Theses and dissertations published by graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences, Old Dominion University, since Fall 2016 are available in this collection. Backfiles of all dissertations (and some theses) have also been added.
In late Fall 2023 or Spring 2024, all theses will be digitized and available here. In the meantime, consult the Library Catalog to find older items in print.
Theses/Dissertations from 2010
Thesis: Inter-Island Variability in Above and Belowground Plant Biomass in Interior Marshes on the Virginia Barrier Islands, Staci B. Blecha
Thesis: Human Osteoblast Proliferation in Culture Following a Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF), Leonard Joseph Carinci Jr.
Thesis: The Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Fauna of the Blackwater Ecological Preserve: Effects of Prescribed Burns and Habitat Type on Mosquito Abundance and Distribution, Norman A. Grefe lll
Thesis: Dispersion of Cytotoxic Properties of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Suspended in Biological Solutions with Tween 80: Their Role in Enhancing Killing Effects of Nanosecond Pulse Electric Fields on Tumor Cell Lines, Bhargava S. Kalluri
Dissertation: Impacts of the Spotted Spiny Lobster (Panulirus guttatus) on the Long-Spined Sea Urchin (Diadema antillarum) and Patch Reef Communities in the Florida Keys, Meredith D. Kintzing
Dissertation: Ecological Interactions Between Spiders and the Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea, Marc Aaron Milne
Thesis: A Test of the Area of Refuge Hypothesis in Indo-Pacific Marine Biogeography, Jonnell C. Sanciangco
Thesis: Interisland Variability of Dune Plant Community Structure on Virginia's Barrier Islands, Justin K. Shafer
Dissertation: Ecological and Genetic Status of the Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea L., in Maryland and Virginia, Philip M. Sheridan
Thesis: Carrion Beetles of the Blackwater Ecologic Preserve: Community Structure Seasonal Patterns and Habitat Use, Amy L. Simons
Theses/Dissertations from 2009
Dissertation: Ecology and Molecular Phylogenetics of Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) in Southern Africa, Jay Francis Bolin
Dissertation: Lipid Targets of the Antimalarial Trioxanes in Plasmodium falciparum, Carmony Leah Hartwig
Dissertation: Biotic and Abiotic Characteristics Influencing Nest Location and Trophic Relationships of the Fungus-Growing Ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (Formicidae: Attini), Jonathan Paul Howell
Thesis: Effect of the Herbivorous Channel Clinging Crab (Mithrax Spinosissimus) on Patch Reef Algal Communities in the Florida Keys, Florida (USA), Angela M. Mojica Osorio
Dissertation: Ecology of Neotropical Arboreal Snakes and Behavior of New World Mollusk-Eating Snakes, Julie M. Ray
Thesis: Inhibition of Yeast Hexokinase by the Antimalarial Drug Artemisinin: Probing Mechanism of Action with a Model Enzyme, Jennifer S. Spence
Thesis: The Role of Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Renal Cell Carcinoma, Michele D. Tisdale
Theses/Dissertations from 2008
Dissertation: Microspore Wall Morphogenesis and Orbicule Ultrastructure of Isoetes, Khalid Alarid
Thesis: Influences of the Loggerhead Sponge (Spheciospongia Vesparium) and the Vase Sponge (Ircinia Campana) on Nearshore Hard-Bottom Community Development in the Florida Keys, Scott Donahue
Thesis: A Phylogeny of the Snappers (Lutjanidae; Percoidei) Inferred from Cytochrome B Sequence Data, Matthew R. Semcheski
Thesis: Spatial and Trophic Dynamics of a Macrofaunal Community on a High Energy Intertidal Sandflat, Sharon Ann Tatem
Theses/Dissertations from 2007
Dissertation: Modeling Habitat and Environmental Factors Affecting Mosquito Abundance in Chesapeake, Virginia, Alan Scott Bellows
Thesis: Behavioral Enhancement of Onshore Transport by Postlarval Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus), Jason Seth Goldstein
