Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony

College of Engineering

Jannatun Naher
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “An Automated Design Space Exploration Tool for OpenCL-Based Implementations on FPGAs Using Machine Learning”

Panupong Jaipan
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: “Multi-Functional Titanium Oxynitride Nanowires by Pulsed Laser Deposition for Electrochemical Studies in Supercapacitors”

Nikhil Reddy Mucha      
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: “Development of Titanium Nitride Based Oxynitride Thin Film Systems for Alternative Energy Applications”

Sultan Almalki 
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: “An Empirical Evaluation of Continuous Authentication and Anomaly Detection Using Mouse Clickstream Data Analysis”

Obed Yaw Worlanyo Abotsi
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: “Development of Cooling Techniques for Electric Machines at High Rotational Rayleigh Number”

Jose Juan Corona Jr.
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: “Development of Electromechanical Actuators at Sub-Atmospheric Pressures”

Nicole Dione Dean
Ph.D. in Computational Data Science and Engineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: “Subsampling Big Data for Tree-Based Learning Algorithms”

Cynthia A. Glass
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: “An Optimization of Transportation Networks Impacted by a Severe Weather Disruption“

Sima Sabahi
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020
Dissertation Title: “A Novel Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping Method to Model Supply Chain Resilience and Other Complex Systems”

Ritson K. Delpish
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering            
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: “Human-Centered Design of a Food Bank Smart Service System”

Kehinde Odubela          
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering            
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Novel Methodologies for Estimating Demand at Hunger Relief Organizations”

Sachin Mhatre  
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Optimization Models for Road Network Protection and Restoration during a Natural Disaster”

Abhaysinh Gaikwad
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “Understanding Material Deformation Mechanism in Nanoimprint Lithography for Engineering and Medical Applications”

Surya ratna kiran Nalamati         
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering   
Graduation Semester: Summer II 2020   
Dissertation Title: “A Study of GaAsSb Nanowires on Monolayer Graphene/SiO2/Si and Near-Infrared Photodetector Application” 

Devi Mounika Chilukuri
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: “Machine Learning-Based Mobility Assistance for Elderly Road Users”

Allan Anzagira  
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering   
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020    
Dissertation Title: “Visible Light Inter-Satellite Communication for Small Satellites - A Multiple Access Perspective”

Mackenzie Truman Matthews  
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Adaptive and Neural Network Based Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”

Janetta Celeste Brown  
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering            
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Resource (AlCaRe): Tailored Mobile Health Application”

Imano Williams
Ph.D. in Computer Science         
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: “An Ontology-Driven System to Recommend Security Concerns and Attack Patterns for Web Applications”

Niloofar Bahadori
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Device-to-Device Communication in 5G wireless Networks”

Meenal Chaudhari         
Ph.D. in Computational Data Science and Engineering    
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Machine Learning-Based Strategies to Predict Sites of Arginine Methylation, Dephosphorylation and Redox-Sensitive ERK2 Substrates”

College of Science & Technology

Dammah Otieno
Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology  
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020    
Dissertation Title: “Anti-Obesity Effect of Quercetin by Activation of Non-Shivering Thermogenesis in Adipose Tissues” 

Asmamaw Amare Gebrehiwot  
Ph.D. in Energy & Environmental Systems           
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Flood Extent Mapping in 3D Using Deep Learning from High-Resolution Remote Sensing Data”

Jeannette Delva-Wiley  
Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology  
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Impact of Redox Modification on PKA Substrate Selection”

Damon M. Smith           
Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology  
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “Measuring the Optical, Physical, and Chemical Properties of Aging Biomass Burning Aerosols Native to Sub-Saharan Africa”

College of Education

Stewart Daniel Middleton, II      
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “Understanding the Effects of Mental Illness Stigma on the Attitudes of Undergraduate and Graduate Students from a Micro-Aggression Theoretical Perspective”

Alice Ayanna Boyd         
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies       
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Analysis of Department Chairperson Core Competencies: An Analytic Hierarchy Approach” 

Helene A Cameron        
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Leadership Perspectives of African American Female College Presidents: Focus on the Community College”

Janice Furman  
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “An Exploration of Nursing Leadership: Strategies of Succession Planning Among the Multigenerational Workforce”

Belinda R White
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “The Impact of Performance Weariness on the Professional Careers of African American Women Leaders”

Catina A Galloway          
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “Organizational Leadership Response to Racial Bias: The Perceptions of Minority Faculty in Community Colleges”

