During the 50th annual Graduate Research Education and Technology (GREAT) Symposium Awards Ceremony, the Graduate College honored a familiar face in a truly special way. As the event celebrated a half-century of student research excellence, it also paused to recognize a person whose steady leadership and commitment have helped shape the symposium for decades—Dean Anne Pereira.

As the awards ceremony drew to a close, Dean Pereira was surprised with a framed photo commemorating her remarkable dedication to the GREAT Symposium over the years. The photo, signed by faculty, staff, students, postdoctoral fellows, and program directors from across the college, was a heartfelt acknowledgment of her role in making the symposium what it is today.

Dean Pereira has been involved in the last 32 GREAT Symposiums and has led the event as Dean of the Graduate College for the past 12 years. Her tireless efforts have ensured the symposium not only showcases outstanding student research but also fosters an environment of academic rigor, collaboration, and celebration.

"Dean Pereira has been a champion for graduate education and student research for decades," said a member of the Graduate College team. "This was our way of saying thank you—not just for her leadership, but for the care, energy, and vision she brings to the GREAT Symposium and to the Graduate College year after year."

The framed tribute now hangs in the Dean’s Office as a reminder of the impact of her leadership and the deep appreciation of the OUHSC community.

As the GREAT Symposium moves into its next chapter, it does so with gratitude for those who have helped build its legacy—none more so than Dean Pereira.