ucla phd thesis

UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations

• UCLA Previously Published Works

Towards the Physical Origin of Flexible-to-Rigid Transition in GexSe1-x Glass

• Zhao, Zhangji
• Advisor(s): Taciroglu, Ertugrul ET

Based on their connectivity, network glasses can be classified as flexible, stressed–rigid, or isostatic, if the number of topological constraints is lower, larger, or equal to the number of atomic degrees of freedom, respectively. Thanks to the absence of any stoichiometric requirement, the rigidity of glasses can be continuously tuned (e.g., from flexible to stressed–rigid) by changing their chemical composition. Interestingly, optimally-constrained isostatic glasses have been noted to exhibit unusual properties (e.g., nearly-reversible glass transition, low relaxation, desirable mechanical properties, etc.). Especially, the non-aging intermediate state features an almost vanished endotherm between the first and second heat scan across glass transition, providing a pathway for phase change material optimization in the application of non-volatile rewriteable media. However, the physical origin of the unusual behaviors and properties of isostatic glasses remain unclear.This thesis begins with investigating how the flexible-to-rigid transition in network glasses is encoded in their energy landscape based on molecular dynamics simulations. To this end, we introduce a simplified, yet realistic model of network glasses with varying connectivity. We characterize the topography of these glasses by adopting the activation-relaxation technique (ART), which enables a systematic search of saddle points and transition pathways in the energy landscape surface. We then demonstrate that the flexible-to-rigid transition arises from an interplay between low-energy saddle points (in flexible glasses) and topological frustration (in stressed–rigid glasses). Also, by utilizing the ring structure, we expand the transition correlation with ring size distribution. Meanwhile, we highlight the local heterogeneity with all the energy landscape features by dicing the model into small cubes. Comparing within a single glass helps exclude the effect of different configurations, further consolidating our conclusion on the physical origin of rigidity transition. Finally, to explore the role of chemistry effect in rigidity transition, we compare the behavior of the simple connectivity model with a realistic GexSe1-x model. With the similar shape of enthalpic differences, the realistic model could reveal the effect of glass-forming ability with experimental results where the simple model fails. Overall, we have a clear pathway towards understanding the physical origin of rigidity transition of GexSe1-x glass.

Lightning in a Bottle: Navigating Uncertainty, Authority, and Agency in Pediatric Neurology Encounters

• Advisor(s): Stivers, Tanya J

Pediatric medical visits represent a unique opportunity for studying uncertainty, authority, and agency. In these visits medical authority and parental authority converge on a common goal — the child’s best interests. However, physicians and parents do not always agree on what courses of action are best. Physicians may disagree with parents but nevertheless rely on them to carry out treatment plans. Parents may challenge medical authority but nevertheless rely on physicians for access to the medical goods and services that they need to care for their child. In these points of departure medical authority and parental authority collide; and when the child’s problem is non-routine like a seizure the stakes can be particularly high. This dissertation explores the physician-parent partnership in a particular context: pediatric neurology visits for overnight vEEG testing. I adopt a conversation analytic approach to examine interactions between physicians and parents during these encounters, paying particular attention to the themes of uncertainty, authority, and agency. I find that parents and physicians use (un)certainty to accomplish specific interactional goals. Parents can invoke uncertainty as an account for their conduct when they have somehow challenged medical authority, thus mitigating damage to the physician-family partnership; and physicians can modulate the certainty of diagnoses, treatment efficacy, and other aspects of the child’s condition and care as a means of exerting control over visit outcomes. In the context of news deliveries, I find that the relative rights to ascribe valence to news in pediatric neurology diverge from those observed in everyday life, and this causes problems in the delivery and reception of good news. In these encounters, physicians prioritize conveying the facts of the news over characterizing its valence, but parents tend to treat both components as necessary before they are willing to assess the news. When physicians fail to provide either component, parents orient to news deliveries as incomplete. This not only causes difficulties in parents’ reception of the news but also leads to protracted news deliveries. Taken together, these findings suggest an enduring orientation to medical authority as a legitimate property of the physician-family partnership.

Customized Computing and Machine Learning

• Sohrabizadeh, Atefeh
• Advisor(s): Cong, Jinsheng Jason JC

Nowadays, abundant data across various domains necessitate high-performance computing capabilities. While we used to be able to answer this need by scaling the frequency, the breakdown of Dennard's scaling has rendered this approach obsolete. On the other hand, Domain-specific Accelerators (DSAs) have gained a growing interest since they can offer high performance while being energy efficient. This stems from several factors, such as,1) they support utilizing special data types and operations, 2) they offer massive parallelism, 3) one can customize the memory access, 4) customizing the control/data path helps with amortizing the overhead of fixed instructions, and 5) one has the option of co-designing the algorithm with the hardware.

Unfortunately, despite the huge speedups that DSAs can deliver compared to general-purpose processors, their programmability has not caught up. In the past few decades, High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools were introduced to raise the abstraction level and free designers from delving into architecture details at the circuit level. While HLS can significantly reduce the efforts involved in the hardware architecture design, not every HLS code yields optimal performance, requiring designers to articulate the most suitable microarchitecture for the target application. This can affect the design turnaround times as there are more choices to explore at a higher level. Moreover, this limitation has confined the DSA community primarily to hardware designers, impeding widespread adoption. This dissertation endeavors to alleviate this problem by combining customized computing and machine learning. Consequently, this dissertation consists of two core parts: 1) customized computing tailored for machine learning applications, and 2) machine learning employed to automate the optimization process of customized computing. Our focus will be on FPGAs as their cost-effective nature and rapid prototyping capabilities make them especially suitable for our research.

The large amounts of data available in data centers have motivated researchers to develop machine learning algorithms for processing them. Given that a significant portion of data stored in these centers exists in the form of images or graphs, our attention is directed towards two prominent algorithms designed for such tasks: Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Graph Convolutional Network (GCN). In the first part of the dissertation, we develop architecture templates for accelerating these applications. This approach facilitates a reduction in the development cycle, allowing the instantiation of module templates with customizable parameters based on the specific target application.

In the second part of the dissertation, we move our focus to general applications and work on automating their optimization steps including design space exploration and performance/area modeling. Therefore, we structure our problem in a way that can be fed into the learning algorithms. We develop a highly efficient bottleneck optimizer to explore the search space. We also explore different learning algorithms including multi-layer perceptron, graph neural networks, attention networks, jumping knowledge networks, etc., aiming to create a performance predictor that is both highly accurate and robust. Our studies show that we can optimize the microarchitecture of general applications quickly using our automated tools. This can open new doors to those without hardware knowledge to try customized computing which in turn helps to broaden the FPGA community and further improve its technology.

Protein Arginine Methyltransferases: The Breakfast Club of Enzymes

• Lowe, Troy Lucas
• Advisor(s): Clarke, Steven G

Post translational modifications of proteins alter the biological landscape creating functional diversity. One modification, arginine methylation, was first identified in 1968 from calf thymus hydrolysates producing guanidino-methylated arginine derivatives. However, the enzymes that produce these modifications were poorly characterized until 1996 when the genes of the first protein arginine methyltransferases were cloned from yeast and mammalian cells. At this time, a family of nine mammalian genes has been identified that encode protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). In vitro experiments identified three distinct types. Type I PRMTs catalyze asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) (PRMTs 1-4, 6 and 8), Type II PRMTs catalyze symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) (PRMT5 and 9), and the only type III PRMT that catalyzes monomethylarginine (MMA) (PRMT7). The active sites of each of the major enzymes that form ADMA, SDMA and MMA have distinct structural architectures allowing for their specificity.

In this dissertation I have focused my work on the major type I enzyme, PRMT1, the major type II enzyme, PRMT5, and the type III enzyme, PRMT7. I showed that each of these human enzymes behave differently under physiological stress conditions associated with temperature, pH, and ionic strength thus potentially leading to alterations in the proteomic arginine methylation landscape. In particular, PRMT7 is maximally active at sub-physiological temperatures and at nonphysiological pH and ionic strength, suggesting regulatory roles. I then characterized the unusual substrate specificity of the PRMT7 enzyme with peptide substrates to demonstrate the exquisite dependence upon variations of the Arg-X-Arg motif.With the identification of a PRMT7 motif in the human Fhod1 and Fhod3 actin binding proteins, I characterized methylation reactions that were dependent upon the phosphorylation state of an adjacent serine residue. These results pointed to the cross-talk that can occur between phosphorylation and methylation reactions. Interestingly, I found little or no effect of methylation on ROCK1 protein kinase activity.

PRMT enzymes have been identified to be oncogenic and closely associated with cancer progression. Surprisingly, it was found that methionine-dependent malignant cancer cells had no detectable alteration of protein arginine methylation than methionine-independent less malignant cells, suggesting that the methionine effect maybe be regulated through alternative pathways.

On the Dynamical Evolution of Alfvenic Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere

• Sioulas, Nikolaos
• Advisor(s): Velli, Marco

A Relevance-based Decision-making Model of Human Sparse, Overloaded, and Indirect Communication

• Jiang, Kaiwen
• Advisor(s): Gao, Tao

Human real-time communication creates a limitation on the flow of information, which requires the transfer of carefully chosen and concise data in various situations. Although pointing is sparse, overloaded, and indirect, it allows humans to effectively decode shared information, (ex)change their minds, and plan accordingly. I introduce a model that explains how humans choose information for communication and understand communication by utilizing the linguistics concept of ``relevance'' derived from decision-making theory and theory of mind.

The modeling approach taken in this dissertation is inspired by many seemingly separated domains. First, I apply theory of mind from cognitive science and partially observable Markov decision process to formally model the components of human mind and how they make decisions, building a scaffold for modeling human communication. Second, I derive how humans coordinate and share their mind by applying the concepts of paternalistic helping in developmental psychology and philosophical discussion about empathy. Third, I derived the definition of utility-based relevance as how much a signaler's belief can make a positive difference to its receiver's well-being, utilizing the cooperative assumption of human communication in linguistics and comparative psychology. I conducted simulation and human behavioral experiments to show that relevance-based communication model can model the overloaded and indirect human communication and can predict humans' choices of signals in communication. Artificial intelligence agents that communicate with relevance-based models are more well-received by humans. Finally, I use Markov decision process and partially observable Markov decision process to propose a way of finding the best timing for sparse human communication.

Fine-Tune Whisper and Transformer Large Language Model for Meeting Summarization

• Advisor(s): Wu, Yingnian Y.W.

With globalization escalating, multinational companies frequently hold meetings involving both domestic and international employees. However, time zone differences often result in international employees missing some meetings. This thesis explores an innovative solution to address this issue and ensure that colleagues who miss meetings can quickly catch up on the content. The core of this solution involves fine-tuning the Whisper model to convert audio recordings of meetings to text, followed by advanced summary transformers based on fine-tuning Llama3 and specific prompts to summarize the converted text. The resulting summaries provide a concise and comprehensive overview of the meeting's content, which can then be distributed to employees who could not attend due to time zone constraints. This approach not only enhances the efficiency of work communication among colleagues but also optimizes the global management and operational efficiency of the company.

