After more than 60 years of sporting the same drab, uninspired look, one more utilitarian than attractive, the UIC College of Pharmacy’s Wood Street home has received an eye-catching facelift. On Oct. 13, College administrators, faculty, staff and students joined philanthropists John Plachetka BS Pharm ’76 and his wife, Clare, for the official unveiling of POZEN Plaza, the College’s lively new exterior entryway that better reflects UIC’s standing as one of the nation’s top pharmacy schools while simultaneously honoring the legacy of POZEN, the drug development company Plachetka founded 21 years ago. The Plachetka Family Foundation’s $500,000 gift allowed the College to enhance and expand its initial exterior renovation plans from a brick walkway to a more vibrant, comprehensive project punctuated by a 12,000 pound mortar and pestle sculpture that celebrates the pharmacy profession.
“I was hopeful this project would have a lasting legacy and I certainly believe it will.” JOHN PLACHETKA
A dynamic space
Crews worked on the curb appeal-boosting project throughout the summer months, replacing the front entranceway’s large concrete slabs, emblematic of the College’s cold, dated look, with a new walkway of textured granite pavers laid in a herringbone pattern. Crews also constructed multiple brick seating walls, planted fresh greenery and flowers and created a cozy socialization area called “Clare’s Corner” that features a sloping accent wall as well as tables and chairs. Memorial bricks purchased by College alumni, faculty, staff and friends encircle the plaza and its dynamic centerpiece: a 4.5-foot tall mortar and pestle sculpture constructed of Indiana limestone. A spirited homage to the pharmacy profession as well as the College’s history of excellence, the sculpture sits atop a tiered, circular planter wall surrounded by greenery and flowers and is illuminated by four LED floodlights at night. “To steal a line from Chevy Chase, ‘Who wouldn’t want to see the largest mortar and pestle in the Western Hemisphere?’” Plachetka jokes. “It’s clearly one of a kind.”
12 | pharmalumni.uic.edu
SUMMER 2017