university of arizona phd dissertations

Jump to navigation

Search form

Intersession hours Jan. 3-11. The Libraries are open daily during intersession. Get more details.

• University of Arizona Libraries

How do I search for theses and dissertations?

Use the UA Theses & Dissertations Repository , to locate UA dissertations and masters theses submitted to the library from 1895-present. You can browse or search by title.

You can also search for dissertations published by advisor and discipline by selecting the options that display on the lower left.

Use ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global , to locate dissertations and masters theses from North American and European colleges and universities, including the University of Arizona. You can search by keyword or use the dropdown menus to search by university, advisor, author, department, and a number of other options.

Use our tutorial, Searching Proquest Dissertations & Theses .

See also Theses & dissertations .  

• 4 Campus & community resources
• 5 Campus resources
• 5 Evaluating
• 6 Getting started
• 16 Giving credit
• 31 Materials
• 3 Requesting items
• 46 Searching
• 1 Software & Tech Support
• 22 Special Collections
• 23 Systematic reviews
• 10 Technology

Question and Answer

Related faqs, frequently asked questions.

Jump to navigation

Search form

Intersession hours Jan. 3-11. The Libraries are open daily during intersession. Get more details.

SIE Graduate Seminar

• Databases / Books / Theses & Dissertations
• Technical Reports / Standards / Patent Literature
• Reference Managers
• Researcher Identification System
• Library Services
• Typology of Reviews
• Systematic Reviews

Engineering Librarian & CAPLA Liaison

• ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window Find articles and book chapters from physical sciences, engineering, life sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
• IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window Find resources for computer science, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Systems & Industrial Engineering Books

• Recent SIE library books
• Springer Link Books

Faculty Research and Theses & Dissertations

• Campus Repository: Faculty Research
• Campus Repository: ETDs By Subject
• << Previous: Home
• Next: Technical Reports / Standards / Patent Literature >>
• Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 4:02 PM
• URL: https://libguides.library.arizona.edu/sie

• Request Information

Archiving the Dissertation

Archiving your doctoral dissertation*.

* "Dissertation" here may also refer to DMA Document in Music, a DNP Project in Nursing, or an ADP document in Audiology. 

All graduating doctoral students submit their final, approved dissertation to be archived by ProQuest/UMI and the University of Arizona Campus Repository .  The dissertation acceptance and submission process consists of the steps outlined below, done after you have defended your dissertation and you have final approval from your committee (i.e. with any final revisions completed).  This process consists of two parts: an auditing of the PDF file you submit for archiving to verify that it meets Graduate College formatting standards as listed in step 1; and the collection of documentation as listed in steps 2 through 6.

• Your format check begins once you submit your dissertation to the ETD ProQuest submission site . For instructions as to how your dissertation should be formatted, please review our Dissertation Formatting Guide .  If your dissertation includes published papers or papers accepted for publication, you will use an alternate format as described in the formatting guide. 
• Please be sure to include a signed copy of the Approval page as page 2 of your dissertation.
• Please submit a Distribution Rights  form with your signature to your Degree Counselor in the Graduate College. You may bring the form to Room 316 of the Administration Building, fax it to (520) 621-4101, or scan and e- mail it to your Degree Counselor.
• Please submit the 'Survey of Earned Doctorates' online survey.  Please complete the survey online at https://sed-ncses.org .  Since this is not a University of Arizona site, you will set up a profile to submit the survey.  ( NOTE : DMA students are not expected to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates.)
• Be sure to complete your Graduate College exit survey .
• We need to receive any unreported grades - usually the dissertation grade.  Note: The K grade for "course in progress" is discontinued as of Fall 2017; the alternative grade system, S/P/C/D/E, is replaced with the S/P/F system beginning in Spring 2018.  For students with outstanding K grades the Change of K Grade form should be emailed to your Degree Counselor.  The Graduate College will request this grade from the department; students do not need to secure their own grade from the department.

Optional Fees

Archiving with ProQuest and the UA Campus Repository is free of charge. 

However, if you elect Open Access publishing through ProQuest/UMI, you will pay an additional fee directly to ProQuest.  By paying the Open Access fee, you enable ProQuest/UMI to make your dissertation available at no cost to readers.  Note that all dissertations and theses are available free from the University of Arizona Campus Repository regardless of the publishing option with ProQuest/UMI.  If you have concerns about Open Access Publishing please review this article .

You may elect to have ProQuest/UMI file for a copyright for your dissertation in your name.  You can find more information on our About Copyrighting web page .   If you choose to file the copyright for your dissertation, ProQuest will charge you the copyrighting fee directly.  Please note that once you make your online submission, you will NOT be able to change your copyrighting decision.