Time Series Analysis and Forecasting of Monthly Coffeemaker Search Interest

• Wang, William S
• Advisor(s): Schoenberg, Frederic R. Paik

This study investigated coffeemaker search interest in the United States using the monthlytime series data from Google Trends. The forecasting model developed can be utilized as a part of the coffeemaker market research since accurately forecasting user interest would enable whoever is intrigued to anticipate future developments and make informed decisions. To analyze the underlying pattern, the data was decomposed with STL into seasonal, trend, and residual components. We observed a consistent annual seasonality with a surge in interest every November and December. This pattern was attributed to the increase in user interest during the end-of-the-year holiday season sales. Anomaly detection using the STL residuals found two anomalies. The anomaly witnessed in December 2020 is best understood as the result of the demand surge during the holiday season compounded by the adoption of online shopping imposed by the COVID-19 lockdown. For the model selection process, ACF and PACF plots were used to make the initial judgments on the parameters of the time series model. The first round of model selection tested potential AR and MA orders. The second round of model selection tested potential seasonal AR and MA orders. SARIMA(0, 1, 2)×(1, 0, 1)12 is the final model, chosen based on AIC and BIC scores. This model was able to capture the annual seasonal pattern and meet the stationary assumption with first-order differencing. The model has a MAPE of 4.3% and a RMSE of 3.841 with the rolling forecast origin prediction on the out-sample set. The residuals were confirmed to be white noise, which indicates the SARIMA model is a good fit for predicting the monthly coffeemaker search interest in the United States.

The Roles of Motivation and Attention in Lifelong Learning

• Silaj, Katie Marie
• Advisor(s): Castel, Alan Dan

Rewards can enhance memory for important information; however, intrinsic motivation is also an important component of long-term learning. My dissertation explores extrinsic motivation to learn such as point values awarded on memory tasks and grades assigned in classroom settings, while considering intrinsic factors that influence learning like curiosity and interest in the material being studied. I also examined how individual differences in attention, age, and study strategies impact how learners navigate what information they should prioritize when engaging with learning materials. Value-directed Remembering (VDR; Castel et al., 2002) demonstrates the potent effects of rewards on memory for important information. Point values of varying magnitudes paired with information can motivate strategic allocation of cognitive resources that can mitigate age-related deficits in memory recall. Extrinsic rewards often accompany real-world situations to motivate better performance: grades in the classroom, bonuses in the work force, points in video games, etc. However, desired behavior and information associated with rewards are not always easy to identify in real-world contexts. Schematic support or context can make rewards more meaningful, and this may be especially true for older adults who experience age-related declines in cognitive functioning (Castel, 2005). Additionally, extrinsic incentives may not always be enough to motivate all people. Some learners may need intrinsic sources of motivation to reach a goal such as curiosity, interest, or social connection. Thus, I explored whether learners could predict the value of information using rewards and schematic support to guide them, how being able to prioritize and identify important information relates to success in classroom learning, and how prior knowledge and curiosity influence what people remember. Overall, I find evidence that both younger and older adults can benefit from extrinsic rewards paired with explicit schematic knowledge to predict important information (Chapter 2), that selectivity in study strategies can be related to success in real classroom contexts (Chapter 3), and other factors like prior knowledge, curiosity, and collaboration can benefit learning (Chapter 4). Taken together, these findings suggest that learners may decide what is important to learn and remember through various extrinsic and intrinsic factors.

Cooperative Channel Sensing, Relaying and Computing in UAV and Vehicular Networks

• Krijestorac, Enes
• Advisor(s): Cabric, Danijela

Mobile devices generate an enormous amount of data traffic to satisfy their computing and communications needs. To meet these demands, mobile network operators frequently need to expand their capacity, which entails significant capital costs and increased energy consumption. Motivated by this, we seek to develop cooperative systems that will bring higher communications speeds and larger computing power to mobile devices without relying on mobile network infrastructure.

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has garnered interest for its potential use as a communications enabler. Swarms of UAVs can be deployed as temporary relays to meet short term but high intensity communication demands from mobile users. UAV swarms can coordinate their placement to improve the capacity on the fronthaul link between users and UAVs. Algorithms for optimal placement often rely on the knowledge of channel gain across space. Hence, we developed deep learning methods for channel gain prediction across space based on measurements collected by the UAVs and 3D maps of the environment. In line with this, we also developed methods to design UAV flying paths for optimal measurement collection such that the accuracy of channel gain prediction is maximized under constraints on the distance traveled by the UAVs. Additionally, we develop a reinforcement-learning based approach that controls a UAV to directly improve the fronthaul link without relying on channel gain knowledge across space.

With the proliferation of intelligent vehicles, there is an increasing number of computationally demanding computer applications appearing in vehicular environments. Providing the computational resources to meet the demands of such applications is a critical problem. In this work, we consider a cooperative computing paradigm between intelligent vehicles of similar computing power to enable emerging vehicular applications. Vehicles cooperate with each other over vehicle-to-vehicle networks to form vehicular micro clouds that can complete computationally intensive tasks without relying on cloud or edge computing. We developed optimized resource assignment and scheduling algorithms that efficiently use vehicular computing resources for computation in emerging vehicular applications. Our proposed approaches adapt to link quality changes between vehicles and prevent congestion in vehicular networks, even in the presence of incumbent interference.

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Thesis Preparation and Filing: Staff from the University Archives and the UCLA Graduate Division present information on University regulations governing manuscript preparation and completion of degree requirements. Students should plan to attend at least one quarter before they plan to file a thesis or dissertation. More information is found at https://grad.ucla.edu/gasaa/library/thesisintro.htm

The official UCLA manuscript preparation guide for PhD Dissertations can be found at https://grad.ucla.edu/gasaa/etd/thesisguide.pdf

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Thesis and Dissertation Writing Programs

In addition to one-on-one writing appointments, the Graduate Writing Center has a number of programs and workshops that offer support to dissertators and thesis writers.

During the academic year, the GWC offers single-session overview workshops on master's theses, dissertation proposals, and dissertation writing. Click our current schedule or browse past workshops to see when these topics may be offered. We also encourage you to look at relevant workshop videos .

Writing Groups

The Graduate Writing Center sometimes organizes writing groups of various types (online writing groups, facilitated writing groups, or independent writing groups). We are also happy to help groups of graduate students self-organize into writing groups. For best practices on setting up writing groups, see our writing groups resource page . For information about writing groups currently being offered or organized by the GWC, see our writing groups web page.

Master's Thesis Mentoring Program

The Graduate Writing Center offers a program to support graduate students who are working on master's theses (or other master's capstone projects) and doctoral qualifying papers. The program provides workshops and one-on-one writing appointments. For more information, read Master's Thesis Mentoring Program .

Spring Break Writing Retreats

The Graduate Writing Center offers writing retreats for graduate students who are working on master's theses, dissertation proposals, dissertations, and other writing projects. These programs are usually offered in spring break and summer. Retreats are open to all graduate and professional students. For more information and registration instructions for spring break writing retreats, scroll to the bottom of this web page and click on the relevant program. For programs offered during to the summer, go to the summer boot camp and thesis retreat page.

Summer Dissertation Boot Camps and Thesis Retreats

The Graduate Writing Center holds a number of programs during the summer to help graduate students who are at the dissertation and dissertation proposal stages. We also offer dissertation/thesis retreats during the summer. See our most current summer dissertation boot camp and program offerings for more information.

Spring Break Writing Retreat (All Fields) with Online and In Person Options

This program is for graduate or professional students who are writing large-scale projects like master's theses or capstones, doctoral dissertations or proposals, or manuscripts for publication. The program provides dedicated time to focus on your writing and has online and in-person options. For STEM students, it additionally offers workshops related to scientific writing issues. To read more and register, please see the program description below. Deadline to register is Monday, March 18th.

CLICK HERE for application and program details for spring break writing retreat.

SCHEDULE, March 25th – 27th (in person); March 25th – March 28th (online):

Daily Schedule: 9:00-10:00: Online productivity workshops & discussion 10:00-12:00: Online writing groups or individual work (in person) 12:00-1:00: Lunch break 1:00-2:00: Online Workshops or individual work 2:00-4:00: Online writing groups or individual work (in person)

Morning Online Productivity Workshops (9-10 am) Morning workshops will address project organization, time management, and productivity tips.

Online Writing Group or Individual Work If you are doing the retreat online, you will join online writing groups via Zoom at the designated times. If you are at the in-person location, you may work independently or join the online writing groups via Zoom.

How to Sign Up for the Writing Retreat : Fill out the web form (linked here) by Monday, March 18th . We don't anticipate any capacity issues, but if we have any, we will accept registrants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Morning Productivity Writing Workshops (9-10 am)

Monday, March 25th, 9:00–10:00 AM — Project Organization for Writing In this workshop, we will discuss how to set up an organized system for a large-scale research and writing project, especially the writing components.

Tuesday, March 26th, 9:00–10:00 AM—Time Management and Productivity Tips for Writing In this workshop, we will discuss effective strategies for time management, goal setting, and productivity when conducting large-scale research and writing projects, especially for the writing components.

Wednesday, March 27th, 9:00–10:00 AM — Demos of Tools Writing consultants will demo a couple of organizational tools and how they use these tools to support writing.

Afternoon Scientific Writing Workshops (1-2 pm)

Monday, March 25th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Strategies for Writing Effective Scientific Papers This workshop will address basic principles for writing scientific papers and offer strategies for avoiding common pitfalls. We will also introduce key points from Joshua Schimel's book Writing Science on developing good narrative structure and clarity to make writing engaging and impactful.

Tuesday, March 26th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Creating Effective Figures and Visual Aids This workshop focuses on strategies for designing effective figures and visual materials. The workshop will also introduce different software packages that can be used to create high-quality figures and offer further resources for learning these programs.

Wednesday, March 27th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Thesis and Dissertation Writing in STEM Fields (Final Stages) This workshop will give an overview of the final components and writing stages of a STEM thesis or dissertation.

Further Resources

Advice for Thesis Writing If you haven’t seen a final thesis or dissertation in your field, we recommend looking one from your department in the ProQuest Dissertation database available through the UCLA Library. This database allows you to search by institution, advisor, and manuscript type (master's thesis versus dissertation).

Optional Reading: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day . 1998. Paul Silvia. How to Write a Lot . 2007.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Theses and Dissertations

Booklets – m.a. recipients & ph.d. graduates.

• 2019-20, 2020-21, Summer 2021

2023-24 Theses, Reports, and Dissertations

Master’s Theses & Reports

Elizabeth Arnold, M.A. Unveiling Diasporic Markets: An Archaeology of Consumption in California’s Chinatowns Chair: Monica L. Smith, Ph.D.

Natalie Finnegan, M.A. Mitochondrial DNA for phylogeny building: Assessing individual and grouped mtGenes as proxies for the mtGenome in platyrrhines Chair: Jessica Lynch, Ph.D.

Thomas Gabriel Gerz, M.A. Colonialism; Language Ideologies; Linguistic Landscape; Ryukyuan Languages; US Military & Okinawa Chair: Erin Debenport, Ph.D.

Sophie Elizabeth Klitgaard, M.A. An Evolutionary Approach to Privacy Co-Chairs: H. Clark Barrett, Ph.D. and Daniel Fessler, Ph.D.

Leroy F. Moore, M.A. Krip-Hop Nation: Community-Based Education at the Intersection of Blackness & Disability Co-Chairs: H. Samy Alim, Ph.D. and Norma Mendoza-Denton, Ph.D.

Doctoral Dissertations

Vincent M. Belletto, Ph.D. Attitudes of Loss: A Phenomenological Analysis of Identity, Cultural Shift, and Language Death Among the Unserdeutsch Creole German Community of Australia Chair: C. Jason Throop, Ph.D.

Blake Erickson, Ph.D. Challenges to Psychiatric Care: A Clinical and Anthropological Analysis of Psychosis and Dependency Chair: Laurie Kain Hart, Ph.D.

Aditi Anand Halbe, Ph.D. Trademarks of Tradition: Artisan Labor, Development and Place making in Rural India Chair: Akhil Gupta, Ph.D.

Delaney Knorr, Ph.D. Embodied experiences: a mixed-methods approach to understanding stress and resilience in Latina mothers Chair: Molly Fox, Ph.D.

Naakoshie Awurama Mills, Ph.D. Cultures of Foreign Policymaking: State Department Diplomats and Race in US-Africa Strategy Chair: Laurie Kain Hart, Ph.D.

