ALUMNI NEWS MAGAZINE | 2021
ACPHS THROUGH THE DECADES AND INTO THE FUTURE
A
CPHS has a long distinguished tradition of educating pharmacists—this is the core of who we are. Our rigorous curriculum has prepared generations of pharmacists to serve patients primarily in their communities and hospitals. Pharmacists continue to rank as one of the most trusted professionals according to Gallup’s annual survey. All of this trust and respect is well deserved. With 93% of Americans living within five miles of a community pharmacy, pharmacists are the most accessible and frequently visited members of the healthcare team. Despite this, pharmacists continue to be a great untapped healthcare resource. Although we educate our pharmacists for a spectrum of specialties and our students go on to fulfilling careers in a range of practice settings, our healthcare system does not fully utilize the great talent base we provide each year through our graduating class. Though over the years this has slowly begun to change. Since 2008, when pharmacists were first authorized to immunize adults against flu and pneumococcal disease, the response from pharmacists, the medical community, public health officials, insurers and consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. Adult immunization rates have improved along with access to vaccines, and today 14,000 New York licensed pharmacists are SED-certified immunizers. But pharmacists are still not authorized to utilize all of their extensive education and training. Fortunately, the silver lining of this pandemic is that pharmacists have continuously demonstrated they have the education and training to combat COVID-19 by testing, counseling and vaccinating patients in their communities. Our students have relished the opportunity to be on the front lines volunteering at vaccine clinics at our student-
FROM THE PRESIDENT 2021 ALUMNI NEWS 02
operated pharmacies and The Collaboratory, our public health practice site, to serve patients in medically underserved areas. The public has come to expect these services from pharmacists, and policymakers are beginning to finally update New York’s antiquated laws to authorize pharmacists to do more, including passing legislation that expands pharmacists’ authority to administer all CDCrecommended adult immunizations. Given the number of pharmacists certified to immunize and the growing number of pharmacy interns who are completing immunization training, New York has a pharmacy workforce well-positioned for continued improvements in adult immunization rates. As society’s drug experts, pharmacists are uniquely situated to make vaccines accessible and convenient, thereby contributing significantly to the health and well-being of patients. In addition to preparing our students to fight pandemics and serve their communities, we are also proactively preparing ACPHS students to enter the pharmaceutical industry with our Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET) located at the Albany NanoTech Complex on Fuller Road. This center, the first of its kind in New York State and the first at a pharmacy college, is offering a one-year Professional Science Master's program that gives students, alumni and current professionals hands-on experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, gene and cellbased therapies. We see this as a robust career path, particularly as some other sectors of pharmacy come under job market stress. We have expertise in both virology and
bioprocessing, allowing us to introduce vaccine manufacturing into CBET's offerings which is particularly timely as countries around the world are in the midst of trying to get people vaccinated against COVID-19. CBET will help advance the biopharmaceutical industry by providing customized workforce training for industry professionals looking to advance their skill sets and obtain hands-on experience with the latest biopharmaceutical technology. The Center will also provide contract services for companies who need access to advanced bioprocessing technologies or who want external analysis of their early-stage projects. In addition to the advancements at CBET, there are also a lot of exciting changes happening on the ACPHS campus with our various renovations to improve the experience for current and future students with new gathering spaces, updated labs and a medicinal garden.
