2025 Lab Coat Ceremony Welcomes Graduate Students To Their Thesis Labs
An annual tradition marks the start of scientific discovery for the 2024-2025 class of Stowers Graduate School students.
09 October 2025
The Graduate School of the Stowers Institute recently held its 2025 Lab Coat Ceremony, a milestone event welcoming the cohort of Ph.D. students to the Stowers Institute’s research community. The ceremony marked the beginning of their research journey in their thesis labs at the Institute. Each student delivered a brief presentation introducing their scientific interests and outlining the questions they will investigate during their Ph.D. studies.
Following the presentations, students were joined on stage by their Thesis Advisors, who presented them with their Stowers lab coats. The moment represented both a personal milestone and a welcome into the collaborative, mentorship-driven environment that defines the Institute.
As each Advisor introduced their new student, they offered words of encouragement and insight into the discoveries awaiting them. The event underscored the Graduate School’s commitment to curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific rigor—principles that guide students as they begin their research journeys at the Institute.
The 2024–2025 Stowers Graduate School Class
Alejandra Alonso Quintana, Sankari Lab Zhengda An, Sauka-Spengler Lab Sergio Barroso Bordon, Sankari Lab Adam Cogan, Si Lab Michael Epp, Özel Lab Grace McKown, Kostova Lab Shao-Fu Nien, Sánchez Alvarado and Kostova Lab Dilan Sakinci, Zanders Lab Shrutika Sansaria, Halfmann Lab Ritvee Talele, Sankari Lab