Thesis: The Plasmodium Falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter, PFCRT, Mediates the Activity of Chloroquine-Resistance Reversal Agents in the Malaria Parasite, Kristin Lane
Dissertation: Molecular Phylogenetics of Perciform Fishes Using the Nuclear Recombination Activating Gene 1, Andrew R. Mahon
Dissertation: Plant Assemblage Structure on Barrier Island ‘Pimple’ Dunes at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Site, Brett A. McMillan
Thesis: Antimicrobial Activity Screening of Recombinant and Synthetic Varasin a Defensin from the Hard Tick Dermacentor variabilis Against Various Bacteria, Julia A. Sharp
Thesis: Hydrodynamic Fin Function of Brief Squid Lolliguncula brevis, William Jeffreys Stewart
Dissertation: Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO2 on Root Dynamics, Biomass and Architecture in a Scrub-Oak Ecosystem at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Daniel Benjamin Stover
Thesis: Seasonal Variation in Diet of the Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Based on Fecal Analysis, Lynn A. Walker
Thesis: Evidence for Disease Mediated Extinction: Correlation Between an Introduced Pathogen and Extinction of Rattus Macleari on Christmas Island, Kelly B. Wyatt
Theses/Dissertations from 2006
Dissertation: Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO₂ on Scrub-Oak Root Carbon Pools and Soil Microbial Processes, Alisha Lea Pagel Brown
Thesis: An Examination of Seasonal Growth and Survivorship of Sigmodon hispidus in Southeastern Virginia, Heather Alyssa Green
Dissertation: Chemical Evidence for Dietary Toxin Sequestration in the Asian Snake Rhabdophis tigrinus, Deborah A. Hutchinson
Thesis: Defensin Transcript Distribution in Tissues and Life Stages of the Ixodid Ticks Amblyomma americanum and Ixodes scapularis, Stephanie M. Todd
Theses/Dissertations from 2005
Dissertation: Landscape Ecology of Birds on Mount Leconte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Andreas P. Damalas
Thesis: Feeding Behavior and Conditioning in Two Heterotrophic Dinoflagellates, Todd A. Egerton
Thesis: Morphological and Molecular Defects in Zebrafish Embryos (Danio rerio) After Chromated Copper Arsenate Exposure, Kerry Jean Lee
Thesis: Variation in the Fluorescence of Green Fluorescent Protein in Various Strains of Escherichia Coli, Paul R. LeTellier Jr.
Thesis: The Defensin Gene in Dermacentor Variabilis and Ixodes Scapularis, Katherine Corbett Seguin
Thesis: Chromosomal Localization of the Islet Neogenesis Associated Protein (INGAP) Gene in Syrian Hamster by Tyramide Signal Amplification-Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (TSA-FISH), Sallie A. Smith
Theses/Dissertations from 2004
Thesis: Seed Bank Response to Fire and Successional Trajectory of a Virginia Small Depression Pocosin, Jay F. Bolin
Dissertation: Relating Water and Otolith Chemistry in Chesapeake Bay, and Their Potential to Identify Essential Seagrass Habitats for Juveniles of an Estuarine-Dependent Fish, Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), Emmanis Dorval
Thesis: Characterization of Association Patterns of Coastal Migratory Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in the Nearshore Waters of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Holly Fearnbach
Thesis: Strong Interactions Between Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) and Caribbean Reef Octopus (Octopus Briareus) in the Florida Keys, Jennifer Anne Lear
Thesis: A Staging Sequence and Analysis of Growth in Postovipositional Embryos of Lamprophis Fulignosus, Angela Renee Vogel Rivera
Dissertation: Comparative Systematics of Subterranean Amphipod Crustaceans (Hadzioidea), Thomas R. Sawicki
Thesis: A Phylogeny of Genera of the Fish Family Nemipteridae (Percoidei) Based on the Cytochrome B Gene, Denise R. Sliter
Theses/Dissertations from 2003
Dissertation: Geographic Variation in the Morphology of Crotalus horridus (Serpentes: Viperidae), John Robert Allsteadt
Dissertation: The Ecological Ramifications of Disease and Density in the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus, Donald C. Behringer Jr.