Molly Theodora Billings Oringer, Ph.D. Spatial Relations: Post-War Reconstruction and the Afterlives of Jewish Terrains in Lebanon Co-Chairs: Laurie Kain Hart, Ph.D. and Susan Slyomovics, Ph.D.

Rachel Parks, Ph.D. Translating Pain, Communicating Care: Representing Expertise, Kinship, and Disability Through the DisDAT Form Chair: C. Jason Throop, Ph.D.

Reuven Sinensky, Ph.D. Early Agriculture and Indigenous Foodways in the US Southwest and Mesoamerica: Cuisine and Social Change in Mobile Farming Societies Chair: Gregson Schachner, Ph.D.

Jaime Vela, Ph.D. Diabetes Prevention Strategies for the Diné: Cultural Learning to Implement change. A Qualitative Study Chair: Russell Thornton, Ph.D.

Sasha Lutz Winkler, Ph.D. Evolutionary Perspectives on Play and Laughter Co-Chairs: Erica Cartmill, Ph.D. and Susan Perry, Ph.D.

Haoyan Zhuang, Ph.D. Collective Individualization: Co-living among Youth in Contemporary China Co-Chairs: Nancy E. Levine, Ph.D. and Yunxiang Yan, Ph.D.

2022-23 Theses, Reports, and Dissertations

Madison Aubey, MA

The Archaeology of Sovereignty: Africatown, Black Mobile, and Resistive Consumption

Chair: Justin P. Dunnavant

Amber Kela Chong, MA

Experiments in Sovereignty: Cultivating ʻĀina Momona at Waipā

Chair: Jessica Cattelino  

Dani Heffernan, MA

Constructing the “Cisgender Listening Subject”: Trans-Feminine Speakers’ Commentaries on Voice and Being Heard

Chair: Norma Mendoza-Denton  

Sally Li, MA

Racial and temporal differences in fertility-education tradeoffs highlight the effect of economic opportunities on optimum family size in the US

Chair: Brooke Scelza  

Robin Stevland Meyer-Lorey, MA

Manifest Destiny in Southeast Asia: Archaeology of American Colonial Industry in the Philippines, 1898-1987

Chair: Stephen Acabado  

Victoria Newhall, MA.

Evaluating the Role of Foodways During Large-Scale Socio-Political Transformations at Formative Tres Zapotes

Co-Chairs: Richard Lesure and Gregson Schachner  

Wanda Quintanilla Duran, MA

Chair: Jason De León  

The Force of Intimacy in a Honduran Community

Nicole Smith, M.A.

From Exile to Eviction: Garífuna Indigeneity, Land Rights, and Heritage in Roatán, Honduras

Co-Chairs: Jason De León and Justin Dunnavant

Steven Ammerman, PhD

Human-Animal Interaction at the Ancient Urban Site of Sisupalgarh, India

Chair: Monica L. Smith

Spencer Chao-Long Chen, PhD

Dubbing Ideologies: The Politics of Language and Acoustic Aesthetics in Taiwan’s Mandarin-Voiceover Production

Chair: Paul V. Kroskrity

Kristine Joy Chua, PhD

Environmental, Biological, and Cultural Influences on Health and Behavior

Chair: Abigail Bigham

Rodney R. Gratreaks Jr., PhD

Talking to the Wind: Towards an Understanding of Numic Verbal Art and Language Planning in the Village of Shaxwapats

Emily Virginia Jones, PhD

A Violent Operation: Trauma Surgery, Policing, and the Politics of Care in a Los Angeles County Public Hospital

Chair: Laurie Kain Hart

Sucharita Kanjilal, PhD

Home Chefs: Indian Households Produce for the Global Creator Economy

Chair: Akhil Gupta

Andrew E. MacIver, Ph.D.

The Shang-Zhou Transition: Immanence, Power, and the Micropolitics of Encounter

Chair: Li Min

Joshua L. Mayer, PhD

Conjuring Territory: Afro-Indigenous Authority and Settler Capitalism in Nicaragua

Chair: Shannon Speed

Bianca Romagnoli, PhD

Patrolling North of 60: Military Infrastructure in Canada’s Arctic Communities

Co-Chairs: Salih Can Açiksöz and Laurie Kain Hart

Theodore Samore, PhD

Traditionalism, Pathogen Avoidance, and Competing Tradeoffs During a Global Threat

Chair: Daniel M.T. Fessler

William James Schlesinger, PhD

The Production and Governance of Risky Sexual Subjectivity in the Era of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to HIV

Chair: Salih Can Açiksöz

Saliem Wakeem Shehadeh, PhD

Researching the General Union of Palestine Students from the Diaspora

Co-Chairs: Jemima Pierre and Susan Slyomovics

Madeleine Amee Yakal, PhD

Spanish Colonialism in Bikol, Philippines: Localizing Devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia

Chair: Stephen Acabado

2021-22 Theses, Reports, and Dissertations

Master’s Theses & Reports

Emilia Rose Ørsted Holmbeck, MA

Contextualizing PTSD as Diagnosis and Intervention: Situating Trauma and the Subjective Experience of Suffering in Locally Meaningful Worlds

Co-Chairs: Douglas W. Hollan & Linda Garro  

Jewell Ruth-Ella Humphrey, MA

Harboring History: A Maritime Archaeological Analysis of an 18th Century Shipwreck in Coral Bay, St. Jan

Co-Chairs: Stephen Acabado & Justin Dunnavant  

Lillian Kohn, MA

Public Mourning, Online Spaces: Virtual Memorialization and Binational Grief in Israel-Palestine

Chair: Susan Slyomovics  

NaaKoshie Awurama Mills, MA

Par for the Corps: Black Diplomats and Race in U.S. Foreign Policy

Chair: Laurie Hart  

Abdullah Puckett, MA

Decarceration and Social Justice Activism in South Central LA

Chair: Philippe Bourgois

  Matthew James Schneider, MA

Against Accountability: Policing and Public Knowledge in Los Angeles

Chair: Hannah Appel  

Doğa Tekin, MA

Claiming Big Sur: How Places Enter Semiosis

Co-Chairs: Erin Debenport & Paul V. Kroskrity  

Kimberly Tanya Zhu, MA

Genomic Features Underlying Andean High-Altitude Adaptive Hemoglobin Levels

Chair: Abigail Bigham  

Brittany Nicole Florkiewicz, PhD

Properties of Facial Signaling in Captive Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )

Chair: Brooke Scelza   Yanina Gori, PhD

Re/mediating Revolution: Cultivating Solidarity in a Cuban Queer Community

Co-Chairs: Hannah Appel & C. Jason Throop  

Jananie Kalyanaraman, PhD

Window seats: Making connection through transport and mobility in Bengaluru city, India

  Eva Rose Melstrom, PhD

The Gate of Weeping: Ethiopian Women Returning from Domestic Work in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf

Co-Chairs: Douglas W. Hollan & C. Jason Throop  

Zachary Mondesire, PhD

Region-craft: An Ethnography of South Sudan’s Transnational Intelligentsia

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Deserving Abandonment: Governing Pain and Addiction across U.S. Opioid Landscapes

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Hipsters, Drunks, Tourists, and Locals: Calle Loíza as a Site of Ideological Contestation

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Lilit Ghazaryan, MA

Speak Beautifully – Language Policies and Practices in Public Kindergartens in Armenia

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Nicco Amedeo La Mattina, MA

“Giving the Meaning” as a Social Practice on Pantelleria: The Metasemantics of Atttunement

Chair: Alessandro Duranti

Alessandra May Laurer Rosen, MA

Semiotic Labors of Personalization: Modernization and Access in an American Yoga School

Danielle Leigh Steinberg, MA

A robust tool kit: first report of tool use in crested capuchin monkeys ( Sapajus robustus )

Chair: Jessica Lynch

Jessie Serene Stoolman, MA

Writing Letters and Reading against the Grain of Anthropology’s Past

Chair: Aomar Boum

Donghyoun We, MA

Food and Restaurants: A Review of the Literature and Exploratory Observations of Restaurant Pivots in LA in the Time of COVID-19

Madeleine Louise Zoeller, MA

Eye See You: Investigating Predictors of the Evil Eye

Chair: Joseph Manson

Farzad Amoozegar-Fassaie, PhD

The Pursuit of Happiness and the Other: Being a Syrian Refugee Child in America

Co-Chairs: Alessandro Duranti & C. Jason Throop

Theresa Hill Arriola, PhD

Securing Nature: Militarism, Indigeneity and the Environment in the Northern Mariana Islands

Chair: Jessica Cattelino

Yael Assor, PhD

Objectivity as a Bureaucratic Virtue: The Lived Experience of Objectivity in an Israeli Medical Bureaucracy

Chair: C. Jason Throop

Amanda Jean Bailey, PhD

Alluvial Hope: The Transformative Practices of Placemaking at a Montana Tribal College

Co-Chairs: Paul V. Kroskrity & Cheryl Mattingly

Hannah Addaline Carlan, PhD

Producing Prosperity: Language and the Labor of Development in India’s Western Himalayas

Alejandro Suleman Erut, PhD

Lying: an anthropological approach

Chair: H. Clark Barrett

Nafis Aziz Hasan, PhD

Techno-politics of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) – Investigating Practices and Social Relations in Indian Public Bureaucracies

Tanya Ruth Matthan, PhD

The Monsoon and the Market: Economies of Risk in Rural India

Agatha Evangeline Palma, PhD

The Migrant, The Mediterranean, and the Tourist: Figures of Belonging in Post-Austerity Palermo

Co-Chairs: Aomar Boum & Laurie Kain Hart

Sonya Rao, PhD

Privatizing Language Work: Interpreters and Access in Los Angeles Immigration Court

Alexander Malcolm Thomson, PhD

Mesologues: An Ethnobibliographic Study of Cultural and Lingual Politics in Contemporary Brittany

Co-Chairs: Laurie Kain Hart & Paul V. Kroskrity

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Ulises Espinoza, MA

Intuitions on Ownership Among the Achuar of Southeastern Ecuador

Eden Franz, MA

Cultural and Interspecific Symbiosis at Salemi, Sicily: Exploring Colonial and Human-Animal Interactions Through Faunal Analysis

Joelle Julien, MA

Haitian Migration to Tijuana, Mexico: Black Migrants and the Political Economy of Race and Migration

Chair: Jemima Pierre

Eric Andrew Sinski, MA

Imagined Communities: Patriotic Sentiment Among Chinese Students Abroad in the Era of Xi Jinping

Chair: Yunxiang Yan

Sasha Lutz Winkler, MA

The Development of Sex Differences in Play in Wild White-Faced Capuchins

Katelyn Jo Bishop, PhD

Ritual Practice, Ceremonial Organization, and the Value and Use of Birds in Prehispanic Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, 800-1150 CE

Co-Chairs: Richard Lesure & Gregson Schachner

Molly Josette Bloom, PhD

Thick Sociality: Community, Disability, and Language in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Chair: Norma Mendoza-Denton

Courtney Evelyn Cecale, PhD

Scientific Governance and the Cultural Politics of Climate Change Adaptation in the Peruvian Andes

Amy Marie Garey, PhD

The People’s Laughter: War, Comedy, and the Soviet Legacy

Chair: Nancy E. Levine

Kotrina Kajokaite, PhD

Social relationships in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys ( Cebus capucinus ): Insights from new modeling approaches

Chair: Susan Perry

Matthew Richard McCoy, PhD

Unsettling Futures: Morality, Time, and Death in a Divided Belfast Community

Dalila Isoke Ozier, PhD

City of Magic: Aesthetic Value in the Los Angeles Magic Scene

Chair: Sherry B. Ortner

Mindy Gayle Steinberg, PhD

Legal Status and the Everyday Lives of Mexican-Origin Youth in Los Angeles: Family, Gratitude, and the High School Transition

Chair: Thomas S. Weisner

Christopher Shawn Stephan, PhD

“Focus on the Users”: Empathy, Anticipation, and Perspective-Taking in Healthcare Architecture

Anoush Tamar Suni, PhD

Palimpsests of Violence: Ruination and the Politics of Memory in Anatolia

Chair: Susan Slyomovics

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Gunpowder Women: Gender, Kinship & Horses in Moroccan Equestrian Performance

Co-Chairs: Nancy E. Levine & Susan Slyomovics

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Home » For Authors & Researchers » Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Theses and dissertations produced by students as part of the completion of their degree requirements often represent unique and interesting scholarship. Universities are increasingly making this work available online, and UC is no exception. Find information related to open access theses and dissertations below.