Although the pharmacy profession is evolving, the campus is changing, and we are embarking on new strategic endeavors to proactively facilitate our graduates going into industry, our core identity remains the same. We continue to be a small private college with high academic standards that offers preeminent degree programs in the health sciences while maintaining pharmacy at its core. In short, ACPHS will always be an alma mater to be proud of for each generation through the decades and into the future. And although I will be stepping down next July to begin my retirement, I will always be proud of ACPHS and what we accomplished together. Stay safe,
Greg Dewey ACPHS President
Dear ACPHS Alumni: In July, President Dewey announced his intention to retire as President of ACPHS in July 2022 after 8 years leading the College. While this news is bittersweet, we are preparing to engage the ACPHS community on a Presidential Transition. We appreciate that Greg will continue to serve as our President and maintain strong leadership of the College during this period of transition. A Presidential Search Committee, chaired by Chris Di Lascia ’83 and composed of faculty, students, alumni and trustees will oversee the search process. We will be selecting a search firm to assist us in conducting a search inclusive of the ACPHS community. As Alumni, your input into the search is important. We will keep you appraised of the process to be developed to ensure communication channels are open for your insights, thoughts and perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing ACPHS and what ACPHS needs as its next leader. ACPHS has benefitted greatly from President Dewey’s leadership. The College’s endowment— with Alumni support—has grown by 80% under his tenure. With the hard work and support of the ACPHS community, the College successfully mitigated the COVID pandemic—focusing on both student safety and success. Positive momentum
has continued during this period with progress on the new Student Lounge and Ralph’s on Campus, the Stack Family Center Center for Biotechnology Education and Training and the Discovery for Life Capital Campaign. The selection of the next President to lead ACPHS into the future is a critically important endeavor. We welcome your suggestions and comments on what ACPHS needs in its’ next President and what it needs for future success. Stay tuned for further information on the search process and how to participate. Thank you for your continued support of the College. Sincerely,
Marion Morton ‘84 Chair, Board of Trustees 2021
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ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1950’s
1960’s
Dr. William Fizette ’51, BS Pharmacy It is a long time since our class of 1951 graduated from ACP! After a year in retail pharmacy working as a licensed pharmacist, I elected for a career change and moved to Knoxville TN to study for an MS in microbiology and later I picked up a PhD from Ohio State. I ended up returning to retail pharmacy, owning my own store in Stroudsburg, PA for 30 some years. In the meantime, I met and married a young lady. And we are still together after 67 years, along with two sons. The oldest is also an ACP graduate, working for a chain, and the youngest lives with us in NE PA on our old homestead. He is a retired USAFR colonel with two EE degrees. We have one granddaughter who is currently studying for a law degree. In my earlier years I became an FCC licensed amateur radio operator, and I still play with it after 71 years. A wonderful hobby! I know many of my classmates from 1951 have passed on, although I remain in touch with Herb Savage and Hal Seitz. Best wishes to everyonev!
John Bottiroli ’61, BS Pharmacy Over the last few years my wife and I have enjoyed travels in the USA. We have made it to ALL 50 STATES. I am awestruck at the beauty we find everywhere, and the friendliness in all states. This past October, I was driving thru San Antonio Texas, and took a chance to stop at the last address I had for my roommate during my years at ACP-Les Felpel. He still lived there, we had a great visit with Les and his wife, Vivian. Other than that, I am still doing some part-time work at the UVM Elizabethtown Community Hospital. My wife, Elaine, and I have 3 daughters, 8 grandkids, and 4 greatgrandkids, all of which help keep us active. Working with younger pharmacists has shown me the great strides the profession has made since my graduation in 1961. We all should be very happy with the patient care roles the profession now encompasses, and a community hospital is a place all the training the college provides its students can be used to the fullest. Wishing all alumni, the very best—ENJOY OUR PROFESSION—find the niche that works best for you and make the most of the education ACPHS has provided.
