What began in a modest municipal school in Guntur, India, has become an inspiring story of determination, resilience, and scientific promise. Siva Sai Chandragiri, a PhD candidate in the Department of Pathology at the OU Health Sciences Graduate College, is now at the forefront of critical research examining how cancer therapies impact the brain—earning national and international recognition along the way.

Nathalia Machado, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the TSET Health Promotion Research Center and trainee of the HSC Graduate College, has been awarded a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The fellowship will support her innovative research aimed at improving access to high-quality tobacco treatment among underserved populations—particularly Medicaid beneficiaries.

Jasmine Cartwright is the new Administrative Coordinator. She will be assisting with the Graduate Student Association, the Postdoctoral Association, Grad College events and more.

Dr. Brent Richards has been appointed Assistant Dean for Graduate Education and Research. In this role, he will lead program review, career and professional development, recruitment, micro-credentialing, and other key initiatives.

At the 2025 OUHSC Employee Recognition Ceremony on June 6, Megan Westbrook, Business Manager for the HSC Graduate College, was honored with the prestigious Regents’ Award for Superior Staff—the highest staff distinction awarded by the University of Oklahoma.

Ozair Naqvi, Ph.D., a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center’s Graduate College and the Hudson College of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, has been accepted into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s prestigious Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)—a highly competitive, two-year postdoctoral program known for training the nation’s “disease detectives.”

Celebrate our graduates during the 2025 Commencement on Friday, May 9 at 2:30pm. All ceremonies will be held in the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, OK.