______________________________________________________ Tom Rice ______________________________________________________ Rose McDermott ______________________________________________________ Jason Clarkii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writing this dissertation, like graduate school, has been a journey: very long, sometimes arduous, but constantly a learning experience. So many people have been important to me along the way. It's hard to know how to say thank you for the roles they have played in my life over the last several years. I'm sure that I will forget someone, and this is an unintentional oversight. I couldn't have done this without my amazing family: Margaret, Pete, Bob, and Annemy supportive parents, who have always believed in me; Rob, Amy, Ryan, Emma, Jack, and the new babythe best family anyone could ask for.To the friends who became like family: Allison,