December doctoral recipients announced
Feb. 26, 2004
KALAMAZOO--Seventeen students received doctoral degrees from Western Michigan University at the end of fall semester in December 2003.
The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees were awarded in 13 fields of study: applied economics; biological sciences; computer science; educational leadership; English; geology; industrial engineering; mathematics education; paper and imaging engineering; physics; public affairs and administration; sociology; and statistics.
Biljana Bujanovic of Portage, Mich., earned her Ph.D. degree in paper and imaging engineering. The title of her dissertation was "Effects of Sodium Metaborate on Kraft Pulping."
Wendy Burns of Sagniaw, Mich., earned her Ph.D. degree in biological sciences. The title of her dissertation was "K+-Induced Dilation of Cremasteric Arterioles Involves Na+/K+ ATPase and Inward-Rectifier K+ Channels."
Sang Dae Choi of Whitewater, Wis., earned his Ph.D. degree in industrial engineering. The title of his dissertation was "Psychophysically Derived Work Frequencies Associated With Roof Shingling Operations Involving Change in Grade."
Laurentiu Cucos of Ann Arbor, Mich., earned his Ph.D. degree in computer science. The title of his dissertation was "Load Sharing Strategies in Distributed Environments."
John E. Daniels of Weidman, Mich., earned his Ph.D. degree in statistics. The title of his dissertation was "Determination of Spatial Strata for Environmental Regulatory Purposes." The son of Blake E. Daniels of Gobles, Mich., and Dorothy Burns of Jacksonville, Fla., he earned his bachelor's degree from the General Motors Institute in 1984 and master's degree from Purdue University in 1987. An assistant professor at Central Michigan University, Daniels is the third generation in his family to earn a degree from WMU.
Melinda C. Dobson of Mattawan, Mich., earned her Ph.D. degree in English with an emphasis on English education. The title of her dissertation was "Preparing Teachers to Use Technology: The WebQuest in the Secondary English Language Arts Methods Classroom." Dobson earned both her bachelor's and master's degree from WMU. She is the daughter of Ned Hagaman and the late Carol Hagaman, and the daughter-in-law of Steve and Mary Ann Dobson, all of Quincy, Mich. A part-time instructor at WMU, Dobson earned her degree eight months after having twins.
Eugene H. McKay III of Hastings, Mich., earned his Ph.D. degree in public affairs and administration. The title of his dissertation was "Student Satisfaction With Michigan Community College Distance Education Courses." McKay earned his associate's degree at Kellogg Community College, a bachelor's degree at Michigan State University, a master's degree at Central Michigan University and a graduate certificate in distance education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an instructor at Kellogg Community College.
Loago N. Molwalefhe of Kalamazoo earned his Ph.D. degree in geology. The title of his dissertation was "Geochemical and Isotopic Characterization of Shallow Basinal Brines from the Makgadikgadi Pans Complex of Northeastern Botswana: Determination of the Source of Salinity."
Md. Habibur Rahman of Kalamazoo earned his Ph.D. degree in applied economics. The title of his dissertation was "Three Essays on Financial Intermediation, Capital Formation, and Economic Growth and Development."
Gayle Rhineberger of Thief River Falls, Minnesota, earned her Ph.D. degree in sociology. The title of her dissertation was "Social Disorganization, Disorder, Social Cohesion, Informal Controls and Crime: A Reformulation and Test of Systemic Social Disorganization Theory." She is the daughter of Karen and Loren Rux and Stephen and Phyllis Rhineberger of Thief River Falls. Rhineberger earned her bachelor's degree from the College of St. Benedict in 1996 and her master's degree from Colorado State University in 1998. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Southwest Missouri State University.
John Charles Ritzler of Osceola, Ind., earned his Ph.D. degree in educational leadership. The title of his dissertation was "An Investigation on the Impact of the Structure of Summative Student Evaluation on Self-Regulated Learning."
Rajeev Sooreea of Kalamazoo earned his Ph.D. degree in applied economics. The title of his dissertation was "Taylor-Based Monetary Policy Rules: Are They Forward-Looking, Data Congruent, and Asset Price Responsive?"
Feridun Tasdan of Macomb, Ill., earned his Ph.D. degree in statistics. The title of his dissertation was "A Robust Two-Sample Procedure to Estimate a Shift Parameter."
Ovidiu F. Toader of West Bloomfield, Mich., earned his Ph.D. degree in physics. The title of his dissertation was "Irradiation Induced Order-Disorder Transformation in Ni-Mo Alloys."
Marcia L. Weller Weinhold of Merrillville, Ind., earned her Ph.D. degree in mathematics education. The title of her dissertation was "How Teachers Construct an Understanding of 'Appropriate Use' of Graphing Calculators in the Context of Collegial Inquiry."
Gwendolyn Whitfield of Detroit earned her Ph.D. degree in sociology. The title of her dissertation was "Culture and the Effectiveness of Supplier Diversity Programs: A Test of Predictors." The daughter of Joe and Virginia Whitfield of Detroit, she earned her bachelor's degree at Howard University and her master's degree at Wayne State University. The winner of a Dissertation Fellowship Award from the Institute of Supply Management, she is currently an assistant professor in the management department at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
Sayera Younus of Kalamazoo earned her Ph.D. degree in applied economics. The title of her dissertation was "Essays on Monetary Policy in Bangladesh."
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu