Current Dissertation Defenses
May 2025
Candidate: Kelsey Stapleton
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Concept Analyses of Intrusive and Restrictive Procedures
Committee: Dr. Stephanie Peterson, Chair, Dr. Jonathan Baker, Dr. Wayne Fuqua, Dr. Sarah Pinkelman, Dr. Cody Morris
Time/Place: Monday, May 5, 2025, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2734 Wood Hall
Candidate: Amira Ashraf Eldemerdash
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
College: Education and Human Development
Title: Voices of Resilience: The Language Learning Experiences of Syrian Refugee Women in the United States
Committee: Dr. Virginia David, Chair, Dr. Selena Protacio, Dr. Louann Bierlein Palmer
Time/Place: Monday, May 5, 2025, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4550 Sangren Hall
Candidate: Hala Kamel Mustafa Alkhalid
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Mathematical Modeling of Climate Risk in Banking: Optimizing Balance Sheets for a Sustainable Future
Committee: Dr. Qiji Jim Zhu, Chair, Dr. Pedro Júdice, Dr. Yuri Ledyaev, Dr. Jay Treiman
Time/Place: Monday, May 5, 2025, Noon to 2 p.m., 6625 Everett Tower
Candidate: Fernando Ospina
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Sociology
Title: Institutionalizing Organizational Change
Committee: Dr. Paul Ciccantell, Chair, Dr. Chien-Juh Gu, Dr. Vin Lyon Callo, Dr. Emily Drew
Time/Place: Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Shiva Agarwal
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Physics
Title: Probing Shielding Tensor Components of Amino Acids Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Committee: Dr. Zbigniew Chajecki, Chair, Dr. John B. Miller, Dr. Michael Famiano, Dr. David Huffman
Time/Place: Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Noon to 2 p.m., 2202 Everett Tower
Candidate: Noor Alomari
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Chemical and Paper Engineering
Title: Sustainable Material Solutions for Industrial Decarbonization and Environmental Remediation through Molecular Simulations
Committee: Dr. Mert Atilhan, Chair, Dr. James Springstead, Dr. Priyanka Sharma, Dr. Mahmoud El-Halwagi
Time/Place: Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Noon to 2 p.m., D-201 Floyd Hall, Parkview Campus
Candidate: Kemmel Palmer
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
Title: Historically Minoritized Racial Groups at a Midwestern University: Behaviors, Attitudes, & Beliefs Toward Mental Health and Well-being
Committee: Dr. Gary Bischof, Chair, Dr. Olivia Ngadjui, Dr. Eric Archer
Time/Place: Thursday, May 15, 2025, 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Rebecca Sevin
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Sociology
Title: Diagnosis by Algorithm: The Transformative Impact of Social Media–Driven ADHD Self-Diagnosis for Women Over 30 and the Proposal of Neurotype Strain Theory
Committee: Dr. Whitney DeCamp, Chair, Dr. Zoann Synder, Dr. Elena Gapova, Dr. Glenn Tsunokai
Time/Place: Thursday, May 15, 2025, 2 to 4 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Leandra Burke
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Public Affairs and Administration
Title: Framing the Problem to Fit the Policy Solution: An Embedded Mixed Methods Case Study of the 2017 Michigan Opioid Laws
Committee: Dr. Daniela Schrӧter, Chair, Dr. Matthew Mingus, Dr. Prentiss Jones
Time/Place: Thursday, May 15, 2025, 3 to 5 p.m., 3303 Friedmann Hall
June 2025
Candidate: Queen Roach
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mallinson Institute for Science Education
Title: Developing and Testing an Instrument to Diagnose and Measure Change in Conceptual Understanding of ENSO Among Undergraduates
Committee: Dr. William Cobern, Chair, Dr. Heather Petcovic, Dr. Lei Meng
Time/Place: Monday, June 30, 2025, 6 to 8 p.m., 1408 Wood Hall
Previous dissertation defenses have been digitized and archived by the Western Michigan University Libraries ScholarWorks Dissertations page. Use the advance search located on the left side of the page to get dissertations sorted by author, subject, department, year published, and more.