PhD White Coat Ceremony Honors Student Advancement

Sixteen of the students are moving on to their research laboratory match, while three are still deciding on their match.

Anthony A. Campagnari, PhD, senior associate dean for research and graduate education, praised the students in his opening remarks at the event.

“Without you, we wouldn’t have a program. We’re glad you picked us and we’re happy to have you here,” said Campagnari, who is also SUNY Distinguished Professor of microbiology and immunology and medicine.

“We’re proud of all of you. I’m really looking forward to seeing how you advance in your careers,” he added.

Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, recognized the students for their accomplishments.

“This is an important milestone in your medical careers. In the fields of medicine and biomedical sciences, this white coat is really the symbol of trust and professionalism. We take that very seriously in the Jacobs School,” Cain said. “You’ve earned it. Please wear it well.”

Cain also handed out two awards that were presented by Laboratory Product Sales (LPS), one of the sponsors for the white coat ceremony.

Natalie Popielski, an Amherst, New York, native who earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Mercyhurst University, won the LPS Academic Achievement Award, which recognizes the student with the strongest academic performance in the first year of doctoral study. She has matched to the laboratory of Mark Sutton, PhD, professor of biochemistry, to pursue her doctoral degree in biochemistry.

Janie McGlohon, a native of El Paso, Texas, who earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Texas A&M University, won the LPS Rotation Award, which recognizes a student for exceptional performance in a PPBS laboratory rotation. She has been matched to the laboratory of D. Fernando Estrada, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry, to pursue her doctoral degree in biochemistry.

Daniel W. Sheehan, MD, PhD ’89, associate dean for medical curriculum, clinical professor of pediatrics and a member of the Medical Alumni Association board, represented the Office of Medical Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, another event sponsor.

“The Alumni Association is very proud to co-sponsor this fifth white coat ceremony. I want to congratulate you on your program match. Personally, I love walking around this building and seeing you in your white coats,” Sheehan said. “Because we know that only with your research, your creativity, your innovation and your dedication, we can all take biomedical sciences in Buffalo to the next level and then take it beyond Buffalo as well.”

“Our alumni association is really a network — not just here but as members of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. I want to encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities as they come up,” Sheehan added. “As you’ve already learned, success in research comes from collaboration — within a building and within a campus as well. We in the Alumni Association hope to see you in the lab and also outside the lab really experiencing, exploring and enjoying the best that Buffalo has to offer.”

Sheehan, a 1989 graduate of the doctoral program in physiology, has fond memories of the mentoring he received from his thesis adviser, thesis committee and the entire Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

“You’re going to have a wonderful committee and a wonderful department that’s going to support you and mentor you as you progress in your doctoral training,” Sheehan said.

The PPBS students are listed below, with their department and mentor matches where applicable.

The ceremony also honored students in the MD-PhD program. MD-PhD students are listed below, with their department and mentor matches where applicable.

The PPBS provides an entry portal and a common first-year curriculum, mentoring, hands-on opportunities and financial support.

With its laboratory rotation system, students can explore a variety of disciplines before committing to their specific area of research.

The white coat ceremony was conducted June 18 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building in downtown Buffalo.