Class of 2020 celebrated for diverse scientific accomplishments

Scripps Research in June awarded doctoral degrees to 44 graduate students who completed the rigorous academic and research requirements of the institute’s Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences. The degree recipients comprise the 28th graduating class of Scripps Research’s graduate program.

In lieu of the traditional annual commencement ceremony on the La Jolla campus, a virtual celebration for the class of 2020 was held on July 31, in consideration of public health restrictions imposed in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We congratulate all of our 2020 graduates on their spectacular journey at Scripps Research, where each of them contributed their boundless energy and passion to expand scientific knowledge and ultimately, improve human health,” said Phil Dawson, PhD, dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Scripps Research, and a professor in the Department of Chemistry. “Even though we are unable to celebrate our graduates in person this year, it’s gratifying to know that so many of these outstanding young scientists are already hard at work investigating potential causes of and treatments for COVID-19 and other diseases.”

Ranked among the top 10 doctoral programs of its kind in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences at Scripps Research offers training in chemistry, chemical biology, neuroscience, immunology, cell biology and other biomedical research areas.

The program immerses students in intensive laboratory research while offering a customizable course curriculum that allows students to match individual research interests while exploring multidisciplinary topics at the interface of chemistry and biology.

Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences 2020 Graduating Class