In its infancy as departments go,
the Department of Molecular Genetics is nevertheless a powerful
infant, growing stronger year by year. The university has targeted
the Molecular Life Sciences for significant growth during the
next few years and the department is a major player in that initiative.
On January 31, 1998, faculty, staff and students celebrated the tenth anniversary of the founding of the the Department of Molecular Genetics with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. In the morning, the department held its annual Scott Falkenthal Memorial Graduate Student Colloquium. All of the fourth- and fifth-year graduate students gave brief presentations of their dissertation research to the entire department. Later, the Molecular Genetics faculty, staff and students gathered for an evening of great food, friendship and musical entertainment.
Lee Johnson, department chair, was delighted to celebrate this milestone. "The department has come a long way during its first ten years of existence. Eight outstanding new faculty have been hired and the undergraduate and graduate programs have been completely reorganized and strengthened."
The department's increasing international reputation for excellence and the university's commitment to building a strong Molecular Life Sciences presence guarantees that the department can look forward to additional expansion of its faculty during the next few years. Faculty also look forward to strengthening their interactions with the OSU College of Medicine and the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center as they expand their expertise in the areas of Molecular medicine, Gene Therapy and Human Cancer Genetics.
Molecular Genetics—happy birthday! Live long and prosper.