My acknowledgements section, soon to be buried in a dissertation found only through an online database, seems far more useful as a thank you note if I share it publicly here with you. Note: there are far more names of family, mentors, and friends that got me through my PhD, so if you are reading this, be sure that I am deeply thankful to you as well. The work presented in my dissertation is truly the product of the support from many wonderful mentors, collaborators, research