THE GRADUATE SCHOOL 2020 SPRING HOODING CEREMONY
May 29, 2020
Graduate Oath
A
s I embark on my career, now an alumnus of The Graduate School at Augusta University, I pledge that I will represent my discipline honorably by conducting myself and my professional endeavors in a manner that is always above reproach. I will strive to show compassion, embrace diversity, and above all, uphold excellence that I should become a worthy role model and ambassador of Augusta University.
With this affirmation, I acknowledge and honor the contributions of those who have preceded me, while seeking truth and the advancement of knowledge in all my actions. I will always remember to act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling, and incorporate both the art and science of my profession in the products of my labor. I will incorporate ethical and moral principles that constitute integrity in all that I do, and faithfully ensure that the results of my professional activities ultimately benefit our world.
Message From The Dean The Graduate School, founded in 1965, awards masters, specialist and doctoral degrees in more than forty-nine programs. This year our enrollment exceeds 900 students. Our Graduate School faculty members hold primary appointments in the Colleges of Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Humanities & Social Science, Business, Dentistry, Education, Medicine, Nursing, Science & Mathematics, and the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences. These faculty members all demonstrate special talents in research, scholarship and graduate education. The mission of The Graduate School is to provide a rich intellectual, academic and research environment for educating students to become leaders in discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge. The Graduate School continually strives to recruit the best faculty and students, and works to create an open environment for intellectual pursuit. Graduation is not the culmination, but simply an important step in the process of life-long learning. We hope that the Graduate School at Augusta University represents a fit for life for all students and graduates.
Best wishes and continued success to all our graduates! Mitchell A. Watsky, PhD Dean, The Graduate School
Ceremony Friday, May 29, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Virtual Presentation
Processional Welcome Mitchell A. Watsky, PhD Dean, The Graduate School
Remarks Brooks Keel, PhD President, Augusta University CEO, AU Health System
Graduation Speaker Gretchen B. Caughman, PhD Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Reflections Mitchell A. Watsky, PhD Dean, The Graduate School
Presentation of Hoods Patricia L. Cameron, PhD Vice Dean, The Graduate School Gretchen B. Caughman, PhD Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Susan Davies, DED Vice President for Enrollment & Student Affairs Richard Franza, PhD Dean, Hull College of Business Elna Green, PhD Dean, Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Lucy Marion, PhD Dean, College of Nursing Lester Pretlow, PhD Dean, College of Allied Health Sciences Alexander Schwarzmann, PhD Dean, School of Computer and Cyber Sciences John Sutherland, PhD Dean, College of Science & Mathematics Judi Wilson, EdD Interim Dean, College of Education
Closing Remarks x
Mitchell A. Watsky, PhD Dean, The Graduate School
Graduate Oath Michael G. Ehrie College of Nursing, 2020 Doctor of Nursing Practice Graduate
Doctoral Graduates Doctor of Philosophy BRINDA NIKHIL BHATT Dissertation Role of Ufl1 in CD8+ Memory T Cell Survival and Function Advisor Nagendra Singh, PhD Associate Professor Program Biochemistry & Cancer Biology SHANKRAPPA DEVI BOGGUPALLI Dissertation Defining the Role of Tropomyosin-1C in Cargo Transport in Drosophila Advisor Graydon Gonsalvez, PhD Associate Professor Program Biochemistry & Cancer Biology AARON EN KUANG FAN Dissertation Using peptide-based vaccines to enhance adoptive cell therapy with genetically engineered T cells Advisor Esteban Celis, M.D., PhD Professor Program Molecular Medicine
WATSON P. FOLK Dissertation Advisor Program
The E2F1 corepressor BIN1 is a novel tumor suppressor RB1-binding cofactor for cell-cycle arrest and genomic instability Daitoku Sakamuro, PhD Associate Professor Biochemistry & Cancer Biology
CLAUDIA ANNE FULMER Dissertation Gene Regulation by the Putative Campylobacter jejuni Diguanylate Cyclase CbrR Advisor Stuart Thompson, PhD Professor Program Biochemistry & Cancer Biology
HELEN E. KAISER Dissertation Advisor
The role of kynurenine, a tryptophan metabolite that increases with age, in muscle atrophy Mark Hamrick, PhD Regents’ Professor
Program HUIPING LIN Dissertation Advisor Program YUJIAO LU* Dissertation Advisor Program