Joseph Wynn MacFarland ’55, BS Pharmacy* I owned an independent pharmacy in Saratoga Springs, NY and retired in 1995. My wife Barbara and I have 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. I hope to continue to enjoy retirement, family, and friends for many years. *Joseph passed away on August 18, 2021. Ann Parillo ’57, BS Pharmacy Wow, what a ride we’ve been on over the last year and a half. I had been doing a weekly TV show every week since 1998 and that came to an abrupt stop when COVID raised its ugly little head. So, it gave me time to start writing short stories. All of them have been published in the New Author’s Journal. Years ago, when I was an instructor at ACPHS, Walt Singer was the President/Dean. He was a great punster and we always tried to outpun each other. In March 2020, I started posting a different pun every day on Facebook to the delight of my many followers. This inspired me to write a book on language and the different types of wordplays that have existed since “way back when”. Research has shown that they may go back as far as the ancient Egyptians. I started up my TV show in April 2021 and it’s going strong. It’s called Capital Region Today and can be found on YouTube on demand. So, after a career in Pharmacy, I’ve found a whole new niche and I’m lovin’ it. Cheers to all my classmates! Onward and Upward! 2021 ALUMNI NEWS 04
1970s William Adsit, Jr. ’72, BS Pharmacy This year I finally decided to retire after 48 years. To keep busy, I play golf, swim and spend time with my 2 grandchildren. I still reside in Cooperstown, NY (remember my speech) but we do get away in the winter to Florida and Arizona. Again, this year my three best friends from college came to Cooperstown for golf and fun. Charles Sharkey ’72, BS Pharmacy The past year I have been enjoying myself with family. In July, we had a reunion that has been going on for over 50 years, started by my deceased father. I retired in 2010 and spend time coaching a 60 and over senior softball team that travels to tourneys along the East Coast. I have a new fan now looking on....my 6-year-old granddaughter Nora. I have another granddaughter Annalise who is 4 years old. During the winter I spend time in Marco Island with my girlfriend to escape the Central NY cold. Christine Wood ’78, BS Medical Technology My BS in Medical Technology opened doors and provided me with many opportunities throughout my career. I progressed from a Hematology Laboratory Technologist to Supervisor with the Department of Veterans Affairs. After I received
my MBA from SUNYA I accepted the position of Administrative Officer for their Medical Research Program. Throughout my 33 years at the VA, my ACP degree served me well. I just love science and am always happy to support current students who feel the same way.
1980s Dr. Michael Kane ’84, BS Pharmacy Dr. Michael Kane was a guest speaker in March 2021 to the AASP Club on Research and was able to speak with the students on his area of expertise. Cynthia (Young) Belmore ’88, BS Pharmacy I had a fabulous education from ACP and learned a lot from my mentors at Kinney Drugs. I’m proud to say that I worked for Kinney Drugs for 37 years and retired on June 29th, 2021. The past year has been both rough and triumphant for pharmacists, and I discovered that it was time to hang up my white coat and let the next generation take over. I had a fabulous career at Kinney Drugs, and I wouldn’t trade a minute. I loved having students come into the pharmacy and learn under my supervision. There is no better reward than having your former students contact you and want to get together and have them thank you for being a tough mentor, throwing them in the fire, and having high expectations. I am truly blessed to have such a long career with an employee-owned company. On to the next chapter!
1990s Dr. Rebecca Blanchard ’90, BS Pharmacy Dr. Blanchard was a guest speaker in April 2021 and spoke with the students in Dr. Ray's Health Care and Human Values class. Dave Jones, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP ’98 ’01 As we all have struggled personally and professionally this during this pandemic, I have learned more than ever how important it is to function as a team. In my role as Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator at St. Elizabeth, I function as “the pharmacist” at multidisciplinary critical care rounds. My advice is sought out and my recommendations taken seriously. During the pandemic, I had to learn and educate the staff about COVID-19 therapeutics in addition to my normal responsibilities. I became involved in helping to procure convalescent plasma and ensured that each COVID patient had access to Emergency-use-authorization therapeutics, in addition to routine surveillance of all of their other medications. Antibiotics stewardship and glycemic
management are a big part of my surveillance. I am very grateful for the nurses, respiratory therapists, intensivists, hospitalists, and other specialists that I work with, and very fortunate that they entrust the pharmaceutical care and oversight to me and my team. It has taken many years to build trust, but I feel that I am welcomed and revered to be a part of this team. I continue to grow and learn from the professionals that surround me and do my best to keep current in my role. In addition to all of this, I am working with administration to launch a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency program for 2022 as we move toward the new downtown hospital in 2023.
