Graduate Dissertations

A Dissertation Defense in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry: Development and manipulation of two dimensional networks using scanning probe microscopy and engineered deposition methods.

Doctoral Dissertation Oral Defense of (Yi Huang) Major Advisor: Alexander Jackson, Ph.D. Associate Advisor: Natale Sciolino, Ph.D. Daniel Mulkey, Ph.D. Anastasios Tzingounis, Ph.D. Randall Walikonis, Ph.D. Title: Neuroanatomical and Functional Analysis of a Lateral Hypothalamic Inhibitory Projection to the Dorsal Pons and Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Will take place on: Monday, Aug 4th, 2025 10:00am-11:00am TLS 111 Storrs Campus All interested faculty and students are invited to attend.

Remote Sensing of Potato Leafhopper Infestation and Nitrogen Deficiency in Beans Remote sensing has emerged as an innovative method for detecting plant stress and is increasingly utilized in integrated pest management (IPM) applications. Numerous studies have validated the effectiveness of spectral imaging in scouting agricultural crops for nutrient stress and pest infestations. However, its potential for detecting nitrogen (N) deficiency and potato leafhopper (PLH; Empoasca fabae Harris) feeding stress in beans has not yet been explored. PLH is a significant pest known for its wide host range and high damage potential. Conventional monitoring methods for PLH and laboratory techniques for diagnosing nitrogen deficiency are both time-consuming and do not provide full field coverage. Remote sensing offers a promising, efficient alternative for monitoring these stressors. To address this gap, a study was conducted to evaluate the capability of spectral reflectance sensing in detecting PLH stress and nitrogen deficiency in beans. Greenhouse experiments were carried out using three bean varieties—Provider (Phaseolus vulgaris), Henderson's Bush Lima (Phaseolus lunatus), and Tiger's Eye (Phaseolus vulgaris)—where hyperspectral reflectance from bean leaves was analyzed to identify spectral regions (500–1000 nm) with significant differences between healthy leaves and those infested with varying densities and durations of PLH feeding. Complementary multi-year (2021–2024) field trials were conducted where multispectral data were collected using a drone-mounted sensor. The study identified multiple wavelengths within the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectrum where reflectance reliably distinguished between infested and healthy plants. Field-based multispectral analysis further identified two robust vegetation indices—NDRE and GNDVI—that effectively differentiated bean canopies under PLH pressure (as low as one PLH per plant), and even in the presence of additional stressor- nitrogen deficiency. These findings provide the first evidence that drone-based imaging can simultaneously detect both nitrogen deficiency and PLH-induced feeding damage in green beans, offering a novel approach for rapid and scalable crop stress detection.

Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Sara Ailshire Major Advisors: Dr. César Abadía-Barrero Associate Advisors: Dr. Pamela Erickson, Dr. Richard Wilson Title: "Birth Professionals, Human Rights, and Efforts to Improve Childbirth Care In India." Monday, August 4, 2025, 1pm ONLINE To attend virtually via WebEx please use the following link: https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/meet/cea14002

Alessandro Ceteroni, a PhD candidate in Italian Literary and Cultural Studies, Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, will discuss the results of his doctoral research about work in the Decameron.

PhD Biomedical Science Oral Defense Advancing Glycogen Storage Disease Research: Characterization of the GSD-IXβ Mouse Model and Therapeutic Strategies for GSD-Ib.

A Human iPSC-based Model of Trophoblasts Reveals Dynamics of Developmental Senescence Biomedical Science PhD Program, GDB Concentration

In vitro propagation, interspecific hybridization and chemical mutagenesis of the native ornamental shrubs Clethra alnifolia and Morella pensylvanica.  Clethra alnifolia L. 'Ruby Spice' and Morella pensylvanica K. 'Bobzam' (Bobbee™) are well known ornamental shrub cultivars native to New England. They have become popular for use in landscaping due to their superior ornamental features, low maintenance needs, environmentally friendly nature and consumer preference for native plants. New cultivars drive sales for nurseries and efficient methods to rapidly propagate these plants are needed. This talk explores a variety of new propagation and breeding methods on little studied shrubs with the intention of increasing the variety within and access to these plants.

ANSC MS Defense: Chetna ShahDate: 08/6/2025Time: 11:00 AMLocation: HybridIf you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Dr. Abhinav Upadhyay at 860-486-6585 orabhinav.upadhyay@uconn.edu (mailto:abhinav.upadhyay@uconn.edu)at least 5 days in advance of the seminar

Dissertation Title: Functional Characterization of USP7 and its Pathogenic Mutants in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Field of Study: Molecular Biology and Biophysics.