Thesis: Characterization of SPY1600 A Putative Hyaluronidase Gene in Group A Streptococci, Karin M. Berling
Thesis: Male Reproductive Dynamics in the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Jamie S. Heisig
Thesis: Feeding Responses of Juvenile and Adult Streblospio Benedicti Webster (Spionidae) to Organic Chemicals Bound to Glass Microbeads, Heidi Kathryn Mahon
Dissertation: Experimental Investigation of Elemental Incorporation in the Otoliths of Larval and Juvenile Fish: Implications for Use as Environmental Recorders, Gretchen Bath Martin
Dissertation: Aphytophagy in the Miletinae (Lycaenidae): Phylogeny, Ecology, and Conservation, John Mathew
Dissertation: Hybridization Between the Watersnakes Nerodia sipedon and Nerodia fasciata, in the Carolinas: A Morphological and Molecular Approach, Konrad Mebert
Thesis: Mechanical Properties of the Integument of the Common Gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis (Serpentes: Colubridae), Gabriel Rivera
Theses/Dissertations from 2002
Dissertation: Decomposition Dynamics in Restored and Naturally Recovering Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) Wetlands, Edward Ratcliffe Crawford
Thesis: Histological Evaluation of Cryopreserved Ovaries in Autologous Abdominal Transplant to Naïve, Outbred, CD1, Mice, Wentia Elissa Ford
Thesis: Fine Root Vitality and Its Application in a Minirhizotron Study of a CO2 Enrichment in a Florida Scrub Oak Ecosystem, Brandon Todd Herbert
Thesis: Long Term Residual Effects of a Nutrient Addition on a Barrier Island Dune Ecosystem, Susan M. Heyel
Thesis: Recruitment Variability of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonia undulatus, With Observations on Environmental Factors, Sumalee Hoskin
Thesis: Vertical Distributions of Zooplankton at the Mouth of Chesapeake Bay and Calibration of Backscatter From an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, Arthur Keith Jenkins
Dissertation: Anting Behavior in Birds: Ant Selection and Effect of ant Chemistry on Feather Ectoparasites, Hannah Carrington Revis
Thesis: The Effect of a Predator Gradient on Female Oviposition Site Selection and Larval Performance, Josef F. Rieger
Thesis: Determination of Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Activation in Cultured Renal Epithelial Cells and Cardiac Myocytes Exposed to Cocaine and Morphine, David Angeles Tiangco
Thesis: Summer Vertical Phytoplankton Distribution in the Lower Chesapeake Bay, Mollie Jill Weinstein
Theses/Dissertations from 2001
Dissertation: In Support of a Rationally Managed Fishery: Age and Growth in Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), Julian R. Ashford
Thesis: Investigations into the Innate Resistance of the Tick, Dermacentor variabilis, When Challenged with the Bacterium, Escherichia coli, Shane Michael Ceraul
Thesis: Development of an Electrotransformation Technique for Streptococcus iniae and Preliminary Characterization of the Hemolysin Associated with this Bacterium, Kimberly Ann Hahn
Thesis: Map Kinases in Cynomolgus Monkey Sperm Hyperactivation, Emily Nicole Haynes
Thesis: The Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Short-Term Fine Root Dynamics in a Barrier Island Dune Community, John Walter Hutton
Thesis: Seasonal Phytoplankton Assemblages of Five Ephemeral Ponds in York County, Virginia, Michelle R. Kokolis
Thesis: A Comparison of Phytoplankton Communities in Lake Prince and the Western Branch Reservoir, Suffolk, Virginia, Cara Marie Muscio
Thesis: Effects of Human Disturbances on the Behavior of Dabbling Ducks, Melissa Lynn Pease
Thesis: Effect of Magnesium on the Production of SCNA and SCNR by Streptococcus pyogenes, Strain FF22, Laura E. Quinn