Deadline for Submitting your Dissertation

To qualify for graduation in your intended graduation term, you must meet the dissertation submission deadline .  Note that before you make the submission, you must have defended and gained final approval of your dissertation from your committee, with any post-defense revisions completed to their satisfaction.

Publication of your Dissertation

Once you submit your dissertation on ETD ProQuest your Degree Counselor in the Graduate College will review the formatting and email you at the email address you provided when you submitted your dissertation via ETD ProQuest. Please check your emails and ensure you make any requested formatting changes.

Once the Graduate College accepts your dissertation and receives all outstanding documents for your degree we will accept your dissertation on ETD ProQuest. Publication of the dissertation will be based on any dissertation embargo you requested (if you indicated you want to delay release). Any corrections post publication of the dissertation may incur a fee.

Dissertation writers' room

About this space

A shared room at the  Main Library  assigned for one semester to PhD candidates working on their dissertations. You must have completed comprehensive exams and be working on a dissertation to use this space. Room include partitioned desks and lockers for storing research materials.

Learn about the  terms of use  for the dissertation writers' room.

Who can use this space

How to access.

The rooms are available for use during  library hours.

LPL Grad Site

All About the Dissertation and the Defense

See the official LPL documents: PHD Requirements and PHD Procedures, the latest versions of which are posted on the  Documents for Current & Prospective Students  page.

UA forms are available on the Graduate Student Academic Services  page.

The Dissertation

You're finishing up your time here at LPL, and now it's time to write everything up. Maybe you're doing the "staple 3 papers together" route. Or perhaps you're writing one cohesive document. Either way, work with your dissertation advisor to figure out the best way to present what you have worked on as a graduate student to your committee and the public.

Before starting to write, you should consider whether or not you want to use Microsoft Word or LaTeX. Either system has its advantages and disadvantages, and there are templates in both formats, so in the end, you should use whatever software you have the most experience with and feel the most comfortable using. You should also be mindful of the  formatting requirements  for your dissertation that are published by the Graduate College.

If you want to use LaTeX, be aware that previous graduate students have maintained a LaTeX template that automatically does a lot of the work regarding these formatting requirements for you. That way, you can mostly just concentrate on writing. A copy of the running template from before Summer 2022 is available in the  UA Thesis 2022 (ZIP)  for archiving and for those who are still using this format. Sam Myers also reworked the entire template to follow the modern university guidelines including a new approval page and land acknowledgments. The newer UA Thesis (ZIP, updated Jan. 2024)  is fully commented and uses simpler LaTeX commands for ease of use. (If you have trouble, please ask the current *TeX grad rep for help!) A Microsoft Word template and example pages are available from UA on the Sample Pages page and Sam has also made a Word Thesis Template (ZIP) that mirrors the LaTeX template.

The LPL library has copies of dissertations from past students, and often times these are valuable resources in following some sort of precedent in how dissertations are organized, layout of chapters, figures, etc.

Dissertations & Theses : Grad college samples, manual, etc

Sample Pages : Sample pages and templates

Stupid little things they won't tell you until later and you'll wish you knew earlier (updated 5/12/2022):

• Roman numerals are not allowed as page numbers.
• Your name should match what is in GradPath
• The Author Statement is removed in the latest LaTeX template version
• The above is included in the latest LaTeX template version, just update the name of the pdf
• LaTeX template tip: pdfpages is great for importing co-author papers into appendices
• Check on copyright issues if you do add journal reprints.

The Timeline

• D-1 year:  Do you have a job/postdoc yet? You should be thinking about this a ~year before you defend! See  Advice and Tips for Getting a Job/Postdoc  and  Non-Academic Career Information .
• D-1 year  (or maybe already ongoing): Make a schedule for your path to defending. Here's a general example, modify it for your specific situation:  Dissertation Schedule (PDF)
• Talk to Amy, let her know your timeline, and make sure you've completed all the requirements before proceeding. Keep in touch with her about what bureaucratic steps are next, deadlines, forms, etc.
• Reserve room 309 on LARS for the date your committee agreed to.
• D-6 months:   Committee Appointment Form  should be filled out on  UAccess .
• Write the dissertation. Send out chapter drafts to your committee members. Keep them in the loop. Maybe they'll read it, maybe they'll skim it, maybe they can't get to it. Either way, it will only make your revisions easier.
• You may want to ask each committee member to acknowledge receipt of your dissertation. There's a good chance you won't hear back from them otherwise to confirm that you fulfilled this requirement.
• Send lots of reminders to your committee for the date, time, and place of your defense.
• D-7 business days:  The  "real deadline" : 7 business days before your defense date, the form entitled "Announcement of Final Oral Examination" is due to the Graduate College. You fill this out on  GradPath  and submit it online. Try to get this form submitted at least 2 weeks before your defense date.
• This is normally 30–45 min. long, plus time for questions. Check with your advisor in advance about the length, though — you don't want a last-minute misunderstanding about how long it's supposed to be (this actually happened...).
• Important Degree Dates and Deadlines from grad college.

