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Robert McGehee, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School, visits with the Class of 2022 during their Commencement Day brunch the morning of graduation.

UAMS Graduate School Faculty, Staff Celebrate its 57 Graduates

June 7, 2022 | About 130 students, faculty and staff enjoyed a Commencement Day brunch as they celebrated the Class of 2022 from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Graduate School.

This year’s 57 graduates included three students who received a post-doctoral certificate, 27 students who received a doctor of philosophy degree, 11 students who received a master of science degree and 16 students who received a graduate certificate.

“Our students go literally everywhere as far as industry is concerned, so you will all go on to do great things,” said Robert McGehee, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School, in his welcome address.

Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health told the students that pursuing their degrees amid a pandemic was an additional education.

“I know that when you signed up to go to graduate school, you were not anticipating having a pandemic in the middle of trying to get your dissertation done, and I am confident that it did not make anything easier for you,” Patterson said.

“But I would like to reflect on the impact the pandemic is likely to have on the rest of your careers because you have proven, not just to us but to yourselves, that you can do this under any circumstances,” he said. “And as you think about what transpired in the laboratories, and how we’ve rapidly changed the way we went about our business. In many cases, labs changed what they were working on to focus on COVID-19, and the progress that we’ve had right here in the state of Arkansas, those are lessons that you will take with you and deploy successfully for the rest of your careers.”

One of this year’s graduates, Pilar G. Simmons, Ph.D., told those gathered is that to succeed, we must be open to changing and adapting to the detours that come our way.

“I originally joined the master’s [program] in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences but after beginning my studies, I decided to pursue a doctorate degree instead. And because of the research I have done and the collaboration that occurred during my studies, I will be joining the College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program in the fall.”