Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to my teacher Dr. Jonathan Swartz for his guidance and support during my doctoral journey. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Katherine McLin and Dr. Jody Rockmaker for their direction and encouragement. I sincerely thank my three committee members for all of their time and dedication on my behalf.

The completion of this project would not have been possible without the expertise from the following individuals: Dr. Cora Cooper, Dr. Barbara Englesberg, Christopher Johnson, Sam Hayworth, and Mathilde Milwidsky. I am grateful for the many hours each of these individuals have spent guiding me in my research.

I would also like to thank my family for their endless support, patience, and love.