PERCEIVED RISK AND THE SITING OF A CONTROVERSIAL ...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my committee Chair, Dr. Walter Peacock, who graciously
offered to serve as my committee chair. He motivated me to complete this work with an
insistence on excellence, dedication, work ethic, and a bit of fear. I am equally grateful
to my co-chair, Dr. Carla Prater, for her patience, wisdom, and confidence throughout
this entire process. She never faltered in her encouragement despite historic droughts,
accidents, fires, surgeries, moves, job changes, illnesses and deaths. Gratitude is also
extended to Dr. James Mjelde for his humorous firmness, directness, availability and
guidance during times of confusion and stress. Finally, I am very thankful for the
technical help and patient explanations I received from Dr. Li regarding wastewater and
watershed management; he always greeted me with a friendly hello that calmed my selfdoubts.
The entire committee has helped me complete an undertaking that has
challenged my personal limitations and tenacity.
Thanks also to the many friends, family, colleagues, instructors, and
departmental staff who gave me so much help, support, patience throughout my years at
Texas A&M University. Finally, I would like to extend a very special thank you to the
University Writing Center and my classmates in the thesis/dissertation writing group.
Not only did they provide editorial suggestions, they were also a source of inspiration,
levity, and confidence.
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