Scripps Research's Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 32nd graduating class Skaggs family also honored at commencement ceremony as first recipients of Scripps Research Presidential Medal
May 23, 2024
LA JOLLA, CA Scripps Research awarded doctoral degrees to 59 graduate students during the 32nd commencement, held by the institute's Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences on Friday, May 17, 2024.
Welcoming the hundreds of assembled family, friends, faculty and fellow graduate students to the event, Philip Dawson, PhD, dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies and professor of chemistry at Scripps Research, said, We're here to celebrate the achievements of 59 remarkable students who have defended their theses this year - the largest graduating class in the history of the program, which soon will have 950 alumni. I'm very proud of this group, and guarantee that none of them foresaw the turns their scientific and personal journeys would take when they entered the program.
Many of the doctoral degree recipients entered the program immediately prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an experience that would necessitate significant changes to the already complex process of laboratory research, while the institute focused on many lines of investigation surrounding SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, several students in this graduating class took part in COVID-19-related research during their studies.
Students comprising this year's graduating class represent the entire biomedical research spectrum of the 32 faculty members who served as their advisors and mentors, and in whose labs the students completed doctoral studies. From neuroscience, immunology and structural biology, to chemistry, chemical biology and computational biology, the graduating class completed thesis research projects spanning a wide array of disciplines. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, students tackled disease targets and complex problems in human health, including cancer, HIV, autism, leukemia, Lassa virus, malaria, antibiotic resistance, addiction and others.
A PhD isn't just about published papers and discoveries. It's about becoming an independent scientist someone who is capable of asking an insightful question, designing experiments to probe the question, and executing often technically challenging experiments to obtain data, continued Dawson. We train our graduates to be experimentally fearless.' Critically, the skills they hone during their PhD allow graduates to excel in life and in diverse professional activities. I look forward to watching them rise to leadership positions around the world.
Prior to the introduction of the graduating students, noted chemist Phil S. Baran, PhD, a current faculty member, author of hundreds of publications, Dr. Richard A. Lerner Endowed Chair and a 2002 alumnus of the Scripps Research graduate program, gave the keynote address. He encouraged the students to identify their personal mission statement and apply their skills toward a cause or career that energizes and inspires them.
Class of 2024, let me leave you with a reminder that every chemical reaction needs a driving force, said Baran. Similarly, anything worth accomplishing requires complete immersion, dedication and great sacrifice. The journey of life requires some suffering, and you might as well suffer while doing something that you love to your core. From one Scripps grad to another, the recipe is simple: find that thing you would do even if it paid nothing. Your mission attack it with obscene passion. Surround yourself by excellence, and then, don't look back.
Scripps Research President and CEO Peter Schultz, PhD, the L.S. Sam Skaggs Presidential Chair, placed the day's events in the context of the institute's 100-year history, currently being celebrated with centennial commemorations throughout the year.
Since it started in 1924, Scripps Research has grown into one of the world's leading research institutes, making major contributions to science and medicine and improving the lives of people across the globe, said Schultz during his remarks at the opening of Friday's ceremony. Since 1989, the graduate program has been an essential part of the Scripps Research story, training scientific leaders who will carry on this mission. The graduates leave here today having gained the knowledge and tools to make a profound impact on the world, and I should say with this privilege comes the obligation to do so.
After Schultz officially conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy upon the graduates, he then spoke about a different type of recognition, one created to elevate individuals who have made an extraordinary impact on Scripps Research and all its scientists, students and trainees the inaugural Scripps Research Presidential Medal, which was presented to the Skaggs family.
Specifically, the Scripps Research Presidential Medal recognized the family's legacy at the institute, beginning with the contributions of L.S. Sam and Aline Skaggs and continuing today through their children and grandchildren. Claudia Skaggs Luttrell, who has served on the Scripps Research Board for 22 years, accepted the award on behalf of the family and their foundation, The ALSAM Foundation. The Skaggs family's generosity over the decades has played a critical role in shaping Scripps Research.
Their support for The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology in 1996 enabled Scripps to recruit and support the world's leading scientists, said Schultz during his remarks. The Skaggs family made it possible to endow 100 graduate fellowships in the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, moving us closer to our goal of endowing all our graduate students, and unencumbering them to focus on their passions. And most recently, the Sk
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Among other tweaks to coverage, the broadcaster added announce positions in the ...
22/07/2026
The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia's sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in...
22/07/2026
From a retrofitted broadcast bus to packed Match Day Live! events, Bennett detai...
22/07/2026
TMRW Sports has named Brendan Donohue as President, Flag Football, where he will lead the company's professional flag football business in partnership with ...
22/07/2026
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) designed and produced soundtracks for nine projection...
22/07/2026
Harmonic has announced a $25,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) fo...
22/07/2026
Telemundo has announced it has acquired from UC3 exclusive U.S. Spanish-language...
22/07/2026
The Rest Is Football, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, ...
22/07/2026
Sports Studio has announced a partnership with TheSoul Group to distribute Free ...
22/07/2026
Daktronics has concluded its 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day hybrid event combining virtual sessions with hands-on host school visits across the countr...
22/07/2026
FOR-A America will exhibit at the MMCA Show in Pensacola, Florida (July 21-24), marking the company's first appearance at the house of worship AV event. FOR...
22/07/2026
The New York Yankees have selected Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to connect Ya...
22/07/2026
Calrec will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.C47) with demonstrations of its IP-native audio ecosystem built around the Argo console range, and will announce two ne...
22/07/2026
Solid State Logic has announced the appointment of Algam EKO as its distributor for SSL large format consoles in Italy, covering the Live, Broadcast, and Studio...
22/07/2026
FloSports has announced the launch of the FloSports Channel, a free ad-supported streaming channel premiering on Prime Video in the U.S. on July 21. The channel...
22/07/2026
Banana Ball TV (BTV), the broadcast operation of the Savannah Bananas, has insta...
22/07/2026
SiriusXM and Audacy have announced an agreement bringing 42 Audacy sports, news, and talk stations from 29 U.S. markets to SiriusXM. Twenty-three Audacy sports ...
22/07/2026
The collaboration produced more than 500 short-form videos across four cities th...
22/07/2026
At 2,600 sq. ft., the new home of digital content houses a main studio, podcast space, and an auxiliary control room
NFL franchises are accelerating their prod...
22/07/2026
Library now available in Engine Player
Another of Eduardo Tarilonte's popular sample libraries has just been moved over to Engine Audio's Engine Pla...
22/07/2026
All-in-one mic & DSP interface overhauled
Cloudvocal have just refreshed the design of their all-in-one mic, audio interface and DSP processor, introducing ...
22/07/2026
The final boss of the lost dual-op-amp circuit
Electro-Harmonix have just introduced the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2, which they say offers their latest take on t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
A poisoned spy, a secret war, and a small English city contaminated by a deadly chemical weapon. Available on Sky Documentaries from 4 AugustWednesday 22 July 2...
22/07/2026
Audio at Parity: Comscore Launches Transcript-Level Targeting and Measurement wi...
22/07/2026
Arvato Systems and Lobster Enter into a Partnership and Combine the Integration Platform and Managed Services
Flexible integration solutions for cloud, hybrid...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
21/07/2026
In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...
Scripps Research's Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 32nd graduating class Skaggs family also honored at commencement ceremony as first recipients of Scripps Research Presidential Medal
