It has been a spirited, intense, and fascinating journey as I come close to finishing my time as doctoral student at the University of Iowa in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Tonya Peeples, for providing me with wisdom and guidance, advice, and unwavering support from the beginning of my time as an incoming graduate student to the very end of my voyage as a PhD graduate in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. Without her, I would not be where I am today in terms of my personal, professional, and academic development. I would like to thank my family, including my mother Roxanne Delcau, my father Carey Delcau, my brother David Delcau, and my uncle James Roedel for their love, patience, and understanding while I pursue higher education to fulfill my greatest goals. The phone calls, text messages, and road trips to visit me in Iowa City from my loving friends, Ryan Lund and Kevin Robb, have helped me retain my sanity in graduate school. The Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Department and administrative staff, including Sara Hartman and Megan Delaney, for their promptness and aid regarding both personal and professional matters. My current and former graduate lab mates, Richard Gonzales, Felipe Nicolau-Manterola, and Victoria Henry, for their patience in familiarizing me to the graduate work environment and their willingness to help in any aspect of my project and training. A great thanks to the undergraduate research assistants who have helped progress my research, Emily R. Pattee, Sarah Keith, Megan Martin, and Andrea Diaz. The SSTP student, Yiheng Xie, I would like to recognize for performing an incredible amount of research work in a fleeting period.