KELLEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, GRADUATE DIVISION
Friday, May 30, 2025, 10:00 am
Business
Palley, Thomas
Essays on Operations and Decision Analysis in Public Policy
Godfrey Center 2063
Chair: Prof. Owen Wu / Prof. Oguz Cetin, (812-855-2676 / 919-808-6712)
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, GRADUATE DIVISION
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 1:30 pm
Economics
Berger, Jack
Essays on Random Consideration in Empirical Industrial Organization
Wylie Hall Room 225
Chair: Prof. Ruli Xiao, (812-855-3213)
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10:30 am
Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
Perez, Sierra
Resilience mechanisms of grassland plant communities to global change
Biology Building 009
Chair: Prof. Jennifer Lau, (269-270-4236)
Friday, May 16, 2025, 11:00 am
Sociology
Heilman, Monica
Morally Fraught Identities: How Multiracial Individuals Navigate Race and Whiteness
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Dina Okamoto, (812-855-2209)
Monday, May 19, 2025, 11:00 am
Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Mahaptra, Ananya
Molecular mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation mediated by ADARs in the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system
Simon Hall 001
Chair: Prof. Heather Hundley, (812-856-7245)
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 2:00 pm
Spanish
Di Maggio Ferraro, Genoveva
Beyond vistes: a sociolinguistic and diachronic study of second-person singular preterite verb ending variation.
Global and International Studies Building GA2134
Chair: Prof. Manuel Diaz-Campos, (812-855-4526)
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 1:30 pm
Geological Sciences
Quagraine, Kwesi
Investigating the Drivers of Co-Occurring Weather Phenomena and Atmospheric Rivers, and Their Effects on Precipitation
Patton Room, Geology Building
Chair: Prof. Travis O'Brien, (530-417-2640)
Monday, May 26, 2025, 10:00 am
Biochemistry
Du, Jianqiu
Structure-Guided Design of Therapeutic Antibody and Engineering of TCR
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Adam Zlotnick, (812-856-1925)
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 1:00 pm
Gender Studies
Wang, Suisui
Just Listen: Hotline Activisms and Technopolitics of Crisis
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Sara Friedman, (812-856-4595)
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 9:00 am
French
Fouchereaux, Claire
Redefining the nation? Rap, communities, and institutions in Québec
Global and International Studies Building, room 1060
Chair: Prof. Vincent Bouchard, (812-856-2549)
Friday, May 30, 2025, 1:00 pm
Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Huang, Yi-Ting
The regulation of unscheduled endocycling cell growth and their impact on tissue growth
Biology Building 248
Chair: Prof. Brian Calvi, (812-855-5450)
Monday, June 02, 2025, 10:00 am
Statistical Science
Kim, Jongwook
Parametric Modeling of Intrinsic Structure Covariance Functions for Non-Homogeneous and Non-Stationary Spatio-Temporal Random Processes on the Sphere
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Chunfeng Huang, (614-558-3972)
Tuesday, June 03, 2025, 10:00 am
Sociology
Brooks, Caroline
Invisible Illness and the Self: Exploring the Interplay of Migraine, Social Networks, and Identity
Karl Schuessler Institute for Social Research (KSISR) Room 100
Chair: Prof. Brea Perry, (812-855-4127)
Wednesday, June 04, 2025, 10:00 am
History and Philosophy of Science
Yao, Siyu
Connecting the Stars: Narrative Knowledge, Coherence, and Productive Research in Astronomy
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Jordi Cat, (812-855-8806)
Wednesday, June 04, 2025, 11:00 am
Mathematics
Lim, Ahram
A Bicategory Approach to Hermitian Morita Theory
Rawles Hall 104
Chair: Prof. James Davis, (812-855-5069)
Thursday, June 05, 2025, 12:00 pm
Psychology / Neuroscience
Sepe-Forrest, Linnea
An Examination of Early Psychotropic Drug Use and Serious Mental Illness in Youth
Psychology Building 137C
Chair: Prof. Patrick Quinn / Prof. Brian D'Onofrio, (8-12-855-9789 / 812-856-0843)
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 10:00 am
Sociology
Anderson, Elizabeth
Healthcare Policy, Structural Sexism, and the Production of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare Disparities