Ayisha Jefferson-Evans 
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “The Veil of Black Beauty: A Phenomenological Study of Black Woman Leadership”

Darryl A. Spivey
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “An Exploration of the Skills, Competencies, and Requirements of Effective Middle Managers in Pro-profit Organizations”

Shawn D. Odom             
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “An Exploration of Noncognitive Factors That Affect Black Males’ Academic and Leadership Development at Historically Black Colleges and Universities” 

Shinika Michelle McKiever          
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: “The Rise of Women Business-OwnHERS: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Adaptive Leadership and the Development Experiences of Women Entrepreneurs” 

Keyunda Miller 
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “A Phenomenological Study of African American Women Leaders in Academic, Public, and School Libraries”

Travis S. Andrews          
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020    
Dissertation Title: “Rehabilitation Counseling in Color: The Importance of African American Male Representation in CACREP-Accredited Counselor Education Programs”

Yvonne Ward   
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Beyond the Classroom: An Examination of Predictive Factors Influencing the Career Choice of Counselors with an Earned Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision”

B. Dexter Sharp II
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “The Exploration of Sense of Belonging Amongst African American Black Greek-Lettered Fraternity Members at Predominantly White Institutions” 

Terrilyn Battle  
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Summer II 2020   
Dissertation Title: “Exploring Factors of Employability Among African American Non-Veteran Homelessness: A Narrative Case Study Analysis” 

Gary B. Bailey   
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “The Association of Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership to Job Satisfaction of Social Work Leaders”

Waqiah McNair Ellis      
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “African-American Women’s Likelihood to Participate in Clinical Research Based on Awareness, Convenience, and Compensation Factors” 

Ashley Marshall
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020    
Dissertation Title: “The Effects of Race, Gender, Education, and Personality Traits on Political Participation During the 2012 Presidential Election” 

Angela E. Maxwell         
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies        
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020    
Dissertation Title: “The Impact of Colorism, Skin Tone, Race, Gender, and Age on Leader-Follower Interactions Among Behavioral Health Professionals” 

Pamela Siobohn Moye  
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “An Emancipatory Phenomenological Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Black Female Veterans with Military Sexual Trauma” 

Shakeerrah D. Lawrence             
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: “The Influence of Areas of Worklife on Burnout in State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors” 

Melanie Marshall           
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “A Mixed Methods Investigation of the Effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Adult Children of Minority Combat Veterans” 

Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

Sheikh Saudi     
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering           
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “Biodegradable Electrospun Mesh of Polymer-Metal Composites for Biomedical Application” 

Qassim Dirar     
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering           
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020          
Dissertation Title: “Prediction of CAR-T Cells Effectiveness via Microfluidics” 

Daniel J. Oldham            
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering           
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021          
Dissertation Title: “A Multiscale Investigation on the Underlying Mechanisms of Bio-Oil from Swine Manure on the Rejuvenation and Aging Resistivity of Recycled Asphalt Pavement”

We would also like to acknowledge the following doctoral graduates who were unable to participate in the Virtual Hooding Ceremony:

Hussain Faiz Abualkhair   
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Improving Resource Allocation in Response to Disaster Relief Efforts"

William Agyakwah
Ph.D. in Energy & Environmental Systems
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Orographic Impacts on Extreme Weather Events with Strong Winds"

Hussam Jameel AL-barakati
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering          
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Machine-learning Based Approaches to Predict Different Types of Post-Translation Modification Sites"

Ali Sulaiman Alwehaibi     
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering          
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: "Improving Sentiment Classification for Arabic Short Text Using Deep Learning Approaches"

Ira Wendell Bates, II          
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering        
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Fault Diagnosis of Unknown Systems: Developing a Novel Active-Learning Technique"

Don Kirk Beatty  
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies            
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "An Exploration of the Path for African American Women to and the Diversification of the Corporate Boardroom" 

Sada M Boyd-Vorsah        
Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Evolution of Copper Resistance in Escherichia coli" 

Gary Lamont Brown
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "The Non-Traditional Pathway to the HBCU Presidency: Pastor to President - A Narrative Inquiry" 

Prosenjit Chatterjee         
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020
Dissertation Title: "Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for the Face and Iris Based Presentation Attack Mitigation"

Jennifer Denee Dashiell-Shoffner
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "The Lived Experiences of Current and Former Students Who Have Been Terminated from Graduate School: A Phenomenological Study"

Rushit Rakesh Dave
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020
Dissertation Title: "Utilizing Location Data and Enhanced Modeling Based on Daily Usage Pattern for Power Prediction and Consumption Reduction in Mobile Devices: A Low Power Android Application" 