The Defense

Grad college instructions:  Final Defense Instructions (PDF)

There are two parts to your defense:

• A public section which is open and advertised to the University community. This is a 30–45 minute presentation in which you outline the key aspects of your work.
• A closed section in which your dissertation committee grills you yet again. You will be expected to defend your research and to consider the impact of your work on other areas of planetary sciences.
• You need  two copies  and get everyone's original signatures on both at the end.

After the Defense

After your defense, relax and celebrate a job well done. Then get back to work:

• See the Grad college form  Doctoral Post-Defense Instructions (PDF)  on the  Graduate Student Academic Services  page.
• Revisions:  Make sure you implement whatever revisions your committee requests by the  deadline  imposed by the Graduate College in order to graduate that same semester.
• Turn in your dissertation electronically to the Graduate College.
• Print 2 paper copies to the LPL library for archiving.
• Make sure your advisor fills out the Results of Final Oral Defense Form.
• Email Amy to tell her the above has been done.

Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)

General overview of the ph.d. degree.

The Ph.D. program is designed to provide students with advanced coursework and substantive research experience to prepare graduates to be the leaders in industry and academia. There is an emphasis on producing original work to present at conferences or published in peer-reviewed journals. Students who successfully complete the Ph.D. program go on to take leadership, entrepreneurial, and scholarly positions.

PhD students progress through four phases in their study.  Initially, students are required to begin  coursework  while identifying a faculty mentor to serve as their research advisor.  As students progress in coursework and research, they will be evaluated each semester on their progress towards their  Qualifying Exam  by the completion of a Portfolio (initially evaluated in the 3rd semester and completed by their 5th semester).  Students are required to complete a minor either as a CS internal minor or in another degree program at the UA (see PhD Planning Sheet ).  As research progresses and coursework is completed, students next identify their committee and propose their dissertation work during their  Comprehensive Exam , completed by their 7th semester.  Finally, once students complete their research, they will defend their  Dissertation .

Progress Through the Degree

Students should become familiar with the  Graduate College Policies  and  CSC Graduate Program Policies  and refer to them throughout the program.  Submission of  Ph.D. GradPath Forms  are required throughout the program starting with the first semester.

Students are evaluated for  satisfactory progress  every fall and spring semester. Semesters are counted from when students enter the Ph.D. program. The table below indicates when evaluations take place, along with what benchmarks are used to determine satisfactory progress.

The table below shows what the ideal progression through the Ph.D. program looks like.  View the  Ph.D. Curriculum  for a more in-depth look at the required courses.

Note: The timeline can be shifted earlier; shifting later requires approval of faculty.

*Students may elect to replace one elective course in the major and up to two courses in the internal minor with independent studies (CSC 599/699).

**4th minor course only required if minor requires four courses.

***Students cannot register for 920 until they pass their comp exam.

PhD in Information Curriculum & Degree Requirements

Offered on campus, the PhD in Information consists of 36 credits of major coursework, 9 to 15 credits of minor coursework and 18 dissertation credits.

On this page you'll find the degree requirements and related information for the PhD in Information, including suggested PhD timeline, PhD curriculum (research methods, graduate seminars, directed research, elective courses and dissertation research), annual review, comprehensive examinations, proposal and dissertation defense, scholarship expectations and transfer units, as well as links to the PhD Student Handbook and UArizona Graduate College PhD requirements .

Suggested Timeline

Complete INFO 507: Information Research Methods

Submit Plan of Study at end of Year 1

Complete course work

Complete comprehensive exams at beginning of Year 3

Complete dissertation committee appointment form after passing comprehensives

Complete and defend dissertation proposal by end of Year 3

Conduct dissertation research and writing

Defend dissertation by end of Year 4 or Year 5 (depends on progress, funding and support from faculty advisor)

PhD Curriculum

The PhD in Information curriculum is comprised of a first-year course, research methods courses, graduate seminars, directed research, elective courses and dissertation research for a total of 54 units, not including an additional 9-15 units for the non-Information PhD minor.

• View PhD in Information overview, curriculum and degree requirements in PDF format.

First-Year Courses (3 units)

All PhD students begin by taking INFO 507: Information Research Methods during their first year in the program. In addition to exposing students to current research topics and methods within information science, the goal is that this sequence will create a cohort among entering PhD students each year.

INFO 507: Information Research Methods

This course introduces fundamental methods for both qualitative and quantitative research in information studies. Additionally, the seminar introduces the student to established and emerging areas of scholarly research in Schools of Information to encourage them to identify a personal research agenda. The seminar is organized in two main parts: the first part introduces relevant research methods (quantitative and qualitative), whereas the second part overviews specific research directions currently active in the School of Information. The second part of the seminar will be covered by guest faculty who research in each of the covered areas.

