Efficient Intervention Search Across Diverse Populations of 

Self-organizing and Hierarchical Systems

Defense: May 29, 2026, 11:00 a.m., Innovation E425, Teams

Advisor: Joshua Bongard

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Complex Systems and Data Science

Peroxiredoxin 3 Supports Mitochondrial Function, Cell Growth, and Pro-Tumor Gene Expression and is a Novel Therapeutic Target in Mesothelioma

Defense: May 27, 2026, 9:00 a.m., MedEd 200

Advisor: Brian Cunniff, Ph.D.

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Science

The 10-Year Performance of Modi® Apple Trees on Several Geneva Rootstocks Under Organic Management Practices and the Current State and Future Directions of the Vermont Apple Industry Based an a Survey of the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association

Defense: May 21, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Pratt Pavillion, UVM Horticultural Research and Education Center

Advisor: Terence L. Bradshaw

Degree: Master of Science

Department: Plant and Soil Science

The Hidden Power of Pseudo-measurements in Distribution System State Estimation

Defense: May 20, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Innovation E325, https://albyp.com/uvm-ee-thesis/

Advisor: Amritanshu Pandey

Degree: Master of Science

Department: Electrical Engineering

Acculturation, Dietary Behaviors and Cancer Risk Among African Immigrants in the United States: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Exploration

Defense: May 18, 2026, 12:00 p.m., James M. Jeffords Hall 110

Advisor: Trishnee Bhurosy

Degree: Master of Science

Department: Nutrition and Food Sciences

Exploring the Impact and Perceptions of Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Resilience: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Method Study

Defense: May 18, 2026, 11:00 a.m., 539 Waterman Building

Advisor: Rebecca Callahan, Ph.D.

Degree: Doctor of Education

Department: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

The Effect of Modeling Error on Damage Detection in the ℓ1-Norm Sensitivity Method

Defense: May 14, 2026, 1:00 p.m., Votey 322

Advisor: Eric M. Hernandez

Degree: Master of Science

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Farming In the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Opportunities, Concerns, and Social Dimensions of Adoption

Defense: May 14, 2026, 1:30 p.m., Dean’s Conference Room 104, Morrill Hall

Advisor: Kate Mays

Degree: Master of Science

Department: Community Development and Applied Economics

Participant-Level Predictors of Engagement with a Smartphone-Based Interpretation Bias Intervention

Defense: May 12, 2026, 3:00 p.m., Dewey Hall 238

Advisor: Shari Steinman

Degree: Master of Arts

Department: Psychology

Planting Forward: Evaluation of Strategies to Achieve Tropical Forest Restoration Goals and Ecosystem Integrity Ccross Forest Ages

Defense: May 12, 2026, 12:30 p.m., Gund Institute for Environment (Farrell Hall 006) & Teams

Advisor: Dr. Therese M. Donovan

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Natural Resources

Chaucer’s “Sliding Tactics”: How the Canterbury Tales and Its Pilgrims Reimagine Textual “Kynde”

Defense: May 11, 2026, 2:00 p.m., Votey 205

Advisor: Jennifer Sisk

Degree: Master of Arts

Department: English

Disease Resistance Mechanisms in Hygienic Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera): Understanding Innate and Social Immunity Against Nosema Spp., an Adult Bee Pathogen

Defense: May 7, 2026, 12:00 p.m., James M. Jeffords Hall 234

Advisors: Samantha Alger, Ph.D. & Yolanda Chen, Ph.D.

Degree: Master of Science

Department: Plant and Soil Science

“Remembir of this Worlde Unstable”: Games as Models of the Social and Natural World in Arthurian Romance

Defense: May 5, 2026, 12:00 p.m., Old Mill 414

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Sisk

Degree: Master of Arts

Department: English