Current Dissertation Defenses

January 2026

Candidate: Irene Kahvazadeh
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Computer Science
Title: Advancing Computational Frontiers in Noisy Quantum Systems with Transformative Quantum Neural Network Classifiers
Committee: Dr. Alvis Fong, Chair, Dr. Elise de Doncker, Dr. Dean Johnson
Time/Place: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Ariel S. Martin
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Geological and Environmental Sciences
Title: Evaluating the Relationship between Mineralogy and Oxygen Isotope Incorporation in High-temperature Experimental Dolomites
Committee: Dr. Stephen Kaczmarek, Chair, Dr. Sierra Peterson, Dr. Ian Winkelstern,       Dr. David Zakharov
Time/Place: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., 1710 Sangren Hall

Candidate: Sawyer Osborn
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: From Total Domination to Graph Colorings
Committee: Dr. Ping Zhang, Chair, Dr. Gary Chartrand, Dr. Jeffrey Strom, Dr. Ebrahim Salehi
Time/Place: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Ritabrato Chatterjee 
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Ramsey Chains in Graphs
Committee: Dr. Ping Zhang, Chair, Dr. Gary Chartrand, Dr. Jim Zhu, Dr. Dinesh Sarvate
Time/Place: Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Jack Alan Klee
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Public Affairs and Administration
Title: Transparency and Accessibility in State Transportation Performance Reporting: A Systematic Examination of State Department of Transportation Websites Under MAP-21
Committee: Dr. Daniela Schröter, Chair, Dr. Matthew Mingus, Dr. Kevin Corder
Time/Place: Friday, January 30, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., 3303 Friedmann Hall

February 2026

Candidate: Nitchada Kamlue
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: A Systematic Review of How Productive Struggle is Defined in Mathematics Learning Research and an Exploratory Investigation of Prospective Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Struggle and Progress During Their Whole-Class Discussion of a Peer’s High-Leverage Contribution
Committee: Dr. Laura Van Zoest, Chair, Dr. Theresa Grant, Dr. Jane-Jane Lo, Dr. Mariana Levin, Dr. Hiroko Warshauer             
Time/Place: Friday, February 20, 2026, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., 6625 Everett Tower

Candidate: Juan A. Lopez
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: Practice Makes Perfect: Behavioral Fluency as a Paradigm for Reducing Pediatric Prehospital Dosing Errors
Committee: Dr. Heather McGee, Chair, Dr. Ron Van Houten, Dr. Jonathan Baker, Dr. John Hoyle, Dr. Jessica Van Stratton
Time/Place: Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Noon to 2 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Kyle C. VanderWall
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: History
Title: “the Thorns of the most severe virtue”: Education, Religion, and Cultural Power in Michigan, 1798-1855
Committee: Dr. Wilson Warren, Chair, Dr. José António Brandão, Dr. Ángela Pérez-Villa, Dr. Chien Juh Gu
Time/Place: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2302 Friedmann Hall

Candidate: Dawn M. Smith
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program
Title: Barriers to Climate Change and Sustainability Action: Nursing Education and Practice
Committee: Dr. Kieran Fogarty, Chair, Dr. Lisa Dechano-Cook, Dr. Teddie Potter
Time/Place: Thursday, February 26, 2026, Noon to 2 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Latifa Ayad-Hall
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: English
Title: Water, Mud, Ink, Blood
Committee: Thisbe Nissen, M.F.A., Chair, Alen Hamza, Ph.D. , Shonda Buchanan, M.F.A., Sakinah Hofler, Ph.D. 
Time/Place: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., 3025 Brown Hall

Candidate: Justin Honer
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Geological and Environmental Sciences
Title: Characterizing Volumetric Contraction Fracture Networks for Fluid Flow
Committee: Dr. Matt Reeves, Chair, Dr. Peter Voice, Dr. Lucas Goehring
Time/Place: Friday, February 27, 2026, 9 to 11 a.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Morgan Shiver
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: English
Title: Recognizing and Theorizing the Older Other in Children’s Literature and Media
Committee: Dr. Meghann Meeusen, Chair, Dr. Gwen Tarbox, Dr. Jonathan Bush, Dr. Michelle Abate
Time/Place: Friday, February 27, 2026, 3 to 5 p.m., 2408 Dunbar Hall

