THE GRADUATE SCHOOL 2020 SPRING HOODING CEREMONY

May 29, 2020

Graduate Oath

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.

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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 SpeakerGretchen B. Caughman, PhD Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

ReflectionsMitchell A. Watsky, PhD Dean, The Graduate School

Presentation of Hoods Patricia L. Cameron, PhD Lucy Marion, PhD Vice Dean, The Graduate School Dean, College of Nursing Gretchen B. Caughman, PhD Lester Pretlow, PhD

Executive Vice President for Academic Dean, College of Allied Health Sciences Affairs and Provost Alexander Schwarzmann, PhD Susan Davies, DED Dean, School of Computer and Cyber Sciences Vice President for Enrollment & Student John Sutherland, PhD Affairs Dean, College of Science & Mathematics Richard Franza, PhD Judi Wilson, EdD Dean, Hull College of Business Interim Dean, College of Education Elna Green, PhD Dean, Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

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 The E2F1 corepressor BIN1 is a novel tumor suppressor RB1-binding cofactor for cell-cycle arrest and genomic instability

Advisor Daitoku Sakamuro, PhD Associate Professor Program 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 The role of kynurenine, a tryptophan metabolite that increases with age, in

muscle atrophy Advisor Mark Hamrick, PhD Regents’ Professor

Program Cellular Biology & Anatomy HUIPING LIN

Dissertation Cell drinking: a closer look at how macropinocytosis drives cholesterol uptake in atherosclerotic vessels

Advisor Gabor Csanyi, MD Assistant Professor Program Vascular Biology YUJIAO LU*

Dissertation Neuron-Derived Estrogen and Neural Function Advisor Darrell Brann, PhD Professor Program 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 False coverage rate- adjusted smoothed bootstrap simultaneous confidence

intervals for selected parameters Advisor Santu Ghosh, PhD Assistant Professor Program Biostatistics TING LIU

Dissertation Role of Class III Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase in the Renal Proximal Tubule Advisor 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 Matthew Brendan Ryan Kristin N. DeLoach Aimee Elizabeth Smith Alison Denise Hatchett Katrena Taylor-Springs

Kathryne Rebecca Jones Britton Campbell Terrell Olga Malin Meredith Lynn Thomason Kirsten Elizabeth Pitock Lindsey Rae Weidenaar Jennifer Carole Robertson

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 Aaaron Kyle Henson Rodney She Ferguson Dafna Lapidot

Master of Education with a Major in Counselor Education Presented by: Richard Deaner, PhD, Associate Professor Christopher C. Colwell Tevin Shaquelle Middleton Tawn Shaquelle Middelton

Master of Education with a Major in Educational Instruction Presented by: Ashley Gess, PhD, Assistant Professor

Khalid Ahmed Sameh Zakaria Said Ibrahim Micheal Patrick Burns Mary Claire Jenkins Nibras Clapp Nassim Kouba Sarah Ashley Dowdy Michell Lynn Paterson Marilyn S. Eastman Sara Sharif Beverly Yvonne Franqui Rebecca Szybura Camille Catherine Gee 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 Angela S. Hickson Carley Nicole Borrelli Tara Koehler Caroline W. Cook Andrew Lukas Frank Costello Ian Chrisopher Nichols Halima Nana Sayyed Gerba Kaleb Jakim White

Master of Science with a Major in Allied Health Presented by: Judith Anglin, PhD, RDN, LD, Associate Professor Hannaj Kathleen Bieze Monica A. Fayik

Hannah Rebecca Burman McKinsey Ray Fiveash Laycee R. Claes Isabelle Anne Foster Chelsea N. Cotugno Emsley Peyton Jones

Kathryn Elizebeth Dodds Bailey Anne Joyner Irene Margaret Erich Yeo J. Lee

Master of Science with a Major in Kinesiology Presented by: Gordon Eisenman, EdD, Professor Jenna Kate Ansley Andrea Michelle Holloway Leann Elizabeth Grayson

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 Victoria Bailey Rogers Weston Douglas Dewolff Katharine Marr Thompson Keri Leigh Jones Megan Elise Ward

Master of Science with a Major in Information Security Management Presented by: Mark Harris, PhD, Assistant Professor Jasmine Denea Bailey Alejandro Tadeo Diamond C. Dixon Sandra Griswell Tharpe Nicholas Wyatt Ellington Don Jessie Welch Fengchong Kong

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 Casey Brooke Lewis Delesha Nikkole Greene Leigha Restrepo

Master of Science with a Major in Kinesiology Presented by: Graeme Connolly, PhD, Associate Professor Jenna Kate Ansley Andrea Michelle Holoway Jasmine Tierra Grayson

Master of Arts Intelligence and Security Studies

Presented by: Craig Douglas Albert, PhD, Associate Professor Eric Scott Garrett Alexandra J. Montesclaros Hellen Taylor Hanks Rachelle Deanne O’Neil Christopher William Hennigan Elizabeth M. Martin

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.