In response to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, the University Graduate School requests that all thesis and dissertation defenses be held remotely through the end of the summer 2020 term using tools such as Zoom and Skype.
Click here for more information on affected defense policies and for guidelines, best practices, and resources for conducting defenses online.
One of the last steps to obtaining your doctoral degree is to defend your dissertation. Once you have finalized your dissertation, you must schedule and announce your defense.
First, arrange a mutually agreeable time with your committee. Set up the oral exam at least 30 days prior to when you wish to defend. Provide all members of your committee with a complete copy of your dissertation at least 30 days before the defense so they will have sufficient time to read and criticize your work.
Once the date of your defense has been established, you should complete the Ph.D. Defense Announcement Submission through OneStart. The announcement e-doc must reach the University Graduate School at least 30 days before the date of your defense. The University Graduate School begins counting the 30 days from the date your e-doc is received by our office. We recommend that you submit the e-doc at least 40 days before your defense date to allow time for the e-doc to route for approval through your academic department.
The summary should be informative and contain a brief statement of the principal results and conclusions. Unlike the abstract, which is intended for specialists in the field, an attempt should be made in the summary to communicate the findings in language and style that can be understood by the University community at large. The summary should be no less than 150 and no more than 300 words in length.
Submit your announcement on One.iu »
Once announced, the time and place cannot be changed without the approval of the dean of the University Graduate School.
Ordinarily, the defense is conducted here at Indiana University, but under extraordinary circumstances other arrangements can sometimes be made. Prior approval must be obtained from your committee and the University Graduate School.
After submitting your Ph.D. Defense Announcement Submission e-doc, track your document to ensure timely approval. Retain the email confirmation containing your document ID.
Learn how to track your announcement »
Have your committee sign the acceptance and abstract pages of your dissertation at the defense.
Learn more about formatting requirements »
This list of scheduled Ph.D. dissertation defenses is distributed so that faculty may attend or see the full announcement. If you are a faculty member and wish to see the full announcement, please call the University Graduate School Office at (812) 855-8853. If you wish to attend, please contact the committee chair in advance as a courtesy.
Friday, June 26, 2020, 10:00 am
Business
Lee, Youngduk
The Combined Effects of Features that Increase the Criterion-Related Validity of Self-Report Personality and How This Affects Incremental Validity of Coworker-Ratings of Personality
Hodge Hall 7301
Chair: Prof. Christopher Berry, (812-856-7903)
Friday, June 26, 2020, 3:00 pm
Business
Kamalahmadi, Masoud
The way we work: The impact of work design on operational performance in services
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Kurt Bretthauer / Prof. Jonathan Helm, (812-855-3487 / 812-855-5921)
Thursday, August 06, 2020, 10:00 am
Business
Cheng, Xiaoye
User Engagement in Social Media Platforms: Firm Response, Sponsored Posts, and Co-viewing
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Hillol Bala, (812-855-2607)
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 2:00 pm
Neuroscience / Psychology
Moussa-Tooks, Alexandra
Sex-Specific Effects of Early Life Stress on the Cerebellar Endocannabinoid System and Associated Functional Outcomes: A Foray into a Translational Animal Model
Psychology 128
Chair: Prof. William Hetrick / Prof. Ken Mackie, (812-855-2620 / 812-855-2042)
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 1:00 pm
Comparative Literature
Frauman, Alexandria
Unstable Masculinities: Loki, Ergi, and Challenges to Heroic Identity in Old Norse Literature
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Rosemarie McGerr, (812-855-7627)
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 2:00 pm
Sociology
Turner, Christopher