Research Methods (6 units)

Students are required to take 6 units of research methods courses that focus on the methodology they are likely to use in their own research. This requirement may be waived if the student has acquired sufficient methodological grounding prior to entering the PhD program. In that case, the student will be required to take one additional elective to complete the 36 units of major coursework.

Graduate Seminars (6 units)

Students are required to take two research seminars in the School of Information. The research seminars will focus on various specific topics in information science. Normally, students will be required to read and discuss research articles on that topic and write a research paper or carry out a research project. Typically, one or two seminar courses are offered each year. Course information is distributed to students prior to registration.

Directed Research (9 units)

Students are required to take a total of 9 units of directed research (LIS/INFO 692) where they will apprentice on a School of Information faculty member's research project. Directed research credits should be selected in consultation with the major advisor, cover both quantitative and qualitative methods, and help the student prepare for comprehensive exams and anticipated dissertation research. Most students work on three separate projects under the supervision of three separate faculty members in order to provide a breadth of knowledge of research methods. The number of credits awarded for working on a particular project may vary depending on the size of the student's contribution to that project.

Students take Directed Research under a faculty member outside of the School of Information only if it is in an area not offered by our faculty. Petitions to work with outside faculty are reviewed by the director of graduate studies and the major advisor.

Elective Courses (12 units)

Students are required to take four elective graduate courses from within the School of Information (INFO/LIS). Students should select electives in consultation with their major advisor. Elective courses outside of the iSchool must be approved by the major advisor and the director of graduate studies.

Dissertation Research (18 units)

After comprehensive exams, students will take a total of 18 units Dissertation Research (LIS/INFO 920). Students are required to submit a one-page proposal approved by the advisor before registering in Dissertation Research. The proposal will form a basis to evaluate student performance in the course and assign grading.

View More Information on the Dissertation and Recent PhD Dissertation Titles

PhD Advisor

The student's PhD advisor is their guide and mentor. They will advise students, encourage them, promote their work and keep them on track. (Eventually, the PhD student may become more of an expert than their advisor in the student's chosen field.)

Students are assigned an advisor during their first year. Students may change advisors with school approval, but are required to always have an advvisor in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

View iSchool Core Faculty

Annual Review

Students and their advisor will complete an annual review of student performance each academic year (typically in April). The annual review form should be submitted to the director of graduate studies  for review.

The Graduate Committee reviews each student to ensure satisfactory academic progress. If the major advisor and the committee agree that progress is unsatisfactory, the student will be placed on internal academic probation. The student will then work with the advisor to create a one-year action plan to bring the student back to the expected performance level and get approval from the Graduate Committee. By the following academic review, the student must have successfully completed the action plan and made satisfactory academic progress to remain in the program.

Comprehensive Examinations

In general, we follow the Graduate College guidelines for comprehensive examinations , but have more specific requirements to maintain the high quality of the exams. Exams will involve the minor department to the degree required by that department. The minor cannot be the same as the major. The announcement of comps and their results are handled through the GradPath (see GradPath Forms ). 

Student options for the exam may vary depending on when they were admitted to the program. We recommend completing the Comprehensive Exam Cover Sheet with the major advisor and committee members to the areas to be covered on the exam.

Essay-Format Exam

An option for students who entered prior to Fall 2018 and the only option for all students who entered Fall 2018 or after:

• See details for essay-format exam

Question-Based Exam

Option for students who entered prior to Fall 2018:

• See details for question-based exam

Dissertation Proposal & Defense

Once students have an approved doctoral Plan of Study on file; have satisfied all coursework, language and residence requirements; and have passed the written and oral portions of the Comprehensive Examination, they may appoint their dissertation committee for defense of the dissertation prospectus and final dissertation defense. 

This committee should include at least four faculty members. Two of these may come from outside of the School of Information and all must be tenured, tenure-track or other approved equivalent. Students follow Graduate College guidelines for special provision members. See the Graduate College guidelines on dissertation committees for additional information. 

To form the committee, students complete the Committee Appointment form through GradPath. Announcement of dissertation defense and its result are also handled through the GradPath. See GradPath forms .

Sample Dissertation Outline

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Theoretical Framework
• Research Questions
• Research Plan (Data, Methods, Evaluation, etc.)
• Assessment of the Success of the Research/Risk Factors

Proposal Format

The written proposal is distributed to committee members in advance of the dissertation defense for multiple rounds of comments.

Oral Defense of Proposal

• Lasts 1-3 hours
• Includes a candidate presentation
• Includes a question-and-answer session
• Includes committee deliberation (closed to the public)
• Is good practice for the dissertation defense

Approval of the proposal is recorded in GradPath.

