Upcoming Announcements
This list of scheduled Ph.D. dissertation defenses is posted so that faculty and others may attend the defense. If you wish to attend, please contact the committee chair in advance as a courtesy.
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
IU School of Medicine
Medical Biochemistry Ph.D.
Noah Ryan Sommers
Targeting Protein Synthesis and Cellular Stress Response Processes to Advance Prostate Cancer Therapies
R3 C303/C305
Chair: Ronald C. Wek, 317-274-0549
Monday, October 26, 2026, 11:00 am
IU School of Medicine
Medical Genetics Ph.D.
Katharina Maria Kirschner
Iron Restriction Links Inflammatory Marrow Remodeling to Skeletal Dysfunction in Chronic Kidney Disease
R3 C203
Chair: Erica Clinkenbeard, PhD., 859-409-3569
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
IU School of Nursing
Nursing Science Ph.D.
Jaclyn Kristine Fontaine
How Undergraduate Nursing Students Navigate Poor Academic Performance: A Grounded Theory Study
Virtual
Chair: Wendy R. Trueblood Miller, 812-797-4646
Monday, November 2, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
IU School of Social Work
Social Work Ph.D.
Latisha Shamika Morales
Patterns of Documented Health-Related Social Needs and Hospital Utilization Among Patients with 30-Day Readmissions
902 West New York Street, ES 4111
Chair: Barbara Pierce, 317-274-8390
Monday, November 2, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
IU School of Medicine
Medical and Molecular Genetics Ph.D.
Ceanne Amy Elliott
Investigating the Molecular Impact of Disease-Associated RNA Exosome Variants
Emerson Hall Room 304
Chair: Amber Mosley, PhD, 317-278-2350
Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology Ph.D.
John Connor Cunningham
Mechanisms to Restore and Improve Mechanotransduction in the Skeleton
MS122A
Chair: Alex Robling, 317-379-3999
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 9:30 a.m.
IU School of Education
Urban Education Studies Ph.D.
Charley Elizabeth Jackson
More Than School Choice: Generational Stories of Family Decision-Making and Charter School Experiences
Indianapolis Campus Location
Chair: Thu Sương Nguyễn, 210-887-6557
Monday, November 16, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
IU School of Liberal Arts
American Studies Ph.D.
Christopher John Vaulter
Hidden Transcripts in the Algorithmic Age: Memes, Technostalgia, and the Construction of Digital Trust
INCA 438, Indianapolis Campus
Chair: Raymond Haberski, 317-292-2566
Monday, November 30, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
IU School of Medicine
Medical Neuroscience Ph.D.
Vummidi Shweta Reddy
Characterization of Ribbon Synapse Development in Human Inner-Ear Organoids
NB-101, SNRI Building
Chair: Dr. Yoshikazu Imanishi, 317-278-7000