I would like to thank the many people that made this work possible. I would like to thank
my mentor Dr. Srivatsan Kidambi for inspiring me to try my best and for always being
available for guidance and advice. I would like to thank my family, Amma, Appa and
Varsha for being supportive and for being extremely understanding when I failed to keep
in touch for long durations. I would like to thank my lab family Christina, Steve and Amita
for all the wonderful discussions, research-related and otherwise, and for being the support
system that never fails. I would also like to thank Dr. Edward Harris, Dr. Velander and Dr.
Saraf for their valuable inputs and perspectives that were necessary for shaping the project.
I would like to thank all my friends in Lincoln that make Lincoln feel like home away from
home. Last but not the least, I would like to thank Jagan for being there always, and for the
unconditional support and positivity.