‘Of value to others’

UF College of Medicine brunch honors master’s and doctoral graduates

By Tyler Francischine

May 14, 2019 — Graduates of the UF College of Medicine master’s and doctoral programs were honored May 3 with a brunch attended by students, faculty, friends and family in the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building.

Thomas Rowe, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate education, greeted the attendees and offered recognition for the amount of hard work and perseverance required by each graduate to reach this end point.

“Today we’re celebrating the achievements of our graduates. They’re poised to change the future, to solve the current and ongoing problems in medicine,” Rowe said.

After thanking the faculty members who have served as mentors to the graduates as well as the graduates’ family members, Rowe offered a final thought for the graduates.

“Albert Einstein said, ‘Strive not to be successful, but to be of value to others,’” Rowe said. “Graduates, don’t forget to share your insights and gifts from over the years with others, so their lives might become richer.”

Each faculty mentor took turns speaking about the attributes and accomplishments of the graduate they mentored. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, Ph.D., director for the UF Center for Structural Biology, shared her appreciation for her mentee, Nikea Pittman, Ph.D., who studied “Structure and Function Investigation of Anti-Tumor Parvoviruses” within the biochemistry and molecular biology concentration.

“Nikea is not just excellent at research; she’s an educator herself,” Agbandje-McKenna said. “Early on in our relationship, she asked for an undergraduate student to mentor. She’s always wanted to pay it forward.”

Clockwise from top left: Robert McKenna, Ph.D., Nikea Pittman, Ph.D., and Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, Ph.D., at the 2019 UF College of Medicine graduate brunch. Photo by W. Charles Poulton

Pittman said she was inspired by the relationship she shares with Agbandje-McKenna to lend a hand in guiding young scientists toward achieving their individual goals.

“Dr. Mavis’s mentoring approach really considers the personality and personal interests of her mentees. When I’ve mentored undergraduate students, I’ve used what I learned from her about listening to what the students are passionate about,” Pittman said. “Mentoring is about empowering them to know what next steps to take to make their career goals happen.”

Joseph Fantone, M.D., senior associate dean for educational affairs, provided the closing remarks for the brunch.

“I want to thank you graduates for entrusting us to guide you through your professional and personal development,” Fantone said. “You’re an inspiration to our faculty, and to a large degree, you’re the lifeblood of the research program here at the UF College of Medicine.”

Group portrait of approximately thirty people standing and seated indoors, facing the camera.

The students honored at the 2019 UF College of Medicine graduate brunch pose with their mentors. Photo by W. Charles Poulton

Below is a complete list of the graduates honored at the May 3 brunch:

Biochemistry and molecular biology master’s degrees

Bihan Wang

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Thesis: Role of LSD 1 in Chemoresistant Colon Cancer

Thesis Chair: Suming Huang, Ph.D.

Thesis Co-Chair: Yi Qiu, Ph.D.

Gerontology master’s degrees

Tamura Freeman

Major: Medical Sciences – Gerontology