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Gregory Scott McElwain, Bachelor of Arts, 2004, Abilene Christian University—Texas; Master of Theological Studies,
2006, Vanderbilt University—Tennessee
Major: Religion
Minor: Philosophy
Dissertation: Mary Midgley and the Mixed Community in Environmental Ethics and Religious Studies
Dissertation Chairperson: A. L. Peterson
Edward Michael McKenna III, Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering cum laude, 2004, Master of Science, 2007,
University of Florida
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Dissertation: An Investigation Into Wetting and Two Phase Heat Transfer on Reentrant Textured Surfaces
Dissertation Chairperson: R. H. Baney
Tara Way McLaughlin, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, 2000, Hobart and William Smith Colleges—New York;
Master of Education, 2003, University of Florida
Major: Special Education
Dissertation: Functional Ability Profiles and Young Children’s Social Competence: Exploring Relationships in the Pre-Elementary
Education Longitudinal Study Data Set
Dissertation Chairperson: P. A. Snyder
Brian Edward Menaker, Bachelor of Arts in History, 2004, Grinnel College—Iowa; Master of Arts, 2007, University of Iowa
Major: Health and Human Performance
Dissertation: Stadium Alcohol Policy Characteristics: An Examination of Alcohol Policy Implementation, Differences, and Effectiveness
Dissertation Chairperson: C. S. Williams
William Davenport Mercer, Bachelor of Arts in History, 1994, Mercer University—Georgia; Juris Doctor, 1997,
Stetson University—Florida; Master of Arts, 2007, University of Florida
Major: History
Dissertation: Locating Liberties: Barron v. Baltimore and the Role of Rights in the Early American Republic
Dissertation Chairperson: E. Dale
Kristen Kay Belcher Merritt, Bachelor of Science summa cum laude, 1999, Master of Science, 2002, University of Florida
Major: Pharmaceutical Sciences––Medicinal Chemistry and Toxicology
Dissertation: Cloning and Characterization of Cytosolic Sulfotranferases From Channel Catfish Liver
Dissertation Chairperson: M. O. James
Jonathan Alan Merten, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, 1999, University of Virginia
Major: Chemistry
Dissertation: Analytical Applications of Time-Resolved Powerchip Laser Spectroscopy
Dissertation Chairperson: N. Omenetto
Patrick Randolph Mickel, Bachelor of Science in Physics, 2005, University of Notre Dame—Indiana
Major: Physics
Dissertation: “Soft Electronic Matter,” Magnetoelectric Coupling, and Multiferroism in Complex Oxides
Dissertation Chairperson: A. F. Hebard
Melissa Demetria Minor-Cinelli, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration summa cum laude, 2005, University of Florida
Major: Business Administration––Marketing
Dissertation: Antecedents and Consequences of Brand Authenticity
Dissertation Chairperson: R. A. LeBoeuf
Sandra Marie Mitchell, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, 2000, California State University at Fresno; Master of Arts,
2003, University of Colorado at Denver
Major: Psychology––Clinical and Health Psychology
Dissertation: Executive Functioning and Processing Speed in Nondemented Patients With Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease: An
Examination of Cognitive Performance over Time
Dissertation Chairperson: C. Price
Phillip Allen Morris, Bachelor of Arts, 2003, Concord College—West Virginia; Master of Arts, 2007, University of Florida
Major: Higher Education Administration
Minor: Research and Evaluation Methodology
Dissertation: A Comparison of Computer-Based Versus Teacher-Directed Instructional Outcomes in Developmental Mathematics Courses
Dissertation Chairperson: D. F. Campbell
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Abhishek Mukherjee, Bachelor of Science Agriculture cum laude, 2001, North Bengal Agricultural University—India;
Master of Science in Agriculture, 2003, Bidhan Chandra Agricultural University—India
Major: Entomology and Nematology
Dissertation: Prospects for Classical Biological Control of the Aquatic Invasive Weed Hygrophila polysperma (Acanthaceae)
Dissertation Chairperson: J. P. Cuda
Atanu Mukherjee, Master of Science in Agriculture, 2000, University Calcutta—India; Master of Science, 2005,
University of Florida
Major: Interdisciplinary Ecology
Dissertation: Characterization of the Physical and Chemical Properties of a Range of Laboratory Produced Fresh and Aged Biochars
Dissertation Chairperson: A. R. Zimmerman
Dissertation Cochairperson: N. B. Comerford
Nabanita Mukherjee, Master of Statistics, 2005, The Indian Statistical Institute
Major: Statistics
Dissertation: Asymptotic Variance Evaluations in Discrete Markov Chains
Dissertation Chairperson: G. Casella
Josu David Munoz, Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering cum laude, 2005, Master of Science, 2008,
University of Florida
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Dissertation: Rapid Path-Planning Algorithms for Autonomous Proximity Operations of Satellites
Dissertation Chairperson: N. G. Fitz-Coy
Jason David Myers, Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering summa cum laude, 2007, Master of Science,
2008, University of Florida
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Dissertation: Optical and Electronic Processes in Organic Photovoltaic Devices
Dissertation Chairperson: J. Xue
Md Abu Nahid, Master of Science in Microbiology, 1999, University of Dhaka—Bangladesh
Major: Medical Sciences––Immunology and Microbiology
Dissertation: MicroRNAs as Major Players in TLR Ligand-Induced Tolerance, Cross-Tolerance and Experimental Periodontal Diseases
Dissertation Chairperson: E. K. Chan
Runa S. Naik, Bachelor of Pharmacy, 2005, Rajiv Gandhi University—India
Major: Pharmaceutical Science––Pharmacy
Dissertation: Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Characterization of Jnj-Q2, a Novel Fluoroquinolone
Dissertation Chairperson: H. C. Derendorf
Tomoyuki Nakayama, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, 2000, Hiroshima University of Economics—Japan;
Bachelor of Science, 2004, Kobe University—Japan; Master of Science, 2007, University of Florida
Major: Physics
Dissertation: Beta Function of Anderson Localization Transition in Three Dimensions at Unitary Symmetry
Dissertation Chairperson: K. A. Muttalib
Michael Patrick Napolitano, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, 2003, Pennsylvania State University
Major: Chemistry
Dissertation: Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Works of Art
Dissertation Chairperson: R. A. Yost
Remy Friends Ndangali, Bachelor Degree, 2003, Cheikh Anta Diop University—Senegal; Master of Science, 2007,
University of Florida
Major: Mathematics
Dissertation: Electromagnetic Bound States in the Radiation Continuum and Second Harmonic Generation in Double Arrays of Periodic
Dielectric Structures
Dissertation Chairperson: S. Shabanov
Jeffrey C. Neely, Bachelor of Science cum laude, 1999, Bachelor of Arts cum laude, 1999, University of Florida;
Master of Arts in Mass Communications, 2006, University of South Florida
Major: Mass Communication
Dissertation: Youth, News, and Community: An Examination of Youth-Generated News Websites and Their Potential for Promoting
Community Attachment
Dissertation Chairperson: K. B. Walsh-Childers