UNMC Graduate Studies honored nine soon-to-be master’s graduates and 34 Ph.D. candidates at its recent winter honors convocation.
The event featured the recognition of student achievement awards, and the hooding of candidates by their mentors. Howard Gendelman, M.D., chair of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience and Larson Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, served as keynote speaker.
Dr. Gendelman, who has mentored more than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, urged candidates to base their careers on three pillars: accountability, responsibility and integrity.
He said scientists must balance creativity with integrity: “It’s not an easy task,” Dr. Gendelman said.
How is science a creative undertaking? “Essentially what we are doing is looking out a window and imagining what could be.”
And, while we must base our work upon the proven findings of those who came before, “We must have the vision to see what our predecessors have missed,” Dr. Gendelman said.
Dr. Gendelman revisited an earlier emphasis: none of this will be easy.
But, “Do good anyway.”
“Succeed anyway.”
“Be honest and frank anyway.”
“Think big anyway,” Dr. Gendelman said.
“Fight for the underdog anyway.”
“Build anyway.”
“Help people anyway.”
And with this, the Graduate Studies candidates went out into the world.