Fall 2023 Breakthroughs Magazine

BREAKTHROUGHS

Opening Doors

Dr. Joseph Carreno ’10 and Dr. Meenakshi Malik, newly appointed associate deans

SEE PAGE 12

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings!

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Breakthroughs, a new magazine from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. It expands on our earlier alumni publication and has been redesigned to extend its reach to our many stakeholders.

The name Breakthroughs has several significant meanings: It refers to the goal in our research laboratories—fresh understandings about the mechanisms of human health and disease that lead to new treatments. We also strive for breakthroughs in our classrooms—where inspired teaching spurs “aha” moments. And as we expand the College’s relationships with others, we seek authentic, breakthrough experiences that help us advance our mission.

On a broader level, ACPHS is seeking breakthroughs as an institution— ways to leverage our longstanding reputation as a pharmacy and health sciences educator to meet the needs of students who will serve as the next generation of leaders.

As the theme suggests, this issue’s four feature articles describe ways ACPHS and its alumni are “opening doors” for students and other alumni in both traditional and emerging fields. The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), now settled into the newly acquired Life Sciences Innovation Building, is poised to train students for jobs that do not (yet) exist. We are building on-ramps for pharmacy students looking at emerging alternate career paths by incorporating entrepreneurship into the curriculum and offering industry fellowships. You will also see how faculty are transforming clinical practices—for the good of students, the practices and the community. And our newly appointed associate deans of pharmacy and health sciences outline their visions for adapting to growth in both these fields.

We would not be able to open these doors to the future without the sound leadership that has steered the College through the past several years. I wish to thank Marion Morton ’84 for her service on our Board of Trustees since 2011 and especially for fulfilling her term as chair from 2017-2023. Marion sacrificed her time and talent, and extended her tenure to facilitate a smooth transition to a new president. Her dedication, service and ongoing commitment to the College are highly appreciated. We happily welcome Walter Borisenok, entrepreneur and businessman, as our current board chair. Walt has been a long-time committed donor and philanthropist to College initiatives. I am honored to have his experience, insights and leadership in this role.

I hope you enjoy our newly imagined magazine and are inspired to consider how you may also open a door to current ACPHS students.

Sincerely,

President Toyin Tofade, MS, PharmD, BCPS, CPCC, FFIP

FALL 2023

Breakthroughs Magazine is produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

www.acphs.edu

Vice President of Communications and Marketing

Diane C. O’Connor

Director of Communications

Kristin C. Marshall

Managing Editor

Claire Hughes

Contributors

Eileen Crivello

Bailey Cummings

Alexis DiBartolomeo

Marcy Stengel

Erica Warner

Photographer

Todd Ferguson

Graphic Design

2k Design

MAGAZINE CORRESPONDENCE

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Communications and Marketing 106 New Scotland Avenue

Albany, NY 12208-3492

CampusNews@acphs.edu

Office of Institutional Advancement alumni@acphs.edu

(518) 694-7393

ON THE COVER

Dr. Joseph Carreno ’10, associate dean for pharmacy, and Dr. Meenakshi Malik, associate dean for health sciences, share their thoughts for leading the College’s two main divisions into the future.

SEE PAGE 12

YEAR IMAGES IN 2022-23

▼ 2022 Pharm.D. White Coat Ceremony

▲ HIV research led by Dr. Vir Singh is featured in the Albany Times Union on World AIDS Day.

▲ The women’s soccer team makes College history by winning the national championship.

▲ 2023 All The Way formal

▲ 2023 Spring Dance Show

Pharm.D. students in the P3 year receive business cards before embarking on rotations.

Dean Anuja Ghorpade snaps a photo at The Collaboratory’s new location in April 2023. L-R: Harris Oberlander ofTrinity Alliance, Ellen Sax of MVP Health Care, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, ACPHS President Toyin Tofade, and Dr. Wendy Parker and Sabrina Howard of ACPHS’ Collaboratory.

▲ Springfest 2023

Spotlight on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

ACPHS ranks among the best colleges in the country for diversity: The College has an “A” ranking in diversity from Niche, a website that provides in-depth institutional profiles for prospective students using public data, user reviews and analysis.

To improve upon our inclusive culture, the College hired Jonathan Phipps as the inaugural associate vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in June 2023. Since August, Phipps has been responsible for implementing a comprehensive DEI plan.

Additionally, the Stack Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET) was one of three institutions in the country selected for the National Institute to host Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals’ (NIIMBL) eXperience, an immersion program that offers underrepresented students real-world insight into biopharmaceutical careers through hands-on activities and direct interactions. The diverse group of 18 students spent a week on campus in June.

Happy birthday, Micro. My, how you’ve grown!

Ten years ago, when the microbiology program launched, it consisted of two faculty members, Dr. Meenakshi Malik and Dr. Eric Yager. The program now has three distinct degree tracks and is the first leg of a dual degree that caps off with a master’s in molecular biosciences; a dozen faculty members now teach classes. Dr. Malik remains a key driver of both BS and MS programs and has also taken on a big new role as the College’s inaugural associate dean for Health Sciences (see story on p. 12).

Alum doubles support for Student Summer Research

Dr. Neil Mandalaywala ’09 has doubled support for the student summer research program. The program, which currently has six students participating, promotes student engagement in research and scholarly activities, encourages mentoring relationships between students and faculty, and provides students with the opportunity to gain practical research skills and experience. “I look at my donation as an opportunity to support students’ passions, whatever they may be,” said Dr. Mandalaywala.

While Dr. Malik continues her research on a potential bioterror agent, funded by the National Institutes of Health, other micro faculty have also received NIH support, including Dr. Vir Singh and Dr. Timothy LaRocca. Dr. Singh’s work to find a cure for HIV received a three-year, $495,000 NIH grant in 2022 and was highlighted in a story in the Albany Times Union late that year. Dr. LaRocca’s work is focused on a specific type of red blood cell death called necroptosis.

▲ Dr. Meenakshi Malik

▲ Jonathan Phipps ▲ The NIIMBL eXperience June 2023 cohort

Farewell to our Packy of all trades

First-year students discover new viruses

Through the SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) discovery-based undergraduate program, students collect soil samples and search for bacteriophages—viruses that affect bacteria. During the 2022-23 academic year, 30 first-year students participated, supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Pradeepa Jayachandran and Lab Instructor Bowen Meng. They discovered five novel viruses and presented their work at several symposia.

Aiming at a new target for breast cancer drugs

Most drugs used to fight breast cancer focus on tumor cells. Dr. Kideok Jin, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, is looking at a different potential target—stroma cells within connective tissue that communicate (or “cross-talk”) with the tumor. His work so far has shown that proteins secreted by the tumor and stroma cells may play a role in breast cancers that are resistant to endocrine therapy. Now NIH has awarded him a three-year, $480,000 grant to test out his hypothesis about how they do that. The work could have important implications for reducing the recurrence of illness for women with this type of breast cancer.

Vice President for Administrative Operations Packy McGraw retired in March 2023 after 34 years with the College. McGraw joined ACPHS in 1989 as basketball coach and athletic director, and over the years held multiple leadership positions. McGraw spearheaded and managed numerous campuswide improvement projects and cared deeply for the students, raising over $1 million in academic scholarships through the Dean’s Cup Golf Tournament, which he founded in 1994. The College will celebrate the dedication of the campus green in his honor during Reunion Weekend on Sept. 30 at 12:30 p.m.