Scholarship Expectations

All doctoral students need to meet the following research seminar and presentation requirements: 

• Attend and participate in-person in six or more research presentations per year
• Give a public research-related presentation yearly after the comprehensive exam
• Make two primary-authored submissions while in the PhD program (papers, posters, demonstrations or research proposals)

Transfer Units

Transfer credits and courses may be shared between degrees. The iSchool follows Graduate College policy. View more information.

Students may transfer in up to 30 units of previous graduate-level coursework from Information Science or a related field, subject to the approval of the major advisor and the director of graduate studies. Such coursework should provide important foundational insight into information studies. Students must submit a Transfer Credit form in GradPath before the end of the first year of study to have courses evaluated for transfer eligibility.

Student Handbook & Graduate College Requirements

Learn more at the following resources:

• iSchool PhD in Information Student Handbook
• UArizona Graduate College PhD Requirements

Ready to shape the future of information?

Learn more about the PhD in Information by contacting us at [email protected] , or review the admissions process and begin your application now:

Start Your Application

Jump to navigation

Search form

• Academic Programs (formerly Student Resources)
• Administration & Governance
• Business, Finance & HR
• Clinical Operations
• College Safety Information
• Communication & Collaboration
• EAC Faculty Toolkit
• Faculty Affairs
• Policies & Procedures
• Research & Scholarship
• Space & Facilities
• Staff Advisory Council
• Student Resources
• Teaching & Learning

PhD Dissertation Forms

PhD and PhD-DNP students should refer to current PhD Student handbook found  here , for general information on the PhD Dissertation procedures/processes. The student’s chair will also serve as a resource for the dissertation. An explanation of the dissertation proposal, the traditional dissertation option and the three-manuscript option are here . As soon as the student and committee agree to the date and time for the final defense, the student should notify the Office of Student & Academic Affairs at [email protected] .

Open Access & Copyright

Dissertations, open access & copyright.

Dissertation Proposal Defense Form

Results of the doctor of philosophy dissertation proposal defense, manuscript format dissertation, manuscript format dissertation defense stage approval form, dissertation formatting templates.

• Dissertation Standard 5 Chapter Template ***All students complete the dissertation proposal using the first 3 chapters of the traditional 5 chapter format***
• Dissertation Manuscript Template

Dissertation Sample Pages

• Sample Pages

UA Nursing Dissertation Repository

UA Theses and Dissertations – Nursing

Youteng Bi successfully defended her PhD dissertation

Congrats to Youteng Bi for successfully defending her PhD dissertation titled “Reading as the Path Toward Enlightenment: Ouyi Zhixu’s Reorganization of the Buddhist Canon in the 17th Century China.” 

Committee members: Dr. Jiang Wu (Chair) Dr. Albert Welter Dr. Rae Erin Dachille  

Ophthalmology Residency

The Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix is proud to announce the beginning of a newly ACGME-accredited Ophthalmology Residency Program. We are committed to exceptional resident education.  The objectives of our program are to provide excellent comprehensive clinical training in all aspects of ophthalmology and to create an atmosphere and enthusiasm for discovery and service.

Integrative Medicine Thought Leaders to Discuss the Future of Health Care

Andrew Weil, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, three of the world's leading integrative medicine experts, will discuss the potential for integrative medicine to reshape health care in the United States.

• What: Panel Discussion: “Transforming Healthcare in the U.S.: Drawing on the Power of Integrative Medicine”
• Who: Andrew Weil, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
• When: Tuesday, April 23, Noon-1 p.m.
• Where: Health Sciences Innovation Building, 1670 E. Drachman St., Tucson
• Registration required: event.awcim.arizona.edu/transforming_health  (public seating is limited)

In a world where the health care landscape is constantly evolving, integrative medicine is emerging as a powerful force for driving transformation. On April 23, three of the world’s leading integrative medicine experts will convene for a stimulating panel discussion to explore the intersection of health care, innovation and holistic approaches and discuss the potential for integrative medicine to reshape health care in the United States.

Media are invited to attend this free event, which is part of a weeklong celebration of integrative medicine and the opening of the new Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine complex at 1502 E. Mabel St. in Tucson.

About the Panelists

Andrew Weil, MD

Andrew Weil, MD, founder of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Weil is a physician, New York Times best-selling author and one of the world’s leading integrative medicine experts. He is known for promoting a balanced, healthy lifestyle that combines conventional medicine with evidence-based therapies and approaches that enhance health and well-being. He founded the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (now the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in 2008. The center is dedicated to training health care professionals in integrative medicine.

