This document is a cover letter from Katherine Nicholas, a PhD candidate in Biostatistics at the Medical University of South Carolina, defending her dissertation on March 21, 2016 about covariate adjustment in non-inferiority clinical trials. Her work addresses how failing to adjust for important prognostic factors can impact type I error, and she has developed new methodology for choosing covariates. She has had enriching research experiences serving as a statistical analyst and collaborating on multicenter clinical trials. She is seeking a position where she can be an independent researcher, cultivate new collaborations, and mentor others.