Sai Charan Dekkata
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: "Model Predictive Control for Unmanned Ground Vehicles Using Robot Operating System" 

Sefakor Fianu     
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering    
Graduation Semester: Summer II 2020
Dissertation Title: "Mathematical Models for Supply Acquisition and Distribution" 

Larkin Dougher Folsom     
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering          
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: "Information-Theoretic Dynamic Decision Making of Multiple Agents Under Extreme Uncertain Conditions"

Sherette Shantavia Godfrey
Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Investigating the Cellular and Molecular Response of Breast Cells to Heavy Metal Ion Cd²⁺" 

Sadell Maria Guess           
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education           
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Cross-Racial Mentoring's Influence on the Wellness of Former African American Doctoral Counselor Education Students" 

Debna Renee Hunt           
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies            
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "The Relationship Between Cultural Orientation and Job Satisfaction of African Americans in the Workplace" 

Ayisha Zakia Jefferson-Evans          
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies            
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "The Veil of Black Beauty: A Phenomenological Study of Black Woman Leadership" 

Lamont Josiah Johnson    
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies            
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "A Correlational Analysis of Self-Perceived Transformational Leadership Styles of Seminarians and their Persistence in Masters-Level Historically Black Theological Seminaries" 

Michelle L. Koenig             
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies            
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Exploring the Academic Advisor as a Servant Leader: A Descriptive Analysis of Servant Leadership in the Academic Advising Process" 

Elijah Akwafo MacCarthy 
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering          
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "GPU Parallelization of Replica Exchange Monte Carlo Simulation and Application to Protein Structure Prediction" 

Nafeezuddin Mohammad
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Catalyst and Microreactor Development for Atmospheric and High-pressure Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis" 

Nima Namvar     
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Resource Allocation and Network Management in 5G Cellular Systems" 

Jahlani Immanuel Odujole
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering
Graduation Semester: Summer I 2020
Dissertation Title: "Molecular Modeling and Heuristic Algorithms for Nanoimprint Lithography of Polymers"

Santosh Kumar Parupelli 
Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering    
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Microscale 3D-Printing of Functionally Gradient Materials" 

Gabriel Anuoluwapo Popoola        
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Analysis of Physiological Signals using a Semi-Supervised Framework for Emotion Recognition" 

Sharmista Prattipati         
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Study of Toxicity Potential of Indium Compounds of Interest to Semiconductor Industry on Human Lung Cells" 

Rohit S Ranabhat
Ph.D. in Energy & Environmental Systems
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Molecular Regulation of Airways Antioxidant Response to Environment Dust Exposure" 

Atul Rawal          
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Collagen Mimetic Proteins (Synthetic Collagen) for Biomedical Applications" 

Rahmira Shmic Rufus        
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: "Intrusion Detection via Neuroception for an Autonomic Internet of Things" 

Sajjad Sayyar Roudsari   
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering          
Graduation Semester: Summer II 2020
Dissertation Title: "Destructive and Robotic Assisted Non-Destructive Evaluation of Concrete Structures" 

Surabhi Shaji      
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Electrical, Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Fe-Ta Thin Films" 

Khiry Akeem Sutton
Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology        
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: "Fluorine-Intercalated Biochar for the Application of Ionizing Radiation Protection and Carbon Capture" 

Sahil Tahiliani     
Ph.D. in Nanoengineering
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Hyperspectral Imaging System as Rapid Characterization Tool for Nanomaterials used in Semiconductor Manufacturing" 

Niraj Thapa
Ph.D. in Computational Science & Engineering          
Graduation Semester: Spring 2021
Dissertation Title: "Implementation of Deep Learning in Prediction of Post Translational Modification in Proteins Without Manual Feature Extractions" 

Alayna Ashley Thomas     
Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling & Rehabilitation Counselor Education           
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "#BlackGirlMagic: An Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Stressors Related to Black Women's Experience of Depression"

Christopher Owen Thomas             
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "Internet Teleoperation and Time Delay in Multi-Agent Systems" 

Brian Neil Wolford            
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies
Graduation Semester: Spring 2020
Dissertation Title: "An Exploration of Generational Communication and Its Impact on Military Leadership" 

Si Zhu    
Ph.D. in Energy & Environmental Systems   
Graduation Semester: Fall 2020
Dissertation Title: "Kinetic modeling of microbial inactivation in foods: model development, parameter estimation, and application in process design"