I dedicate this work to my friends and family ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank my advisors, Dr. Chen and Dr. Rao, for their support and direction throughout my studies. I would like to thank Dr. McCullough, Dr. Keesling and Dr. Kumar for their advise and counsel. Thanks go to Sujeet Bhat for his friendship and support, particularly in the final stages of this project. Finally, I thank my friends and family for all of their kind words of support and encouragement. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS pag