Stress over the Life Course: A Qualitative Analysis of Graduate Students' Stress and Commitment During the Graduate Career
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Brea Perry / Prof. Peggy Thoits, (812-856-0447 / 931-598-0753)
Thursday, May 28, 2020, 2:00 pm
Microbiology
Chepkwony, Nelson
Adaptation of bacterial adhesins to different ionic strength environments
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Yves Brun, (514-343-7184)
Friday, May 29, 2020, 10:00 am
Religious Studies
Sparks-Franklin, Jonathan
Rituals of Response: Religion, Critical Animal Studies, and Dispossessed Subjectivity
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Constance Furey / Prof. Lisa Sideris, (812-856-4535 / 812-272-0575)
Friday, May 29, 2020, 1:00 pm
Sociology
Thai, Mai
Junior Police, Youth, and Social Control in School
Remote Defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Dina Okamoto, (812-855-2209)
Monday, June 01, 2020, 10:30 am
Sociology
Kye, Samuel
The Macro and Micro Foundations of Racial Residential Segregation: A Contemporary Analysis
Virtual Defense due to COVID 19: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Jennifer Lee / Prof. Dina Okamoto, (812-856-2522 / 812-855-1547)
Monday, June 01, 2020, 12:00 pm
French
Ladyga, Jacob
Radical Immanence: Blasons, Bodies, and the Birth of Modern Subjectivities in Marguerite de Navarre's Late Verse
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Alison Calhoun / Prof. Eric MacPhail, (812-856-6731 / 812-855-8948)
Tuesday, June 02, 2020, 10:00 am
Microbiology
Caccamo, Paul
A different kind of arms race: Identification and characterization of proteins involved in Asticcacaulis biprosthecum stalk synthesis
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for Details
Chair: Prof. Yves Brun, (514-343-7184)
Tuesday, June 02, 2020, 11:00 am
Mathematics
Zhou, Cong
Limit results for R-diagonal random variables
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Hari Bercovici, (812-855-1989)
Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 1:00 am
Microbiology
Roebke, Katherine
Regulation of cell death by reovirus outer capsid proteins
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Pranav Danthi, (812-856-2449)
Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 10:00 am
Political Science
Johnson, Cathryn
Women's Participation in Community Life and Politics in Mali and Burkina Faso: French Colonial Legacies and Contemporary Associational Life
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Lauren MacLean, (812-856-2376)
Sunday, June 07, 2020, 1:00 pm
Cognitive Science; Psychology
Kumar, Kiran
ANALYZING CURSOR MOVEMENTS WITH AN HMM TO ASSESS INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN COGNITION RELIABLY AND QUICKLY
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. David Crandall / Prof. Richard Shiffrin, (812-856-5754 / 812-855-4972)
Monday, June 08, 2020, 2:30 pm
Mathematics
Lei, Mengda
The spectrum of a solenoid
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Chris Judge, (812-855-2353)
Monday, June 08, 2020, 3:00 pm
Economics
Wei, Xin
Essays on Monetary Policy and Empirical Asset Pricing
Remote defense: contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Gerhard Glomm / Prof. Ke-Li Xu, (812-855-7256 / 812-855-5525)
Thursday, June 11, 2020, 9:00 am
Chinese
Kauffman, Andrew
Imagining and Contesting Martyrdom: The Discourse of Self-Sacrifice in Modern China
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Tie Xiao, (812-855-7109)
Friday, June 12, 2020, 9:00 am
Statistical Science
Li, Ao
Topics in Spatial Statistics: Nonparametric Variogram estimation, Levy's Brownian Motion and White Noise Space on the circle
Remote Defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Chunfeng Huang, (614-558-3972)
Friday, June 12, 2020, 10:00 am
Anthropology
Otto, Kristin
Creating the Sowei: Repairing and Interpreting Sowei Masks in Global Assemblages
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Jason Baird Jackson / Prof. Beth Buggenhagen, (812-856-1868 / 812-855-0617)
Friday, June 12, 2020, 2:00 pm
Mathematics
Lim, Geunho
Enhanced bounds for rho-invariants for both general and spherical 3-manifolds
Remote defense: See chair for details
Chair: Prof. Kent Orr, (812-855-8019)
Wednesday, June 17, 2020, 1:00 pm
Sociology
Cohen, Emma
Judging College: Public Perceptions of and Students' Experiences in Higher Education
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Brian Powell, (812-360-0474)
Thursday, June 18, 2020, 2:30 pm
Chemistry