Cellular Biology & Anatomy Cell drinking: a closer look at how macropinocytosis drives cholesterol uptake in atherosclerotic vessels Gabor Csanyi, MD Assistant Professor Vascular Biology Neuron-Derived Estrogen and Neural Function Darrell Brann, PhD Professor Neuroscience
MERRY WENLAN MA Dissertation Role of NADPH Oxidase following Traumatic Brain Injury Advisor Darrell Brann, PhD Professor Program Neuroscience DALEY A. MORERA* Dissertation Glycosaminoglycans, Chondroitinase, and Molecular Subtypes in Bladder Cancer Advisor Vinata Lokeshwar, PhD Professor, Department Chair Program Biochemistry and Cancer Biology LAUREN PRUSINSKI FERNUNG Dissertation Early life environmental and hormonal exposure and race-related influence on the human stem cell populations in fibroid and myometrial tissues leads to compromised genomic integrity and increased fibroid tumorigenesis Advisor Ayman Al-Hendy, M.D., PhD Professor Program Molecular Medicine JING SUN Dissertation Advisor Program TING LIU Dissertation Advisor
False coverage rate- adjusted smoothed bootstrap simultaneous confidence intervals for selected parameters Santu Ghosh, PhD Assistant Professor Biostatistics
Role of Class III Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase in the Renal Proximal Tubule Jian-Kang Chen, MBBS Associate Professor Program Cellular Biology and Anatomy
*PhD with Distinction
Doctor of Education with a Major in Educational Innovation Presented by: Andrew Kemp, EDD, Do-Hong Kim, PhD, Mary Quinn, PhD, Megan Buning, PhD, Olajide Anguloye, EDD JEANA O’NEILL AYCOCK Dissertation An Exploration of Elementary Students’ Perspectives on Participating in a Propsocial Behavior Support Program NATALIE MICHELLE CASON Dissertation An Exploration of Elementary Students’ Perspectives on Participating in a Propsocial Behavior Support Program PHYLLIS JUANITA GAMBLE Dissertation A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach to Exploring the Lived Experiences of Participants in Georgia’s P-20 Collaboratives BILL BLOUNT HAMILTON Dissertation The Influence of Instructional Rounds on Teacher Metacognition in a Middle School Context: A Mixed Methods Study BARIA LESHEA JENNINGS Dissertation The Influence of Instructional Rounds on Teacher Metacognition in a Middle School Context: A Mixed Methods Study JOE HENRY LOTT Dissertation An Exploration of Elementary Students’ Perspectives on Participating in a Propsocial Behavior Support Program CAROL WILLYN MAPLE Dissertation A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach to Exploring the Lived Experiences of Participants in Georgia’s P-20 Collaboratives FELINA RAE MCCOY Dissertation A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach to Exploring the Lived Experiences of Participants in Georgia’s P-20 Collaboratives LAUREN A. OCAK Dissertation An Exploration of Elementary Students’ Perspectives on Participating in a Propsocial Behavior Support Program KATHERINE MARIE SCOGGINS Dissertation The Influence of Instructional Rounds on Teacher Metacognition in a Middle School Context: A Mixed Methods Study
HOLLY ALLEN TOWNSEND Dissertation The Influence of Instructional Rounds on Teacher Metacognition in a Middle School Context: A Mixed Methods Study
Doctor of Nursing Practice KAY M. AGROVES Project An Educational Policy Initatitive to Improve Maternal & Fetal Morality Rates
in Georgia MARISSA KELLY BYRD Project PrEP in Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Educational Intervention SHONKEISHA LETITIA BYRD Project Evaluation of A Quality Improvement Project to Optimize Nurses Knowledge to Provide Heart Faliure Education Prior to Discharge YESENIA CASTRO Project A practice update on the evidence-based guideline for prevention, intervention
and management of childhood obesity JESSICA L. COKER Project Improving Provider Attitude of Pharmacogentics: A Focus on Antidepressants CHARLAINE CONGER Project PrEP in Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Educational Intervention MICHAEL GRANT EHRIE Project Early Identification of Sepsis and Adherence to the Latest Evidence-Based
Guidelines: A Performance Improvement Initiative for Advandced Practice Nurses LAUREN EUGENIA FESPERMAR Project Implementation and Evaluation of Analgesia and Sedation and Spontaneous
Awakening Breathing Trail Proctocols In Intensive Care Units: A Continous Quality Improvement Project KAYLA SONDRIA FREEMAN Project Youth Obesity: Implementation of an Education Process to Reduce Screen Time and Increase Physical Activity CHRISTIAN PHILIP GIBBS Project A Quality Improvement Project realted to Opioid Prescribing Practices in Primary Care VALERIE RENEE GRENALD
Project
A practice update on the evidence-based guideline for prevention, intervention and management of childhood obesity
