The graduate dean invites all graduate faculty to attend the final oral examinations for the doctoral candidates scheduled as follows:

Melissa Shinfuku, Ph.D., Microbiology, Monday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m., Life Science Lab N210. Dissertation: “Investigating Impacts of Microbial Diversity on Soil Carbon and Ecosystem Function.” Kristen DeAngelis, chair.

Jay Sandesara, Ph.D., Physics, Monday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m., via Zoom. Dissertation: “Neural Simulation Based Inference and Off-Shell Higgs Boson Production.” Rafael Coelho Lopes de Sa, chair.

Minhao Cui, Ph.D., Computer Science, Monday, Dec. 16, 10:30 a.m., via Zoom. Dissertation: “Exploiting Pervasive Leakage Em Signals for Communication, Charging and Sensing.” Jie Xiong, chair.

Brendan Sheehan, Ph.D., Physics, Monday, Dec. 16, 12 p.m., Lederle 1033 and via Zoom. Dissertation: “Quantum Spin Dynamics of Clock Transition in Molecular Nanomagnets and Defect-Rich Silica Glasses.” Jonathan Friedman, chair.

Isaac Oche Ogabiela, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Monday, Dec. 16, 1 p.m., Lederle 201 and via Zoom. Dissertation: “Controlling Selectivity Toward Dehydration or Fission in Acid-Catalyzed Aldo Reactions.” Friderike C. Jentoft, chair.

Shengbiao Zhang, Ph.D., Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m., Kellogg Conference Room 118. Dissertation: “Solidification Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured High-Entropy Alloys.” Wen Chen, chair.

Erika Correll, Ph.D., Neuroscience and Behavior, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 9:30 a.m., Life Science Lab N610. Dissertation: “Midbrain Glutamatergic and GABAergic Mechanisms Modulating Acoustic Startle.” Karine Fenelon, chair.

Mariam Parvez Sheikh, Ph.D., Education, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m., via Zoom. Dissertation: “Student Activists as Critical Educators: The Pedagogy of Collective Action and Social Movement Learning in Pakistan’s Higher Education.” Sangeeta Kamat, chair.

Ana Clara Negreiros Parante Capela Sampaio Viana, Ph.D., Animal Science, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 10:30 a.m., ILCS 231. Dissertation: “Identification of the heterogeneous Interactions that Support the Induction and Development of the Murine Liver.” Kimberley Tramblay chair.

Olga M. Correa, Ph.D., Education, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m., via Zoom. Dissertation: “What Does it do for the Town? Centering Black and Latino/a/x Families’ Narratives of Race, Place, and Choice in Suburban New Jersey.” Korina Jocson, chair.

Diana Andrea Brito Picciotto, Ph.D., Environmental Conservation, Thursday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m., Olver Design 235. Dissertation: “BIM-Based LCA Framework for Assessing Embodied Carbon in Brutalist Concrete. Case Study: University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Bromery Center for the Arts.” L. Carl Fiocchi, chair.

Madeline Tompach, Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Thursday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m., Lederle 1681. Dissertation: “Investigating Contributors to Pancreatic Toxicity with Developmental Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) Exposure in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).” Alicia Timme-Laragy, chair.

Marina Donnelly, Ph.D., Education, Thursday, Dec. 19, 10:30 a.m., via Zoom. Dissertation: “Evaluation of a Behavioral Parent Training Intervention Implementation Process in an Elementary School Setting.” Sarah Fefer, chair.

Vignesh Ravichanran, Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m., Gunness Student Center and via Zoom. Dissertation: “High-Speed Vision Processing and Computation Using Memristor-Based Cellular Neural Networks.” Qiangfei Xia, chair.