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Students and faculty recite the Affirmation of Scientists.
Image by Bryan Clifton
Graduate School Recognizes New Ph.D. Candidates
| Graduate School students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) celebrated a major step in their pursuit of a doctoral degree during a recent research induction ceremony.
Students were presented with white coats at the Sept. 8 event in the Fred W. Smith Auditorium on the 12th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. These students have passed their doctoral qualifying exam and are eligible to begin research on their dissertation.
Graduate School Dean Sean Taverna, Ph.D., addresses the gathering.Image by Bryan Clifton
“This is a wonderful occasion,” said Graduate School Dean Sean Taverna, Ph.D. “The white coat embodies a student’s achievement in becoming an official Ph.D. candidate. It’s a symbol of the honor, integrity and ethical standards they’re expected to uphold as a Ph.D.
“This ceremony marks a transition in the careers of our graduate students. They can now focus their attention on research,” he continued.
The UAMS Graduate School faculty consists of educators from the College of Health Professions, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.
Latrina Prince, Ed.D., Graduate School associate dean for academic affairs, introduced program directors, track directors, mentors and students in the ceremonial donning of the white coats.
The ceremony concluded with students and faculty reciting the Affirmation of Scientists, an acknowledgement of the acceptance of the expected standards of honor and integrity.
Daniel Armstrong receives his coat from Nukhet Aykin-Burns, Ph.D., and Graduate School Dean Sean Taverna, Ph.D.Image by Bryan Clifton
Doctoral candidates looked forward to the next phase.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” said Enoch Kwaku Larrey, who is studying Bioinformatics. “It’s a chance to do research that benefits not only people in this community but the entire world.”
Rachel Hale, a candidate in Health Promotion & Prevention Research, is close to achieving her goal of a Ph.D.
“I’m excited. I’m almost done with my dissertation and should be giving my defense in November,” she said. “It was great to pass the candidacy exam — I was very nervous, but I had a great committee that really walked me through every step.”
Sara Shalin, M.D., Ph.D., expressed satisfaction at seeing students reach this level in their studies.
Debasree Bhadra is coated by Mitch McGill, Ph.D., and Paul Prather, Ph.D.Image by Bryan Clifton
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to recognize this big milestone. It signifies that they’ve grasped the foundational learning of what will be required for their degree,” said Shalin, chair and professor in the College of Medicine Department of Dermatology, professor in the Department of Pathology and director of the M.D./Ph.D. program.
“As a program director, I’m ensuring the students are on the correct trajectory. The M.D./Ph.D. program aims to integrate both science and medicine by cross training between both disciplines,” she added.
Taverna praised the connection between students and mentors.
“Choosing a mentor is the single most important decision a student can make. The mentor is essential for the student’s support and successful training. The relationship between a student and mentor can last a lifetime,” he said.
Doctoral programs, program directors, track directors, Ph.D. candidates, and mentors follow:
Bioinformatics
Program Directors: Cesar Compadre, Ph.D., professor in the College of Pharmacy; Mary Yang, Ph.D., University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- Mansi Chandra (Weida Tong, Ph.D., National Center for Toxicological Research)
- Enoch Kwaku Larrey (Rupak Pathak, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy)
Epidemiology
Program Director: Mohammed Orloff, Ph.D., associate professor in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
- Maher Alsaadi (Mohammed Orloff, Ph.D.)
- Benjamin Kaimukilwa (Benjamin Amick, Ph.D., professor in the College of Public Health)
- Olabowale Oluwakemi Olola (Wendy Nembhard, Ph.D., professor and chair of the College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology)
Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (GPIBS)
Program Director: Karl Boehme, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Track Director: Mari Davidson, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Sanjay Adhikary (Alan Tackett, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and deputy director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute)
- Vy Nguyen (Katie Ryan, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Cell Biology & Physiology
Track Director: Melda Onal, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Cell Biology & Physiology
- Walter Aragon-Ramirez (Vladimir Lupashin, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cell Biology & Physiology)
Neurosciences
Track Director: Mark Mennemeier, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Neuroscience
- Bushra Zaman (Abdel Fouda, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology)
Pharmacology, Toxicology & Experimental Therapeutics
Track Director: Paul Prather, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Debasree Bhadra (Mitch McGill, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences)
- Christian Mitchell (Abdel Fouda, Ph.D.)
- Justin Pressley (Bill Fantegrossi, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology)
Health Promotion & Prevention Research
Program Director: George Pro, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health
- Rachel Hale (Keneshia Bryant-Moore, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Public Health)
M.D./Ph.D. Program
Program Director: Sara Shalin, M.D., Ph.D.
- Grant Dawson (Brian Koss, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
- Lindsey Hazeslip (Karl Boehme, Ph.D.)
- Catherine Kirkpatrick (William Lu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pathology)
- Chandrasimha Penthala (Craig Forrest, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology)
- Sydnye Shuttleworth (Brian Koss, Ph.D.)
Pharmaceutical Evaluation & Policy
Program Director: Jacob Painter, Pharm.D., Ph.D., professor in the College of Pharmacy and director of the division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation & Policy
- Filmon Wolde (Corey Hayes, Pharm.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Pharmacy)
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Program Director: Nukhet Aykin-Burns, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Pharmacy
- Daniel Armstrong (Brendan Frett, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy)
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