The formation of soot nanoparticles in combustion environments remains one of the most complex and least understood phenomena in aerosol science, particularly at the early stages where molecular precursors transition into solid-phase nanoparticles. This dissertation focuses on advancing the detection and characterization of flame-formed carbonaceous and metal aerosols smaller than 5 nm by advancing the application of state-of-the-art aerosol diagnostic techniques. The primary focus of this dissertation is the integration of High-Resolution Differential Mobility Analysis (HR-DMA) coupled with a novel Condensation Particle Counting (CPC) diagnostic technique to achieve high-resolution measurements of the size distribution functions (SDFs) of sub-5 nm particles. This dissertation evaluates the performance of a prototype Water CPC (WCPC) in detecting hydrophobic sub-5 nm charged and neutral carbonaceous flame-formed aerosols. To enhance condensation growth activation of the smallest possible aerosols within a WCPC, a two-stage saturator is installed at the WCPC inlet and operated with different working fluid, which is either DiEthylene Glycol (DEG), normal Butanol (nBA), Isopropanol (IPA), or Ethanol (EtOH). Experimental results demonstrate that the concurrent supersaturation of water and fluid enhances the detection of charged materials as small as 1.5 nm with 50% efficiency. Notably, the evaporative flow generated in the saturator inlet serves as a natural sheath, directing the aerosol sample toward the centerline of the growth tube, where supersaturation and temperature fields are more uniform, enabling the fluid-WCPC to be used also as an aerosol sizing instrument. This dissertation further advances the detection of electrically neutral nanosized aerosols, an area that has remained largely unexplored due to the inherent difficulties in measuring uncharged particles. By adapting HR-DMA and fluid-WCPC systems, the dissertation presents the first robust approach for detecting and characterizing neutral sub-5 nm aerosols. This capability addresses a critical gap in the current understanding of soot inception, enabling direct investigation of the early-stage formation of both neutral and naturally charged flame-formed aerosols. I also provide a tool to monitor and sample both hydrophilic and hydrophobic aerosols smaller than 5nm in the atmosphere. Additionally, HR-DMA is also employed in a new Planar Mixing Layer Flame (PMLF) configuration to capture the evolution of incipient soot SDFs down to ~0.9 nm, revealing distinct high- and low-temperature soot nucleation pathways, with results validated by in-situ laser diagnostics. Beyond combustion-generated aerosols, this dissertation explores broader applications of HR-DMA, including the characterization of sub-10 nm platinum (Pt) nanoparticles synthesized via Reactive Spray Deposition Technology (RSDT) for building Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), functional for electrochemical applications. By employing rapid dilution sampling coupled with HR-DMA, this dissertation reveals how Pt nanoparticles evolve in size and acquire charge through interactions with flame-generated ions, providing key insights into controlling nanoparticle synthesis mechanisms during their high-temperature synthesis in flame. Together, this dissertation establishes a versatile experimental framework that leverages state-of-the-art techniques to explore the earliest stages of aerosol formation in flames. These methodologies provide critical insights into gas-to-particle conversion processes, significantly improving our ability to characterize combustion-generated aerosols with greater accuracy and resolution. At the same time, the techniques provide tools to monitor the fate of such flame-formed nanosized aerosols, once emitted in the atmosphere.

Title: Distributional Dimensions of Risk and Resilience: Essays on Climate Uncertainty, Institutional Design, and Social Hierarchies in Water, Energy, and Food Systems. Field of Study: Agricultural and Resource Economics. This dissertation examines how climate uncertainties affect decision-making across water, energy, and food sectors, within the context of existing infrastructures, institutions, and social structures. The first two chapters focus on environmental uncertainty and its interaction with outdated institutional frameworks and infrastructure systems that were originally designed for a more stable climate regime. These chapters explore how these interactions influence individual decision-making processes and the strategies people adopt to mitigate or adapt to emerging risks. The third chapter shifts focus to examine how entrenched social hierarchies—specifically, the caste system—shape food security outcomes in a developing country context, using Nepal as a case study. Across all three chapters, a central concern is the heterogeneity of impacts and the limitations of one-size-fits-all policies in addressing evolving, uneven vulnerabilities and varying capacities to cope with climate, institutional, and social challenges.

Dissertation Title: Bank-Owned Life Insurance and a Methodology for Managing Death Benefit Cash Flows

COMMITTEE Dr. Preston Britner Dr. Beth Russell Dr. Kevin Ferreira van Leer

"Characterization of Engineered Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Containing a Mutation in Sequestosome-1"

Register for zoom event at:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IVfheYU4SUGJid8W4NS5Xw (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IVfheYU4SUGJid8W4NS5Xw)