The Scripps Research Institute Celebrates Historic 25th Commencement Ceremony

The Top-Ranked Graduate Program Will Confer Doctoral Degrees on New Group of Graduates

In addition to the new title of “doctor,” today’s graduates from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) Graduate Program will have the distinction of saying they were part of the program’s historic 25^th Commencement. TSRI’s Class of 2017 will join the more than 600 distinguished alumni who have graduated from the program.

“TSRI alumni have had a profound impact on biomedical research, and the Class of 2017 is part of this legacy. We are certain this year’s graduates will be equally as innovative and impactful in their scientific endeavors,” said Phil Dawson, Ph.D. dean of the TSRI Graduate Program and an alumnus from the Class of 1996. “They came to us as some of the brightest students in the country, and they move on from the Institute with the tools and experience necessary to become the next generation of great scientists in industry and academia.”

TSRI’s Graduate Program will also confer honorary doctorates on two distinguished leaders in the fields of science and public health: Chris Walsh, Ph.D., and Gerald Chan, Ph.D.

Chris Walsh, Ph.D., is a renowned chemist and academic leader who currently serves as a consulting professor to the Stanford University Department of Chemistry. Gerald Chan, Ph.D., co-founder of private equity and venture capital firm, Morningside, is a scientist, entrepreneur, investor and advocate for biomedical research. Both Chan and Walsh joined the TSRI Board of Directors earlier this year.

“The broad impact of Chris and Gerald’s achievements should serve as an inspiration to our graduating class as they embark on the next phase of their careers and apply their own learnings to advancing scientific discovery around the world,” said TSRI President Peter G. Schultz.

Since the first doctoral degree was awarded to Jairo Arévalo in 1993, TSRI alumni have gone on to distinguished careers in research, academia, government and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

TSRI’s Graduate Program offers a uniquely hands-on training program where students work in the laboratory from day one and can explore different subjects in order to refine their research interests and to connect with mentors. Students can customize their class schedules to fit their academic and research goals. Thanks to video feeds, all students have the option of taking classes offered on both the California and Florida campuses.

U.S. News and World Report ranks TSRI among the top 10 graduate schools for biology and chemistry in the United States, among leading universities such as Harvard, Stanford and MIT. The program has also been recognized by Times Higher Education as the World’s Most Innovative Institution of Higher Education.

The 2017 TSRI Commencement Ceremony begins at 10 AM Pacific time on Friday, May 19, 2017.

Follow #TSRIgrad on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live updates before and during Commencement—and use the hashtag to share your own photos or TSRI alumni memories.

Send comments to: press[at]scripps.edu

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