KIMBERLY NATSON HALL Project An Educational Program Plan for Medical Providers in the Rural Community Care Setting on the Benefits of Psychiatric E-consultation Utilization TANYA R. HALL Project Quality improvement project to enhance follow up processess for persons presenting with asympotmatic hypertension in the emergency department ROBERT ADAM HARDY Project An Evidence-based Program Plan for HIV Screening in Rural Primary Care LACY ELIZABETH LALLY Project Combating Antibiotic Overuse and Misuse in Urgent Care JENNIFER LYNN LOGAN Project Improving Provider Attitude of Pharmacogentics: A Focus on Antidepressants TAYLOR P. LOGUE Project Evaluation of the Impact of Educational Intervention in Prediabetes Melissa ANN SHEESLE LONG Project Postpartum Depression Screening in Pediatric Primary Care: An Educational Intervention CHRISTEN ELIZABETH MCCABE Project Improving self-management in heart failute patients: A primary care education initatiative STEVEN ALLEN MOON Project A Quality Improvement Project realted to Opioid Prescribing Practices in Primary Care DE’MONICA SWANTESE NEAL Project Quality improvement project to enhance follow up processess for persons presenting with asympotmatic hypertension in the emergency department MAGGIE ELIZABETH NORMAN Project Increasing Awareness of the Current Anti-Obesity Medication Guidelines Through Provider Education LAUREN NICOLE NOXSEL Project An Educational Program Plan for Medical Providers in the Rural Community Care Setting on the Benefits of Psychiatric E-consultation Utilization CARA HANNAH OVERSTREET
Project
An Evidence-based Program Plan for HIV Screening in Rural Primary Care
NICOLE REINECKE POWELL Project Youth Obesity: Implementation of an Education Process to Reduce Screen Time and Increase Physical Activity CHELSEY ELANA PYE Project Imprementation and Evaluation of Analgesia and Sedation and Spontaneous Awakening Breathing Trail Protocols in Intensive Care Units: A Continouous Quality Improvement Project SHANELLE LYNETTE RAIFORD Project Evaluation of A Quality Improvement Project to Optimize Nurses Knowledge to Provide Heart Faliure Education Prior to Discharge MORGAN A. ROWE Project Standardization of Critical Care Orientation in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit for Registered Nurses JACEY LAINE SALLEY Project Evaluation of the Impact of Educational Intervention in Prediabetes AKOSUA FREMA SARFO Project Imprementation and Evaluation of Analgesia and Sedation and Spontaneous Awakening Breathing Trail Protocols in Intensive Care Units: A Continouous Quality Improvement Project ANNALEE H. SNYDER Project Combating Antibiotic Overuse and Misuse in Urgent Care ELIZABETH MORAN TYSON Project Evaluation of the Education and Use of an Electronic Veno-Occlusive Disease (VOD) Risk Calculator or an Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Unit ERIN M. WEBB Project Implementation and Evaluation of Analgesia and Sedation and Spontaneous
Awakening Breathing Trail Proctocols In Intensive Care Units: A Continous Quality Improvement Project JENNIFER WRIN WOOD Project Evaluation of Negative Outcomes of Prolonged Length of Stay in Trauma Patients in an Emergency Department MELISSA H. ZEAGLER Project Increasing Awareness of the Current Anti-Obesity Medication Guidelines Through Provider Education
Specialists Graduates Specialist in Education with a Major Advanced Educational Studies Presented by: Judith Anglin, PhD, RDN, LD, Associate Professor
Laura Burns Cartledge Kristin N. DeLoach Alison Denise Hatchett Kathryne Rebecca Jones Olga Malin Kirsten Elizabeth Pitock Jennifer Carole Robertson
Matthew Brendan Ryan Aimee Elizabeth Smith Katrena Taylor-Springs Britton Campbell Terrell Meredith Lynn Thomason Lindsey Rae Weidenaar
Specialist in Education with a Major in Educational Leadership Presented by: Judith Anglin, PhD, RDN, LD, Associate Professor
Angela Lynn Rogers
David Solomon Tucker
Masters Graduates Master of Business Administration Presented by: Simon Medcalfe, PhD, Associate Professor
Mohamed E. Awad Rodney She Ferguson
Aaaron Kyle Henson Dafna Lapidot
Master of Education with a Major in Counselor Education Presented by: Richard Deaner, PhD, Associate Professor
Christopher C. Colwell Tawn Shaquelle Middelton
Tevin Shaquelle Middleton
Master of Education with a Major in Educational Instruction Presented by: Ashley Gess, PhD, Assistant Professor
Khalid Ahmed Micheal Patrick Burns Nibras Clapp Sarah Ashley Dowdy Marilyn S. Eastman Beverly Yvonne Franqui Camille Catherine Gee
Sameh Zakaria Said Ibrahim Mary Claire Jenkins Nassim Kouba Michell Lynn Paterson Sara Sharif Rebecca Szybura Faouz Touay
Master of Education with a Major in Educational Leadership Presented by: Olajide Agunloye, PhD, Professor
Hannah Pauline Crawford
Clifton Blakey Sticher
Master of Public Administration Presented by: William Hatcher, PhD, Associate Professor
