Current Dissertation Defenses
June 2026
Candidate: Nathan Tuyết Nguyễn
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Campus Community Vibes and How LGBTQ Asian American Students Navigate Their Higher Education Experiences
Committee: Dr. Donna Talbot, Chair, Dr. Eric Archer, Dr. Browning Neddeau
Time/Place: Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Lucie M. Romano
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Training Physicians to Identify Psychological Trauma Using the T-SBIRT Model and Simulated Patients: A Pilot Study
Committee: Dr. Amy Naugle, Chair,Dr. Scott Gaynor, Dr. Jonathan Baker, Dr. Roger Apple, Dr. Neil Hughes
Time/Place: Monday, June 15, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Hesham Elhaddad
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Geological and Environmental Sciences
Title: Nile Basin Flood Risk Under Climate Change and Practical Options for Using Excess Floodwater
Committee: Dr. Mohamed Sultan, Chair, Dr. Mine Dogan, Dr. Richard Becker
Time/Place: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Sarah Dacey
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Promoting Coping and Connection: Preliminary Effectiveness of an ACT and Social Support Intervention for Parents of Children with Chronic Health Conditions
Committee: Dr. Scott Gaynor, Chair, Dr. Amy Naugle, Dr. Amy Damashek, Dr. Kirsten Bonifacio
Time/Place: Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Ky'Aria Moses
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Evaluating Self-Instructional Training Materials to Teach Implementation of a Reading Program
Committee: Dr. Sarah Pinkelman, Chair, Dr. Stephanie Peterson, Dr. Jessica Van Stratton, Dr. Margeret Uwayo
Time/Place: Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1710 Wood Hall
Candidate: Samantha Strine
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Sociology
Title: Bridging the Gap: Action-Oriented vs. Community-Minded Mentalities and Behaviors in Cold Case Investigation Units
Committee: Dr. Barry Goetz, Chair, Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten, Dr. Ronald Kramer, Dr. Beixi Li
Time/Place: Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Callum A. Smith
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Analysis of a Process-Based Approach to Case Formulation and Treatment with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Committee: Dr. Scott Gaynor, Chair, Dr. Amy Naugle, Dr. Amy Damashek, Dr. Taylor Weststrate
Time/Place: Friday, June 19, 2026, 9 to 11 a.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Andrew S. Thomas
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: English
Title: “Dynt Of Dede:” Reading the Medieval Combat Scene Through the Helmet-Cleave Motif
Committee: Dr. Jana Schulman, Chair, Dr. Marjorie Harrington, Dr. Tobias Capwell, Dr. Peggy McCraken
Time/Place: Friday, June 19, 2026, 9 to 11 a.m., 2033 Brown Hall
Candidate: Victor “Trey” Ximenez
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Severity-Informed Analysis of Staff-Worn Personal Protective Equipment Use in an Applied Behavior Analysis Clinical Setting
Committee: Dr. Heather McGee, Chair, Dr. Jonathan Baker, Dr. Ron Van Houten, Dr. Jennifer Bott, Dr. Samantha Lynn Hardesty
Time/Place: Monday, June 22, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon, Virtual meeting
Candidate: Geraldine Granados Todd
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Flexible Machismo: Rethinking Latin Masculinity
Committee: Dr. Amy Naugle, Chair, Dr. Amy Damashek, Dr. Scott Gaynor, Dr. Sean Barnes
Time/Place: Monday, June 22, 2026, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Cassandra Dukes
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: A Primary Care Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Efficacy of a Caregiver Focused Intervention to Reduce Children’s Risk for Child Sexual Abuse
Committee: Dr. Amy Damashek, Chair, Dr. Amy Naugle, Dr. Scott Gaynor, Dr. Maureen Kenny, Dr. Katherine Beenen
Time/Place: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 9 to 11 a.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Freddie E. McGee Jr
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: The Voices of African American Male College Students from Low-Income Homes, Raised by Single Parents Who are Academically Successful
Committee: Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell, Chair, Dr. LaSonja Roberts, Dr. Keenan King
Time/Place: Friday, June 26, 2026, 9 to 11 a.m., 4423 Dunbar Hall
Candidate: Thomas L. Fisher
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Knowledge, Physician Communication, and Psychological Predictors of Willingness to Engage in Dementia Risk Reduction Across the Lifespan
Committee: Dr. Amy Naugle, Chair, Dr. Scott Gaynor, Dr. Jonathan Baker, Dr. Janet Hahn
Time/Place: Monday, June 29, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon, Virtual meeting
Candidate: Patrick Clouse
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mallinson Institute for Science Education
Title: The Impact of Using History on Learning in Physics Laboratory Settings
Committee: Dr. David Rudge, Chair, Dr. Cody Williams, Dr. Diana Sachmpazidi
Time/Place: Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 6 to 8 p.m., 1408 Wood Hall
July 2026
Candidate: Hosam Olimat
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Civil and Construction Engineering
Title: A Blockchain-Enabled Relational Data-Driven Model and Framework for Safety Performance Evaluation in Offsite Construction
Committee: Dr. Osama Abudayyeh, Co-Chair, Dr. Hexu Liu, Co-Chair, Dr. Ying Thaviphoke
Time/Place: Thursday, July 2, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon, D-208 Floyd Hall, Parkview Campus
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.