Deepak Chopra, MD Chopra is an author, speaker and advocate for mind-body wellness. He is a prolific author who has published more than 90 books, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. Chopra popularized holistic health and spiritual teachings, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit, and promoting the benefits of meditation, yoga and Ayurvedic practices. He is the founder of the Chopra Foundation and co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, which promotes personal transformation and holistic healing.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD Kabat-Zinn is a mindfulness expert, author and professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. He is best known for developing the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, which has helped millions alleviate stress and improve well-being. Kabat-Zinn’s work integrates Eastern mindfulness practices with Western science, emphasizing the power of present-moment awareness for healing and resilience. He is the founder of the Stress Reduction clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center and the UMass Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness. Kabat-Zinn’s teachings have influenced health care, psychology and mindfulness practices worldwide.

For more information and to register online, visit event.awcim.arizona.edu/transforming_health . A public open house at the new center, which is part of the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, will be held Saturday, May 4, from noon to 4 p.m.

David Bruzzese, College of Medicine – Tucson 520-626-9722, [email protected]

Jump to navigation

Search form

Chee class notes - spring 2024.

The people in the 1967 photo are the DuPont summer engineers: Front row: Newton Don, Arizona, Larry Bourland, Mississippi, Larry Porter, Oklahoma State, Larry Goldstone, Nebraska, Nick Schott, Arizona, Bill Tharnish, Nebraska; Back row: Jim Wolfe, ASU, Darrell Hardman, Texas, Gerald Wortham, Oklahoma State, Tom Krieger, Nebraska, John McNally, North Dakota.

Dr. Nick R. Schott

Class of 1968, MS in Chemical Engineering Class of 1971, PhD in Chemical Engineering

I am honored to be inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame in recognition of my work leading the internationally recognized University of Massachusetts plastics program. I was inspired to study plastics during my summer job at DuPont in Orange, Texas, in 1967.

Matt Frondorf

Class of 1979, BS in Chemical Engineering

I don’t have much that is exciting to report. I’m not dating Taylor Swift and I have yet to hear from the Nobel Prize committee. That said, I do have a more mundane item that my old classmates may appreciate. I still own and drive the 1973 Volkswagon Beetle that I had in college. This little car hauled me and my friends all over Tucson back then -- to the Pawnbroker, the Stumble Inn, and various beery points in between. It also took me across the country on various summer engineering intern jobs. As an engineer, I’ve come to appreciate the thoughtful excellence of the Beetle’s design – it has truly stood the test of time. My UA degree has held up pretty well too.

Class of 2010, BS in Chemical Engineering Class of 2013, MS in Environmental Engineering [email protected]

I work for the Arizona Department of Environment Quality (ADEQ) as an associate environmental engineer in the drinking water section. I began my career as an entry-level environmental engineer and obtained my Professional Engineering (PE) license in 2018. Recently, I applied to become a senior-level engineer.

I’m working on the Predictive Analytics Project, developing a model to predict when a public water system may exceed the maximum contaminant level for arsenic by analyzing compliance data. Our project won an Arizona Forward Award in 2023.

I encourage any engineer who has a passion for the environment to explore a career at ADEQ. I am grateful to have a job that utilizes the knowledge and skills gained from obtaining my environmental engineering degrees.

Abdulrahman Batyour

Class of 2021, BS in Chemical Engineering [email protected]

I am a pivotal member of the production team for Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company working at one of the world’s largest butane cracker plants, located in Jubail Industrial City. I contribute to operational excellence by leading numerous optimization projects that enhance plant efficiency and productivity. My job includes planning and executing major maintenance activities, ensuring strict schedules and limited downtime. I actively promote a culture of safety, implementing regular safety sessions and significantly reducing the frequency of accidents.

One of my most cherished experiences has been taking my mother on international travels. Seeing her happiness and spending time together has been incredibly rewarding for both of us. I plan to become engaged soon and look forward to embarking on this new chapter of my life with enthusiasm and dedication.

Four Ph.D. Students Honored with Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship

The University of Maryland's Graduate School has announced Department of Computer Science graduate students Nakul Garg , Shoken Kaneko ,  Mazda Moayeri and Gowthami Somepalli as recipients of the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship , an award recognizing outstanding research contributions and academic performance by doctoral students in the later stages of their dissertation research.

The Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship is a testament to the university's commitment to fostering academic excellence and research innovation. It includes a $15,000 stipend, a candidacy tuition award and additional benefits to facilitate the completion of innovative dissertation work.

Inaugurated in 2005, the award is named in honor of Department of Geology Professor Emerita Ann G. Wylie . The fellowship underscores the importance of academic and research endeavors at the University of Maryland. It is a key component of the Graduate School's efforts to nurture doctoral candidates' academic and professional development. 

The research focuses of the awardees are:  

Garg is a Ph.D. student advised by Assistant Professor Nirupam Roy . His research focuses on the development of sustainable computing technologies. Garg primarily deals with batteryless, AI-driven ambient computing technologies that enhance operational longevity and intelligence while reducing power requirements. His work is intended to support the creation of smarter cities, increase supply chain efficiencies and further develop advanced healthcare systems with a reduced environmental footprint.

