Alternative wide-band-gap materials for gamma-ray spectroscopy

To my family. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As I contemplated whom I should acknowledge, I recognized that this disserta-tion would not have been even remotely possible without the continuous support I received from my family, fellow researchers, and friends. I owe my deepest gratitude to my husband, Brian Kitchen, who supported me emotionally, physically, spiritually, and intellectually through every moment of my graduate school career. To my par-ents, Ken and Edna Thrall, who always played an active role in my education and emphasized its importance. Without them, my higher education at the University of Michigan simply would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my daughter, Rae, for inspiring me to complete this work and my sister, Christine, for providing an artist’s perspective on my research. I am extremely privileged to have been a part of the Orion group. I am indebted to my advisor, Professor Zhong He, for his guidance and support throughout my six years of graduate school. As Professor He has reminded me numerous times, the Orion group would not be successful without the great work of his graduate students. It has been a truly humbling experience to work alongside such brilliant and hard