Dissertation: The Implications of the Target-Area Hypothesis on the Population Dynamics of the Spotted Spiny Lobster, Panulirus guttatus, Denice N. Robertson
Thesis: Fine Root Dynamics in Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) Wetlands: Patterns of Ecosystem Development in Natural and Restoration Settings, Harvey LeRoy Rodgers
Dissertation: Systematics of the Subterranean Amphipod Genus Stygobromus (Crangonyctidae) in Western North America, With Emphasis on Species of the Hubbsi Group, Daqing Wang
Theses/Dissertations from 2000
Dissertation: Effects of Elevated Atmospheric CO2 on Root Growth, Turnover and Decomposition in a Scrub Oak Ecosystem, John Joseph DiLustro
Thesis: Kinetic Characterization of Tetracycline Binding and Release by Demineralized Bone - DFDBA, Orner Kabil
Dissertation: Comparative Systematics of Subterranean Amphipod Crustaceans in the Families Crangonyctidae and Bogidiellidae, Stefan Koenemann
Thesis: An Analysis of Migratory Behavior Physiological Condition and Life History Strategy in the Salamanders Ambystoma Mabeei and A. Opacum in Southeastern Virginia, Michael W. McCoy
Thesis: An Ultrastructural Survey of the Nuchal Glands of Rhabdophis tigrinus (Serpentes: Colubridae), Kathleen A. Roberts
Thesis: Biological and Physical Observations on Larval Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) Recruiting to Oregon and Ocracoke Inlets North Carolina, Thomas R. Wasaff
Dissertation: Evaluation of Fish Scale Chemistry for Determining Habitat Associations, Brian Kenneth Wells
Theses/Dissertations from 1999
Thesis: The Effect of Illicit Drugs on the Cardiovascular and Hormonal Responses in Pregnant Rabbits, Andrea Alana Chambliss
Thesis: An Extracellular Protein Produced by Staphylococcus Hominis Strain αM with Antimicrobial Activity Against Mycobacterium SPP, Sandra May Jacobsen
Thesis: Benthic Community Analysis of Hog Island Bay, Virginia, David James Lewis
Dissertation: Growth and Yield-Per-Recruit Modeling of Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) in the Chesapeake Bay, and a Comparison of Biological Reference Points, Kevin Ray Piner
Thesis: The Impact of Resident and Transient Predators on the Popultation Dynamics of Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) in Florida Bay, Florida, Jason Edward Schratwieser
Thesis: A Study of the Seasonal Composition and Abundance of Phytoplankton and Autotrophic Picoplankton in a Brackish Water Lake in Portsmouth Virginia, Jennifer Leigh Wolny
Theses/Dissertations from 1998
Dissertation: Studies on the Biology of Striga aspera (Scrophulariaceae) in Nigeria, Emmanuel Izaka Aigbokhan
Dissertation: Ecology of the Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon p. piscivorus) at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge: A Comparative Study of Natural and Anthropogenic Marsh Habitats, Chad Lee Cross
Thesis: Changes in Small Mammal Community Attributes Associated with Increasing Pine Stand Age in Managed Pine Plantations in Southeastern Virginia, James Douglas Dolan
Thesis: Effect of Sampling Errors on Estimates of Recruitment and Fishing Mortality from Separable Virtual Population Analysis, Emmanis Dorval
Thesis: Efficacy of AllowashTM Solution in Solubilization of Bone Marrow, Alyce Marie Linthurst
Theses/Dissertations from 1997
Dissertation: Ecology of the Early Life History of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus: Recruitment, Predation, and Habitat Requirements, Charles A. Acosta
Dissertation: Active and Passive Settling By Marine Benthic Nematodes, Rodney Duane Bertelsen
Thesis: Ecological Relationships Between the Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys Palustris) and the Meadow Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus) in Two Virginia Tidal Marshes, Christopher P. Bloch