The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston awarded 39 degrees during its 48th commencement ceremony May 20 in Levin Hall.
David W. Niesel, chief research officer, senior vice president and dean of the GSBS, presided over the convocation. Dr. David L. Callender, UTMB’s president, conferred the degrees.
The Graduate Student Organization presented its Distinguished Teaching Award to Janice Endsley, associate professor in the departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Pathology. Endsley also serves as director for the Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility.
During the ceremony, Lynn Soong, professor in the departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Pathology received the Distinguished Faculty Service Award. A dedicated faculty member for more than 18 years, Soong is also director of the Microbiology & Immunology Graduate Program.
The Distinguished Faculty Research Award was presented to Allan R. Brasier, professor in the department of Internal Medicine and Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Distinguished Chair in Endocrinology. Brasier is the director of UTMB’s Institute for Translational Sciences, and the Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine. He was recognized for his work investigating inflammatory disorders, and for his leadership in new research approaches including translational team science and precision medicine.
Slobodan Paessler, was honored with the GSBS Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2016. A member of the GSBS class of 2007, Paessler has achieved international prominence as a researcher in the field of virology since earning his Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology. Today he is a professor in the department of Pathology at UTMB, and also serves as chair of the James W. McLaughlin Endowment. Paessler gave the commencement address.
A new award, the GSBS Impact Award, was presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and scholarship, and has brought distinction to the graduate school. The recipient was Dr. Kjell N. Lindgren, a United States astronaut who recently completed a 141-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Lindgren earned his Master of Public Health degree at UTMB in 2007, two years before being named to the astronaut corps. He also addressed the graduates at the ceremony.
The commencement Mace Bearer was Tracy Toliver-Kinsky, associate professor in the departments of Anesthesiology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Toliver-Kinsky also led the graduates in reciting the Biomedical Scientist’s Oath during the ceremony.
For the entire 2015-2016 academic year, which includes three terms, the GSBS awarded a total of 68 degrees.