Incoming biomedical graduate student Katherine Hutchinson, right, receives her lab coat from Susan Wente, Ph.D., and Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., at last week’s ceremony. (photo by Anne Rayner)
On. Sept. 1, 114 new doctoral students at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were welcomed into the scientific community in an inaugural recognition ceremony.
The ceremony was called “…From So Simple A Beginning,” a quote that comes from the last paragrah in Charles Darwin's “On the Origin of Species.”
It was conceived by Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and Susan Wente, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for Research and senior associate dean for Biomedical Sciences.
Modeled after the medical students' white coat ceremony, incoming doctoral students were presented with selected essentials of a researcher, including a lab coat. These items were provided in part by the support of 55 faculty sponsors.