Ready to Rock and Enroll

Dr. Wendy Diefendorf is ACPHS’ new director of admissions, leading recruitment, retainment and enrollment efforts as the College adapts its programs to respond to growth areas in pharmacy and health-related professions (see page 12).

Dr. Diefendorf has more than 20 years’ experience working in education, including higher ed. She was most recently director of enrollment management at the Academy of The Holy Names, a private school for girls in Albany, and has worked in admissions management capacities at Russell Sage College and Cambridge College.

“It is an honor to be part of an academic institution with such a rich history and a long tradition of academic excellence,” Dr. Diefendorf said. “I look forward to working with my ACPHS colleagues to provide students and families with an outstanding admissions experience.”

▲ Dr. Kideok Jin with Laboratory Technician Ahone Gina Akume ‘23

▲ Dr. Wendy Diefendorf

SALUTING OUR Vermont Campus

ACPHS opened the first pharmacy school in Vermont in 2009, in Colchester. Over 14 years, 495 pharmacy students earned doctorate degrees there. Following the difficult decision to close the campus in late 2020, the last ACPHS Vermont class graduated in May 2023.

The First Class

The first class set the tone for the Vermont experience, developing friendships, clubs and organizations. Dr. Robert A. Hamilton ’77 was the founding associate dean. The first graduate was Zhanbin Wang, who received a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences in 2012. The first class of pharmacy doctoral students graduated in May 2013.

495 DOCTORATE DEGREES

Advocates for Pharmacy

Vermont students participated in the legislative process, advocating for some of the most progressive changes to pharmacy practice in the country. They joined trade associations and met directly with state leaders, including former Gov. Peter Shumlin.

Excellence in Research

Several research projects received significant support from the National Institutes of Health, with grants ranging from $480,000 to $1.9 million.

A Close-Knit Community

So many activities made the Vermont Campus a tight-knit community: Gathering in the Student Lounge (opened in 2017). Enjoying the beauty of Lake Champlain. White coat ceremonies, formal dances, health fairs, fun fairs, heading out on rotations, Commencement.

The Last Class

The final Vermont class committed to an accelerated three-year pharmacy doctorate program in Spring 2020, just as COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. They stuck together, with support from each other as well as faculty, staff and administrators, as they earned their degrees virtually. They graduated with their Albany counterparts in May 2023.

Our tribute to the collegiality, determination and excellence of students, faculty and staff.

REUNION WEEKEND

Is there anything better than gathering with friends who have known you for years?

As REUNION WEEKEND 2023 approaches, here’s a look at some of fun times from last year’s event.

Dr. Michelle Lewis at the entrance to the Life Sciences Innovation Building, CBET’s new home

Training for JOBS THAT DON’T (YET) EXIST

CBET is poised to help the Capital Region become a life sciences hub by opening doors and making connections to the biopharmaceutical industry.

INone vision of the Capital Region’s economic future, the area’s already thriving life sciences industry expands to, well, not exactly rival Boston, but certainly offer a viable alternative to that highcost, tightly packed tech hub.

Key to making that vision a reality is the Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training, affectionately known as “C-BET.” Now settled into a new home on the northwest edge of campus, outfitted with glistening modern laboratories, CBET is primed to do its part in jumpstarting the region’s biopharmaceutical industry.

“It’s a unique asset driving partnerships and training,” said Katie Newcombe, chief economic development officer at the Albany-based Center for Economic Growth. “Michelle came out immediately and

started building partnerships.”

“Michelle” is Dr. Michelle Lewis, CBET’s executive director, who joined ACPHS and took the helm of the fledgling center in January 2022. A natural collaborator, she saw the value of connecting with other educational institutions, business incubators, economic developers and industry in her quest to grow the first facility of its kind at a pharmacy college. The goal, Dr. Lewis said, is something bigger than the sum of its parts.

“Every institution is really strong,” she said. “What would it look like if we’re all working and growing in the same direction for the region?”

Her vision aligns with that of ACPHS President Toyin Tofade, who seeks to build what she calls “intentional collaborations” with community partners through myriad programs that benefit both the

College and the region.

“The work at CBET positions both ACPHS and the community at large for growth in the biopharmaceutical industry,” President Tofade said. “We are excited about the partnership with the CEG and other collaborators in the region as we work towards this goal.”

The brainchild of ACPHS President Emeritus Gregory Dewey, CBET was conceived as a place that would unite the College’s two educational missions—pharmacy and health sciences. The center is engaged in training the workforce needed to achieve the dream of a regional biopharmaceutical industry and by the very nature of that work is also engaged in precision medicine, Dewey has pointed out. As he saw it, ACPHS students would be well prepared to participate in both worlds.

The center’s first location,

from September 2021 to April 2023, was the Albany NanoTech Complex, six miles from ACPHS’ campus on New Scotland Avenue. The site was well-outfitted for collaboration, but cramped. It was a tremendous resource that some ACPHS students, without their own cars, found challenging to access.

In April 2023, CBET moved “home” to the newly acquired Life Sciences Innovation Building, adjacent to the ACPHS main campus. Renovations made possible with a $1.75 million investment from New York’s Empire State Development agency have created 15,000 square feet of gleaming new quarters, with spaces for scientists to have their own offices, to delve deeply into inquiries in relative quiet and— most importantly—to expand. The center shares space—and the creative synergies that can

only come from proximity— with scientists from New York State’s public health laboratory and the National Toxicology Center, among others.

In its few years of existence, the center has already begun to deliver on its promise. CBET does work under contract with biopharmaceutical industry clients. In Summer 2023, it was engaged in seven commissioned projects ranging from testing equipment for a novel application to development of a biologic for gene therapy. In the recent past, staff have grown cannabinoids from yeast cells and produced recombinant antibodies. Students take classes at the center and may also work alongside industry partners.

In Fall 2022, CBET secured the largest contract in ACPHS’ history—$1.9 million—to

design and deliver a training program on mRNA-based vaccines for employees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And in August 2023, it was awaiting word on a $400,000 grant from a National Science Foundation program called EPIIC (Enabling Partners to Increase Innovation Capacity), which supports institutions of higher learning that are creating external partnerships to advance biotechnology and other emerging technologies. The center is seeking additional funding to launch a business incubator.

Like Dr. Dewey, Dr. Lewis looks at the center’s potential in terms of its regional impact as much as on its role in the College’s future. She sees it as a natural progression of other ACPHS initiatives that bring the College to the community,

sharing its resources and expertise while students benefit from educational opportunities that arise naturally in the real world. She compares CBET to initiatives like ACPHS’ student-operated pharmacies or public health Collaboratory, sited in medically underserved neighborhoods; both train students to work with real-life clients in real time, while enabling ACPHS to expand its educational offerings into the community and to give back.

In the same way, CBET’s training programs open a door to ACPHS students seeking opportunities in an emerging industry. And its success also depends on its ability to welcome communities that remain unaware of the potential that industry holds.

“We have a workforce here,” Dr. Lewis said. “We’re just not tapping into it.

