The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences awarded 33 degrees during its 47th commencement ceremony May 15 in Levin Hall. Vice president and Dean David W. Niesel, presided over the convocation. Dr. David L. Callender, president of UTMB, conferred the degrees.
The Graduate Student Organization presented its Distinguished Teaching Award to Dr. Gustavo Valbuena, associate professor in the department of pathology. Valbuena also serves as director for the Research Histopathology Core and the Master of Medical Science Program.
James C. Lee, Professor and Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry in the department of biochemistry & molecular biology received the Distinguished Faculty Service Award.
The Distinguished Faculty Research Award was presented to Kyriakos S. Markides, professor in the department of preventive medicine and community health. Markides is also the Annie and John Gnitzinger Distinguished Professor of Aging and editor of Journal of Aging and Health.
Joan Elizabeth Nichols, associate dean for student affairs in the graduate school and associate director of the Galveston National Laboratory, was honored with the GSBS Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2015. She is also a professor in the department of internal medicine, division of infectious diseases, and in the department of microbiology and immunology at UTMB. Nichols also gave the commencement address.
The commencement Mace Bearer was Ghulam Ahmad Shakeel Ansari, a professor in the department of pathology. Ansari also administered the scientific oath to the graduates during the ceremony.
In 2014-15 the Graduate School awarded a total of 61 degrees – 43 doctorates, 17 masters and one MD/PhD degree.