Morrison Hall 326
Chair: Prof. Brea Perry, (812-856-0447)
Thursday, June 12, 2025, 2:00 pm
Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
Leuner, Lauren
Influences of social and spatial complexity on the dynamics of social motivation and courtship in mice
Biology Building A100
Chair: Prof. Laura Hurley, (812-856-1991)
Friday, June 13, 2025, 1:30 pm
Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Fasteen, Tess
Nuclear receptor signaling coordinates metabolism with development in Drosophila melanogaster
Biology Building 009
Chair: Prof. Jason Tennessen, (812-855-9803)
Monday, June 23, 2025, 10:00 am
Geography
Watkins, Jennifer
Who Profits from the Plate? Labor and Power in the U.S. Restaurant Industry
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Daniel Knudsen, (812-855-6303)
Friday, August 15, 2025, 10:00 am
Mathematics
Cho, Myung Sin
K-theoretic Tate-Poitou duality at prime 2
Rawles Hall 127
Chair: Prof. Michael Mandell, (812-855-8524)
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, GRADUATE DIVISION
Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 10:00 am
History, Philosophy and Policy Studies in Education / Sociology
Akada, Takuya
The Cultural Construction of Motives for Higher Education in Cambodia
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Bradley Levinson / Prof. Timothy Hallett, (812-856-8359 / 812-856-1426)
Monday, May 19, 2025, 10:00 am
Curriculum and Instruction
Duarte Mejia, Iris
Mental Processes Underlying Responsive Mathematics Teaching with Middle School Students: A Researcher Self Study.
Wright Education Building 3125
Chair: Prof. Amy Hackenberg, (812-345-3577)
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 11:00 am
Special Education
Ahmed, Gelan
Mental Health and Coping Strategies of Refugee Parents of Children with ASD: A Case Study
Wright Education Building 3269
Chair: Prof. Jeffrey Anderson, (812-856-8155)
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 1:00 pm
Higher Education
Hawkins, Chandler
We Have Always Been Beautiful: A Critical Narrative Analysis Examining Black Undergraduate Women's Experiences With (Un)Desirability
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Lucy LePeau, (812-856-8392)
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 10:00 am
Higher Education
Askew, Da'Ja'Nay
THE POWER OF CONNECTION: HOW FACULTY INTERACTIONS SHAPE BLACK STUDENTS’ HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCES AT PRIVATE LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTIONS
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Lucy LePeau, (812-856-8392)
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 10:00 am
Higher Education
Hu, Tien-Ling
Fostering Student Success: A Multi-Article Dissertation on Access, Equity, and Quality in Undergraduate Research
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Victor Borden, (317-652-0402)
Friday, June 06, 2025, 10:00 am
Literacy, Culture and Language Education
Jeon, Jaeho
Chatbot-Assisted Dynamic Assessment for Critical L2 Reading: Toward a Teacher-AI Collaborative Model
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Serafin Coronel-Molina, (812-856-8232)
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 11:00 am
Higher Education
Long, Aaminah
A Strategy but Not the Goal: Understanding Black, Underresourced Enrollees’ Perceptions of Degree Worth Through Acts of Fugitivity
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Thomas Nelson-Laird, (812-856-8366)
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 12:00 pm
Counseling Psychology
Hawkins-White, Dionne
FROM MOTHER TO DAUGHTER: THE INFLUENCE OF MATERNAL SOCIALIZATION ON BLACK CARIBBEAN WOMEN’S ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. James Brooks, (812-856-8206)
Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 2:00 pm
Literacy, Culture and Language Education
Kwon, Suok
Configuring Knowledge Diaspora: A Critical Ethnographic Case Study with Korean Doctoral Students on Translingual Practices and Transnational Identities Construction at a U.S. University
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Serafin Coronel-Molina, (812-856-8232)
SCHOOL OF INFORMATICS, COMPUTING, AND ENGINEERING, GRADUATE DIVISION
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1:00 pm
Informatics / Cognitive Science
Tanner, Jacob