2000s Neal Smoller ’04, PharmD This was a landmark year for me, my practice, and pharmacists nationally. People were desperate for leadership and direction during the pandemic. Looking left, then right, and realizing no one locally was stepping up, I gladly did. Through social media, webinars, and regular blogging, I helped people near and far “cope with COVID,” becoming a trusted source of daily fact-based, fear-free information. Also, we launched an aggressive (even for my standards!) immunization and outreach program. In all, we delivered over 36,000 doses and fully immunized over 20,000 people, supported by our local governments, our community, and a “COVID Busting Volunteer Army.” This year, I got to remind my “world” how valuable pharmacists can be. This is me with many of my “volunteer army,” which at one point was up to 600 people. Joy Lee ’05, PharmD As I reflect on the past year, although it has been a challenging season, I am grateful for the importance of public health measures, slowing down the pace of life, and appreciating good health. Wearing a mask, physical distancing, and quarantine have become everyday actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and those around us. With the quarantine, it has allowed time for reflection and appreciation to not take health and the ability to gather for granted. I am looking forward to being able to freely move around without fear and to reconnect with those I have not seen in a long time. Thank you and be well. Nick Rebmann ’08, PharmD Professionally, my role has recently changed to Chief Operating Officer at Hudson Headwaters Health Network in Queensbury, New York, in
November 2019. In real-time and with close collaboration and direction from the New York State Department of Health, we successfully continued to care for our nearly 100,000 patients throughout the year across our 22 locations. In addition to providing primary care, we also tested 37,000 patients for Covid-19 throughout the year. Once the vaccines became available, we were a primary delivery site for vaccines across the North Country, delivering 40,000 vaccine doses through June 2021. My wife, Rosa Azadian ’08, was also on the front lines delivering vaccines to hundreds of patients throughout the Capital District this past spring while also remaining focused on our three children Eloise, Oliver, and Vivienne.
2010s Erica Stevenson ’11, PharmD I am currently the pharmacy manager at Glenmont Walmart and am loving it! During the pandemic, I was able to volunteer as an immunizer and medical evaluator at the Albany County DOH clinic at the Times Union Center. Standing in that large auditorium filled with vaccination supplies is something I’ll never forget. It felt historic, and it was. I’m so proud that I could impact real change on a global event like this, and it all started with my time at ACPHS! Last year I kept a “pandemic journal” documenting some of the wild details and describing what I did to help, and I look forward to someday sharing it with my kids so they can understand the true gravity of the situation. When they read it, I hope they’re proud that their mother was a positive force in a perilous time. Zach Hecox ’16, PharmD
The two students in the attached picture are from left to right: Bianca Melero and Alishah Premji
This past year has taught me innovation. I had to be innovative in order to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when it came to my anticoagulation clinic patients. I could not let the virus manage my patients. Rather, I had to manage the virus. So, I established drive-up fingerstick INR monitoring so that my patients didn’t need to enter my clinic. I look forward to eventually not having to use face masks or abide by social distancing guidelines. I miss seeing what my established patients’ faces
look like and hope for the day I can see my new patients’ faces for the first time. Nothing beats showing hospitality and greeting with a smile when it comes to patient-centered care! Chiara Evans ’18, MS Pharmaceutical Sciences After graduation, I joined the PhD in Pharmacology program at Weill Cornell in New York City. I joined Dr. Michael Kharas’ lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and my research is now focused on how regulation of RNA-binding proteins maintains stem cell activity in normal and malignant hematopoietic contexts like leukemias and lymphomas. The goal of this research is the development of more targeted cancer therapies. My main ‘essential’ function at the height of the pandemic was taking care of leukemic mice that were part of ongoing experiments for my lab. I wanted to do more, so I took up some volunteer shifts at the hospitals. I also headed the Drug Development and Structural Biology study section of the SARS-CoV-2 scientific literature review group of Weill Cornell graduate students that came together during the pandemic to combat the rampant misinformation running around social media. While many fled the city, my fiancé, Dexter T. Thomas ’18, and I stayed to lend help to our respective workplaces. Ryan Guilaran ’18, PharmD As we zoom through 2021, we may be quick to forget the struggles faced in 2020. We would be remiss to ignore the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many communities around the country the public health crisis reinforced the importance of trusting medical professionals and underscored our need to be focused and patient centered. We, as pharmacists, continue to play a major role in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. I was blessed with the opportunity to lead the first long-term care clinic in my district in December and then later in February led the first in-store clinic in the same district. In April I transitioned from the private sector to the public sector to focus on another public health crisis that has been plaguing us for years—the opioid epidemic. As we look to the future, I would like to thank my fellow alumni for your steadfast dedication to our profession and to the health and well-being of our communities.
