2022 Annual Report

A modern approach to graduate education
Van Andel Institute Graduate School’s Ph.D. in
molecular and cellular biology is a researchintensive,
interdisciplinary program that prepares
students for exceptional careers as independent
investigators. The Graduate School combines
extensive practical experience and rigorous
scientific training with in-depth academic
coursework and professional development — a
powerful combination that gives our students a
springboard for success. By the end of their studies
at the Institute, students graduate not only with a
Ph.D., but also with the tools required to build
a strong career as a biomedical scientist and
research leader.
The Graduate School is housed directly across
the street from the Institute’s main facility, next
to Van Andel Institute for Education. The facilities
are freshly renovated, featuring classrooms and
workstations, quiet study places, shared locales to
fuel interaction and collaboration, a reading room,
and lounge and kitchen areas for students
to recharge.
The space is designed for change, allowing the
Graduate School to comfortably grow into its next
chapter while maintaining the characteristics that
have long made it attractive to students: innovative
approaches to teaching, intimate cohort sizes,
access to cutting-edge technology and guidance by
faculty mentors at the top of their research fields.
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