Med Chem graduate student earns TOXI travel award Raziya Shaik, a graduate student working with Dr. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich in the Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, earned a travel award to the American Chemical Society Division of Toxicology (TOXI) conference. Following the meeting, an article she wrote about her experiences was featured on the TOXI website. “I am a fifth-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. I pursued a master's degree in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry in India. I came to the University of Toledo in August 2008 and joined the laboratory of Dr. Amanda BryantFriedrich. My thesis research focuses on the synthesis of modified uridines and their use as radical precursors for the study of oxidative damage to RNA.“ Read more
Pharmacy students create culture of giving University students just months away from graduating are generally focused on classes, internships, and job searches. However, many fourth-year members of UT's Pharm.D. program now have an additional objective: assisting future students through a pledge of financial support. In the four years since UT's P4 Scholarship program began, the pledge total from graduating Pharm.D. students has nearly tripled, from just over $3,000 to $8,250, and class participation has increased from 19 percent to 37 percent, according to Jeff Barton, director of development for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Mr. Barton believes the increase is due largely to student leadership in the cultivation process. "Peer solicitation encourages students to get involved, and a sense of competition inspires them to want to outdo the preceding class," he said.
An added incentive is the commitment by the Toledo Academy of Pharmacy (TAP) to match up to $4,000 of the annual class pledge amount. The fact that the scholarship effort is led by the students themselves is especially rewarding, notes Dr. Curtis Black, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pharmacy, and a TAP board member. "There is no better example of the developing sense of professionalism in our students than when the students themselves commit their future earnings to aid subsequent students." Last year's class solicitation leaders included Andy Hochradel, Shawn Mills, Maria Canestraro, Justin Brown, and Jon McLachlan. Dr. Hochradel said he supported the scholarship fund to show his appreciation for the knowledge and professional skills he gained throughout the pharmacy program. He also believes his gift is an investment in the program's
future. "I have benefited from the great national reputation our pharmacy program has established," he said. "I've encouraged others to contribute because I know our degrees are like stocks; they can gain or lose value throughout our careers, depending on how the pharmacy profession performs in the future." Dr. Mills believes current and recent students have a special insight into the value of scholarships. "Having just completed the program, I know how difficult it is financially to make it through the last few years when undergraduate scholarships expire and graduate tuition rates kick in," he said. " I'm proud to contribute something to the classes behind me to help make their journey a little bit easier." To make a gift to the P4 Scholarship Program, contact Jeff Barton, jeffrey.barton@utoledo.edu or 419.383.1985.