PATIENT CARE ALIGNMENT TEAMS AT VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER ABSTRACT: Breast cancer remains a significant health concern among women veterans and is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Early detection through routine screening mammography is [...]
Parthiv Debnath Master’s Thesis Defense, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 @ 11:00 am Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Lin Gong TITLE: DISTRIBUTED COORDINATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF UTILITY-SCALE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS VIA MULTI-AGENT REINFORCEMENT LEARNING ABSTRACT: The increasing integration of renewable energies into modern power systems has created significant operational challenges, including transmission congestion, renewable energy curtailment, and increased real-time supply-demand variability, which makes effective coordination and optimization of [...]
Natasha Abney Doctoral Project Defense, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 @ 11:00 am Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Abida Solomon TITLE: IMPROVING PROTOCOL ADHERENCE THROUGH STAFF EDUCATION: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE TO STANDARDIZE CHLORHEXIDINE GLUCONATE USE IN AN AMBULATORY OBSTETRIC CLINIC ABSTRACT: Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) following cesarean delivery remain a significant challenge in obstetric care, contributing to increased maternal morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs. [...]
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
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July 8, 2026 -Chauncey Pickens Dissertation Proposal Defense, Wednesday, July 08, 2026 @ 12:00 pm Central Time
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July 8, 2026 -Chioma Ike Doctoral Project Defense, Wednesday, July 8, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Central Time
Chauncey Pickens Dissertation Proposal Defense, Wednesday, July 08, 2026 @ 12:00 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Fred Bonner TITLE: BARRIERS AND BRIDGES: CHARACTERIZING AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT WITH UNIVERSITY COUNSELING SERVICES AT HBCUS IN THE PURSUIT OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS ABSTRACT: African American male students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continue to experience unique academic, social, and psychological challenges that may influence their persistence, identity [...]
Chioma Ike Doctoral Project Defense, Wednesday, July 8, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Chloe Gaines COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: Dr. Shannon Chopp TITLE: INCREASING HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) VACCINATION RATES AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN THE PRIMARY CARE SETTING: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. It is the most common viral infection of the reproductive [...]
Thursday, July 9, 2026
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July 9, 2026 -Jacobie Backstrom Dissertation Proposal Defense, Thursday, July 9, 2026 @ 12:00 pm Central Time
Jacobie Backstrom Dissertation Proposal Defense, Thursday, July 9, 2026 @ 12:00 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Fred Bonner TITLE: MORE THAN BELONGING: HOW AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE VERTICAL TRANSFER STUDENTS USE COMMUNITY CULTURAL WEALTH TO NAVIGATE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS ABSTRACT: Vertical Transfer students who are Black Male, remain to face disproportionately low graduation rates at predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), even while community colleges have had a historical impact [...]
Friday, July 10, 2026
No events on this day.
Saturday, July 11, 2026
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July 11, 2026 -Valencia Akanji Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 9:00 am Central Time
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July 11, 2026 -JoAnn Emale Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 10:0 am Central Time
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July 11, 2026 -Jasmine Rice Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 11:0 am Central Time
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July 11, 2026 -Renika Atkins Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 12:30 pm Central Time
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July 11, 2026 -Matthew Berg Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Central Time
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July 11, 2026 -Melanie Nash Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 1:30 pm Central Time
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July 11, 2026 -Christin Hill Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 4:00 pm Central Time
Valencia Akanji Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 9:00 am Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Oluwagbemiga Ojumu TITLE: ALGORITHMIC INFLUENCE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION: HOW DIGITAL PLATFORMS SHAPE CONSUMER DECISIONS, POLITICAL BEHAVIOR, AND FIRM ADVANTAGE ABSTRACT: Algorithmic systems have become fundamental to digital platforms, shaping how consumers access information, evaluate alternatives, form preferences, and make decisions. Through data collection, tracking, personalization, recommendation systems, and behavioral prediction, algorithms [...]
JoAnn Emale Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 10:0 am Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Erick Kitenge TITLE: BEYOND EXECUTION: MANAGERIAL ATTRIBUTES FOR SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING ABSTRACT: This study examines the relationship between what consumers value in experiential marketing events and the managerial competencies organizations seek when hiring for experiential marketing roles. As brands increasingly compete on emotional and sensory engagement, the experiential marketing manager has [...]
Jasmine Rice Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 11:0 am Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Reginald Bell TITLE: FROM INFLUENCE TO EXHAUSTION: HOW LEADERSHIP STYLES PREDICT BURNOUT IN HEALTHCARE LEADERS ABSTRACT: Burnout among healthcare leaders has become an increase issue due to its potential influence on organizational performance, employee well-being, and quality of patient care. Although previous studies have extensively examined the relationship between leadership styles [...]
Renika Atkins Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 12:30 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Louis Ngamassi Tchouakeu TITLE: THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL RISK AVERSION IN SHAPING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH AMONG BLACK LED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ABSTRACT: Black-led nonprofit organizations play a vital role in addressing social and economic inequities, yet many operate within funding environments characterized by persistent financial constraints and limited access to [...]
Matthew Berg Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 1:00 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Elvis Ndembe TITLE: BENCHMARKING SUCCESSFUL CMMC IMPLEMENTATION IN A SMALL SPACECRAFT MANUFACTURER THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGY-ORGANIZATION-ENVIRONMENT FRAMEWORK ABSTRACT: The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) has become a consequential buyer-imposed requirement within the U.S. Department of Defense industrial base, yet limited empirical knowledge explains how small advanced-manufacturing suppliers successfully attain compliance. This mixed-method [...]
Melanie Nash Dissertation Proposal Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 1:30 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Erick Kitenge TITLE: BILATERAL DETERMINANTS OF PRICE CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE ACROSS U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS ABSTRACT: This dissertation will examine the bilateral determinants of price convergence and divergence across U.S. metropolitan areas, with a particular focus on how location-pair characteristics shape the speed and persistence of price adjustments over time. While prior [...]
Christin Hill Dissertation Defense, Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 4:00 pm Central Time
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Robert Zinko TITLE: DEEP CONDITIONED: UNPACKING HAIR BIAS IN PERCEIVED PROFESSIONALISM AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR HIRING OF BLACK WOMEN ABSTRACT: This study examines the relationship between Black women’s hairstyles, perceived professionalism, and hiring willingness. Using a two-study design, the research investigates whether hairstyle influences workplace evaluations and whether these perceptions change [...]
Sunday, July 12, 2026
No events on this day.