UC has an open access policy for theses and dissertations, but procedures and specifics vary by campus

Several UC campuses have established policies requiring open access to the electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) written by their graduate students. As of March 25, 2020, there is now a systemwide Policy on Open Access for Theses and Dissertations , indicating that UC “requires theses or dissertations prepared at the University to be (1) deposited into an open access repository, and (2) freely and openly available to the public, subject to a requested delay of access (’embargo’) obtained by the student.”

In accordance with these policies, campuses must ensure that student ETDs are available open access via eScholarship (UC’s open access repository and publishing platform), at no cost to students. By contrast, ProQuest, the world’s largest commercial publisher of ETDs, charges a $95 fee to make an ETD open access. Institutions worldwide have moved toward open access ETD publication because it dramatically increases the visibility and reach of their graduate research.

Policies and procedures for ETD filing, including how to delay public release of an ETD and how long such a delay can last, vary by campus. Learn more about the requirements and procedures for ETDs at each UC campus:

• UC Berkeley: Dissertation Filing Guidelines (for Doctoral Students) and Thesis Filing Guidelines (for Master’s Students)
• UC Davis: Preparing and Filing Your Thesis or Dissertation
• UC Irvine: Thesis/Dissertation Electronic Submission
• UCLA: File Your Thesis or Dissertation
• UC Merced: Dissertation/Thesis Submission
• UC Riverside: Dissertation and Thesis Submission
• UC San Diego:  Preparing to Graduate
• UCSF: Dissertation and Thesis Guidelines
• UC Santa Barbara:  Filing Your Thesis, Dissertation, or DMA Supporting Document
• UC Santa Cruz: Dissertation and Thesis Guidelines (PDF) from the Graduate Division’s Accessing Forms Online page

Open access can be delayed in certain circumstances

Some campuses allow students to elect an embargo period before the public release of their thesis/dissertation; others require approval from graduate advisors or administrators. Visit your local graduate division’s website (linked above) for more information.

Common copyright concerns of students writing theses and dissertations

Students writing theses/dissertations most commonly have questions about their own copyright ownership or the use of other people’s copyrighted materials in their own work.

You automatically own the copyright in your thesis/dissertation  as soon as you create it, regardless of whether you register it or include a copyright page or copyright notice (see this FAQ from the U.S. Copyright Office for more information). Most students choose not to register their copyrights, though some choose to do so because they value having their copyright ownership officially and publicly recorded. Getting a copyright registered is required before you can sue someone for infringement.

If you decide to register your copyright, you can do so

• directly, through the Copyright Office website , for $35
• by having ProQuest/UMI contact the Copyright Office on your behalf, for $65.

It is common to incorporate 1) writing you have done for journal articles as part of your dissertation, and 2) parts of your dissertation into articles or books . See, for example, these articles from Wiley and Taylor & Francis giving authors tips on how to successfully turn dissertations into articles, or these pages at Sage , Springer , and Elsevier listing reuse in a thesis or dissertation as a common right of authors. Because this is a well-known practice, and often explicitly allowed in publishers’ contracts with authors, it rarely raises copyright concerns. eScholarship , which hosts over 55,000 UC ETDs, has never received a takedown notice from a publisher based on a complaint that the author’s ETD was too similar to the author’s published work.

Incorporating the works of others in your thesis/dissertation – such as quotations or illustrative images – is often allowed by copyright law. This is the case when the original work isn’t protected by copyright, or if the way you’re using the work would be considered fair use. In some circumstances, however, you will need permission from the copyright holder.  For more information, please consult the Berkeley Library’s guide to Copyright and Publishing Your Dissertation .

How to find UC Dissertations and Theses online

All ten UC campuses make their electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) openly accessible to readers around the world. You can view over 55,000 UC ETDs in eScholarship , UC’s open access repository. View ETDs from each campus:

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‘The Eternal Now’: Suicide Notes in Fact, Fiction, and Species Author: Kristen Cardon Advisor: Prof. DeLoughrey

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Applicable only to students admitted during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Bioinformatics

Interdepartmental Program College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Medical Informatics Program offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Medical Informatics.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

All academic affairs for graduate students in the program are directed by the program’s faculty graduate adviser, who is assisted by staff in the Graduate Student Affairs Office. Upon matriculation, students are assigned a three-faculty guidance committee by the faculty graduate adviser.

The chair of the guidance committee acts as the provisional adviser until a permanent adviser is selected. Provisional advisers are not committed to supervise examination or thesis work and students are not committed to the provisional adviser. Students select a permanent adviser before establishing a comprehensive examination or thesis committee.

Areas of Study

This area of study exposes students to foundational concepts in medical informatics, providing a background in clinical data, big data management, and analyses of new and emergent data utilized to guide biomedical research and healthcare. Study comprises of an introduction to computational methods, clinical and biomedical knowledge representation, and exposure to core informatics topics.

Foreign Language Requirement

Course Requirements

Students must be enrolled full time and complete 40 units (11 courses) of graduate (200 or 500 series) course work for the master’s degree. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless offered on S/U grading basis only.

Students must complete all of the following: (1) eight core courses (30 units): Bioengineering 220, 223A, 223B, one course from BE 224A or Bioinformatics M222 through M226, BE 224B, BE M226, BE M227, and BE M228; (2) eight units of Bioinformatics 596; and (3) two units of 200-level seminar or journal club courses approved by the program.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Capstone Plan

The master’s capstone is an individual project in the format of a written report resulting from a research project. The report should describe the results of the student’s investigation of a problem in the area of medical informatics under the supervision of a faculty member in the program, who approves the subject and plan of the project, as well as reading and approving the completed report. While the problem may be one of only limited scope, the report must exhibit a satisfactory style, organization, and depth of understanding of the subject. A student should normally start to plan the project at least one quarter before the award of the M.S. degree is expected. The advisory committee evaluates and grades the written report as not pass or M.S. pass and forwards the results to the faculty graduate adviser. Students who do not pass the evaluation are permitted one additional opportunity to pass, which must be submitted to and graded by the advisory  committee by the end of the 6th quarter.

The capstone plan is available for students in the Medical Informatics field. However, students in Computational & Systems Biology major are required to follow the Thesis Plan only.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

Students must choose a permanent faculty adviser and submit a thesis proposal by the end of the third quarter of study. The proposal must be approved by the permanent adviser who served as the thesis adviser. The thesis is evaluated by a three-person committee that is nominated by the program and appointed by the Division of Graduate Education. Students must present the thesis in a public seminar.

Time-to-Degree

Normative time-to-degree for all fields is five quarters.

Doctoral Degree

The Medical Informatics Advising Committee, chaired by the Faculty Graduate Advisor, advises students during the first year and is available to students throughout their tenure of their study.

Upon entering their second year in the program, students will select a mentor who will serve as their dissertation chair, research advisor, and primary graduate advisor. Together the student and the mentor will convene a doctoral committee who will guide the student throughout their research, the University Oral Qualifying Exam, Doctoral Dissertation Defense, and will approve the final dissertation.

Individual Development Plan: Beginning with a mandatory training workshop in the first quarter of graduate study, students are required to generate an Individual Development Plan via myIDP Website: http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/ in order to map out their academic and professional development goals throughout graduate school. The myIDP must be updated annually, and the resulting printed summary discussed with and signed by (Year 1) the student’s advising committee member, or (Years 2-5) thesis adviser, and then turned in to the Graduate Student Affairs Office to be placed in the student’s academic file each year by June 1.

Annual Committee Meetings: Beginning one year after advancement to doctoral candidacy, and in each year thereafter until completion of the degree program, students are required to meet annually with their doctoral committee. At each meeting, students give a brief, 30-minute oral presentation of their dissertation research progress to their committee. The purpose of the meeting is to monitor the student’s progress, identify difficulties that may occur as the student progresses toward successful completion of the dissertation and, if necessary, approve changes in the  dissertation project. The presentation is not an examination.

Annual Progress Report: All students are required to submit a brief report (a one-page form is provided) of their time-to-degree progress and research activities indicating the principal research undertaken and any important results, research plans for the next year, conferences attended, seminars given, and publications appearing or manuscripts in preparation. Annual Progress report must be submitted to the Bioinformatics IDP Student Affairs Office for review by the Program Director.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

These fields include computer science, translational bioinformatics, imaging informatics, public health informatics, and social medicine.

Students are required to enroll full-time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to enroll in Bioinformatics 596 or 599 each quarter.

Students who have gaps in their previous training may take, with their thesis adviser’s approval, appropriate undergraduate courses. For example, students without statistical background are recommended to take STATS 100B (Introduction to Mathematics Statistics) in their 1st year. Students without a Computer Science background are recommended to take COM SCI 180  Introduction to Algorithms and Complexity), COM SCI 145 (Introduction to Data Mining), COM SCI 146 (Introduction to Machine Learning), or COM SCI 148 (Introduction to Data Science). However, these courses may not be applied toward the required course work for the doctoral degree.

Students must complete all of the following: (1) eight core courses (30 units) Bioengineering 220, 223A, 223B, one course from BE 224A or Bioinformatics M223 or M226, BE 224B, BE M226, BE M227, and BE M228; (2) MIMG C234; (3) eight units of Bioinformatics 596; (4) four units of 200-level seminar or journal club courses approved by the program; and (5) six electives, chosen from the following list: Bioinformatics M223, M226; Biomathematics 210, M230, M281, M282; Biostatistics 213, M232, M234, M235, 241, 276; Computer Science 240A, 240B, 241B, 245, 246, 247, 262A, M262C, 262Z, 263A, 265A, M268, M276A; Electrical and Computer Engineering 206, 210A, 210B, 211A, M217, 219; Information Studies 228, 246, 272, 277; Linguistics 218, 232; Neuroscience CM272; Physics in Biology and Medicine 210, 214. M248; Statistics 221, M231A, 231B, M232A, M232B, 238, M241, M243, M250, 256. Please note: other elective courses can be taken with the agreement of the Home Area Director and the student’s PI/faculty mentor. Courses must be taken for a letter grade, unless offered on S/U grading basis only.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the  Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution .

Doctoral students must complete the core courses described above before they are permitted to take the written and oral qualifying examinations. Students are required to pass a written qualifying examination that consists of a research proposal outside of their dissertation topic and the University Oral Qualifying Examination in which they defend their dissertation research proposal before their doctoral committee. Students are expected to complete the written examination in the summer following the first year and the oral qualifying examination by the end of fall quarter of the third year. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken.

During their first year, doctoral students perform laboratory rotations with program faculty whose research is of interest to them and select a dissertation adviser from the program faculty inside list by the end of their third quarter of enrollment. By the end of their second spring quarter, students must select a doctoral committee that is approved by the program chair and the Division of Graduate Education.