“A lot of people don’t realize that they can do science. If you can change a tire, we can train you to run that bioreactor.” She pointed to one of the shiny devices used to create cells for gene products, as she showed off newly renovated labs at the LSIB.

Dr. Lewis has led efforts to open CBET’s doors to Capital Region residents who might not have viewed a private, rigorous college as accessible. An articulation agreement with Hudson Valley Community College signed in May 2023 will facilitate enrollment at ACPHS programs leading to biotechnology-related degrees. And in June, CBET hosted the NIIMBL eXperience—a program of the Delaware-based National Institute for Innovation

in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals that provides underrepresented minority students a glimpse into the biopharmaceutical field.

CBET was one of only three institutions chosen to host the NIIMBL eXperience in the organization’s first year offering the program regionally. For a week in early June 2023, 18 students from public and private higher education institutions across the country visited nine Capital Region academic institutions and industry sites engaged in biopharma research and development. By all accounts, the week was a success, and NIIMBL has asked CBET to reapply to host the program again in 2024.

ACPHS sophomore Dancan Oruko was among the participants. The pharmaceutical sciences major learned about the intersection of two key interests, software and pharmaceuticals, including nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. He also gained the confidence to try out his own ideas.

“I was able to engage with real people doing real projects right at the interface of software and pharmaceuticals,” Oruko said. “Now I feel like I know exactly what I am doing, why I am doing it and what I may want to explore.”

Oruko’s desire to explore more fits well with Dr. Lewis’s philosophy for CBET.

“We should be growing with the industry as it figures out the science, logistics and economics of these life-saving therapies,” she said. “We should be training students for jobs that don’t yet exist.” ●

“We should be growing with the industry as it figures out the science, logistics and economics of these life-saving therapies. We should be training students for jobs that don’t yet exist.” — Dr. Michelle Lewis

CBET OPENS DOORS TO YOUNG GRADS’ CAREERS

RYAN HOBSON ’22

When Ryan Hobson entered ACPHS as a microbiology student in Fall 2018, he planned to pursue a career as a physician assistant. But through classes and volunteering, he discovered an obstacle.

“I was afraid of blood,” he said with a broad smile.

Then ACPHS launched CBET. Through a campus discussion, Hobson learned about the biopharmaceutical field.

“I remember being super interested in this whole idea of imagining a cell as a mini factory,” Hobson said, still excited years later. “And if you think of the cell as a mini factory, and manipulate the environment, give it certain conditions, feed it a certain way, you can then produce your product.”

Hobson took classes at CBET for the next two years. Those classes—in downstream processing, microbial fermentation, biopharmaceutical microbiology and others—set him up for a five-month internship at Curia, an Albany-based drug development company. He later got a job as a senior scientist—back at CBET.

“We’re growing cells that produce a virus that when purified is then used to make vaccines,” Hobson said. “It’s something that’s very exciting and new.”

KAITLYN (STRUMSKI) REHBERG ’23

Kaitlyn Rehberg (then Strumski) was in her second year at ACPHS, working toward a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences, when CBET launched in Fall 2019. Soon afterward, her academic advisor suggested she take classes there.

Rehberg was not interested. The CBET classes sounded like biology; chemistry was her thing. But with a little urging, she became one of a handful of students in the first course CBET offered, in Fall 2020, on microbial fermentation.

She found the engineering aspects so challenging that the class made her cry at least once, she said. Until it made her smile.

“That class set my love for manufacturing,” Rehberg said. “To get to the point where I knew enough to have operated a bioreactor and recover a product from it—that was insanely amazing.”

Rehberg began working as a senior scientist in manufacturing at Eli Lilly and Co. in June. She says things have worked out better than she’d hoped.

“I wanted to impact society by helping people with medication,” Rehberg said with palpable enthusiasm. “This is the most direct way you can do it—by literally, physically, making the medicine.”

GROWING Toward

IN2008, the Albany College of Pharmacy added “Health Sciences” to its name, reflecting its expansion into fields complimentary to pharmacy, building on long-standing programs in biomedical technology and clinical laboratory sciences. Offerings extended beyond the important work of understanding a disease and recommending treatment to also include discovering the mechanisms of disease, developing new remedies and aiding in diagnosis.

Fast forward 15 years and both areas—pharmacy and health sciences—have grown. Pharmacists still dispense medications, of course. But in a world where illness is increasingly managed by drugs and drugs are increasingly personalized, their options have multiplied. Meanwhile, growth in the health sciences is exploding, due to factors such as an aging population and a better understanding of the human genome. Interest in both areas was, of course, heightened by the important contributions that health professionals made in the recent global pandemic, including

Both pharmacy and health sciences prepare for growth as doors open to burgeoning fields.

Dr. Joseph Carreno ’10 and Dr. Meenakshi Malik at the entrance to the Francis J. O’Brien Building

the FUTURE

pharmacists’ roles as immunizers.

As academic disciplines, both pharmacy and health sciences have the same goal in line with ACPHS’ mission—to educate the next generation of leaders to improve the health of our society. But their approach, the talent they attract and the careers for which they prepare students are different.

So it’s no wonder that ACPHS President Toyin Tofade determined they each need a leader who is laser-focused on each of these two distinct areas. Earlier this year, she created two new positions, naming Dr. Joseph Carreno ’10 associate dean for pharmacy and Dr. Meenakshi Malik associate dean for health sciences. Dr. Carreno, who joined the ACPHS faculty in 2013, was most recently vice chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Dr. Malik, who joined ACPHS in 2010, has been the director of the Bachelor’s in Microbiology and Master’s in Molecular Biosciences programs.

“It’s all on a continuum of caring for patients at the end of the day,” said Dr. Carreno ’10. “It’s just which side of the coin do you want to be on?”

Pharmacy: building on a long-standing reputation

Dr. Carreno’s side is pharmacy, where the common perception remains rooted in the past. Despite myriad changes in medicine and drug policy that have rendered pharmacists’ expertise invaluable, many people still think of them as pill dispensers behind a retail chain counter. Part of Dr. Carreno’s charge will be to raise awareness of the roles that pharmacists play in fields as diverse as clinical practice, drug manufacturing, government affairs and managed care, among others.

“There’s over 100 different ways that you can be a pharmacist,” said Dr. Carreno, who has a background in both pharmacy and public health, and practices as a clinician at the Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Albany.

The new associate dean has his eye on several technological advancements poised to further alter the profession: pharmacogenomics, which considers a patient’s genetic factors as part of their likely response to drug therapies; digital healthcare, which uses

EXPECTED JOB GROWTH, 2021-2031

45.7% NURSE PRACTITIONER

35.8% DATA SCIENTISTS

28.3% MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICE MANAGERS

27.6% PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

26.5% PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTANTS

25.8% EPIDEMIOLOGISTS

25.4% OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANTS

24.1% COLLEGE HEALTH SPECIALITIES TEACHERS

Source: National Bureau of Labor Statistics

information and communication technologies (think: smart watch) to manage disease, including drug dosing and frequency; and artificial intelligence (AI), which may lead to personalized drug recommendations using information gleaned from the other two trends.

For the Gen-Zers also noticing these trends and deciding what to do with their lives, pharmacy is a good choice—as long as they understand the 21st century version of the profession, Dr. Carreno said.