Ramos, Sashary
2D IR Spectroscopy as a General Approach for the Study of Protein Dynamics
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Megan Thielges, (812-856-1909)
Thursday, June 18, 2020, 3:00 pm
Mathematics
Harriger, Jordyn
Planar Algebras related to the Symmetric Groups
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Noah Snyder, (812-855-6745)
Friday, June 19, 2020, 10:00 am
Mathematics
Tang, Sisi
The Euler Equations of an Inviscid Incompressible Fluid in T^Driven by a Levy Noise
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Roger Temam, (812-855-8521)
Friday, June 19, 2020, 10:00 am
Biochemistry
Sausen, Christopher
Regulation of Pif1 Family Helicases During DNA Replication and Repair
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Matthew Bochman, (812-856-2095)
Friday, June 19, 2020, 1:00 pm
Chemistry
Bergmann, Allison
Copper Catalysis: A Versatile Approach to C-C and C-B Bond Formation
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. M. Kevin Brown, (812-856-9114)
Monday, June 22, 2020, 11:00 am
Cognitive Science; Psychology
Kitchell, Lindsey
Shape Analysis of Human White Matter Tracts: An Examination of Normal Morphological Variability and the Association Between Morphology, Brain Size, and Behavior
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Thomas Busey / Prof. Olaf Sporns, (812-855-4261 / 812-855-2772)
Wednesday, June 24, 2020, 10:00 am
Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Ballew, Olivia
Regulation of Meiotic Commitment in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Soni Lacefield, (812-856-2429)
Wednesday, June 24, 2020, 10:00 am
Mathematics
Jia, Changdong
Mathematical Analysis and Numerical Simulations of A Large Scale Cloud Resolving Model Including the Ice Microphysics
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Roger Temam, (812-855-8521)
Friday, July 17, 2020, 11:00 am
Physics
Adhyapok, Priyom
Modeling Cell Mediated Interactions in Epithelial Tissue Organization and Repair
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. James Glazier / Prof. Sima Setayeshgar, ( 812-855-3735 / 812-855-9127)
Friday, July 17, 2020, 1:00 pm
History
Buono, Stephen
The Province of All Mankind: Outer Space and the Promise of Peace
IMU Tree Suites, Poplar Room
Chair: Prof. Nick Cullather, (812-855-1602)
Thursday, July 23, 2020, 1:00 pm
Classical Studies: Latin & Greek
Beckman, Eric
Do You See What I'm Saying? The Intersections of Painting and Paideia in Philostratus' Imagines
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Julie Van Voorhis, (812-855-1897)
Monday, August 03, 2020, 10:00 am
Criminal Justice; Psychology
Allison, Kayla
Social Networks and the Reunification of Parents and Children in Cases of Abuse and Neglect
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Natalie Kroovand Hipple / Prof. Brea Perry, (812-856-2759 / 812-856-0447)
Wednesday, August 05, 2020, 1:00 pm
Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Nicholas, Taylor
Mechanisms of EWSR1 regulation and function
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Peter Hollenhorst, (812-855-1151)
Thursday, August 06, 2020, 10:00 am
Mathematics
Lahiri, Aranya
Coefficient Systems on Bruhat-Tits Buildings Associated to Locally Analytic Representations
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Matthias Strauch, (812-856-5179)
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 3:00 pm
Counseling Psychology / Inquiry Methodology
Arthur, Ian
Borderlands: An Ethico-Aesthetic Portrait of Praxis at the Boundaries of Psychotherapy
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Barbara Dennis / Prof. Michael Tracy, (812-856-8345 / 812-856-8142)
Friday, May 29, 2020, 12:00 pm
Higher Education
Mac, Jacqueline
Becoming Minority Serving: Understanding How Institutional Agents Transform Their Institutions to Better Serve Target Student Populations
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Lucy LePeau, (812-856-8392)
Wednesday, June 10, 2020, 10:00 am
Higher Education
Maynen, Dawn
Department Climate and the Effect on the Promotion and Tenure Process for Women Faculty Members in Electrical Engineering
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Gary Pike, (317-437-7922)
Monday, June 22, 2020, 11:00 am
Counseling Psychology
David, Jessica
#IMWITHKAP: The Perceived Role of Sport Psychology Practitioners in the Activist-Athlete Movement
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Jesse Steinfeldt, (812-856-8331 )