For more, visit acphs.edu/alumni/the-dose/class-notes-2021.
2021
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FRIENDS WE’LL MISS As of August 31, 2021
1950
1955
Alfred L. O’Brien January 27, 2020
Joseph A. Christian, III June 20, 2021
Anthony J. LaRosa November 13, 2020
George W. Rohde August 4, 2021
Thomas B. Critz December 8, 2020
1956
Stanley T. Brownstein February 11, 2021
Joseph W. MacFarland August 18, 2021
1951 David C. Lee February 5, 2020 Melvin Mones April 2, 2020 Alvin A. Kaye April 24, 2020 Martin Scully July 26, 2021
1952 Robert H. Van Vlack April 9, 2019 Jack D. Fervan September 12, 2020 John D. Forman June 21, 2021
1953 Chris S. Calender July 12, 2021
1954 Robert H. Johnson, Jr. April 17, 2020 Barry LaClair September 1, 2020 George M. Ehrmann July 5, 2021 James P. Kennedy August 16, 2021 2021 ALUMNI NEWS 06
Philip J. O’Neill March 20, 2021
Dean M. Thurheimer July 19, 2021
1960
1966
Robert Altshul October 23, 2015
John C. Walters December 19, 2020
1961
1967
Henry McLamb November 22, 2016
David J. Shingles March 16, 2021
1957
Barry F. Wishengrad September 7, 2020
1968
William R. Steed January 24, 2020
Alan L. Carroll February 21, 2021
Lewis B. Helfstein October 9, 2018
John E. Boylan August 25, 2020
Roy F. Hammecker May 3, 2021
William E. Hunter September 25, 2020
Kathleen (McCartney) Chapman March 26, 2021
1962
Geraldine A. (Malecki) DeGrazio November 4, 2020
Marilyn (Shearer) Green July 2, 2021
1958 Joseph M. Chiarella May 30, 2020 Dominic A. Cesta July 30, 2020 William C. Hallenbeck February 27, 2021 Warren E. Doetsch March 23, 2021 Leonard E. Dwyer April 25, 2021
1959 Anthony F. Andreone June 9, 2019 Allen J. Lieberoff August 19, 2020
Warren T. Lennox August 12, 2020
1963 Douglas M. Roy May 25, 2015 Carol Gasner December 10, 2019 David Diekow January 26, 2020 Richard K. Aikens September 28, 2020 Frank R. Renna June 18, 2021
1964 Eve (Ilves) Rebasso March 1, 2021
1965 Daniel R. Long September 29, 2020 Alan W. Rothschild February 17, 2021
Raymond T. Giblin December 28, 2020 Sally (Snow) Gates April 14, 2021 Dennis R. Baker June 1, 2021
1969 Alan Blum March 13, 2021
1970 Robert J. Craner March 15, 2021
1973 Kathy (Peacock) Bearup June 1, 2021
1974 Thomas R. Cooley September 3, 2020
1977 David C. Fiore February 25, 2021 Raymond N. Dansereau July 23, 2021
1980 William F. Schlomberg March 15, 2021 Douglas Sears March 22, 2021
1992 Tracey (Coroa) Andrews August 2, 2021
2013 Stephen Chikwem July 14, 2018
2016 Christopher Wilming April 6, 2021
2019 Jerry Arul September 6, 2020
Friend of the College Kenneth M. Nirenberg December 26, 2020
Alumni Through the Decades 2021
marks the 140th anniversary of the founding of Albany College of Pharmacy (ACP). Initially founded to help fill a void in the community healthcare landscape at a time when doctors were not always accessible, ACP has always focused on providing its students with a rigorous education that centered on graduating the highly-trained, compassionate professionals who have cared for their communities in many ways. While the past year has been challenging, a look into the College’s history shows that ACP (and later ACPHS) graduates have always been leading the way towards ensuring the health of their communities, often serving as trusted mediators between physicians and patients, caring for all of their neighbors and dispensing advice along with prescriptions. Many of our graduates have been trailblazers and bridge-builders, and they have always worked to safeguard their neighbors’ health. A Pharmacist’s role can take many forms—while they are most commonly thought of in a community setting, our graduates have used their skills in many ways throughout the decades. We see them on the frontlines during wars; in the development of treatments and technologies; and on the frontlines of patient care during the COVID19 pandemic. 1880’s Sarah Simonet, Class of 1883—Simonet was a member of the College's inaugural class