“All the research suggests that Gen-Zers want to change the world, fix the problems and cure the diseases,” Dr. Carreno said. “Being a pharmacist is a great way to change the world.”

Health sciences: aligning academics to job growth

In the health sciences, positions are growing in many fields, from nurse practitioner (NP) to data scientist. Dr. Malik’s new charge involves building on the strengths of the College’s exemplary programs to ensure students are prepared to fill emerging roles— and that more students, at all stages of their careers, know about the College’s offerings.

Two main areas of promise dominate Dr. Malik’s initial efforts: Configuring current programs to provide students with more entry points to a variety of health professions. And exploring online programs that could potentially draw applicants from around the world.

With the goal of providing a pipeline to more of the health professions, Dr. Malik is crafting a

new bachelor’s degree program in Health Sciences, with the current B.S. program in biomedical technology as its core.

The biomedical technology program is already a path to further training in some health professions, including medical school or physician assistant (PA) programs. The B.S. in Health Sciences will be structured as a pathway to multiple health professions: NP, PA, physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT) and others. An articulation agreement signed in June 2023 will further ease entry of graduates from the program to PT and OT master’s programs at a nearby partner institution.

For ACPHS’ initial online offerings, Dr. Malik is considering three master’s programs sought by professionals seeking to expand their career opportunities— cytotechnology, biomedical sciences, and biomanufacturing and bioprocessing.

Her approach will stem from her own roots in biomedical research.

“As a researcher, if one avenue of research doesn’t work, I immediately have to modify my hypothesis and go in the other way,” Dr. Malik said. “This is the same thing. I’m going to start with multiple pathways, see which one shows the most promise and pull more resources into that direction.” ●

ACPHS Advocates

IN ALBANY

As the capital of New York, Albany is a great place for students and faculty to advocate for their profession. Here’s a sampling of their efforts.

Lobbying for Pharmacy and Patients

About 30 ACPHS students visited the Capitol in April 2023, urging passage of bills that would permit pharmacists to practice at the top of their training. The students joined ACPHS faculty and working pharmacists for an up-close view of the legislative process as well as a chance to network.

Faculty Recognized

In June 2023, Dr. Jessica Farrell ’07, pictured third from left, and the Steffens Scleroderma Foundation were recognized for their advocacy work on the floor of the state Senate with a proclamation by Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy.

Dr. See-Won Seo received the Pharmacy Advocacy Award in April 2023 from the New York State Council of Health-system Pharmacists.

Alum Makes a Difference

ACPHS alum Kaylee White ’22 fell in love with public health when she took a course with Al Cardillo, an adjunct faculty member who is president of the Home Care Association of New York State. For her capstone project, White wrote a legislative proposal to create a new hospital discharge planning system, which Cardillo shared with Assembly Health Committee staff. White has been working full time at HCA since May 2022.

AS NATIONAL LEADERS

Many ACPHS alumni advocate for their professions as members of professional societies. Several are leading their national organizations.

Dr. Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer ’87, a member of the College Board of Trustees, has begun a three-year term as a presidential officer of the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP), the largest professional pharmacy group in the country. Now president-elect, Dr. Briscoe-Dwyer will be installed as ASHP president in June 2024, then serve a year as immediate past president. She called the appointment “the honor of a lifetime.”

“Becoming involved in professional organizations such as ASHP is so important because it gives you the ability to be part of a larger voice that can move the profession forward,” she said. Other alumni leading professional organizations are James Hopsicker ’91 (below, left), president of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and Dr. Brian Hemstreet ’96 (below, right), president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Board of Regents.

Opening Doors

Integrating PHARMACISTS into PATIENT CARE

The key to keeping your condition under control is diet, exercise, medication—and regular monitoring to ensure your blood sugar is in check. In many medical practices, a doctor or other medical provider may see you every three to six months to determine whether your medications or doses should be changed.

diseases, that provider will be a pharmacist.

Through an arrangement that Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences helped launch in 2015, the primary care practice has integrated pharmacists into patient care. As of April 2023, CCP had 8.5 full-time equivalent pharmacists on staff.

Let’s say you have diabetes. To stay well—out of the hospital and able to enjoy life—you must keep tabs on your blood sugar levels. If they spike and you become hyperglycemic, symptoms as serious as a diabetic coma can develop or, over the long term, damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.

But at Community Care Physicians in New York’s Capital Region, you’ll talk to a provider monthly, and medication changes will be made as frequently as every two to four weeks if needed, keeping blood sugar at more optimal levels. In a pioneering model that is making an important impact on the management of diabetes and other chronic

The model offers benefits to patients, the primary care practice, insurers and ACPHS, which shares a pharmacist with CCP and sends students and residents through the medical practice for training. It’s also good for the practice of pharmacy: it lets pharmacists work to the full extent of their training, engaged in patient care with medical practitioners.

“In the end, it’s a win for the community,” said Dr. Lou Snitkoff, the retired chief medical officer of CapitalCare Medical Group and later CCP. It was Dr. Snitkoff who launched the integration of pharmacists into CapitalCare, with ACPHS Associate Professor Dr. Alexandra Watson ’14 among the first to join the practice. The two met while Dr. Watson was completing her residency at the Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany. Dr. Snitkoff, the husband of then-ACPHS Associate Professor Gail Goodman-Snitkoff, understood that “pharmacists were educated to do more than count pills”—they were experts

The College has helped pioneer a new model of primary care, opening doors for students and benefiting patients.

ACPHS Faculty at Clinical Sites

Faculty in the ACPHS Department of Pharmacy Practice maintain practices throughout clinical sites in the Capital Region.

72% OF DEPARTMENT FACULTY MAINTAIN A CLINICAL PRACTICE

OF THESE:

43% ARE INPATIENT

57% ARE OUTPATIENT

Dr. Cindy Chan of Community Care Physicians, left, consults with ACPHS Professor Dr. Alexandra Watson ’14, who is part of the medical practice.

OPENING DOORS: Integrating Pharmacists into Patient Care

in medications who could counsel patients.

At the time, Dr. Snitkoff was charged with determining how CapitalCare could succeed in light of an emerging change in payments from health insurers. A prominent Capital Region health insurer was moving away from paying the practice for each service provided toward “global” payments, in which the practice received a set fee for providing all the care to the insurer’s members. Under the new arrangement with Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP), CapitalCare earned more money if it kept patients healthier and limited unnecessary treatments. The goal was something the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement has dubbed the “Triple Aim”: improved patient experience, improved population health and reduced costs.

Pharmacists in Primary Care Get Results

Dr. Snitkoff saw the value of bringing pharmacists into the fold to help manage the health of people with chronic diseases, so they did not get sick and require costly remedies.

Dr. Watson was the second pharmacist to join the practice; CapitalCare shared her salary 50/50 with ACPHS, where she taught in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.

Dr. Watson was initially engaged in determining whether patients were on the right medications and improving adherence to medications through patient education. She also worked at two practice sites directly with medical providers and patients on medication management. Because she could not directly bill for her services, Dr. Watson had to show that her contribution contained costs. She helped provide information on how the practice’s overall

Doctors are able to see more patients because of the reduced time spent on drug-related questions

Doctors get real-time updates on new drugs, changes to covered prescriptions and immunization practices

Source: Dr. McKenzie Janowszewski, director of clinical services, Community Care Physicians

Dr. Raelyn Passino ’18, left, a pharmacist at CCP, discusses a patient with nurse Heather Kleitgen, a certified diabetes care and education specialist.

quality of care could be improved, looking especially at tough-to-manage chronic diseases that affected many patients, like diabetes and asthma.

