Dr. Jacqueline Dillard walked earlier this month for her Ph.D. graduation. I am terribly proud of her for finishing this big project that was her dissertation. She is extremely smart and dedicated, yet, we all know how tough a dissertation can be to finish. Indeed, crossing the finish line is a tremendous achievement so kuddos to her for that!
Along the same line, one of my undergraduate student, Zoe Dapore, graduated with a Bachelor in Science the same day. Makayla Dean, the other undergraduate student in my lab this past academic year, was there for support and guidance since she graduated this past winter session. Both are on the picture below with me.
Zoe Dapore (left), Makayla Dean (right; both undergraduates in my lab), and me (center). Zoe and Makayla have been nothing but excellent students while working in my lab and, although I’m sad to see them go on to their next step, I am looking forward to hearing from them about their future achievements (numerous for sure) and I am extremely honored to have had them working with me all those years.
Do not be fooled by my clothes on the picture above, I had the privilege to attend the commencement ceremony from the main stage as I was one of the four recipients to the Provost Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. It is a University-wide award and I was humbled to have been chosen for it. Since I will be getting a summer degree, my commencement will be this coming winter so I wanted a dry run to see how things are done on this side of the Atlantic. Turns out, it’s great and very different from France! Also, being able to witness my wife getting her degree up close was priceless, without counting one of my friends (yes, I see you master Tee!) and students (beside Zoe, numerous undergraduate I taught for in the past were also graduating) who were also walking for their degree. Below, you can admire how well I was treated by UK with robes up to the standing of my master in Biology from Dijon (the robes are not officially from Dijon since we don’t have that in France; they are from UK, but the degree is accurate).
With that, I’m getting back to work since my own graduation is not yet achieved … 27th of June I’m looking at you!!