Seventy PhD candidates across the BSD were recognized at a Divisional Academic Ceremony on June 5, 2025. After graduation, many PhD students will continue their academic careers in academic or government research positions or by returning to medical school; several others are pursuing careers in industry research, technology development, communications, policy and regulation, or business and commercialization.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Sophie McCoy, PhD 2014, Ecology and Evolution. McCoy was advised by Cathy Pfister, PhD and was awarded the divisional award for her dissertation, Effects of ocean acidification on the ecology of crustose coralline red algae.
McCoy is now Associate Professor of Biology and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is an ecologist with broad interests in ecology, evolution, physiology, microbiology, and environmental chemistry. Her research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary impacts of environmental change—particularly in marine ecosystems. Through her work, she explores how organisms adapt—or fail to adapt—to the rapid transformations occurring in our oceans due to climate change and human activity.
She has conducted extensive field research around the globe, from the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest to coral reefs in the Caribbean and has published widely on topics ranging from ocean acidification to microbial ecology. Her work not only advances scientific understanding but also emphasizes the importance of preserving biodiversity and ecosystem function in a changing world.
Beyond her research, Dr. McCoy is deeply committed to education and mentorship. She is a passionate advocate for scientific literacy, support in academia for students from all educational backgrounds, and environmental stewardship.
As part of this year’s convocation ceremonies, graduates received divisional and program awards for their research projects.
PhD Program Awards
- Silas Busch, Best Overall Dissertation, Neurobiology
- Sihao Huang, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
- Yichen Hou, Genetics, Genomics, & Systems Biology
- Hadley DeBrosse, Medical Physics
- Martin Sepulveda, Immunology
- Nathaniel Wright, Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program
- Jennifer Blanc, Human Genetics
- Julio Miranda Alban, Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology
- Lili Wang, Genetics, Genomics, & Systems Biology
- Elizabeth de Laittre, Computational Neuroscience
- Emma Wilkinson, Cancer Biology
- Matthew Schechter, Microbiology
- Santiago Herrera Alvarez, Ecology and Evolution
- Andy Anderson, Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition
- Bei Wang, Public Health Sciences