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.