In addition to his fellowship, Garg has collaborated with Microsoft Research to investigate AI solutions in supply chains, specifically focusing on dynamic tracking systems to reduce global food waste. His projects also include developing next-generation batteryless tags for applications like geofencing, wildlife monitoring and environmental sensing.

Garg plans to explore ambient computing's capabilities further using AI and machine learning to address challenges in egocentric sensing, perception and communications. After completing his Ph.D., he is considering founding a company to commercialize his research and maintain his contributions to the academic field.

Shoken Kaneko

Kaneko is a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Ramani Duraiswami . His work focuses on computational audio and acoustics, specifically spatial audio and boundary element analysis. His work aims to improve numerical simulations in acoustics and electrostatics, enhancing accuracy and reducing costs.

Kaneko has developed algorithms that could significantly improve the efficiency of numerical simulations. 

"The methods I've worked on improve spatial audio capture and processing, audio rendering, and sound localization," Kaneko explained. "My research could fundamentally change how we simulate and interact with audio in real-world and virtual environments, like virtual reality and the metaverse."

Looking ahead, he plans to refine spatial audio technologies and further develop engineering tools for audio and acoustics, aiming to enhance how audio is integrated and manipulated in physical and digital spaces.

Mazda Moayeri

Mazda Moayeri is a Ph.D. student advised by Associate Professor Soheil Feizi . Moayeri's research centers on building interpretability tools for artificial intelligence, aiming to enhance transparency and mitigate the risks associated with AI. His research addresses potential limitations within AI systems to prevent harmful impacts, making strides toward safer, more reliable and more equitable AI applications across different societal sectors.

Moayeri's work promises to fundamentally alter how society interacts with AI by making the technology's inner workings more accessible and understandable.

"AI is incredible because it can be applied to so many problems, and it is advancing at an astonishing rate," Moayeri explained. "A technology so wide-reaching is exciting but also scary, as the risks rise with the number of use cases, especially since we don't always know what's going on under the hood. My work aims to create a future where people can confidently decide when to rely on AI by enhancing the technology's transparency and proactively addressing bias issues before they cause harm."

Looking forward, Moayeri plans to continue exploring the field of AI, likely transitioning to industry roles that emphasize the societal impacts of technological advancements.

"I truly believe AI can empower all of us, but I also worry that it may widen existing gaps in our society," Moayeri stated. "I hope to build tools that put the power of AI in people's hands instead of cruelly replacing them. The exact problems I work on will evolve as the field does, which it currently is doing, but I will always care about fair AI, bias mitigation, model debugging and increasing transparency."

Gowthami Somepalli

Somepalli is a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Tom Goldstein . Her research focuses on identifying and addressing failure modes in multimodal deep learning models, aiming to enhance their reliability and functionality. Somepalli's work has notably included a study on understanding and memorization in diffusion models, which has significant implications for their practical application across various industries.

In addition to her primary research focus, Somepalli is enhancing vision large language models (LLMs), exploring ways to bolster their efficiency and applicability. This work aligns with her broader objectives to address critical challenges in deep learning technologies.

"My work aims to ensure that deep learning systems have a significantly reduced failure rate before they can be utilized on a large scale," Somepalli explained. "The application of my research in diffusion models was notably referenced during the Stable Diffusion lawsuit, and Stability AI has incorporated it in their recent SD3 model to minimize memorization."

Looking ahead, Somepalli plans to continue her research on improving multimodal systems. "Tackling the robustness of these systems is both a challenging and essential task," she remarked, emphasizing the importance of her future endeavors in contributing to the field of artificial intelligence.

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications 

The Department welcomes comments, suggestions and corrections.  Send email to editor [-at-] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu .

Graduate School Summer Funding Competition Awards Announced

Seventy-one scholars are the recipients of dissertation and pre-dissertation fellowship awards through The Graduate School’s Summer Funding Competition . The $4,500 awards are given annually to a select group of outstanding doctoral students to support progress to degree and dissertation completion. The awards are part of an expansion of funding and benefits programs announced by the Office of the Provost last spring.   

This year’s awards provide funding for summer research and writing to students in 43 different programs.   

