Defenses: Master's and Doctoral

Tiffany Leesang

Date: May 21, 2025  

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: Medical Campus, Gautier Bldg., Room 118

Dissertation Title: Reprogramming the Epigenome of (Pre)Malignant Hematopoietic Cells with Retinoic Acid and Ascorbate

Joely Centracchio

Date: May 23, 2025  

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Virtual Defense, Coral Gables Campus. For online access, please contact jcentracchio@miami.edu.

Dissertation Title: Prognostic Awareness and Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Cancer: Moderation by Anxiety, Age, and Cancer Type

Mason Fitzgerald

Date: May 29, 2025  

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Hybrid Defense, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science Campus. In-Person: MSC, Room 123. 

Thesis Title: Predation Impacts on Restored Corals

Patricia Pedreira Abreu

Date: May 29, 2025  

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Virtual Defense, Coral Gables Campus. For online access, please contact p.pedreira@med.miami.edu.

Dissertation Title: Cultural Values and Treatment Outcomes among Hispanic Prostate Cancer Survivors in a Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management Intervention

Vincentia Yuen

Date: May 30, 2025  

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Virtual Defense, Coral Gables Campus. For online access, please contact vxy34@miami.edu.

Dissertation Title: Two Essays on How Smartphone Versus Personal Computer Use Affects Consumer Decision-Making

Beck Graefe

Date: May 30, 2025  

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Location: Coral Gables Campus, Merrick Bldg., Room 318

Dissertation Title: Application of Finite Mixture Modeling in Meta-Analysis for Evaluating Between-Study Variability

Shida Duan

Date: June 3, 2025  

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Virtual Defense, Coral Gables Campus. For online access, please contact shidaduan@miami.edu

Dissertation Title: On Extending Predictable Forward Performance Processes to Cumulative Prospect Theory

Erin Williams

Date: June 4, 2025  

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Hybrid Defense, Medical Campus. In-Person: Don Soffer CRC, 7th Floor, CTSI Research Training Center. Virtual: Please contact erin.williams@med.miami.edu to request online access.

Dissertation Title: Development of a Dynamic Next Generation Semicircular Canal Assessment Device

Liang Luo

Date: June 13, 2025  

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: Medical Campus, Sylvester Support Services, Room 110

Dissertation Title: Defining the Role of FANCA in Breast Cancer Development and Cell Cycle Progression

Jiye Lee

Date: June 18, 2025  

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Hybrid Defense, Coral Gables Campus. In-Person: School of Nursing and Health Studies, Executive Boardroom. Virtual: Please contact jxb1965@miami.edu to request online access.

Dissertation Title: Effects of Neighborhood Environment on Child Behavioral Health

Lili Zhou

Date: June 23, 2025  

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Virtual Defense, Medical Campus. For online access, please contact lxz516@miami.edu.

Dissertation Title: Unsupervised Feature Selection with Variable Priority

Alejandro Tamayo

Date: June 26, 2025  

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: Medical Campus, RSMB, Room 6018

Dissertation Title: Neuroeffector Mechanisms of Parasympathetic Cholinergic Control of Pancreatic Cell Function

Matthew Coppello

Date: June 26, 2025  

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Medical Campus, LPCP, 7th Floor Auditorium

Dissertation Title: The Association Between Ambient Environmental Factors and Sleep Parameters among Black Adults in South Florida