It took time to develop trust among some of the providers, she said, who saw the pharmacist’s role as one of dispensing meds. But her value became so clear that within two years, CapitalCare hired two additional pharmacists—embedded in care management rather than quality assurance, looking at high-risk populations.

Meanwhile, another ACPHS alum, Dr. McKenzie Janoszewski ’05, was filling a similar role at CCP. When the two practices merged (the CCP name remained), Dr. Janoszewski became director of clinical practice for the large combined medical group, which now dominates primary care in the region. She was able to show multiple benefits to patients and physicians of expanding the number of pharmacists in the group (see

bottom of p. 18). They built a residency program spearheaded by Dr. Watson and added to pharmacists’ roles.

Dr. Raelyn Passino ’18 was a student of Dr. Watson’s at ACPHS who became a resident at CCP and was then hired to work at their Latham Medical Group office in July 2020. She works with interdisciplinary teams comprising physicians, PAs, nurse practitioners, behavioral health consultants, population health specialists and certified diabetes educators.

“My experience here has been rewarding and collaborative,” she said.

Pharmacists’ contributions to such clinical teams are invaluable in light of an ongoing shortage of primary care providers, noted Dr. Darren Grabe, chair of the ACPHS Department of Pharmacy Practice. Indeed, medical practitioners confirm that when pharmacists help manage medication therapy and chronic disease as well as

Taking Pharmacist Integration to Heart

Cardiology is another area where ACPHS pharmacists have been fully integrated into clinical practice.

Pharmacist Dr. Kate Cabral and her team have been part of Capital Cardiology Associates in Albany since 2015. Her purview started relatively small eight years ago, seeing patients in CCA’s structural heart clinic and helping the cardiology team with prescription anticoagulant treatments. It has grown to include smoking cessation, cholesterol management, heart failure, cardio-oncology and pharmacological weight loss.

“I cannot put into words what having somebody with pharmacy expertise means to us as clinicians,” CCA Chief Operating Officer Dr. Lance Sullenberger said. “Many times we don’t have time to go through all of the ways to administer the medication, to necessarily look for drug-todrug interactions or to spend time with patients talking about side effects. She and her team do that. And I have heard from patients themselves how appreciative they are of this setup.”

Dr. Cabral also oversees a cardiology pharmacy residency program at CCA, the only accredited program of its type in New York State and one of only six in the Northeast. She oversees a resident, as well as ACPHS students doing clinical rotations.

Dr. Erin Tersegno ’21 finished her residency at CCA in June 2023 and has now joined the practice as a full-time pharmacist too.

educate their patients, the providers can spend more time with patients confronting serious illnesses.

“They’re doing the communication with patients. They’re doing the explanations. It helps free up my time to deal with other fires,” said Dr. Cindy Chan, a board-certified internist at CCP.

One of the drivers of the

transformation, the health insurer, has been pleased with the integration of pharmacists into CCP’s practice.

According to Eileen Wood, executive vice president and chief pharmacy officer at CDPHP, “We love it, because it makes them more successful, which makes the patients healthier, which reduces avoidable costs.” ●

ACPHS Associate Professor Dr. Kate Cabral at Capital Cardiology Associates

COVER STORIES: Opening Doors

ACPHS is developing new bridges between traditional pharmacy education and emerging alternate career paths.

Dr. Mackenzie Quirk ‘23, pictured at the offices of Curia Global, is the inaugural ACPHS Global Manufacturing Fellow.

Bridging the Gap from ACADEMIA to INDUSTRY

There’s pharmacy, and there’s business. At least in academia, that’s often been the case. Off campus, pharmacy and business have long been intertwined.

Traditionally, pharmacy education has focused on understanding the science behind the discovery, development and evaluation of new medicines, and acquiring the skills to provide quality care to patients.

Coursework has not necessarily included a grounding in economics, regulatory matters or other disciplines that might support a pharmacy professional’s success—whether that means running a retail establishment or contributing to the profitability of a biomanufacturer.

ACPHS is bridging the gap between traditional education and emerging careers. Beginning Fall 2023, the pharmacy curriculum will include entrepreneurship training. And for those seeking to use their pharmacy credentials in industries outside of retail, fellowship programs offer accelerated pathways to success.

Entrepreneurship in the classroom

A $1 million donation from Daniel Ben-Amoz ’81 will support the study of entrepreneurship within the pharmacy curriculum.

An entrepreneur himself, Ben-Amoz holds a patent for the transdermal application of steroids with ultrasound in a

procedure called phonophoresis, used in orthopedics and sports medicine. In the mid-1980s, he grew the Delsone Corporation into a large compounding pharmacy whose clients included the PGA Tour. And in 1998, he founded Pharmacy Development Services (PDS), which provided training and services to independent pharmacies.

His newest initiative is to share his business knowledge with pharmacy students. Ben-Amoz has developed a course that covers topics such as customer relationship management and developing mission statements. In addition, he will bring in other successful entrepreneurs to share their insights.

“It’s not just to educate the students,” Ben-Amoz said. “I

want to inspire them.”

That desire can be seen in the course description:

A pharmacy degree equips you with crucial scientific knowledge. However, the world demands more. It craves visionary leaders and innovative thinkers. It’s time to shift from dispensing medications to catalyzing change in health care.

In addition to the class, the pharmacy curriculum will integrate business concepts throughout the three years of professional pharmacy training, according to Dr. Darren Grabe ’93, ‘95, who chairs the ACPHS Department of Pharmacy Practice. Paul Pagnotta ‘92, who once owned his own community pharmacy and manages ACPHS’ two student-operated

ACPHS Fellowships

• Pharmacovigilance: BeiGene, FDA and ACPHS

• Quality assurance: Crinetics and ACPHS

• Clinical pharmacology: Crinetics and ACPHS

• Global manufacturing: Curia Global, FDA and ACPHS LEARN

pharmacies, will take on teaching duties to achieve that goal.

Post-graduate industry fellowships

For post-doctorates, ACPHS’ fellowship program includes offerings in biomanufacturing, medical affairs and regulatory science.

The fellowships are joint ventures between ACPHS and industry partners. The company pays a stipend to the College for the fellow, who receives half the money in salary. The other half is used to administer the program. The graduate

works at the industry or agency site, but reports to Bernard Tyrrell, director of the ACPHS Industry Fellowship Program, as well as faculty preceptors.

Dr. Mackenzie Quirk ’23 is the inaugural ACPHS Global Manufacturing Fellow with Curia Global, an Albany-based drug development company, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. During a two-year fellowship that began in July 2023, Dr. Quirk will spend time at Curia, the FDA and ACPHS, where she will teach.

Dr. Quirk’s already

impressive credentials may have been enough to launch a successful career. She came to ACPHS with a bachelor’s degree in biology and left with a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences and a doctorate in pharmacy. Indeed, she questioned whether the fellowship was right for her, as she stood to earn considerably more than the stipend allotted.