Marcus Melvin Allen John Christopher Cannon Jessika Marie Douglas Garrett Lee Dragano Carla Louise Hamann Junsoung Kim
Ashley Shena Leonard Michael Lawrence Siegner Ruby Parveen Syed Gregory George Ulseth Ashley Marie White
Master of Public Health Presented by: Vivian Dicks, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor
Wesley Allen Black Carley Nicole Borrelli Caroline W. Cook Frank Costello Halima Nana Sayyed Gerba
Angela S. Hickson Tara Koehler Andrew Lukas Ian Chrisopher Nichols Kaleb Jakim White
Master of Science with a Major in Allied Health Presented by: Judith Anglin, PhD, RDN, LD, Associate Professor
Hannaj Kathleen Bieze Hannah Rebecca Burman Laycee R. Claes Chelsea N. Cotugno Kathryn Elizebeth Dodds Irene Margaret Erich
Monica A. Fayik McKinsey Ray Fiveash Isabelle Anne Foster Emsley Peyton Jones Bailey Anne Joyner Yeo J. Lee
Master of Science with a Major in Kinesiology Presented by: Gordon Eisenman, EdD, Professor
Jenna Kate Ansley Leann Elizabeth Grayson
Andrea Michelle Holloway
Master of Science in Medical Illustration Presented by: William Andrews, MA, Professor, Amanda Behr, MA, Associate Professor and Michael Jensen, MSMI, Assistant Professor Benjamin Marshall Brown Amanda Marissa Manowski
Anna Beth Demario Weston Douglas Dewolff Keri Leigh Jones
Victoria Bailey Rogers Katharine Marr Thompson Megan Elise Ward
Master of Science with a Major in Information Security Management Presented by: Mark Harris, PhD, Assistant Professor
Jasmine Denea Bailey Diamond C. Dixon Nicholas Wyatt Ellington Fengchong Kong
Alejandro Tadeo Sandra Griswell Tharpe Don Jessie Welch
Master of Science with a Major in Oral Biology Presented by: Regina Messer, PhD, Assistant Dean, Associate Professor
Nicole Shannon Widjaja
Master of Science with a Major in Psychology Presented by: Sabina Widner, PhD, Professor
Nmyia-Imari K Collins Delesha Nikkole Greene
Casey Brooke Lewis Leigha Restrepo
Master of Science with a Major in Kinesiology Presented by: Graeme Connolly, PhD, Associate Professor
Jenna Kate Ansley Jasmine Tierra Grayson
Andrea Michelle Holoway
Master of Arts Intelligence and Security Studies Presented by: Craig Douglas Albert, PhD, Associate Professor
Eric Scott Garrett Hellen Taylor Hanks Christopher William Hennigan Elizabeth M. Martin
Alexandra J. Montesclaros Rachelle Deanne O’Neil
Master of Science with a Major in Biostatistics Presented by: Jie Chen, PhD, Professor Elizabeth Ann Matznick
Congratulations from The Graduate School To Our Graduates: When you began this journey, we know your minds and hearts were full of excitement, hope, and perhaps a little trepidation. Throughout your journey- each unique in its own way- there may have been speed bumps, and wonderful surprises, but you kept going, applying the tenacity, work ethic, and intellect that we always knew you possessed. We are honored to have been here to cheer you on, hold your hand, and listen to your challenges and wins. Together, we overcame the hurdles, and we feel lucky to have supported you along the way. Today, we celebrate your endeavors, and congratulate you on obtaining your goal. Graduation is not the end. It is a milestone and an invaluable step towards the rest of your life. We encourage you to keep learning and to keep steadily moving forward with trademark integrity. We like to call The Graduate School a “Fit for Life,” and we hope what you have learned here will continue to be a fit for your dreams and aspirations. We have enjoyed getting to know you, and assisting you through your graduate career. You have truly become family, and your accomplishments inspire and motivate us. You’re now equipped with endless opportunity, and we know you will go out into the world as worthy ambassadors of your special talents and abilities. We thank you for your dedication and wish you continued success as you apply the principles you learned at Augusta University to your professional and personal growth. Just as you brightened our days at The Graduate School, we know you will make a shining impact on your individual communities. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” We have watched you all become polished, competent representatives of Augusta University and The Graduate School, and we are proud of each of you.
Mitchell Watsky, PhD Dean, The Graduate School
Patricia Cameron, PhD Vice Dean, The Graduate School
The Graduate School Administrative Staff
Acknowledgements A special note of appreciation to the office staff of The Graduate School. Their hard work and caring greatly assist the students during their tenure at Augusta University. We also acknowledge the tireless dedication of our faculty to the education of our students. A grateful thank you to The Graduate School Alumni Association.