Written Qualifying Examination

The Written Qualifying Examination (WQE) must take place in the summer following the first year of doctoral study. In order to be eligible to take the WQE, students must have achieved at least two passing lab rotation evaluations, as well as at least a B average in all course work. Students are expected to formulate a testable research question and answer it, by carrying out a small, well-defined and focused project over a fixed one-month period. It must include the development of novel bioinformatic methodology. The topic and methodologies are to be selected by the student. The topic requires advance approval by the faculty committee, and may not be a project from a previous course, a rotation project, a project related to the student’s prior research experience, an anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s mentor. The WQE must be the student’s own ideas and work exclusively. Students are expected to complete a WQE paper of publication quality (except for originality), with a maximum length of 10 pages, single-spaced, excluding figures and references. This paper is submitted to the Student Affairs Office and graded by a faculty committee on a pass or no-pass basis. Students who do not pass the examination are permitted one additional opportunity to pass, which must be submitted to and graded by the faculty committee no later than the end of the summer of the first year.

Oral Qualifying Examination

The University Oral Qualifying Examination must be completed and passed by the end of the fall quarter of the third year. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of their proposed dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and proposed bioinformatic approaches for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal must be written following an NIH research grant application format and be at least six pages, single spaced and excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee at least 10 days in advance of the examination. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with their dissertation adviser, or other individuals in  formulating the proposed research. The examination consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the committee. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the bioinformatic, mathematical or statistical methodologies to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential bioinformatic outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. A student who receives a Conditional Pass will be required to modify or re-write their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standard. In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or re-writing the proposal. Any required re-write or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. A second oral presentation is not necessary unless the doctoral committee requires so. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write. Students are allowed only one chance to revise or re-write their proposal.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Students are expected to complete the written qualifying examination in the summer following the first year of study and the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the end of fall quarter of the third year. Normative time-to-degree is five years (15 quarters).

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA .

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Students must receive at least a grade of B- in core courses or repeat the course. Students who received three grades of B- or lower in core courses, who fail all or part of the written or oral qualifying examinations twice, or who fail to maintain minimum progress may be recommended for academic disqualification by vote of the entire interdepartmental program committee. Failure to identify and maintain a thesis adviser is a basis for recommendation for academic disqualification. Students may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification in writing to the interdepartmental program committee, and may personally present additional or mitigating information to the committee, in person or in writing.

Tracks and Requirements

There are three tracks of study within the department, all leading to the Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literature:

• Latin American and Iberian Literature and Culture
• Afro-Luso-Brazilian Literature, Creative Writing, and Visual Culture
• Spanish and Portuguese Linguistics

Dissertation topics may be drawn from any field in Iberian and Afro-Luso-Brazilian language, literature, and culture. Possible fields include Spanish linguistics; Portuguese linguistics; diachronic Hispanic linguistics and philology; medieval Iberian Literature; early modern Iberian literature; 18th-and 19th-century Iberian literature; 20th-century Iberian literature; colonial Latin American literature; 19th-century Latin American literature; 20th-century Latin American literature; Chicano literature; early Portuguese literature; modern Portuguese literature; early Afro-Luso-Brazilian literature; modern Afro-Luso-Brazilian literature; Spanish and Afro-Luso-Brazilian folklore.

Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese, students must have a reading knowledge of one other foreign language, selected in consultation with their Advisor. Students fulfill this requirement by (1) passing the University reading examination in the language; (2) successful completion of a University course of at least level 3; or (3) successful completion of two upper division literature courses in the foreign language. Students must fulfill the requirement no later than the eighth quarter of graduate study.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 16 graduate courses is required, including directed research as appropriate. In addition, Spanish 495 (4 units), and Proseminar I and II (2 units each), all offered in the department, are required and may not replace the graduate courses. 

In the first year of the PhD program, students take Proseminar I and regularly scheduled graduate courses (200-series). In the second year, students take Spanish 495 and may take a combination of regularly scheduled graduate courses and directed research (596) courses. In the third year, students take Proseminar II and continue taking regularly scheduled graduate courses and directed research to complete the program requirements.

For the track in the Latin American and Iberian Literature and Culture : of the 16 graduate courses, one must be a theory course. Within the department, two courses must be pre-1700s, two courses must be post-1700s, and three courses must be outside the main field of expertise (i.e., Latin Americanists take courses on Iberian and vice-versa). A total of three courses (the theory course may be one of them) may be taken in other departments with the approval of the Advisor. A maximum of two courses (8 units) of directed research is permitted.

For the track in Afro-Luso-Brazilian Literature, Creative Writing and Visual Culture : of the 16 graduate courses, one must be a theory course, one course must be pre-1900s, one course must be creative writing and/or translation studies, and one course must be on visual culture. A total of six courses (24 units) may be taken in other departments and/or as directed research (596).

For the track in Spanish and Portuguese Linguistics : of the 16 graduate courses, one must be phonology, one must be syntax, one must be historical linguistics, and one must be in literature. A total of four (16 units) may be taken in other departments. A maximum of four courses (16 units) of direct research (596) is permitted.

Students who hold an MA degree in Spanish or Portuguese from another university may petition for up to six graduate courses to count toward the PhD degree.

First Stage: Capstone Plan

The examination for the first stage of the program consists of submission of two revised papers written for courses taken during the first five quarters and an oral examination on course work and seminar papers completed while in graduate study. With the assistance of the SAO and the Director of Graduate Studies, by the end of the 4th quarter of the program, students must demonstrate that they are on track to complete the course work (11 required courses) and the Spanish and Portuguese language requirement for this first stage of the program. 

Additionally, by the end of the 4th quarter, students must nominate a review committee of three faculty members from the department: the Director of Graduate Studies, the faculty member who will serve as the student’s adviser, and a third faculty member. These requirements must be completed by the 5th quarter of the program for a student to maintain satisfactory degree progress.

In consultation with the review committee, students are required to submit two of their strongest seminar papers, 20-25 pages each (with revisions) in different areas of study of the PhD Program. For literature students, one paper must be written in English and one in Spanish or Portuguese. Students must submit the papers to the review committee during the 6th quarter of the program and at least two weeks in advance of the oral exam.

The oral exam is two hours in length and consists of a review of the papers submitted and questions addressed to the student. Questions are aimed at reviewing and synthesizing what the student has learned in graduate seminars, focusing on methodology and research questions, as expressed in their papers.

The outcome and recommendation of the exams is made by the review committee as follows: (1) Pass with permission to continue in the PhD, (2) Pass with reservations and specific recommendations for improvement, or (3) Fail without permission to continue in the PhD program.

The examinations for the first stage of the program are administered only in spring quarter (6th quarter). Students are awarded the Master of Arts (MA) degree upon successful completion of the examination. 

First Stage: Thesis Plan

In lieu of taking the examination, students in any of the three tracks may seek permission to present a thesis. Students must first complete five graduate courses. In order to endorse the petition, the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Committee of Graduate Affairs must find evidence of exceptional ability and promise in term papers and course work. Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

Students are awarded the Master of Arts (MA) degree upon successful completion of the Thesis Plan. 

Teaching Experience

Although Teaching Experience is not required, virtually all students acquire teaching experience as part of their support package. 

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new  Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution .

The qualifying examinations consist of (1) presentation of a 40-60 page paper related to the specific dissertation area; (2) a three-hour written examination in the student’s field of specialization; 3) a two-hour University Oral Qualifying Examination at which the above research paper, written examination, and a dissertation prospectus are discussed. The written examination is based on a reading list approved by the doctoral committee. The doctoral committee also prepares the questions for the written examination. The examinations are normally taken no later than nine quarters after admission into the graduate program. Only students who pass the qualifying examinations are advanced to candidacy for the PhD degree.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

For a full-time student taking three courses per quarter, the following figures are optimal: (a) from graduate admission to completion of the first stage of the program: six quarters; (b) from completion of the first stage to authorization to form a doctoral committee: one quarter; (c) from formation of a doctoral committee to qualifying examinations: two quarters; (d) from passage of qualifying examinations (advancement to candidacy) to presentation of the dissertation: three to six quarters; (e) from graduate admission to award of the PhD degree (or normative time-to-degree): five years (15 quarters).

• Faculty Roster
• Undergraduate Study
• Graduate Study

Fields of Study

• Faculty Areas of Thesis Guidance
• Civil and Environmental Engineering Courses

2022-2023 Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Study

For admission information, see Graduate Programs Admission .

The following introductory information is based on 2022-23 program requirements for UCLA graduate degrees. Complete program requirements are available at Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees . Students are subject to the detailed degree requirements as published in program requirements for the year in which they enter the program.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Civil Engineering.

Civil Engineering MS

Course requirements.

There are two plans of study that lead to the MS degree: the thesis plan and the capstone plan (comprehensive examination). For both plans, at least nine courses (36 units) are required, a majority of which must be in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. At least five of the courses must graduate level (200 series). In the thesis plan, seven of the nine must be upper-division (100-series) or graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remaining two may be 598 courses involving work on the thesis. In the capstone plan (comprehensive examination), 500-series courses may not be applied toward the nine-course requirement. Courses completed outside of the department must be equal in rigor and related to the Civil and Environmental Engineering program of study and recommended to be quantitative in nature. In addition, MS students must enroll in a Civil and Environmental Engineering 200 seminar each quarter. A minimum 3.0 grade-point average is required in all coursework and in all 200-level coursework applied toward the degree. All courses counting toward the nine-course requirement, except for 598, must be taken for a letter grade.

Each major field has a set of required preparatory courses which are normally completed during undergraduate studies. Equivalent courses taken at other institutions can satisfy the preparatory course requirements. The preparatory courses cannot be used to satisfy course requirements for the MS degree; courses must be selected in accordance with the lists of required graduate and elective courses for each major field. Courses not listed below may be completed toward the course requirement if pre-approved by the faculty adviser and student affairs officer.

Undergraduate Courses. No lower-division courses (1-99) may be applied toward graduate degrees.

The MS degree offers eight fields of specialization that have specific course requirements.

Civil Engineering Materials

Required Preparatory Courses. General chemistry and physics, both with laboratory exercises; multivariate calculus; linear algebra and differential equations; and introductory thermodynamics. Other undergraduate preparation could include Civil and Environmental Engineering C104, 120, 121, 135A, 140L, 142, and Materials Science and Engineering 104.

Required Graduate Courses. Two courses must be selected from Civil and Environmental Engineering C204, C205, 226, 253, 258A, 261B, M262A, 263A, 266, 267.

Other Elective Courses. Remaining courses (at least two) must be selected from Chemical Engineering 102A, 102B, 200, C219, 223, 230, 270, Chemistry and Biochemistry 103, 110A, 110B, 113A, C213B, C215A, C215B, C215C, C223A, C223B, C226A, C275, 276B, 277, Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, M135C, 153, 154, 155, 157B, 157C, M166, C206, C211, 220, 224, 226, M230A, M230B, M230C, 235A, 235B, 235C, 243A, 243B, 254A, 258A, 261, Conservation of Cultural Heritage 210, M215, 216, 250, Environmental Health Sciences 410A, Materials Science and Engineering 110, C111, 130, 131, 200, 201, 210, C211, 270, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 101, 105A, 133A, 156A, 256F, 261A, 261B, C296A, 296B, Statistics 201A.

Environmental Engineering

Required Preparatory Courses. Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A, 20B, 20L; Civil and Environmental Engineering 151 or 153; Mathematics 32A, 32B, 33B (or Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 82); Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 103; Physics 1A, 1B, 4AL.

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 254A, 255A, 255B, 266; one course from 250A through 250D. Select the remaining courses (nine total for the capstone [comprehensive examination] option and seven total for the thesis option) from the approved elective list or obtain approval for other electives.

Approved Elective Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, 151, 152, 154, 155, 157A, 157B, 157C, 157L, M165, 226, 250A through 250D, 251C, 251D, 252, 253, 254A, 255A, 255B, C258, 258A, C259, 260, 261A, 261B, M262A, 263A, 263B, 266, or other elective courses approved by the academic adviser and graduate adviser. Electives in the fields of biostatistics/statistics, chemical engineering, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, Earth and space sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and environmental health sciences are commonly approved to satisfy course requirements. No more than two courses may be applied outside of civil and environmental engineering unless pre-approved for exceptional circumstances. No more than two undergraduate courses may be applied toward the nine-course requirement unless pre-approved for exceptional circumstances.

