BMS Ph.D. students inspire future biologists at TriBeta meeting

BMS students present at a TriBeta Biological Honor Society meeting. 

Students from the Whiddon College of Medicine's Basic Medical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program recently shared their experiences and insights with members of the USA TriBeta Biological Honor Society. 

Robert Barrington, Ph.D., director of the BMS Graduate Program and the Office of Research Education and Training, opened the meeting with an overview of the program’s curriculum and research tracks. Following his introduction, current BMS students — Oluwagbenro Adesunloro, Adeyeye Haastrup, Sicily Hardy, Thomas Floyd and Angela Russ — shared their paths to pursuing doctoral studies.

The students discussed their undergraduate backgrounds, their decisions to pursue a Ph.D. instead of a master’s or medical degree, and their long-term career goals in academia, government and industry. Hardy emphasized that uncertainty is normal for students entering research programs.

“A lot of people join the program thinking they want to do a very specific type of research, then when they do their rotations in different labs, they end up finding something else they enjoy,” Hardy said. “We told them there are so many different labs and research focuses, and sometimes you can be in a certain lab but your projects are collaborations with different departments.”  

TriBeta members participate in a gardening day at the
USA Community Garden.

The event was organized by TriBeta President John Meadows to give undergraduates a firsthand look at life in a Ph.D. program. Meadows said the presentations offered meaningful perspective for TriBeta members considering graduate education.

“Our club has a significant number of biomedical sciences students in addition to the biology students, and many of our members are interested in post-graduate education,” Meadows said. “I believe they gained valuable insights into the year-to-year process of a Ph.D. program, as well as some understanding of the qualities and work ethic required to succeed in such a program.”

Meadows added his appreciation to the faculty and students who made the visit possible. “We very much appreciate Dr. Alani Rodgers and Dr. Robert Barrington for coming out and bringing students with them to inform us,” he said.