Scripps Research awards doctoral degrees to class of 2021

A total of 42 graduates are earning PhDs this year after completing their academic journey at the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences.

May 13, 2021

LA JOLLA, CA and JUPITER, FL—Scripps Research is awarding doctoral degrees to 42 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 29th graduating class of Scripps Research’s doctoral program.

As in 2020, pandemic-related restrictions precluded hosting the program’s traditional in-person ceremony, so a virtual celebration honoring this year’s class will be held at 10 am PDT/1pm EDT on Friday, May 21. The event will feature speeches from graduates and their advisors, as well as a commencement address from Tom Daniel, MD, a life science industry leader and chairman of Locanabio, a biotechnology company.

The virtual commencement ceremony can be viewed online, along with profiles of this year’s graduating students, at scripps.edu/graduation2021.

“Each of our 2021 graduates made an impact on the Scripps Research community over the course of their scientific journey,” says Philip Dawson, PhD, dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies at Scripps Research and a professor in the Department of Chemistry. “Our graduates will no doubt continue to devote their energy and creativity to training the next generation of diverse research scientists, expanding scientific knowledge and ultimately, improving human health. They are well prepared to make their mark on the world.”

Dawson notes that members of this year’s graduating class have collectively published 185 scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, communicating their discoveries to the scientific world. And even more impressive, these papers have already been cited more than 5,000 times, an indication of the broad impact of their work, he says.

Graduates often go on to take on roles in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology sectors, choose an academic path as faculty at universities or scientists in nonprofit settings, or become leaders at health-focused companies and government.

Ranked among the nation’s top 10 doctoral programs in both chemistry and Biology 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, structural biology, molecular medicine and other high-impact biomedical research areas.

Conceived of and developed by faculty, the Scripps Research doctoral program was founded in 1989 to immerse students in intensive laboratory research while offering a customizable course curriculum that explores multidisciplinary topics at the interface of chemistry and biology.  

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