Monday, June 29, 2020, 1:00 pm
Counseling Psychology
Blackwell, Nancy
Parental Disclosure of Past Substance Use and Emerging Adult Substance Use Outcomes: Considering Relationship Quality and Perceived Seriousness of the Disclosure
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Ellen Vaughan, (812-856-8243)
Thursday, July 02, 2020, 3:00 pm
Literacy, Culture, & Language Education
Al Sultan, Hajar
Educated Arab women's text-based discussions and meaning-making practices: An ethnographic case study of an Intellectual and Cultural Salon in the US
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Serafin Coronel-Molina, (812-856-8232)
Monday, June 08, 2020, 2:30 pm
Information Science
Zhang, Chenwei
Diversity in Teamwork - a Bibliometric Analysis
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Ying Ding / Prof. Xiaozhong Liu, (512-471-3877 / 315-378-6646)
Monday, June 15, 2020, 11:30 am
Computer Science
Mukherjee, Atreyee
Towards Effective Domain Adaptation of Dependency Parsing
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Sandra Kuebler, (812-855-3268)
Saturday, June 20, 2020, 1:00 pm
Computer Science
Zhu, Ruiyu
New Techniques and Programming Tools for Efficient MPC with Real-World Applications
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Yan Huang / Prof. Haixu Tang, (434-806-3487 / 812-856-1859)
Friday, July 03, 2020, 3:00 pm
Informatics
Park, Jaehyuk
UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITY IN THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURE WITH LABOR RECORDS
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Yong-Yeol Ahn, (812-856-2920)
Wednesday, June 17, 2020, 11:00 am
Media Arts & Sciences
Hale, Brent
Examining the effect of website social identification on persuasive message context, message processing, and attitude change
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Andrew Weaver, (812-856-2552)
Tuesday, June 09, 2020, 1:00 pm
Anatomy
Smith, Theodore
Neural Basis of Anatomical Knowledge: An fMRI and Educational Research Study
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Polly Husmann / Prof. Valerie O'Loughlin, (812-856-2373 / 812-855-7723)
Monday, June 22, 2020, 12:00 pm
Music Education
Calhoun, Iantheia
The Effect of a Systematic Vocalization Method on Jazz Performance Achievement and Self-Efficacy
Remote Defense: Contact Chair for details
Chair: Prof. Peter Miksa, (303-746-9011)
Thursday, June 25, 2020, 9:30 am
Public Affairs
Li, Zhengyan
Information Disclosure, Regulation, and Justice in Environmental Governance
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. David Konisky, (812-855-6990)
Friday, June 05, 2020, 1:00 pm
Leisure Behavior
Anderson, Kristina
"Do Not Play" Outdoor Advisories: Examining the Impact of Soil Lead Contamination in Urban Communities
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Rasul Mowatt, (217-766-1169)
Wednesday, June 10, 2020, 2:00 pm
Human Performance
Lee, Daehyoung
EFFICACY OF A GAMIFIED, BEHAVIOR CHANGE TECHNIQUES-BASED MOBILE APPLICATION PUZZLEWALK ON INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND REDUCING ANXIETY IN ADULTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Georgia Frey, (812-855-1262)
Wednesday, June 17, 2020, 3:00 pm
Health Behavior
Wang, Zhi
Applications of Data Science Methods in Discovering Opioid Prescribing Patterns and the Mechanisms underlying Substance Use Initiation and Addiction
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Hsien-Chang Lin, (812-855-6197)
Thursday, June 18, 2020, 1:00 pm
Leisure Behavior
Fletcher, Allison
TRANSGENDER-INCLUSION AT MUNICIPAL PARKS AND RECREATION AGENCIES: A QUANTITATIVE INQUIRY
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. William Ramos / Prof. Sarah Young, (812-856-7161 / 812-855-3085)
Monday, June 22, 2020, 2:00 pm
Leisure Behavior
Quash, Tiffany
Phenomenal Black Mermaids: The Experiences of Black Womyn Collegiate Swimmers
School of Public Health, Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. William Ramos, (812-322-5395)
Thursday, June 25, 2020, 11:00 am
Health Behavior
Owens, Christopher
Multiperspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Rural HIV Care Continuum
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Brian Dodge, (812-856-0792)
Tuesday, July 07, 2020, 1:00 pm
Health Behavior
Le, Aurora
Employee Intention to Evacuate During Fire Alarms in an Occupational Setting
Remote defense: Contact chair for details
Chair: Prof. Todd Smith, (812-856-4887)
