Graduate Studies Newsletter

Latest ‘Graduate Posts’ offers updates from UNMC Graduate Studies

Interim dean Kendra Schmid, PhD, offers a message, and the newsletter offers features and updates for its winter 2025 issue.

Mar 5, 2025

Kendra Schmid, PhD

Convocation marks beginning of ‘great adventure’

After the graduation celebrations end, what are you going to do? John Leonard, MD, president and CEO of Intellia Therapeutics, posed that question recently to degree candidates at UNMC’s Graduate Studies Honors Convocation. “This is only the beginning,” he told the soon-to-be graduates on May 3 while delivering the keynote address at the Omaha Conservatory […]

Jun 19, 2024

2024 Graduate Studies Honors Convocation keynote speaker John Leonard, MD, right, president and CEO of Intellia Therapeutics, is congratulated by Dele Davies, MD.

Student spotlight: Sophia Kisling

We continue highlighting some of our outstanding graduate students. Meet Sophia Kisling! Name: Sophia Kisling Hometown: Cortland, Nebraska Graduate Studies program: Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS) – biochemistry and molecular biology Anticipated graduation: May 2024 Advisor: Surinder Batra, PhD What do you love about your field of study? Research is something that I’ve […]

Mar 18, 2024

Sophia Kisling

Alumnus urges grads to take ‘braided river’ path

UNMC Graduate Studies held its annual Winter Honors Convocation Dec. 15, 2023, honoring August and December graduates. The honorees include those who had earned or were about to earn three graduate certificates, more than 20 master’s degrees and 40 doctoral degrees. The keynote speaker was UNMC Graduate Studies alumna Robin Cotter, PhD, who has taken […]

Mar 18, 2024

Dele Davies, MD, dean for graduate studies, greets UNMC Graduate Studies alumnus Robin Cotter, PhD, before she gives the keynote address at the 2023 Winter Honors Convocation.

Students have new career development resource

UNMC Graduate Studies has partnered with an online career training platform, Beyond the Professoriate to provide more career development resources for graduate students. Beyond the Prof provides two types of career development resources. First, it is a resource to help answer the question, “What can I do with my PhD?” Karen Gould, PhD, assistant dean […]

Oct 24, 2023

A new career training platform available to students is completely online and self-paced.

Graduate Studies enrollment is setting records

Welcome to the fall issue of Graduate Posts. I want to personally welcome all our new and existing graduate students to UNMC. The first semester is almost halfway over, and it has been wonderful to see everyone settled on campus. This year is especially noteworthy as we enrolled a record number of 720 students this […]

Oct 23, 2023

Dele Davies, MD

Wellness advocates experienced, independent confidantes

Emeritus faculty David Crouse, PhD, and Alice Schumaker, PhD, will serve as wellness advocates for UNMC Graduate Studies and postdocs. They hold regular office hours in the Graduate Student Wellness Hub, located on the ground floor of Durham Research Center I. Dr. Crouse, a former interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and interim dean for […]

Oct 23, 2023

Drs. Crouse and Schumaker are wellness advocates for graduate students and postdocs.

Matriculation ‘the beginning of a new chapter’

UNMC Graduate Studies celebrated the arrival of more than 200 students at its annual Matriculation Ceremony Aug. 15 at Durham Research Center I auditorium. “Take a deep breath,” Graduate Student Association (GSA) president Sophia Kisling told the assembled crowd. “This marks the beginning of a new chapter in your lives.” The new students were welcomed […]

Oct 23, 2023

Graduate Student Association (GSA) president Sophia Kisling greeted new students at the matriculation ceremony welcome reception.

Aldhafiri sees clinical pharmacology as ‘a bridge’

A Graduate Studies student spotlight! Name: Wafaa Aldhafiri Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Graduate Studies program: Pharmaceutical sciences graduate program Anticipated graduation: May 2024 Advisor: DJ Murry, PharmD What do you love about your field of study? What I love about clinical pharmacology is the opportunity to serve as a bridge, linking diverse disciplines and constructing […]

Oct 23, 2023

Wafaa Aldahafiri

Alumnus addresses old teachers, future colleagues

UNMC Graduate Studies alumnus Gangadhar Sunkara, PhD, global program head at Novartis, knew how the assembled degree candidates felt at the May 5 spring honors convocation. In fact, he was feeling those feelings with them. “I’m still nervous,” Dr. Sunkara said, “because a couple of teachers who taught me are still on this podium.” But […]

Jun 26, 2023

Degree candidates at the May 5 spring honors convocation.