Current Dissertation Defenses
September 2024
Candidate: Hassan Shirzadi
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Title: Synthesis, Characterization and Testing of Graphene-Based Materials for Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Catalysts
Committee: Dr. Muralidhar Ghantasala, Chair, Dr. Ramakrishna Guda, Dr. Bade Shrestha,
Dr. Elena Rozhkova
Time/Place: Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 3 to 5 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Sean F. Gaffney
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Ph.D. in Education and Human Development
Title: From Pages to Pixels: Library Workers’ Perceptions of Power in the Digital Era
Committee: Dr. David Szabla, Chair, Dr. Beixi Li, Dr. Margaret Gorman
Time/Place: Friday, September 27, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Shelley L. Esman
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: English
Title: Picturing the Teaching of the Holocaust
Committee: Dr. Jonathan Bush, Chair, Dr. Cheryl Almeda, Dr. Meghann Meeusen
Time/Place: Friday, September 27, 2024, 2 to 4 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Anezka Viskova-Robertson
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Exploring the Impacts of AI Integration on Workplace Well-being: An Exploratory
Case Study
Committee: Dr. David Szabla, Chair, Dr. Beixi Li, Dr. Kuanchin Chen
Time/Place: Monday, September 30, 2024, 10 to noon, Virtual Meeting
October 2024
Candidate: Vanessa Hills
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: The Unconscious at Work: A Psychosocial Study of Leaders’ Unconscious Processes Impacting Participatory Change Leadership
Committee: Dr. David Szabla, Chair, Dr. Beixi Li, Dr. Susan Long
Time/Place: Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 7 to 9 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Cameron Hays
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program
Title: Public Health Implications of State-Level Public Health Organizational and System Structures
Committee: Dr. Rob Lyerla, Chair, Dr. Kieran Fogarty, Dr. Jessica Cataldo
Time/Place: Thursday, October 3, 2024, 10 a.m. to noon, Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Alyssa Jewell
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: English
Title: Creature Constellation
Committee: Alen Hamza, Ph.D., Chair, Thisbe Nissen, M.F.A., Jil Larson, Ph.D.,
Gina Franco, M.F.A.
Time/Place: Monday, October 14, 2024, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: M. Muchson
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mallinson Institute for Science Education
Title: The Science Education Research Trends (SERT) in Indonesian Secondary Schools: A Series of Research Synthesis Studies
Committee: Dr. William Cobern, Chair, Dr. Betty Adams, Dr. Beixi Li
Time/Place: Monday, October 14, 2024, 6 to 8 p.m., 1408 Wood Hall
Candidate: Joanne Susan Roehm
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Mothering, Leadership and Career: A Narrative Analysis
Committee: Dr. Tova Sanders, Chair, Dr. Jennifer Bott, Dr. Leah Omillon-Hodges
Time/Place: Thursday, October 31, 2024, 2 to 4 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Neha Sawant
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Chemical and Paper Engineering
Title: Advanced Material Manufacturing Obtained from Natural Products for
Wastewater Treatment
Committee: Dr. Mert Atilhan, Chair, Dr. James Springstead, Dr. Priyanka Sharma, Dr. Matt Reeves
Time/Place: Thursday, October 31, 2024, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., D132 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.