I would like to thank God for His never-ceasing love and kindness, and for the people who helped me accomplish this work. I would like to express my deep gratitude to my advisor, Professor Steffen Strauch, for his support, guidance, and for the time he spent helping me during this analysis. He continuously inspired me and patiently guided me through all the steps of my research endeavor, and I highly appreciate it. I am also indebted to my dissertation committee members: Professor Ralf Gothe, Professor Camelia Knapp and Professor Milind Purohit for their time, insight, and support. I would also like to thank Professor Yordanka Ilieva for her feedback and assistance. Many thanks also go to the members of FROST g9b group for sharing their knowledge and experience on so many occasions. Last but not least, it was my privilege to be part of the USC experimental nuclear physics group, a wonderful team of researchers who are friendly, generous and supportive.