Student Defenses

Author: Devon Richman Date/Time: February 25th, 2026 at 11:00amLocation: EGR-2164 | Zoom Committee Members: Dr. Michael Pecht, Chair Dr. Michael Azarian, Co-chair Dr. Abhijit Dasgupta Dr. Patrick McCluskey Dr. Peter Sandborn Dr. Ankur Srivastava, Dean’s Representative Title: DEGRADATION ASSESSMENT OF MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES USING SIDE-CHANNEL POWER MODULATION ANALYSIS Abstract:  Microelectronic devices degrade over time due to exposure to stress, including temperature, […]

Author: Michael YehDate/Time: February 3rd, 2026 at 1:00PM ESTLocation: AJC 5104 Committee Members:Dr. Don L. DeVoe, ChairDr. Cecilia Huertas CerdeiraDr. Ryan SocholDr. Kenneth KigerDr. Ian White, Dean’s Representative Title of Dissertation: Large Scale Integration of Microfluidic Trap Arrays for Probing T-Cell Activation in Nanoliter Tumor Co-cultures Abstract: Immune responses against cancer are inherently stochastic, with small numbers of individual T

Author: Suraj Raval Date/Time: January 16th, 2025 at 2:00pmLocation: EGR-2164 Committee Members: Title: RELIABLE AUTONOMY FOR MAGNETIC SURGICAL ROBOTS Abstract: Magnetic robots can leverage external magnetic fields to generate forces and torques foruntethered steering, enabling miniature tools for minimally invasive surgical procedures. Achieving safe, accurate motion requires reliable prediction of magnetic fields, gradients, and the resulting wrench on embedded

Author: Akshaya Sridhar Date/Time: January 23rd, 2026 at 3:00pm EST Location: EGR-2164, Martin Hall Committee Members: Title of Thesis: Experimental Study of Microencapsulated Phase Change Material in a Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger Abstract: Microencapsulated phase change slurry (MPCS) can release and store heat during phase transitions, allowing for a thermal energy transfer to occur when the core material transitions between solid

Author: Edward Honadel Date/Time: December 1st, 2025 at 10:00AM EST Location: EGR-2164, Martin Hall Committee Members: Title of Thesis: Quantifying the cost of data center cooling approaches including service-level agreements Abstract:

Author: Janell Joyner Date/Time: December 2nd, 2025 at 9:15AM EST Location: EGR-0151G, Martin Hall | Zoom Committee Members: Title of Dissertation: Cognitive Modeling for Human Factors Testing: Developing A Structured Task Analysis Framework for Designers Abstract: As part of system testing and verification (STV) for devices, designers must empirically demonstrate that their products can be used safely before they reach the market.

Author: Joshua Schmidt Date/Time: November 24th, 2025 at 10:00AM EST Location: EGR-2162, Glenn Martin Hall Committee Members: Title of Dissertation: Combined Liquefaction and Extraction of Biocrude Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Abstract: The reliance on finite petroleum reserves, coupled with ever-increasing global energy demands, necessitates a concerted effort to develop sustainable liquid fuels. Given the inherent energy density advantage of

Author: Josh Schmidt Date/Time: November 24th, 2025 at 10am ESTLocation: EGR-2162Committee Members: Title of Thesis: Combined Liquefaction and Extraction of Biocrude Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Abstract: The reliance on finite petroleum reserves, coupled with ever-increasing global energy demands, necessitates a concerted effort to develop sustainable liquid fuels. Given the inherent energy density advantage of liquid hydrocarbons, combustion engines will remain

Author: Hamed Sobhani Date/Time: November 12th, 2025 at 9:30am ESTLocation: EGR-2164 Committee Members: Title of Dissertation: Modeling Airborne Virus Transmission Risk in a Controlled Exposure Clinical Study Abstract: Airborne transmission of viral aerosols exhaled by infected individuals is a major pathway for the spread of respiratory diseases. To effectively control aerosol transmission, designing and implementing effective air cleaning solutions is essential

Author: Dai-Yan Ji Date/Time: November 10th, 2025 at 11:00AM EST Location: EGR-2164, Glenn Martin Hall Committee Members: Dr. Jay Lee, ChairDr. Nii O. Attoh-Okine, Dean’s RepresentativeDr. Balakumar BalachandranDr. Davis McGregorDr. Peter Sandborn Title of Dissertation: Methodology for Automated Trace Segmentation to Improve Feature Extraction of Time Series Data in Prognostics and Health Management Abstract: In