  Dissertation fellowships were awarded to: 

• Carlos Ramirez Arenas, religion   
• Emily Beauparlant, social psychology   
• Chelsea Bouldin, cultural foundations of education   
• John Brigham, earth sciences     
• Semaj Campbell-Blakes, history   
• Stephen Caviness, teaching and curriculum   
• Ahmet Celik, religion   
• Shreyas Aralumallige Chandregowda, civil engineering   
• Sicong Chen, computer engineering and information science    
• Joseph Colbert, biology   
• Nicholas Croce, social science   
• Amber Ford, chemistry   
• Lerie Gabriel, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Nicole Yeannine Moller Gonzalez, geography   
• Xiaoxia Huang, political science   
• Jianqing Jia, mathematics   
• Linghua Jiang, human development and family science   
• Kelly Kearns, counseling and counselor education   
• Marie Kramer, mathematics   
• Qingyang Liu, human development and family science   
• Yang Liu, instructional design, development and evaluation    
• Michael McCall, political science   
• Catherine Montgomery, clinical psychology   
• Katherine Mott, sociology   
• Zakery Munoz, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Brian Odiwuor, mathematics education   
• David Okanlawon, anthropology   
• Felipe Oliveira, philosophy   
• Madeline Olley, English   
• Zhijuan Niu, instructional design, development and evaluation    
• Jared Rosenberg, exercise science   
• Sarah Souders, public administration   
• Sarah Stegeman, history   
• Nimisha Thakur, anthropology   
• Sidney Turner, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Renci Xie, Doctor of Juridical Science    
• Dong Zheng, civil engineering   

 Pre-Dissertation fellowships were awarded to:  

• Aleyna Akyuz, physics   
• Md Mahbubul Alam, chemistry   
• Karisa Bridgelal, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Fatma Celik, religion Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education   
• Nelson Donkor, chemical engineering   
• Luanxin Gao, economics   
• Si Gao, counseling and counselor education   
• Falak Hadi, political science   
• Antonia Hamilton, clinical psychology   
• Sadam Hussain, anthropology   
• Geoffrey Huyck, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Joanne Kim, public administration   
• Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education   
• Kaia Kirk, political science   
• Fasika Melese, instructional design, development and evaluation    
• Arda Oz, English   
• Eunji Park, counseling and counselor education   
• Abdul Bashir Pazhwak, social science   
• David Peters, mass communications   
• Caroline Plecki, biology   
• Vatya Raina, anthropology   
• Hannah Rembrandt, speech-language pathology   
• Karie Schmitz, mathematics   
• Soham Sinha, English   
• Ilariac Siriner, cognitive psychology   
• Paige Spencer, religion   
• Aditya Srinivasan, social science   
• Xihe Tian, counseling and counselor education   
• Nathalie Uwamahoro, electrical and computer engineering   
• Benjamin Valen, social psychology   
• Bryce Whitwam, mass communications   
• Jiahe Xing, economics   
• Zonglin Yang, earth sciences    
• Shuo Zhang, economics   

Diane Stirling

• Giving for a Common Good: Fraternities and Sororities Compete for the Inaugural Hendricks Cup Monday, April 15, 2024, By Dara Harper
• Libraries’ Read and Publish Agreement With Springer Allows Easier Open Access for Researchers Monday, April 15, 2024, By Cristina Hatem
• Maxwell’s Natalie Koch Speaks on ‘Arid Empire’ for Arizona State Library Monday, April 15, 2024, By News Staff
• For Many Graduate Students, Community-Engaged Scholarship Gives Extra Meaning to the Educational Experience Monday, April 15, 2024, By Diane Stirling
• Graduate School Marshal Takes Community-Engaged Approach to Scholarship Monday, April 15, 2024, By Diane Stirling

More In Campus & Community

Giving for a common good: fraternities and sororities compete for the inaugural hendricks cup.

On March 27 there was energy in the air for Syracuse University’s 2024 Giving Day. This year, for the first time, Hendricks Chapel partnered with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and the Interfraternity Council to gather support for…

Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence, Italy, to Address Syracuse University Graduates During 2024 Commencement

The Mayor of Florence, Italy, Dario Nardella, will deliver Syracuse University’s 2024 Commencement address Sunday, May 12, in the JMA Wireless Dome. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. Nardella was first elected in 2014 and is currently serving his…

Libraries’ Read and Publish Agreement With Springer Allows Easier Open Access for Researchers

Syracuse University Libraries recently signed its 12th ‘read and publish’ open access agreement, this time with major academic publisher Springer, expanding the reach of researchers’ scholarly contributions by enabling all University-affiliated authors the ability to publish their work open access in…

Maxwell’s Natalie Koch Speaks on ‘Arid Empire’ for Arizona State Library

Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, recently gave an address for the State of Arizona Research Library’s 2024 Arizona Author Series on connections between desert agriculture in the Southwest…

For Many Graduate Students, Community-Engaged Scholarship Gives Extra Meaning to the Educational Experience

Graduate-level learning, research and creative activities take place in classrooms, labs and studios on the Syracuse University campus, but they also occur throughout the community as graduate students work with local residents of all ages and backgrounds through partnerships with…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact [email protected] .

Connect With Us

For the media.