Geotechnical Engineering

Required Preparatory Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 108, 120, 121.

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 220, 221, C223.

Major Field Elective Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 224, 225, 226, 227, C228, C239, 245.

Other Elective Courses. Other elective courses may be taken with prior approval from the faculty adviser.

Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering

Required Preparatory Courses. Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A, 20B, 20L; Mathematics 32A, 32B, 33B (or Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 82); Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 103; Physics 1A/4AL, 1B.

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 250A, 250B, 250C, 250D; one course from Civil and Environmental Engineering 254A, 255A, 255B, 266. Select the remaining courses (nine total for the capstone [comprehensive examination] option and seven total for the thesis option) from the approved elective list or obtain approval for other electives.

Approved Elective Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, 151, 152, 154, 155, 157A, 157B, 157C, 157L, M165, 226, 250A, 250B, 250C, 250D, 251C, 251D, 252, 253, 254A, 255A, 255B, C258, 258A, C259, 260, 261A, 261B, M262A, 263A, 263B, 266, or other elective courses approved by the academic adviser and graduate adviser. Electives in the fields of biostatistics/statistics, chemical engineering, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, Earth and space sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and environmental health sciences are commonly approved to satisfy course requirements. No more than two courses may be applied outside of civil and environmental engineering unless pre-approved for exceptional circumstances. No more than two undergraduate courses may be applied toward the nine-course requirement unless pre-approved for exceptional circumstances.

Structural/Earthquake Engineering

Required Preparatory Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 135A, 135B, and 141 (or 142).

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 235A, 246, and at least three courses from Civil and Environmental Engineering 235B, 241, 243A, 244, 245.

Elective Courses. Undergraduate—no more than two courses from Civil and Environmental Engineering M135C, 143, and either 141 or 142 (whichever was not used as a requisite for graduate courses); geotechnical area—Civil and Environmental Engineering 220, 221, 222, C223, 225, 227; general graduate—Civil and Environmental Engineering M230A, M230B, M230C, 232, 233, 235B, 235C, 236, M237A, C239, 241, 243A, 243B, 244, 245, 247, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 269B.

Civil and Environmental Engineering 125 may not be applied toward elective courses.

Structural Mechanics

Required Preparatory Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 130, 135A, 135B.

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering 232, 235A, 235B, M237A, 244.

Elective Courses. Undergraduate—maximum of two courses from Civil and Environmental Engineering M135C; graduate—Civil and Environmental Engineering M230A, M230B, M230C, 233, 235C, C239, 246, 247, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 269B.

Structures and Civil Engineering Materials

Required Preparatory Courses. General chemistry and physics with laboratory exercises, multivariate calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations, introductory thermodynamics, structural analysis (Civil and Environmental Engineering 135A, 135B), steel or concrete design (course 141 or 142). Other undergraduate preparation could include Civil and Environmental Engineering C104, 120, 121, 140L, and Materials Science and Engineering 104.

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering C204, M230A (or 243A), 235A, C282.

Elective Courses. At least one course from civil engineering materials (Civil and Environmental Engineering 226, 253, 258A, 261B, M262A, 266, or 267) and if M230A is selected, one course from structural mechanics (M230B, M230C, 232, 236, or M237A) or if 243A is selected, one course from structural/earthquake engineering (241, 243B, 244, 245, 246, or 247).

Other Elective Courses. Remaining courses must be selected from the following with no more than two undergraduate courses allowed: Chemical Engineering 102A, 102B, 200, C219, 223, 230, 270, Chemistry and Biochemistry 103, 110A, 110B, 113A, C213B, C215A, C215B, C215C, C223A, C223B, C226A, C275, 276B, 277, Civil and Environmental Engineering 110, M135C, 141 or 142 (whichever was not used as a requisite for graduate courses), 143, 153, 154, 155, 157B, 157C, M166, C206, C211, 220, 221, 222, C223, 224, 225, 226, 227, M230A, M230B, M230C, 232, 235A, 235B, 235C, 236, M237A, C239, 243A, 243B, 244, 245, 246, 247, 254A, 258A, 261, Conservation of Cultural Heritage 210, M215, 216, 250, Environmental Health Sciences 410A, Materials Science and Engineering 110, C111, 130, 131, 200, 201, 210, C211, 270, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 105A, 133A, 156A, 256F, 261A, 261B, C296A, 296B, Statistics 201A. Students may petition the department for permission to pursue programs of study which differ from the above norms.

Transportation Engineering

Required Preparatory Courses. Knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations; Civil and Environmental Engineering 180, or equivalent course or professional experience; Geography 7, Urban Planning 206A, or equivalent professional experiences. These preparatory courses may be taken while enrolled in the MS program, but may not count toward the required nine degree program courses.

Required Graduate Courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering C281, C286; Civil and Environmental Engineering C285 or Urban Planning M253; Urban Planning 206B; and one course from Urban Planning C251, 254, M255, M256, or M258.

Elective Courses. Any four courses not counted as a required course selected from Civil and Environmental Engineering C285, C211, Urban Planning C251, M253, 254, M256, M258.

Other Elective Courses . Other elective courses may be taken with prior approval from the faculty adviser.

Comprehensive Examination Capstone Plan

In addition to the course requirements, a comprehensive examination (capstone) is administered that covers the subject matter contained in the program of study. The examination may be offered in one of the following formats: (1) a portion of the doctoral written preliminary examination, (2) examination questions offered separately on final examinations of common department courses to be selected by the comprehensive examination committee, or (3) a written and/or oral examination administered by the committee. Committees for the capstone plan consist of at least three faculty members. In case of failure, the examination may be repeated once with the consent of the graduate adviser.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research. In addition to the course requirements, under this plan students are required to write a thesis on a research topic in civil and environmental engineering supervised by the thesis adviser. An MS thesis committee reviews and approves the thesis. No oral examination is required.

Time-to-Degree

The normative duration for full-time students in the MS program on the comprehensive examination track is four quarters and on the thesis track is six quarters. The maximum time allowed for completing the MS degree is three years from the time of admission to the MS program in the school. Each quarter, students must make satisfactory progress toward their degree. Quarters taken on an approved leave of absence do not count toward the three year time limit.

Civil Engineering PhD

Major fields or subdisciplines.

Civil engineering materials, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering, structural/earthquake engineering, structural mechanics, and transportation engineering.

PhD students are required to take five courses that serve as the basis for the written portion of the preliminary examination. If comparable courses have been completed elsewhere, the students may satisfy this requirement with approval of the adviser. Students take a minimum of four additional courses, as defined in their PhD program of study, which must be approved by the student's adviser. A minimum 3.25 grade-point average is required in all coursework. In addition, PhD students must enroll in a Civil and Environmental Engineering 200 seminar each quarter until they advance to candidacy. At least 50 percent of coursework applied toward the PhD program must be completed at UCLA, unless a petition has been approved by the department.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

After mastering the body of knowledge defined in the major field, students take a written preliminary examination that should be completed within the first two years of full-time enrollment in the PhD program. Students may not take the examination more than twice.

After completing the written preliminary examination and/or starting the second year of the PhD program, all PhD students are required to make a public presentation once per year (summer through spring) each year of the program. The presentation may be delivered to various audiences (research group, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, conference) and must be publicized to the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in advance of the presentation date. Students will provide documentation of presentations annually to the Student Affairs Office. The qualifying oral examination (prospectus), final oral examination (defense), and poster presentations are eligible to fulfill the annual presentation requirement.

After passing the written preliminary examination and substantially completing all minor field coursework, students take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The nature and content of the examination are at the discretion of the doctoral committee, but ordinarily include a broad inquiry into the student’s preparation for research. The doctoral committee also reviews the prospectus of the dissertation at the oral qualifying examination. The student must confirm with the committee the expectations of deliverables for the prospectus including, but not limited to, written documents and an oral presentation.

Students nominate a doctoral committee prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Students are required to meet with committee members once per year (summer through spring) after advancement to candidacy until graduation. Meetings may be one on one or as a group and members may participate remotely. Students will provide documentation of meetings annually to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

Note: Doctoral Committees. A doctoral committee consists of a minimum of four members. Two members, including the chair, must hold full-time faculty appointments in the department. For a full list of doctoral committee regulations, see the Graduate Division Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written preliminary and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination

A final oral examination, or defense of dissertation, is required for all students in the program.

The normative duration for full-time students in the PhD program, after completing an MS degree, is 12 quarters. The maximum time allowed for completing the PhD degree, after completing the MS degree, is 24 quarters. Each quarter, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. Quarters taken on an approved leave of absence do not count toward the time limit.

Ongoing research is focused on inorganic, random porous materials and incorporates expertise at the interface of chemistry and materials science to develop the next generation of sustainable construction materials. The work incorporates aspects of first principles and continuum scale simulations and integrated experiments, ranging from nano-to-macro scales. Special efforts are devoted toward developing low-clinker factor cements and concretes, reducing the carbon footprint of construction materials, and increasing the service life of civil engineering infrastructure.

Research in environmental engineering focuses on the understanding and management of physical, chemical, and biological processes in the environment and in engineering systems. Areas of research include process development for water and wastewater treatment systems and the investigation of the fate and transport as well as treatment technologies of contaminants in the environment.

Research in geotechnical engineering focuses on understanding and advancing the state of knowledge on the effects that soils and soil deposits have on the performance, stability, and safety of civil engineering structures. Areas of research include laboratory investigations of soil behavior under static and dynamic loads, constitutive modeling of soil behavior, behavior of structural foundations under static and dynamic loads, soil improvement techniques, response of soil deposits and earth structures to earthquake loads, and the investigation of geotechnical aspects of environmental engineering.

Ongoing research in hydrology and water resources deals with surface and ground-water processes, hydrometeorology and hydroclimatology, watershed response to disturbance, remote sensing, data assimilation, hydrologic modeling and parameter estimation, multiobjective resources planning and management, numerical modeling of solute transport in groundwater, and optimization of conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater.

Structures (Structural Mechanics and Earthquake Engineering)

Research in structural mechanics is directed toward improving the ability of engineers to understand and interpret structural behavior through experiments and computer analyses. Areas of special interest include computer analysis using finite-element techniques, computational mechanics, structural dynamics, nonlinear behavior, plasticity, micromechanics of composites, damage and fracture mechanics, structural optimization, probabilistic static and dynamic analysis of structures, and experimental stress analysis.

Designing structural systems capable of surviving major earthquakes is the goal of experimental studies on the strength of full-scale reinforced concrete structures, computer analysis of soils/structural systems, design of earthquake resistant masonry, and design of seismic-resistant buildings and bridges.

Teaching and research areas in structural/earthquake engineering involve assessing the performance of new and existing structures subjected to earthquake ground motions. Specific interests include assessing the behavior of reinforced concrete buildings and bridges, as well as structural steel, masonry, and timber structures. Integration of analytical studies with laboratory and field experiments is emphasized to assist in the development of robust analysis and design tools, as well as design recommendations. Reliability-based design and performance assessment methodologies are also an important field of study.

Research in transportation engineering covers various topics including traffic system operations and control, intelligent transportation systems, transportation planning, transportation network system analysis, travel behavior and demand modeling, resilient infrastructure systems and health monitoring, and highway safety. Specifically, the program focuses on new mobility technologies and systems and considers the intersection of travel behavior, economics, engineering, regulation, and infrastructure as technology and business forces lead to new mobility options such as automated and connected vehicles, electric vehicles, vehicle/ride sharing, and micromobility.

