would not have been possible without the immeasurable self-sacrifice of my perfect wife, Amy. She has worked day and night by my side for years to make our home and family prosperous. I love you very much. Our two beautiful sons George and Victor have brought me indescribable joy and gave me hope for the future when it seemed all was lost. I love you two in ways I never thought possible. I am eternally grateful to her for the faith she has placed in me. I will do everything I can to reward her investment. I am also deeply indebted to her parents Ren Fang Zhang and Yue Xia Gong who have come from their home in China to live with us and help raise our babies. Without them, I don’t know how it would be possible for me to balance graduate school, a full-time job, and a new family. I will be sorry when they return home. My advisor, Professor Igor Markov, has also poured an incredible amount of work into training me to be capable of writing this dissertation. He has defended me when it was not convenient, supported me when it seemed hopeless, and never gave up on me until the task was complete. I am grateful for all of his efforts as well as all of the opportunities and second chances he has given me. I truly hope it has been as worth it for him as it has been