By

I would first like to thank my wife, Shalyn, for the incredible support she gave me during this quest. This support came through a storm of events in which Sha demonstrated her infinite strength and persistence. She endured moving away from her family and into a dark and depressing basement. This continued through the events of Hurricane Isabelle where we lived without power for 20 days. She even went so far as to literally carry me when I ruptured my patellar tendon in the summer of our third year. Before and after the reconstructive surgery, I didn’t have the strength to lift my leg and Sha was always there for me. Through it all, she steadfastly endured through her own PhD program. She never surrendered to the pressures of her program and yet still found the time to be there for me. I am especially privileged in that she not only gave me unwavering emotional support and boundless love but she also provided intellectual and spiritual support as well. In these years of tribulation, I knew I had the most beautiful and brilliant woman to come home to and that always gave me the strength to continue. Whether it was a loving embrace or a fellow intellect to bounce ideas off of, Sha was my one constant. For that, I am forever grateful