March 2026

Candidate: Lauren Shibley
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Psychology
Title: The Effects of Fluency Building on Undergraduate Student Performance
Committee: Dr. Heather McGee, Chair, Dr. Alan Poling, Dr. Kate Martini, Dr. Yngvi Einarsson
Time/Place: Monday, March 2, 2026, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 3715 Wood Hall

Candidate: Kyle Avink
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Second-Career Educators
Committee: Dr. LaSonja Roberts, Chair, Dr. Jessica Heybach, Dr. Kelly Amshey
Time/Place: Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Sarah Cheatham
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Transition Experiences of Early Middle College Completers: A Grounded Theory Study
Committee: Dr. Ramona Lewis, Chair, Dr. Jessica Heybach, Dr. Sara Nelson
Time/Place: Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., 2730 Sangren Hall

Candidate: Stephanie Althoff
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program 
Title: Lived Experiences in Burn Scar Management: A Qualitative Exploration of Perceived Intervention Effectiveness and Factors Influencing Adherence
Committee: Dr. Diane Dirette, Chair, Dr. Mary Lagerwey, Dr. Gregory Chown
Time/Place: Monday, March 9, 2026, 12:15 to 2:15 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: A Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage Harsha Badraka Amunugama
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Civil and Construction Engineering
Title: Operational Base-Line and Structural Health Monitoring for the 2nd Avenue Network Arch Bridge
Committee: Dr. Upul Attanayake, Chair, Dr. Haluk Aktan, Dr. Purushotham Pakala
Time/Place: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 4 to 6 p.m., G-209 Floyd Hall, Parkview Campus

Candidate: Richard Duane Mingerink
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Making Sense of the Faith-based School’s Mission: An Instrumental Case Study Exploring How the School’s Mission is Enacted
Committee: Dr. Patricia Reeves, Chair, Dr. Jianping Shen, Dr. Albert Boerema
Time/Place: Thursday, March 12, 2026, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., 3120 Sangren Hall

Candidate: Letetsia A. Fox
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
Title: Black Faces in White Spaces: Understanding School Belonging Among Black Adolescents at NAIS Independent Schools
Committee: Dr. Mary Z. Anderson, Chair, Dr. Branson Boykins, Dr. Regena Nelson
Time/Place: Friday, March 13, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon, Virtual meeting

Candidate: Sonia Young
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program
Title: Convergence and Divergence of Opinion about Treatment of Binocular Vision Disorders among Vision Care Professionals
Committee: Dr. Kieran Fogarty, Chair, Dr. Mary Lagerwey, Dr. Alison Jenerou
Time/Place: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Noon to 2 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Jena Escareño
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Interdisciplinary Studies
Title: Having Our Say: A Sociological Examination of English Instruction in Urban High Schools and Effects on Black and Latino Identities
Committee: Dr. Jennifer Richardson, Chair, Dr. Charles Crawford, Dr. Staci Perryman-Clark, Dr. Robert Randez
Time/Place: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., 1101 Moore Hall

Candidate: Katelyn Hanley Semelbauer
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: A Phenomenological Study of Black College Students’ Belonging Built Through Meaningful Interactions with Black Staff at Predominantly White Institutions
Committee: Dr. Donna Talbot, Chair, Dr. Ramona Lewis, Dr. Connie Dang
Time/Place: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 3 to 5 p.m., Virtual meeting

Candidate: Nkenge A. Bergan
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
Title: Place-Based Scholarships and Urban Black Males
Committee: Dr. LaSonja Roberts, Chair, Dr. Luchara Wallace, Dr. Wayne Stitt
Time/Place: Friday, March 20, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon, 4423 Dunbar Hall

Candidate: Ahmad Al Majali
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering and Engineering Management
Title: Enhancing Control Chart Schemes and Exploring New Assessment Metrics to Advance Quality Control and Cyber-Attack Detection in Manufacturing
Committee: Dr. Lee Wells, Chair, Dr. Jim Burns, Dr. Ilgn Acar, Dr. Shameek Bhattacharjee
Time/Place: Friday, March 20, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., D-212 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.