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.
Monday, February 23, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
IU School of Social Work
Social Work
Miriam Marteykai Commodore-Mensah
Exploring juvenile justice professionals’ perceptions of trauma-informed care and youth resilience in the juvenile justice system
ES 4130 & Virtual
Chair: Susana E. Mariscal, Ph.D., 785-218-8096
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
IU School of Social Work
Social Work
Zohra Asad
Experiences of social workers working with people with harmful sexual behaviors
Virtual
Chair: Md Hasan Reza, Ph.D., 574-520-4639
Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology
Katelynn Elizabeth Krick
The role of TNFalpha-mediated inflammation in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia
HA 1024
Chair: Brian Pierchala, Ph.D., 317-278-4865
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 1:30 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael P. Liesen
Advancing alchemical free energy methods for molecular design: New λ-dynamics frameworks and RBFE-guided generative models
MS 326
Chair: Jonah Vilseck, Ph.D., 317-274-9626
Thursday, March 5, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology
Arvin Halim
The role of the Klotho KL1 domain in CKD-associated cardiac fibrosis
R2 101
Chair: Kenneth Lim, Ph.D., 978-886-2459
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
IU School of Education
Urban Education Studies
Brian Todd Collins
Unforgetting black pedagogies: How two teachers navigate and resist no-excuses school
ES 3138B
Chair: Lasana D. Kazembe, Ph.D., 317-274-6801
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Pharmacology
Basant Gerges Hens
Striatal spinophilin enhances the D2 receptor interactome to mediate D2 receptor agonist-induced locomotor suppression
MS B26
Chair: Anthony J. Baucum II, Ph.D., 317-274-0540</p
Friday, March 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Microbiology & Immunology
Molly Elizabeth Lumnitzer
The transcription factor AFF3 maintains naïve CD8 T cell quiescence allowing for a robust immune response to viral infection
R3 C203
Chair: Martin Richer, Ph.D., 317-274-7874
Friday, March 13, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
IU School of Education
Urban Education Studies
Krystal Nicole Brand
Science for every student: Investigating the intersection of teacher beliefs and language practices in elementary STEM education for multilingual learners
ES 3138B
Chair: Craig Willey, Ph.D., 317-274-0159
Thursday, March 19, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
IU School of Medicine
Microbiology & Immunology
Sarah Susan Gutch
Improving leukocyte recovery through physiologically relevant oxygen expansion after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
R3 C203
Chair: Maegan Capitano, Ph.D., 317-274-7555
Monday, March 23 2026, 4:00 p.m.
IU School of Science
Biology
Olatundun Dupe Awosanya
Skeletal consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection across age and sex
R3 C303/C305
Co-Chairs: Melissa A. Kacena, Ph.D., 317-278-3482; Randall J. Roper, Ph.D., 317-274-8131
Friday, March 27, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
IU School of Medicine
Microbiology & Immunology
Alexander R. Maldeney
Metabolic and signaling regulation of B cell memory responses
R3 203
Chair: Wei Luo, Ph.D., 317-274-8042
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 11:30 a.m.
IU School of Nursing
Nursing Science
Tiffany Carol Williams
Perspectives of nursing faculty regarding elements of international educational experiences that foster cultural humility in students
Virtual
Chair: Deanna L. Reising, Ph.D., 812-855-1728
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