Congratulations, PhD class of 2024!
After years of perseverance and rigorous research, 20 doctoral students from the Max Delbrück Center celebrated their academic achievements at the Graduation Ceremony 2024 on July 5th. Cheers and applause filled the room when the graduates were awarded their well-earned diplomas on a stage decorated with festive garlands and golden “2024” balloons. Gathered at the MDC-BIMSB were many guests – including alumni, group leaders, lab mates, family members and friends – to celebrate this important milestone and the room was filled with a warm, excited atmosphere as colleagues shared stories of the graduates’ PhD journeys.
Michela Di Virgilio hosted the ceremony.
The focus of the ceremony was not only on the graduates’ many scientific achievements, but also about the people who supported them along the way. “Today, we celebrate the friendships that you made in the trenches – your lab mates, even your old, annoying PI,” said Professor Michela Di Virgilio who hosted the ceremony. Many in the room laughed with recognition when Di Virgilio gave examples of how people helped the young scientist to get through their PhDs – “The long chats during the night,” “the shoulder to cry on when your Western Blot didn’t work,” and “the food that your parents put in your luggage.”
The researchers echoed this sentiment, agreeing that the people they worked with and cooperated were of huge importance to their experiences. Dr. Alexis Garcia Contreras for example, whose doctoral research focused on the roles of ion channels in mechano-sensation, said that his favourite experience in doing his PhD at the Max Delbrück Center was closely collaborating with his colleagues. “The people were really great,” agreed Dr. Laura Corradi, who investigated modulation of stress in zebrafish during her PhD, adding “There was no competition. Everybody was helping each other.”
Proud moments and perseverance
In keeping with tradition at the Max Delbrück Center, each group leader gave a personal speech about the graduating doctoral student they supervised. As well as applauding the students for their hard work and impressive publications, PIs and colleagues recounted the graduates’ hobbies and talents including such pursuits as baking, party planning and costume creating. So, the guests learned that Dr. Saif Mohd is an avid globetrotter and explorer, while Dr. Anika Neuschulz is a passionate knitter and sailor.
When asked what they were most proud of, the graduates highlighted many achievements, including both academic and extracurricular accomplishments. For Dr. Alexis Shih, the biggest satisfaction was seeing a project through from presenting the research idea in her initial interview all the way to publishing a peer-reviewed paper. Dr. Samantha Mendonsa was particularly proud of publishing two papers early on in her PhD as well as winning the Speed Lecture Award 2023.
Keynote speaker Cindrilla Chumduri
Keynote speaker Professor Cindrilla Chumduri, alumna of the Max Delbrück Center and currently faculty at Aarhus University, was invited by the PhD representatives. She presented the motivational talk to the graduates and shared her experiences of overcoming struggles throughout her life to get to where she is today. “Growing up, society tried to put me in a ‘girl box’ that didn’t fit,” she explained. To encourage the graduates, Chumduri talked about her experiences of joys and challenges of moving to new places. “Never forget to enjoy your life wherever you are”, Professor Chumduri advised, and fondly recounted the first time she saw snow when she moved to Germany and convinced her lab members to build a snow figure with her.
Hand-made graduation hats and rooftop drinks
A graduation at the Max Delbrück Center would not be complete without the traditional competition for the most beautiful doctoral hats. This year, Dr. Anika Neuschulz, Dr. Samantha Mendonsa, Dr. Matthias Schmitt and Dr. Thu Thi Pham won the coveted hat award, each receiving a bottle of prosecco.
The celebratory cake donated by the 'Friends of the MDC'.
The hats, created by the graduates’ labmates, represented unique highlights and quirks from their PhD years. Dr. Thu Thi Pham’s hat featured a mini poster, teasing her for forgetting to bring her poster to a conference, and chocolate wrappers to symbolise her love for sweets. Dr. Samantha Mendonsa’s hat included a car to mark her achievement of getting her driving license during her PhD, alongside neurones sprawling across the hat to show the research model she used in her project.
After the ceremony, the graduation slides switched to the Euro quarter-finals on the big screen. Though the football match was a nail-biter for the German team, the attendees still gathered in the lobby for a dinner and drinks, including a celebratory cake donated by the Friends of the MDC. The graduation festivities continued later on the rooftop terrace with drinks and dancing into the night.
The Max Delbrück Center wholeheartedly congratulates all the graduates of 2024!
Text: Zoe Valbret