Unifying Frameworks for Neuroscience: The Convergence of Networks, Dynamical Systems, and Complex Systems
Luddy Center for Artificial Intelligence Room 2005
Chair: Prof. Richard Betzel / Prof. Randall Beer, (812-856-7468 / 812-856-0873)
Monday, May 19, 2025, 9:00 am
Informatics
Collins, Sawyer
Companionship, Introspection, and Care: Exploring the Adaptability and Customization of a Socially Assistive Robot Design for Those Living with Depression
Luddy AI Building, Room 2001
Chair: Prof. Selma Sabanovic, (812-856-0386)
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 12:00 pm
Informatics
Hsu, Long-Jing
Designing Technology For and With Care
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Selma Sabanovic / Prof. Chia-Fang Chung, (812-856-0386 / 408-861-3700)
Friday, June 06, 2025, 2:00 pm
Informatics
Wu, Yuxing
Designing Everyday Family Technologies: Supporting Health and Wellbeing in Family-Food Interactions with Children
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Chia-Fang Chung / Prof. Elizabeth Kaziunas, (206-696-1912 / 610-297-1344)
Thursday, June 12, 2025, 12:00 pm
Computer Science / Linguistics
Kuznetsova, Anastasia
Data efficiency and model complexity reduction
for speech processing systems
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Minje Kim / Prof. Francis Tyers, (217-419-8372 / 812-351-0853)
Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 9:00 am
Informatics
Miao, Lili
Developing National Science: A Systemic Analysis of Global Structures of Funding, Collaboration, and Production
Luddy AI Building Conference Room 2005
Chair: Prof. Yong-Yeol Ahn, (812-856-2920)
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 10:00 am
Informatics
Balladichanda, Rachith Aiyappa
Towards Empirically Validated Models of Cogno-Social Belief Dynamics
Luddy AI Building Conference Room 2005
Chair: Prof. Yong-Yeol Ahn, (812-856-2920)
THE MEDIA SCHOOL, GRADUATE DIVISION
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 2:00 pm
Media Arts and Sciences
Mudavadi, Kevin
Navigating the Winds of Change: Forces Shaping Journalistic Role Conception in Kenya
Franklin Hall 230M
Chair: Prof. James Shanahan, (812-855-1963)
SCHOOL OF GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, GRADUATE DIVISION
Friday, May 23, 2025, 9:00 am
Central Eurasian Studies
Han, Rabia
From Soviet Union to Independent Uzbekistan: An Intersectional Perspective of Women's Roles and Challenges
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Marianne Kamp, (812-855-4394)
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 1:00 pm
Middle Eastern Languages and Culture
Yang, Fang-Yu
Women’s Representation and Gender-Biased Attitudes in Democratic Legislatures: Evidence from Cultural Measurements in Israel and Taiwan
Global and International Studies Building, room 2067
Chair: Prof. Aziza Khazzoom, (812-855-4323)
Tuesday, June 03, 2025, 10:00 am
Middle Eastern Languages and Culture / Anthropology
Nighswander, Tyler
Baboons and Behaviors: Inquiries about the Great Chain of Being and Primate Cognitive Science
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Tom Schoenemann / Prof. John Walbridge, (812-855-8800 / 812-855-8689)
Thursday, June 05, 2025, 3:00 pm
Central Eurasian Studies
Durmaz, Mustafa
A Kurmanji Kurdish Reference Grammar
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Oner Ozcelik, (812-219-3683)
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, GRADUATE DIVISION
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1:00 pm
Public Affairs
Peng, Lanjun
Bureaucratic behavior and public finance
O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Conference Room A225
Chair: Prof. Justin Ross, (812-856-7559)
Friday, June 13, 2025, 1:00 pm
Public Affairs
Park, Wooserk
Essays on Equitable Urban Economics
O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs room A225
Chair: Prof. Ashlyn Nelson, (812-855-5599)
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 9:00 am
Health Behavior
Qin, Weisiyu
LONGITUDINAL IMPACTS OF FAMILY RULES ON CANNABIS USE IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Dong Chul Seo / Prof. Kit Elam, (812-855-0695 / 812-855-0695)
Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 1:00 pm
Health Behavior
Khan, Shahzarin
Sexual Pleasure Experiences of South Asian Women in the USA
School of Public Health, room PH C100
Chair: Prof. Eric Walsh-Buhi, (812-855-4867)
