This calendar lists graduate thesis and dissertation events. Send all notices to the College of Graduate Studies at editor@ucf.edu

Monday, November 13, 2023

  • Dissertation Defense: ASSESSMENT OF MIDBLOCK PEDESTRIAN CROSSING FACILITIES USING SURROGATE SAFETY MEASURES AND VEHICLE DELAY

    ENG2: 202-A

    Announcing the Final Examination of Nafis Anwari for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy This dissertation has contributed to the pedestrian safety literature by assessing and comparing safety benefits and traffic efficiency among midblock Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) and Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) sites. Video trajectory data were used to calculate pedestrian Surrogate Safety Measures (SSMs) and vehicles' delay. …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: DEEP LEARNING APPROACHES FOR AUTOMATIC COLORIZATION, SUPER-RESOLUTION, AND REPRESENTATION OF VOLUMETRIC DATA

    L3Harris Engineering Center: HEC 356

    Announcing the Final Examination of Sudarshan Devkota for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy This dissertation includes a collection of studies that aim to improve the way we represent and visualize volume data. The advancement of medical imaging has revolutionized healthcare, providing crucial anatomical insights for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. Our first study introduces an innovative technique to enhance …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: A Novel Multi-Observer Orbit Determination and Estimation Framework for Cislunar Space Domain Awareness

    Engineering 1: 384: Engineering 1: 384

    Announcing the Final Examination of James Hippelheuser for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy This work presents a measurement model designed for multiple observers (space-based and/or ground-based) for cislunar orbit determination and estimation for space domain awareness (SDA). The measurement model is able to rely solely on angles-only measurements by defining the line between the observer and the target object …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Fostering Empathy in SMS Text Messaging

    Howard Phillips Hall: 116

    Announcing the Final Examination of Tami Gitto-Kania for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Texts & Technology While digital mediation can facilitate some aspects of communication, such as increasing scope and access to communicative possibilities, those gains are overwhelmed by the failure of digital mediation to support empathy. Time spent online and in front of a screen has increased …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Thesis Defense: ERASING THE PAST FOR MARKETABILITY: THE EFFECTS OF SELLING NATIONAL MYTH IN YBOR CITY’S PUBLIC HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

    TCH: 349D

    Announcing the Final Examination of Ms. Janine Galindo for the degree of Master of Arts in History Historical interpretation at a heritage site involves the explanation of past events to a public audience. At a site that is financially dependent on tourism, the interpretation often supports a narrative that aestheticizes the location and its associated historical events for marketing purposes. …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: The Impact Math Interventions Have on Student Achievement in an Urban School Setting

    Virtual

    Announcing the Final Examination of Jennifer Bellinger for the degree of Doctor of Education The purpose of this study was to examine mathematical strategies including educational support and interventions for high school students in an urban school setting. The study analyzed Post Hoc Algebra End of Course Assessment scores to measure student performance on the Algebra EOC.   The schools …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Announcing the Final Examination of Md Tarek Hasan for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

    Engineering 2: 202 A

    Announcing the Final Examination of Md Tarek Hasan for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Traditional crash frequency prediction models cannot capture the temporal effects of traffic characteristics due to the high level of data aggregation. Also, this approach is less suitable to address the crash risk for active traffic management strategies that typically operate for short-time intervals. Hence, this …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Modeling and Experimental Validation of Mission-specific Prognosis of Li-ion Batteries with Hybrid Physics-informed Neural Networks

    Virtual

    Announcing the Final Examination of Kajetan Fricke for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy While the second part of the 20th century was dominated by combustion engine powered vehicles, climate change and limited oil resources have been forcing car manufacturers and other companies in the mobility sector to switch to renewable energy sources. Electric engines supplied by Li-ion battery cells …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Who Cares About Virtual Campus Tours? Virtual Campus Tours in the College Choice Model and Perceived Student-Institution Fit

    Virtual

    Announcing the Final Examination of Mr. Christopher M. Thompson for the degree of Doctor of Education This study investigated the influence of virtual campus tours on the college choice process by exploring the role of virtual campus tours in the college choice model and perceived student-institution fit. The first part of the study analyzed seven virtual campus tours; the second …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Self-Regulation Strategies and Psychophysiological Responses: Supporting College Students with ADHD in Online Job Interviews

    Teaching Academy: 103

    Announcing the Final Examination of Tahnee Leclerc Wilder for the Doctor of Philosophy  This dissertation addresses the critical need for tailored support and preparation strategies for college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) engaging in online job interviews. This study examines the connection between self-regulation strategies and psychophysiological responses. The goal is to improve the performance and confidence of …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Personality Symmetry: Understanding how Social Robot and User Personality Similarity Affects Para-Friendship and Companion Social Robot Use Intention.

    PSY: 301C

    Announcing the Final Examination of Fernando Montalvo for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Psychology – Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology A primary design goal of companion social robots is to increase a user’s perceived level of companionship. One way to examine perceived companionship is through parasocial presence. In the scope of human-technology interactions, parasocial presence can be defined as …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Understanding the Interactions between Conservation Agencies and Rangers: A Mixed-Methods Approach

    HS1 314: HS1

    Announcing the Final Examination of Ms. Christina M. Burton for the degree of Doctor of Criminal Justice  Research describing conservation agencies has generally been exploratory and limited in the use of theory. Organizational theories can provide an understanding for how organizations change and adapt to their given environments, but they have not been applied to conservation agencies with unique challenges …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Understanding the Interactions between Conservation Agencies and Rangers: A Mixed-Methods Approach

    HS1 314: HS1

    Announcing the Final Examination of Ms. Christina M. Burton for the degree of Doctor of Criminal Justice  Research describing conservation agencies has generally been exploratory and limited in the use of theory. Organizational theories can provide an understanding for how organizations change and adapt to their given environments, but they have not been applied to conservation agencies with unique challenges …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Thesis Defense: Effect of Spacing on Axial Resistance of Auger Cast Pile Foundations

    Engineering 2: 211: Engineering 2: 211

    Announcing the Final Examination of Edgar Camilo Correa Prada for the degree of Master of Science The present thesis evaluates numerically and experimentally if the axial capacity of Auger Cast Piles (ACPs) constructed ininterbedded layers of granular soil and Limestone should be reduced as a function of pile spacing. The numericalcomponent of this thesis includes a series of parametric studies …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: The Study of Crisis Narratives Over Time: Mayfield, Ky in The Aftermath of The December 2021 Tornadoes

    Virtual

    Announcing the Final Examination of Rebecca Freihaut for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Communication This study was a year-long longitudinal qualitative project using the case study of Mayfield, KY after the catastrophic tornado event that impacted their community on December 10, 2021. Oral histories were collected from 18 participants who lived in or were closely connected to …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense: Student Perceptions of Campus Crime and Victim Services

    Communication and Media Building: 202K: Communication and Media Building: 202K

    Update: Announcing the Final Examination of Tracy Gulliford for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Communication Few would argue that college campus crime is a serious problem across the United States. Debate arises, however, regarding why the problem is so pervasive and how best to address it. This dissertation addresses that gap by exploring the nature and magnitude …

    Graduate Thesis and Dissertation