But with a long-term goal of attaining a leadership position in industry, Dr. Quirk saw the fellowship as a career accelerator.

“I see this learning

OPENING DOORS: Bridging the Gap from Academia to Industry

Daniel Ben-Amoz ‘81, right, has helped lead the charge to infuse the pharmacy curriculum with lessons in entrepreneurship.

experience translating to hopefully three to five years of work experience,” Dr. Quirk said. “When I’m applying for jobs, I could potentially be on a fast track.”

For the industry partners and agencies, fellowships are a cost-effective way to train talent in skills and culture specific to their organizations, while the College provides benefits and administrative support.

Curia President Chris Conway said Dr. Quirk’s experience will be unique.

“Having a regulatory lens from inside of a manufacturing program and understanding all that goes into regulatory approvals is tremendously beneficial,” Conway said. “The ability to have that combined with the FDA’s perspective on the same thing is invaluable. I don’t have anybody at the company who is senior who

has that kind of experience.”

At BeiGene, ACPHS fellows have helped improve processes intended to increase understanding of cancer treatments.

“The value to our business has been seen through the new ideas and viewpoints brought by the fellows as well as tangible and sustainable changes to some of our procedures,” said Tina Veizovic, a senior director at the company.

For the College, the fellowships fit into ACPHS’ mission—to educate the next generation of leaders to improve the health of society. And the fellows will bring tangible benefits through teaching on campus.

“Future students will benefit from having fellows who can talk about their programs in the hallways,” Tyrrell said. ●

Opening Doors in Clinical Settings

ACPHS pharmacy students at 370 rotation sites receive guidance from 468 preceptors. These professionals model how to behave in clinical settings through dedication to patient care and student learning.

The 2022 Preceptor of the Year, Dr. Leslie Riddle ’09, says the experience is enriching—for her.

“Students often teach me more than I teach them,” she said. “Precepting also keeps me motivated and gives me hope for our future as pharmacists.”

370 ROTATION SITES

468 PRECEPTORS

YOU A PHARMACIST IN A CLINICAL SETTING? CONSIDER

ARE

BECOMING A PRECEPTOR.

Contact Experiential Education at experientialed@acphs.edu.

Scan the QR code to hear Dr. Riddle discuss her experience.

Dr. Vincent Wysocki and Dr. Sabrina Hayden recently completed fellowships in pharmacovigilance at BeiGene, the FDA and ACPHS.

Bernard Tyrrell, director of the ACPHS Industry Fellowship Program

FRIENDS WE’LL MISS *

1949

Betty (Blount) Frink

May 21, 2023

1951

Herbert V. Savage

June 27, 2023

1954

John G. Belemjian

February 1, 2023

1955

Michael A. Parrella Sr.

January 14, 2023

1956

Thomas F. Flynn

December 2, 2022

Leonard G. Sherwood

May 30, 2023

1958

George H. O’Connell

October 24, 2022

Frank A. Viviani

March 17, 2023

1959

Irvin C. Kepner Jr.

January 6, 2022

1961

Richard D. Quigley

November 19, 2022

1963

Raymond K. Benedict

July 3, 2023

Brandt Rowles

April 9, 2023

CLASS NOTES

1965

William H. Helferich III

March 3, 2023

1967

Richard L. Jansen

October 12, 2022

1968

Mary G. Ceresia

March 6, 2023

James J. Kubiak

February 17, 2021

1969

David M. Goodrich

April 21, 2023

Carol A. (Hughes) Hacker

June 9, 2023

1972

Patricia A. Pafundi

January 23, 2023

1973

Paula H. (Smith) Huebeler

January 27, 2023

1977

Stephen G. Boyer

December 5, 2022

1989

Bruce P. Crawmer

June 10, 2020

1991

Joseph T. Patterson

April 9, 2023

1994

Leann K. Janeczko

December 30, 2022

1950s

Dr. Bruce Stewart M.D. ’55, B.S. Pharmacy Moved with his wife Judy to their “snowbird house” in Frostproof, Fla. At 90, Dr. Stewart has been retired from his career as an orthopedic surgeon in Ithaca, NY for 29 years. “I am most grateful to pharmacy as it paid my way through medical school. We keep busy with an expanding family, boats, garden and cruises. Life is good, climate is bad, so not a bad time to be 90.”

Mr. Joseph Rampe ’59, B.S. Pharmacy “Greetings from beautiful South Carolina.” After what he referred to as his “political adventure,” Mr. Rampe and his wife Betty moved to the Hilton Head Island area. After 57 years of marriage, Betty died three years ago. He is grateful for the trips they took. His son Chris and grandson “Also Joseph” are both graduates of the College too and work in New York. “Time goes by so fast. If you’re ever in this area, look me up and give me a call.”

1960s

Dr. Richard (Dick) Daffner M.D. ’63, B.S. Pharmacy Volunteers repairing, rebuilding, and restoring wheelchairs at Global Links in Pittsburgh. Global Links collects surplus and used medical equipment and distributes it to areas where people have no health insurance in the Caribbean and Central and South America, as well as locally.

Mr. Jay Sherline ’63, B.S. Pharmacy

Mr. Sherline and his wife Ellen celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in June, with fond memories of traveling to Paris and Burgundy for their 50th wedding anniversary. “Over the years we have traveled extensively, but still look back on this one as the best. I wish we could travel back to Albany to meet with many of our old friends, but unfortunately some health

Updates from alumni across the decades.

problems would make it very difficult.” To see more photos, check out jsherline. smugmug.com.

Mr. Gary Coloton ’66, B.S. Pharmacy and Mrs. Norma Jean Walker Coloton ’70, B.S. Pharmacy Relocated to a senior community in Annapolis, Md., right on the Chesapeake Bay. John and Mickey Haggarty Wakefield, Class of ’70, stopped to see us on their way between Florida and Massachusetts. “It was great to see them, and we would love to see others stopping by on their travels.”

Mr. James Marmar

’69, B.S. Pharmacy

Was awarded The Bowl of Hygeia by the Vermont Pharmacists Association this year for his dedication and career in pharmacy.

1970s

Mr. Charles Sharkey ’72, B.S. Pharmacy

Coaches a 60-and-over senior softball tournament team. In 1997, he coached a younger team that came in second place in a USSSA World Series in Sterling Heights, Mich. The team was ranked first in the Northeast and fourth in the country. Mr. Sharkey and members of that team (Electric Press) will be inducted into the New York State USSSA Hall of Fame on March 9, 2024.

Mr. Joseph (Joe) Aliberti ’73, B.S. Pharmacy Had a “wonderful career” at Ellis Hospital for 32 years focusing on prep for IV and oncology. Also an avid runner, he qualified for the Boston Marathon and ran in 1990, then decided in September 2022 to run another marathon in Erie, Pa., so he could qualify for Boston again. He qualified and ran the Boston Marathon again 33 years later. “I am honored to say I had a great race and qualified to run in the Boston Marathon for 2024.”