Application Checklist Overview

As of August 18, 2024: The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health will now have one required application for the MPH*, MS and PhD degrees in each department. Applicants should complete the requirements for the SOPHAS application as noted below. Incomplete applications cannot be reviewed.

The priority deadline for matriculation in 2025 is December 1, 2024 . If you are applying after this date, please contact the department directly to ensure that applications are still being received.

*MPH – this does not apply to the Executive MPH or the MPH-HP programs. This also does not apply to the MHA or MDSH programs.

Step 1: SOPHAS Application

The primary application system for applicants is SOPHAS, the common application for public health schools. Please submit the following materials here :

• Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Statement of Purpose – Maximum of 1500 words. The statement should describe the following: a) reasons for interest in public health, b) reasons for interest in the program of study and/or concentration; c) reasons for interest in UCLA; and d) career goals. If you are applying to a doctoral program, you should include your proposed research topics.
• Personal Statement – Maximum of 500 words. The personal statement is an additional opportunity for the reviewing committee to learn more about any challenges faced, personal background, and past and future contributions to diversity. Full information can be found on SOPHAS. Applicants should address one or more prompts in the personal statement.
• Applicants with less than three years of post bac professional experience should submit a minimum of two academic letters and one professional letter. 
• Applicants with more than three years of post bac professional experience may elect to submit three professional letters.
•  Applicants with less than three years of post bac professional experience should submit a minimum of one academic letter and two professional letters. 
• Applicants with more than three years of post bac professional experience may elect to submit three professional letters
• Official Transcripts – Applicants should submit one set of official transcripts from each institution they have attended. International applicants must submit transcripts through World Education Services (WES) for an official WES evaluation.
• Official GRE Test Scores* — Please check here to determine GRE requirements. ETS code is: 4225.
• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores – Applicants may view English proficiency requirements here . TOEFL code for SOPHAS is: 5688 IELTS code for SOPHAS: See instructions on submitting your scores to SOPHAS here
• Writing Sample – This component is only necessary for doctoral applicants applying to the Department of Community Health Sciences or the Department of Health Policy and Management.
• SOPHAS Application Fee – The fee is nonrefundable. The amount will vary according to the number of applications submitted.

For questions about the application process please contact SOPHAS at:

SOPHAS P.O. Box 9111 Watertown, MA 02471 Telephone: 617-612-2090 Email: [email protected]

For Overnight Delivery of Materials Only: SOPHAS c/o Liaison International 311 Arsenal Street Watertown, MA 02472

Step 2: UCLA Division of Graduate Education Application Fee

All applicants to UCLA must complete the UCLA Division of Graduate Education application. The information you submit through SOPHAS (step 1) will be transferred over to the UCLA graduate application. However, all applicants must also submit the UCLA application fee in addition to the SOPHAS application fee. The fee is nonrefundable.

Letters of recommendation, transcripts, test scores, professional experience, resume, and supporting should ONLY be uploaded to SOPHAS . 

An application will not be reviewed until both the SOPHAS fee and UCLA graduate application fee have been paid.

** Applicants should receive a separate email from UCLA Division of Graduate Education (DGE) with instructions on how to pay the UCLA DGE application fee. Those applying in August will receive an email in September. 

Application Requirements for Executive Programs:

Applicants to the MPH-HP, EMPH, MHA and MDSH programs are only required to submit the UCLA Division of Graduate Application. If you are applying to any of these programs do not complete a SOPHAS application.

Application Requirements for Joint Degree Applicants:

Prospective applicant applying to MPH Joint Degree

• Submit the SOPHAS Application and pay the application fee.
• Please ensure you fulfill the joint program's application requirements.

**Applicants should receive a separate email from the UCLA Division of Graduate Education (DGE) with instructions on how to pay the UCLA DGE application fee. Those applying in August will receive an email in September. 

Current UCLA Graduate Students Applying to MPH Joint Degree

• Submit the UCLA Graduate Application and ensure you select to be considered for a fee waiver on the fee waiver section of the application. Upon submitting the application, please then reach out to Sukhwinder Sagoo or Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez regarding the fee waiver. 
• Submit a Change of Major petition. Please contact  Sukhwinder Sagoo or Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez for more information on completing this requirement. 

**Please do not pay the UCLA Graduate Application fee as the application fee is non-refundable.

Current UCLA School of Medicine Students applying to MPH Joint Degree

• UCLA MPH/MD or Prime MD students can apply to the MPH program by December 1st of their second year under the new Discovery curriculum. 

Current UCLA Law School Students applying to MPH Joint Degree

• Submit the UCLA Graduate Application and pay the application fee.

Ph.D. in Information Studies Student Directory

Text Sample

Anna Robinson-Sweet (she/her)

[email protected]

Year Entered Program 2024

Michelle Caswell

Daryl Barker (he/they)

[email protected] | LinkedIn | Website

Teaching and Research Interests

• Teaching and Learning
• Instructional Design
• Non-Traditional Students
• Community College
• MLIS, UCLA Graduate Certificated, Digital Humanities
• B.A. in Politics, Occidental College

Robert D. Montoya

Gregory Leazer

[email protected]

Student Bio

Jiarui Sun is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Information Studies at UCLA. His research interests include digital recordkeeping & archival informatics, information resource management & digital government, community-based archives, and qualitative research methods & design. Specifically, his current work focuses on the ethical considerations triggered by technology applications in archives.

• Digital Recordkeeping and Archival Informatics
• Information Resource Management and Digital Government
• Community-Based Archives
• Qualitative Research Methods and Design

Awards, Honors, and Fellowships

• Oliver Wendell Holmes Award, Society of American Archivists 2021
• Ed&IS Summer Research Funding, School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA 2020
• James V. Mink Scholarship, Society of California Archivists 2020
• Dean’s Scholar, School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA 2019
• Tung-Li & Hui-His Yuan Family Fellowship, School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA 2019

Research Centers

• UCLA Center for Digital Humanities

Anne J. Gilliand

Kai Nham (he/they)

[email protected] | Website

As a queer and trans Chinese-Vietnamese son of a refugee from Vietnam and immigrant from Hong Kong, Kai is deeply interested and committed to how our communities can imagine and build new worlds for ourselves. His current research interests include how information infrastructures help build and maintain trans of color care webs, as well as the development of grassroots and community-based interventions and technologies to resist violence and build new futures.

• Information Infrastructure
• Care Ethics
• Critical Data Studies
• Trans Studies
• Master of Information and Data Science, University of California, Berkeley
• Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Berkeley

Publications

• Haimson, Oliver L, Kai Nham, Hibby Thach, and Aloe DeGuia. “How Transgender People and Communities Were Involved in Trans Technology Design Processes,” 2023.

Safiya U. Noble

Megan Riley

CV | Website

Bay Area born-and-raised doctoral student in UCLA’s Department of Information Studies focusing on the political economy of libraries, particularly labor and policing. Graduate of UCLA’s MLIS program in 2020, focusing on labor issues in LIS, special collections and archives; co-president of SAA @ UCLA and co-chair of UCLA’s SCA student chapter, 2019-2020. Committed to police- and policing-free libraries and a member of the Abolitionist Library Association. Personal hobbies and interests include crosswords, basketball, surfing, and ceramics.

• Labor Issues in Libraries and Archives, Especially Precarious Labor and Organized Labor
• Police, Policing, and Carceral Spaces and Practices in Libraries and Archives
• The Production of Space in Libraries and Archive
• B.A. in Comparative Literature, UC Berkeley (2011)
• MLIS, UCLA, 2020
• “The Stories We Tell: Precarious Labor and Archival Myths” May 2020 Acid Free’s “Fictions” issue, published by the Los Angeles Archivists Collective. https://www.laacollective.org/work/precarious-labor-archival-myths

Sarah Roberts

Pietro Santachiara

[email protected] | LinkedIn | Twitter  | Website

Pietro Santachiara is the Bernard and Martin Breslauer Fellow and a Ph.D. student in the Department of Information Studies at UCLA. His research deals with knowledge organization and modeling, classification of cultural heritage artifacts, and digital humanities.

• MLIS; University of California, Los Angeles
• M.Sc. in Communication, Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage; University of Lugano (Switzerland)
• B.A. in Communication Studies, Mass-media concentration; University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy)
• Drucker, J., Polack, P., & Santachiara, P. (2022).  Heterochronologies: A Platform for Correlation and Research in Temporal Graphics . Digital Humanities Quarterly, 16(3).
• UCLA Digital Humanities Center

Johanna Drucker

Tianji Jiang

[email protected] | CV | LinkedIn

Tianji Jiang is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, advised by Professor Sarah T. Roberts. He is also an assistant student researcher at Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library. Prior to joining UCLA, Tianji obtained a B.M. (2019) in Information Management and Information System and a B.Ec. (2019) in Economics from Peking University.

• Knowledge Organization
• Research Data Curation
• Library Management
• Social Media Studies
• China’s National Scholarship for Undergraduate Student in the year of 2017-2018
• Bachelor of Management in Information Management and Information System, Department of Information Management, Peking University (2019)
• Bachelor of Economics, The National School of Development, Peking University (2019)
• Jiang, T., & Li, L. Q. (2021). Image-building of Public Library from Readers’ Perspective A Case Study on the Northern Haidian Library, accepted by and will be presented at iConference 2021.
• Jiang, T., Zhang Y., & Zhou, Q. (2021). A Research on the Improvement Strategy of Big Data Industry Policy made by Local Government in China. Journal of Modern Information 41(2), 132-140, 161.

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Ryan Lebre [email protected] 310-983-3206

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Michelle Maye (310) 825-5269 [email protected]

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1009 Moore Hall (310) 825-8326

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UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collection https://hdl.handle.net/2152/11

This collection contains University of Texas at Austin electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). The collection includes ETDs primarily from 2001 to the present. Some pre-2001 theses and dissertations have been digitized and added to this collection, but those are uncommon. The library catalog is the most comprehensive list of UT Austin theses and dissertations.

Since 2010, the Office of Graduate Studies at UT Austin has required all theses and dissertations to be made publicly available in Texas ScholarWorks; however, authors are able to request an embargo of up to seven years. Embargoed ETDs will not show up in this collection. Most of the ETDs in this collection are freely accessible to all users, but some pre-2010 works require a current UT EID at point of use. Please see the FAQs for more information. If you have a question about the availability of a specific ETD, please contact [email protected].

Some items in this collection may contain offensive images or text. The University of Texas Libraries is committed to maintaining an accurate and authentic scholarly and historic record. An authentic record is essential for understanding our past and informing the present. In order to preserve the authenticity of the historical record we will not honor requests to redact content, correct errors, or otherwise remove content, except in cases where there are legal concerns (e.g. potential copyright infringement, inclusion of HIPAA/FERPA protected information or Social Security Numbers) or evidence of a clear and imminent threat to personal safety or well-being.

This policy is in keeping with the  American Library Association code of ethics  to resist efforts to censor library resources, and the  Society of American Archivists code of ethics  that states "archivists may not willfully alter, manipulate, or destroy data or records to conceal facts or distort evidence."

Recent Submissions

• 1 (current)

Zahra Barani receives the Dissertation Year Program Fellowship and Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

Sep 1, 2023

Fariborz Kargar and Zahra Barani reported at the Workshop on Innovative Nanoscale Devices and Systems on Big Island, Hawaii, USA

Two Postdoctoral Positions are Available in Balandin Group

Alexander balandin named dod vannevar bush faculty fellow – class of 2021.

Zahra Barani presented at the NSF Workshop — New Frontiers of Thermal Transport

Quasi-One-Dimensional van der Waals Materials: From 2D Atomic Planes to Bundles of 1D Atomic Chains

Recent posts.

