On May 7, 2023, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) School of Biological Sciences (SBS) awarded Doctor of Philosophy degrees to 11 graduates. The School also awarded honorary Doctor of Science degrees to journalist Stephen S. Hall and educator Nouria Hernandez for their deep commitment to science education and communication.
2023 marks the 24th anniversary of CSHL’s graduate school. To date, the SBS has enrolled 209 students and conferred doctoral degrees upon 145. The scientific achievements of SBS graduates are represented by nearly 500 publications and many prestigious fellowships and awards. Alumni have moved on to influential positions in academic faculty, administration, biotechnology, education, industry, management consulting, and publishing.
“Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory—and the training in biology it has provided for over 125 years—has always stood out among the crowd,” says CSHL Director of Graduate Studies Zachary Lippman. “As much as we are proud of this year’s graduating class—and we very much are—we also hope they are proud of themselves and all that they have accomplished to reach this point.”
Stephen S. Hall, one of the honorary degree recipients, is a 30-year veteran science reporter, whose stories have appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, and Scientific American. He has authored six books on contemporary science and teaches science writing and reporting at New York University. Nouria Hernandez, the other recipient, is an emeritus professor and former president of the University of Lausanne. She was a senior staff scientist at CSHL before joining the University of Lausanne’s Center for Integrative Genomics, where she served as the director from 2005–2015.
This year, two CSHL researchers were presented with the Winship Herr Award for Excellence in Teaching: Professor Christopher Hammell and Associate Professor Stephen Shea. The award, named for the founding dean of the graduate school, is given annually to a teacher chosen by the SBS’ first-year students.
Written by: Luis Sandoval, Communications Specialist | sandova@cshl.edu | 516-367-6826