Mrs. Deborah Battaglia Komoroski ’78, B.S. Pharmacy Lives in Connecticut with husband Gary and is building a future home in Rhode Island. “I have two wonderful children, Nick and Isabella, whom I adore, and we recently went on a fabulous family trip to Italy.” She categorized her career in three segments: First as a retail pharmacist. Second, spending 25 years in law enforcement as a drug agent for the State of Connecticut. Third, in private industry diversion control programs. She helped develop and implement the corporate due diligence program for pharmaceutical wholesaler/distributor H.D. Smith. In 2018, she transitioned to another wholesaler/ distributor, AmerisourceBergen, where she was promoted in March 2022 to senior director diversion control in the Controlled Substance Monitoring Program. “In an effort to raise awareness and to help ameliorate our country’s ongoing struggle with drug abuse and drug overdose deaths, for the past several years, I have served the public as an invited expert panel member for US DOJ, District of Connecticut, FBI/DEA co-sponsored Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Community Presentations on a regular basis.”

1980s

Mr. Mike Butler ’80, B.S. Pharmacy and Mrs. Jane Paffenbarger Butler ’81, B.S. Pharmacy Mike has been in “industrial pharmacy” as Drs. Hall, Jablon, Verderame and others at ACP used to call it, since shortly after he graduated in 1980. The last 23 years, he’s spent at Johnson & Johnson as the head of data engineering at Janssen Pharmaceutical R&D. Retired in August, he’s ready to spend more time with 1981 graduate Jane Paffenbarger Butler, who did a 10-year stint in clinical research herself, then stayed home to help raise their three kids. For the past 15 years, she’s been a writing advisor at the local high school and is currently president of the Brandywine Valley Writers Group.

Mr. Joseph (Joe) Fiscella ’82, B.S. Pharmacy Lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and has been retired for 10 years. For the last eight years or so, has organized “roommates’ trips” with the group pictured. “Of course, Dano wants to tag along.” They have been to San Francisco and the

CLASS NOTES

responsibilities are to develop the global data sheets and U.S. product inserts for GSK products. She joined a team consisting mainly of pharmacists, so it has been a great transition getting back to her pharmacy roots! Also, she met up with Michele Skiba ’94 and during the Memorial Day holiday.

2010s

Dr. Stephanie (Button) Wallgren ’10, Pharm.D. Stopped by ACPHS for a quick visit with her boys Brody and Blake on a recent trip to Albany for the Professional Lacrosse League PLL opening weekend.

Zacharczenko ’82, B.S. Pharmacy

Retired dentist Nick Zacharczenko penned another comedy book, under his pseudonym of course. It’s available on Amazon.

Mr. Julius Pasquariello ’83, B.S Pharmacy

Lost his mother in February and has been busy getting the home ready for listing and looking for another home. Has been employed with New York State for 22 years and has started thinking about retirement. “I want to encourage anyone in class of ’83 to attend our reunion. We are planning to get together in addition to the ACHPS reunion events and hope for a great turnout.”

1990s

Dr. Kelly Mahar ’94, B.S. Pharmacy

Recently started a new role at GSK: after working as the clinical pharmacology lead for the drug Jesduvroq (daprodustat) global submission, she joined the Global Regulatory Affairs department as a director in Labeling Strategy and Development, where her

Mr. Michael Dufort ’99, B.S. Pharmacy

With his band, the Josee Allard Trio, released the album “Breaking Dawn” on April 11, 2023.

2000s

Dr. Eric Frazier ’04, Pharm.D. Joined the Pittsford Volunteer Fire Department in November 2022.

“ ‘As leaders, it’s our job to run towards the fire, not away from it.’ I still remember Robert I. Thompson (the retired executive vice president of Rite Aid Corp.) saying that to me in my interview for my first RVP job. Well now I get to do that literally. I’ve spent my career helping others and now I get to do it in a whole new and extremely meaningful way!”

Dr. Grant Martin ’10, Pharm.D. With his wife, Rebecca, recently created a website resource for pharmacists and patients called MyPharmAssist.org. “We are excited to share this resource with all members of the ACPHS community, and hope folks will get in touch with us.”

Dr. Aniwaa Owusu Obeng ’11, Pharm.D. Was promoted to senior director of pharmacy, Mount Sinai Pharmacogenomics Program at Mount Sinai Health System.

Dr. Hassan Sheikh ’12, Pharm.D. Attended the First Eid al-Adha reception hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris at her residence as part of his involvement in Muslim Americans in Public Service. “The event was a humbling reminder of how hard our community has worked to ensure that future generations have an opportunity at public service.”

Napa Valley, Calif.; Palm Beach Gardens and Key West, Fla.; and Lake Norman and Asheville, N.C. “Hope everybody’s doing well and enjoying life as much as we are.”

Left to right: Michelle Fiscella, Joe Fiscella ’82, Beth Healy, Joseph DeVito ’82, Janice DeVito, Bryan Baker ’82, Flavia Baker, Dano Healy ’82.

Dr. Nicholas

KUDOS

Dr. Rosanna Ressing ’13, Pharm.D. Was promoted to Senior Pharmacy Manager, Supervising Pharmacist and DEA Coordinator at STERRX, LLC.

Dr. Zachary Hecox ’16, Pharm.D. Welcomed “our sweet baby boy Carsen” to his family. “I am learning how to be a father for the first time.” He also completed his term as the Northeastern-New York State Council of Health-system Pharmacists (NE-NYSCHP) president, helping to raise over $15,000 for the non-profit organization and to pass a resolution supporting health systems throughout New York State in developing and implementing successful anticoagulation stewardship programs.

1960s

CAREER ADVANCEMENTS WE KNOW ABOUT, AND APPRECIATION FOR ALUM WHO VOLUNTEERED TO SUPPORT THE COLLEGE.

Dr. Wallace (Wally) Pickworth ’69, B.S. Pharmacy Delivered a lecture during Reunion Weekend 2022 about the history, cultivation and effects of tobacco.

Mr. David Stack ’76, B.S. Pharmacy Was featured on the ACPHS podcast, Occupation Station, in Spring 2023.

1970s

Dr. Andrew Hvizdos ’78, B.S. Pharmacy Served as a guest speaker for an ACPHS Industry Insights webinar.

1980s

Mr. Daniel Ben-Amoz ’81, B.S. Pharmacy Was a guest lecturer for the Pharmacy Administration course in the most recent academic year. (See article about his involvement in incorporating entrepreneurship into the ACPHS pharmacy program on p. 18.)

Mr. John McDonald III ’85, B.S. Pharmacy Spoke at the 2022 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training.

Mr. Daniel Bosley ’93, B.S. Pharmacy Spoke to the Student Pharmacy Society of the State of New York (SPSSNY) Club on Lobby Day and was featured on acphs.edu.

Dr. Debra Offricht, ’94 ’95, B.S. Pharmacy, Pharm.D. Was promoted to scientific communications lead at Phathom Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Brian Hemstreet ’96, B.S. Pharmacy Was appointed president-elect of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Board of Regents.

Ms. Tara Thomas ’96, B.S. Pharmacy Spoke at the 2023 Pharmacy Career Information Fair.

2000s

Dr. Nicole Stack Lodise ’02, Pharm.D. Spoke on the importance of tobacco cessation in women’s health.

Dr. Scott Guisinger ’04, Pharm.D. Spoke to the Pharmacy Administration class in Spring 2023.