• New NSF-funded advanced spectroscope enters operation at UCLA
• UCLA MRS Chapter Interview with Professor A.A. Balandin
• The UCLA POEM Laboratory Welcomes New Students
• Professor Balandin’s Materials Science Research Lecture at Caltech Noise Spectroscopy – What Can Electronic Noise Tell Us about the Materials?
• July 2023 – Professor Balandin Delivered a Plenary Conference Opening Talk at Phonons Conference
• January 2024
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Center for Digital Scholarship

University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation

Dissertations must comply with the specifications set by the Library, by the author's department, and by the University. Departments, divisions, and schools may have requirements in addition to those described in this booklet. Students are responsible for informing themselves of these additional requirements.

The Dissertation Office provides information on the University’s dissertation policies. We help doctoral students understand dissertation formatting and submission requirements, and we assist with the submission process. Students are welcome to contact us with questions.

Contact the Dissertation Office

Web: phd.lib.uchicago.edu Email: [email protected] Phone: 773-702-7404 Visit: Suite 104D, Center for Digital Scholarship, Regenstein Library

Routine Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Actual hours vary to accommodate meetings, workshops, and training. The office is often closed during the interim between quarters.

Dissertation Requirements

Doctoral dissertations are original contributions to scholarship. As a condition for receipt of the doctorate, all students are required to submit their dissertations to Knowledge@UChicago, the University’s open access repository. If a dissertation includes copyrighted material beyond fair use, the author must obtain permission from the holder of the copyright.

The public sharing of original dissertation research is a principle to which the University is deeply committed, and dissertations should be made available to the scholarly community at the University of Chicago and elsewhere in a timely manner. If dissertation authors are concerned that making their research publicly available might endanger research subjects or themselves, jeopardize a pending patent, complicate publication of a revised dissertation, or otherwise be unadvisable, they may, in consultation with faculty in their field (and as appropriate, research collaborators), restrict access to their dissertation for a limited period of time according to the guidelines outlined by the Dissertation Office. If a dissertation author needs to renew an embargo at the end of its term or initiate an embargo after graduation, the author must contact the Dissertation Office with the embargo request. Embargo renewals may be approved only in rare instances, and in general no more than one renewal will be allowed.

All dissertations must follow the formatting and submission requirements stated in the University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation , available from the Dissertation Office on the first floor of the Joseph Regenstein Library in the Center for Digital Scholarship.

University-Wide Requirements

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Finding UCLA Dissertations for Graduates of Specific Departments by Year

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For UCLA dissertations, search the UCLA Library Catalog :

• Click on the Advanced Search tab
• Enter dissertations "department name" UCLA in the search box; for example, dissertations physics UCLA
• Keep the middle drop-down menu set at "all of these words"
• Change the right-hand drop-down menu to "subject"
• Sort the results by date

Full-text UC dissertations since 1996 are available from  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses . 

As of March 13, 2012, UCLA's  Graduate Division  only accepts electronic filing of theses and dissertations. Theses and dissertations filed after this date will only be accessible electronically. They can be found by searching the  UCLA Library Catalog ,  ProQuest Digital Dissertations and Theses , or  eScholarship . Authors may embargo theses or dissertations for up to two years, so the full text of recent theses and dissertations may not be available.

Non-UCLA users can obtain UCLA dissertations through  ProQuest UMI . The UCLA Library does not provide interlibrary loan service to individuals unaffiliated with UCLA. However, dissertations can be lent to institutions; see  information for borrowing institutions .

UC's open access repository. Contains books, journals, working papers, conference publications, postprints, theses, and dissertations.

• Center for Research Libraries (CRL) Foreign Dissertations Search the CRL Catalog for dissertations already held at the Center. If a foreign dissertation is not at CRL, UCLA's Interlibrary Loan Service will request that CRL acquire it for your use. This special issue of Focus on Global Resources describes CRL's extensive collection of foreign dissertations.
• Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations This international organization promotes the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic analogues to traditional paper-based theses and dissertations in order to more effectively share knowledge.
• British Library EThOS The British Library's electronic theses online service aims to provide a single point of access to all theses produced by UK higher education. It currently contains more than 250,000 records, with 25,000 open-access theses available for immediate download. Researchers can request theses not yet available electronically, which will be scanned and made freely available.
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Call for Proposals Thinking Gender 2025

Thinking gender 2025, “gendered labors and transnational solidarities”, march 5–7, 2025.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Submission due date: Sunday, October 20, 2024, at 11:59 pm PDT

Apply Online

The UCLA Center for the Study of Women|Barbra Streisand Center invites proposals for our 35th annual Thinking Gender Graduate Student Research Conference (TG25).

This year’s conference theme, “ Gendered Labors and Transnational Solidarities ” highlights the rich repertoire of organizing strategies as well as contemporary and historical examples of campaigns led by precarious workers around the world. We invite proposals that employ a transnational feminist lens and that consider how workers have persisted in challenging injustice and demanding dignity by forming alliances across local, regional, and transnational contexts. We seek to bring together feminist, queer, and BIPOC scholars, artists, and organizers to reflect upon the meanings of labor solidarity and care to imagine a more livable society.

Workers have long been united in transnational solidarities. The urgency of transnational solidarities has increased in the wake of late-twentieth-century globalization, which has reshaped workers’ migration pathways, conditions of labor, and activism. Financialized capitalism has led to new labor regimes that disproportionately rely on a feminized and racialized workforce. The rise in low-paid contingent service work and outsourced manufacturing work has been accompanied by erosion of labor laws and social safety nets. Furthermore, stringent immigration regimes are exacerbating the precarity and labor exploitation of immigrant women of color and poor women in the Global South. However, these precarious workers have also been on the frontlines of labor organizing. For example, even though domestic workers have long been considered “unorganizable” because many lacked documentation status and worked in private households, domestic workers’ leadership has been central to expanding labor rights at both national and inter-governmental levels. In 2011, their efforts led to International Labour Organization Convention 189, the first global treaty establishing labor standards for domestic workers. In addition to demanding dignity on the job, precarious workers have also organized for social justice more broadly. Recently, Hyundai construction workers in South Korea began striking in solidarity with Palestinian people, calling attention to the connections between labor, settler colonialism, war, and ongoing effects of empire. Workers have also addressed injustices based on race, sex, sexuality, and citizenship status across local, regional, and international scales.  We invite works that examine labor organizing through a transnational feminist lens, centering innovative strategies and campaigns workers have been building to forge solidarities across different parts of the world.

Possible questions for engagement include:

• How does a transnational feminist lens apply to labor organizing? How do categories such as race, class, gender, sexuality, nation, dis/ability and citizenship status, among others, affect how labor is defined and how workers organize?
• How have histories and ongoing struggles around settler colonialism, war, slavery, and unequal economic development shaped labor movements?
• How have workers who have been historically excluded from labor protections – such as workers in factories/sweatshops, households, and agriculture, and now most recently in gig work – organized transnationally? What is the significance of the scale of their organizing efforts?
• What is the role have unions played in transnational labor feminisms? What other alternative strategies have women workers and other precarious workers employed to organize?
• What possibilities and challenges have precarious workers found in international organizations, institutions, and laws?
• What are the relationships between family and work? How do family relationships shape labor migration as well as precarity workers face? How do workers navigate the often gender-specific burdens of financially supporting the family? How have workers formed alternative communities/kinship networks of support?
• What are the political implications of defining care? What are some examples of caring activities that go into organizing?
• How do caregivers, consisting mostly of workers experiencing precarity because of gender, immigration status, race and ethnicity etc., also receive care?
• What are some ways in which society as a whole can reciprocate the labor of care that is already foundational to the survival and well-being of community members around the world?
• How can researchers amplify workers’ own voices and stories rather than imposing top-down solutions? What are some examples of research centering workers?
• How do workers build solidarities with one another? How do they integrate the concepts of mutual aid and care?

We encourage applicants to think within, alongside, beyond, and perhaps against the following topics as they consider the shape and content of their prospective participation in TG25:

• Historical and contemporary forms of social movements
• Queer and LGBTQIA organizing
• Maquiladora activism in the US/Mexico border
• Law and protection
• Anti-sweatshop movements
• Local, regional, and global practices of activism and organizing
• Transfer of economies, objects, and people
• Local, regional and global development projects
• Community building
• Kinship and family
• Affective economies and labor
• Immigration and citizenship
• Care and social reproduction
• Settler colonialism, war, and dispossession
• Environmental degradation
• Critical refugee studies
• Migration and gender
• Cultural productions and performance
• Disability and curative violence
• Aging and care homes
• Embodied practices of healing

Graduate students have two ways to participate in this conference:

1. Hybrid workshops for works-in-progress on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 

Participants will workshop works-in-progress in closed online sessions either via Zoom or in person at the UCLA campus on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Each workshop will include up to four graduate students, a faculty moderator, and up to three observers from other workshops, who will read and provide detailed feedback and questions for each submission. All participants will be asked to read or view each other’s submissions in advance. Participants will then convene with a faculty moderator who will offer constructive feedback and facilitate discussion around each submission.

All workshop participants will be required to submit the final version of their work-in-progress (not to exceed 20–25 double-spaced pages) by Sunday, February 2, 2025, for pre-circulation among their co-participants and faculty moderator. Please only submit your work for a workshop if you are prepared to have a final draft ready for circulation by this date. 

2. In-person presentations on Friday, March 7, 2025

Participants who submit a proposal for work that will be completed a month before the conference date will give a public presentation of their finished projects at a panel on the UCLA campus on Friday, March 7, 2025. In addition, participants will take advantage of other in-person activities offered at the conference.

We welcome a range of submission formats from graduate students , including scholarly papers, works in hybrid critical/creative genres (e.g., multimedia projects, performance, experimental forms of academic writing), and film/mixed media. In celebration of embodied practices of healing led by workers’ organizations, worker-centered artwork would fit particularly well for this year’s call.

Submission Guidelines

Eligibility

Registered graduate students from any institution are eligible to submit abstracts or synopses of scholarly papers, works in hybrid critical/creative genres (e.g., multimedia projects, performance, experimental forms of academic writing), or film/mixed media to present or workshop. Applicants cannot submit multiple proposals and must choose if they will present completed works or works-in-progress. Only one submission per applicant will be considered.

Please only submit if you are available for the full day , since we cannot confirm which time the panel/workshop will be until later in the planning process.

Submissions of works that are collaborative or co-authored with other students are welcome.

Unpublished submissions are preferred . Recently published and forthcoming articles will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Submissions that are not directly related to the theme, “Gendered Labors and Transnational Solidarities” will not be considered.

Due date for Abstract/Synopsis Submissions: Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT.

Applicants whose submissions are accepted will be notified by Friday, December 6, 2024.

Application Materials

All proposals must be submitted using the online application form .

Only complete submissions received by the due date will be considered.

Scholarly Paper, Dissertation or Thesis Chapter, or Article Draft Application Requirements:

1. Abstract (max. 250 words) of work to be presented/workshopped that includes: (1) a thesis/research question, (2) methods, (3) theoretical framework, and (4) conclusions or anticipated conclusions.

2. Works Cited or References List (1 page maximum)

3. CV (2 pages maximum)

Film/Mixed Media or Hybrid Critical/Creative Genres Application Requirements:

1. Film/Media Synopsis (2 double-spaced pages maximum) of work to be presented/workshopped that includes: (1) a research question or thesis, (2) description of format, (3) discussion of theoretical framework, methodology and process, (4) explanation of your argument and evidence, and (5) conclusions or anticipated conclusions. If your piece is co-created with other students, please make this clear .

2. CV (2 pages maximum)

3. Link (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) where Film or Mixed Media can be viewed. Total run-time should not exceed 20 minutes. Note: our submission platform does not have capacity to hold media files. Please insert links into your synopsis. 

Contact Thinking Gender Coordinator Da In Choi at [email protected] .

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