Kevin Pereira holds a lorikeet during biomedical graduate students’ visit to the Nashville Zoo. (photo by Susan Urmy)
Back to School 2010: New biomedical graduate students eager to investigate
Red pandas, rainbow lorikeets and giant anteaters helped Vanderbilt welcome its newest class of biomedical graduate students during this week's orientation activities held at the Nashville Zoo.
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) enrolled 72 students and the Chemical and Physical Biology Admissions (CPBA) program enrolled nine students. The students represent five countries and 28 states, and 16 percent come from groups underrepresented in science.
Continuing a trend, nearly all members of the incoming graduate programs have extensive research experience. However, a change this year is reflected in the IGP class, which is 65 percent female, a major increase over the typical 54 percent to 56 percent.
Jamie Wenke examines the inhabitants of an aquarium at the Nashville Zoo during a visit by incoming biomedical graduate students. (photo by Susan Urmy)
“This is an interesting change and it will be intriguing to see if ongoing efforts to recruit more women into science and engineering are now coming to fruition,” said IGP Director James Patton, Ph.D.
Beyond gender, Patton is also excited about future international recruiting due to a new graduate initiative funded by Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos.
“This means we can go out and recruit the best and brightest and worry less about the costs of supporting international students who are ineligible for NIH training grants,” Patton said.
This year, the IGP curriculum has undergone its most significant revision since the program's inception in 1991. When Susan Wente, Ph.D., was promoted to associate vice chancellor for Research and senior associate dean for Biomedical Sciences, she initiated a critical evaluation by both external and internal committees.
A major change resulting from the review process was the appointment of Tony Weil, Ph.D., as curriculum director. He is chairing a committee that is currently redesigning the curriculum, especially the spring semester.
“The new curriculum will give students more options to pursue their specific interests and focus their efforts as they decide their choice of thesis lab. Hopefully, it will help them make a very wise choice,” Patton said.
Elizabeith Deel, left, and Tyne Miller walk the grounds of the Nashville Zoo. (photo by Susan Urmy)
The CPBA program is also launching a new foundations course for all incoming students. It will expose them to concepts in modern molecular and cellular biology, with particular emphasis on physical and quantitative approaches that are currently being used to address important questions in these fields.
“This new course, which is being directed by David Piston, Ph.D., represents a major step forward in the didactic training of our incoming CPBA students,” said Al Beth, Ph.D., director of the CPBA program.
Also new this year is an induction ceremony called “from so simple a beginning,” derived from Charles Darwin's Origin of Species. Incoming students will be presented with the essentials of a researcher — a lab coat, laser pointer and slide advancer, provided in part by faculty sponsors.
“This is a way for faculty to support our students and welcome them to our profession. The students see the faculty directly contributing to the success of the program. They can feel that they are now a member of the academic profession,” Patton said.
The ceremony will take place Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 4 p.m. in 208 Light Hall.