Carsen Hecox, left, and Dr. Zachary Hecox at the NYSCHP Annual Assembly in Saratoga in April 2023.

Dr. Dylan Goslin ’18, Pharm.D. Started a new position as vice president of medical strategy at 21GRAMS.

Dr. Danielle Burt ’19, Pharm.D. Recently traveled to Colorado with Megan Judway ’22. See photo of them at Rocky Mountain National Park (pg. 24).

Dr. Steven Hansel ’85, B.S. Pharmacy Served as a guest speaker for an ACPHS Industry Insights webinar.

Mrs. Kelly Flynn ’89, B.S. Pharmacy Hosted a discussion on long term care.

1990s

Mr. James Hopsicker ’91, B.S. Pharmacy Appointed president of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) national board of directors. Served as a guest speaker as part of the 2023 Pharmacy Career Information Fair at ACPHS and spoke to the AMCP Club about managed care.

Dr. Marc Watrous ’91, B.S. Pharmacy Spoke to the Pharmacy Administration class in Spring 2023.

Dr. Nardine Nakhla ’07, Pharm.D. Was featured on ACPHS’ podcast Occupation Station about how her career path evolved during and after her time at ACPHS.

Dr. Stephen Esker ’08, Pharm.D. Was a guest speaker for ACPHS’ Industry Insights webinar.

Dr. Shawn Leland ’08, Pharm.D. Participated in an Industry Insights webinar.

Dr. Steven St. Onge ’09, Pharm.D. Hosted a webinar on “The Road Less Traveled.”

Dr. Allison Trawinski ’09, Pharm.D. Was a guest speaker as part of the 2023 Women in Pharmacy Leadership event and for the Pharmacy Administration course.

Dr. Jessica (Baugh) Anderson ’09, Pharm.D. Was a guest speaker as part of the 2023 Women in Pharmacy Leadership event in the Spring of 2023.

2010s

Dr. Geoffrey Henderson ’10, Pharm.D. Hosted a financial literacy event for all students and participated in the Student Etiquette Dinner in the spring of 2023.

Dr. Anthony DiSpirito, Jr. ’10, Pharm.D. Spoke at the 2023 Pharmacy Career Information Fair and was a White Coat Ceremony cloaker in 2022.

Dr. Egor Veselov ’10, Pharm.D. Participated in an interview workshop at ACPHS.

Mr. Michael D’Alessandro ’12, B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences Served as a guest speaker for an Industry Insights webinar.

Dr. Hillary (Fletcher) Matson ’12, Pharm.D. Spoke at Hygeia Day on reproductive health in community pharmacy.

Dr. Scott Beeman ’12, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker in February 2023.

Dr. Soo Hyeon Shin ’13, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker for an Industry Insights webinar on FDA: An Intro to the Agency.

Dr. Valerie Snyder ’13, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker for an Industry Insights webinar on FDA: An Intro to the Agency.

Dr. Sarah Walton ’15, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker as part of the 2023 Women in Pharmacy Leadership event.

Dr. Mai Mowaswes ’15, Pharm.D. Participated in Alumni Student Mentoring— First Generation.

Ms. Nawshin Ahmed ’16, B.S. Health and Human Sciences Was featured on ACPHS’ podcast Occupation Station and talked about how her goals and interests evolved during her time at ACPHS.

Lieutenant Commander Gavin O’Brien ’17, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker for an Industry Insights webinar on FDA: An Intro to the Agency.

Dr. Adriana Giordano ’17, Pharm.D. Spoke at the 2023 Pharmacy Career Information Fair.

Dr. Rebecca Chu ’18, Pharm.D. Was the 2022 White Coat Ceremony speaker and a cloaker in 2022.

Dr. Ryan Guilaran ’18, Pharm.D. Started a new role as medication-assisted treatment pharmacist for NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in Albany.

Dr. Emily (Ewell) Shupe ’18, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker for an Industry Insights webinar.

Dr. Kara Olstad ’19, Pharm.D. Was a guest speaker at the 2023 Women in Pharmacy Leadership event and at the 2023 Pharmacy Career Information Fair.

2020s

Ms. Marie Malone ’20, B.S./M.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences Served as a guest speaker as part of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Seminar Series.

Dr. Nicolas James ’20, Pharm.D. Served as a guest speaker on Regulatory Affairs for an Industry Insights webinar.

Ms. Sneha Pandithar ’21, M.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences Served as a guest speaker as part of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Seminar Series.

Dr. Nicole Salatel ’21, Pharm.D. Spoke to SPSSNY on “Find Your Pharmacy.”

Mr. Nicholas Nasta ’21, B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences Spoke on the topic of “BS to DO/MD: Perspectives of an Alumnus.”

Mr. Daniel Galke ’22, B.S./M.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences Served as a guest speaker as part of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Seminar Series.

Ms. Kaylee White ’22, B.S. Public Health Was featured on the ACPHS website for her work in public health and policy.

Dr. Sarder Sadid ’22, Pharm.D. Was promoted to associate manager of Clinical Initiatives & Legislative Affairs at NCODA and participated in an interview workshop at ACPHS.

Ms. Rebekah Garfolo ’22, B.S./M.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences Served as a guest speaker for an Industry Insights webinar.

THE FOLLOWING ALUMNI SPOKE TO STUDENTS AT PUBLIC HEALTH EVENTS:

2010s

Mr. Andrew DuJack ’15, B.S. Health and Human Sciences

Ms. Kirsten Donato ’17, B.S. Health and Human Sciences

Ms. Rachael Spina ’17, B.S. Health and Human Sciences

Ms. Chelsea Hogan ’18, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Makenna Karn ’19, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Carly Marrone ’19, B.S. Public Health

Mr. Austin Morley-Sloan ’19, B.S. Public Health

2020s

Ms. Alexandra (Ally) Phillips ’20, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Marum Sadiq ’20, B.S. Public Health

Mr. John Ambert, Jr. ’20, B.S. Public Health

Mr. Edward Ahanmisi ’20 B.S. Public Health

Mr. Jack McKenna ’21, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Sarah Snyder ’21, B.S. Public Health

Ms. La-Danielle McNeil ’22, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Nicole Ponarski ’22, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Nicole Swiatkowski ’22, B.S. Public Health

Ms. Saima Hannan ’22, B.S. Public Health

On the Road Again

Alumni have taken to traveling again, now that COVID-related restrictions have ended. Check out some of their experiences here. And continued happy adventures to all!

Dr. Marie-Stephanie (Tolg) Hughes ’16, Dr. David Hughes ’16, Dr. Zachary Hecox ’16 and Siobhan Hecox in Boston

Krystal Ortiz ’22 in the Dominican Republic

Michael Butler ’80 and Jane Butler ’81 in Portugal

Jay Sherline ’63 and Ellen Sherline shared this picture from a trip to Paris and Burgundy 12 years ago.

Debrah (Battaglia) Komoroski ‘78, second from right, with Nick, Gary and Isabella Komoroski in Italy

Dr. Megan Judway ’22 and Dr. Danielle Burt ’19 at Rocky Mountain National Park

Alumni met with President Tofade in Washington, D.C.

Yuri Larsen, Dr. Helentina Pang ’13, Linda West and Dr. Alexander West ’13 in Hawaii