Pre-pregnancy BMI and Preterm Birth Among Hispanic Teens

! ! """! ! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my committee chair, Professor Lisa Chasan-Taber, who inspired me throughout the year in my research and showed me the importance of thorough, dedicated work. Without her guidance, knowledge, and laughter, this would not have been possible – or, would have just been a lot less enjoyable. I would also like to thank my committee members, Professor Penelope Pekow and Professor Brian Whitcomb for their additional guidance, especially in the technical and analytical branches. Their contributions and insight to this project were instrumental. I would like to thank my family for being supportive and for imbedding a relentless work ethic in me early in life. Lastly, I would like to thank my partner, Luke Egan, for the endless emotional and practical support (cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner). You have kept my head above the water on so many days that I didn't think I could pull through.