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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">TO: All Graduate Faculty and Doctoral Students<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">FROM: Dayla Burgin<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> Admissions Supervisor/Doctoral Degree Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt">RE: Schedule of Proposal Defenses & Final Defenses for October 2026<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Monday, October 5, 2026, 9:00 am, Zoom,
<b><u>Chad Hunter</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Lived Experiences of Retention and Attrition: A Phenomenological Case Study of Earl-Career, Alternatively Certified Teachers and Administrative Support<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Elsa Villarreal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thursday, October 8, 2026, 12:00 pm, Zoom,
<b><u>Lilly Rudin</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Sentiment Analysis of Social Agents in Horror Video Games<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Salvatore Attardo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Monday, October 12, 2026, 4:00 pm, Zoom,
<b><u>Weiping Lam</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Lived Experiences of Early-Career Bilingual Counselors Navigating Counseling, Supervision, and Artificial Intelligence in Asian American Mental Health Care<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Ajitha Kumaran<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 11:00 am, Zoom,
<b><u>Jill Davis</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">“What Would George Lucas Do?”: The Narrative Gift Cycle and Symbolic Capital Movement in a Platform-Based Fandom Gift Economy
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Rowe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thursday, October 15, 2026, 2:00 pm, Zoom,
<b><u>Crystal Hulkewicz</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Mathematics Self-Efficacy in Middle School: Examining Variations by Track, Gender, Language, and Elective Choice<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Julie Mills<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Friday, October 16, 2026, 2:00 pm, Zoom,
<b><u>Zane Brand</u></b>, Proposal Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Take your Time: Speed-Accuracy Instructions and the Response Time-Accuracy Relationship for Eyewitnesses
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Curt Carlson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Graduate Council Representative: Dr. Burchan Aydin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 10:00 am, Zoom,
<b><u>Teresa Perez</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Workplace Experiences of Neurodivergent Licenses Professional Counselors<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Ajitha Kumaran<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 11:00 am, Zoom,
<b><u>Lyndsey Norris</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Relationship Between Sugar Dating and Financial Anxiety Among Undergraduate Students at a 4-Year Public University<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Anjum Najmi
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thursday, October 22, 2026, 4:00 pm, Zoom,
<b><u>Casey Richards</u></b>, Final Defense<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Exploring Mattering’s Impact on Texas Academic Advisors: A Narrative Study<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Major Advisor: Dr. Leslie Ekpe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">**If you are a faculty member or a student and want to attend a defense, please contact the Major Advisor</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:#00386C;mso-ligatures:none">Dayla Burgin, BS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none">Admissions Supervisor<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none">Doctoral Degree Coordinator</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none">The Graduate School | McDowell Business Administration, Room 142<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;text-transform:uppercase;mso-ligatures:none">P: 903.886.5167</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none">Mail:</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none"> P.O. Box 3011, Commerce, TX 75429</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none">Ship:</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none"> 2600 S Neal Street, Commerce, TX 75428<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none">Students please include your CWID in every email</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#4F5352;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Apply Texas: <a href="https://www.applytexas.org/">
<span style="color:blue">ApplyTexas - Applicant Home Page</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Doctoral application
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">packet: <a href="http://www.tamuc.edu/academics/graduateSchool/documents/doc_packet.pdf">
<span style="color:blue">http://www.tamuc.edu/academics/graduateSchool/documents/doc_packet.pdf</span></a></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:26.25pt"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.tamuc.edu/"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="250" height="33" style="width:2.6041in;height:.3437in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.gif@01DD4C04.F311C0B0" alt="TAMUC logo"></span></a></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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