On Sat., April 5th, 2025, Professor Herman Staats, PhD, hosted his annual ‘Pig Pickin’ cookout from 1-5 p.m. for faculty, students, and staff of the Graduate Program in Pathobiology and Translational Biosciences. They were invited to bring family members and spend the afternoon socializing, enjoying time on the farm, interacting with farm animals, playing games, and savoring delicious BBQ fresh off the grill.
Johnston-West Endowed Chair of Pathology Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD, and Director of Graduate Studies Soman Abraham, PhD, were among the faculty who attended the event, which was organized by Staats and Director of Graduate Studies Assistant Ebony Ambrose.
“This gathering, hosted by Herman and Janet Staats, has become an annual fixture for our graduate program—one that we eagerly look forward to,” said Abraham. “Not only do faculty, staff, and students have the opportunity to socialize in an informal setting, but we also get to experience the joys of country living, including open spaces, peace, and tranquility.”
“The ‘Pig Pickin’ for the PhD students is something I look forward to every spring,” said Staats. “I enjoy cooking and providing an event where the students and faculty can spend time together outside of the lab.”