in 1881 and was the College’s first female graduate. The pharmacy program at the time was just two years, and following her graduation, Simonet returned to her home in Croghan, NY. She and her husband had started a general store, and shortly after her graduation, they added a pharmacy. Simonet subsequently attended the University at Buffalo where she would go on to earn her medical degree. Returning to Croghan she became known as the "lady physician" and dedicated the rest of her life to treating the residents of her medically underserved area. James Gardiner, 1888— Born in 1864, just before the end of the Civil War, Gardiner was the first Black graduate of ACP. He was vice president of his class and won a cash prize of $20 from the Alumni Association for the best graduation thesis on “Percolation”. After graduation Gardiner worked in Saratoga Springs, the only Black druggist in the city at that time. 1890’s
Spanish American War—The United States declared war on Spain in April 1898 following the sinking of the battleship U.S.S Maine in Havana, Cuba. The short-lived SpanishAmerican War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. At the 1899 Alumni Association meeting, it was noted for the record that 12 members of the Association had fought in the war.
1900’s Burt Orrin Kinney, Class of 1901—Founder of Kinney Drugs, a pharmacy chain with over a hundred drugstores and pharmacies spread over Central and Northern New York and Vermont. Kinney opened the first store in 1903 in the town of Gouverneur, NY. In the town, he was more than just a business owner. He served on the hospital board of directors for many years. He served as a village trustee, director of the Gouverneur Savings and Loan and was a life member of the Gouverneur Lodge F & AM. He waited on customers up to six weeks before he died in 1966 at the age of 92. 1910’s Rena Henault, Class of 1913—Women began to make their mark at the College during this decade. Henault was hired as the College’s first female teacher in 1917. She assisted Professor Edwin Hutman '91 in the Pharmacy Lab and taught Microscopy and Pharmacognosy with Dr. T.W. Jenkins. 1920’s Francis J. O'Brien, Class of 1920—The beloved Dean was hired on as an Instructor in Pharmacy and Mathematics immediately after his graduation. By 1925, he had been promoted to Assistant Professor. In 1943, he replaced William Mansfield as dean of the College and was tasked with the difficult job of leading the school during World War II. During some of the leaner times during WWII, Dean O’Brien chose not to take his salary. He served as Dean until his retirement in 1967. Almost every graduate who attended ACP during his tenure has a story of his 2021
07 ALUMNI NEWS
dedication to and support of the student body. He is often credited with transforming the College and pharmacy as a profession, and the College continues to honor his memory to this day with the main building on campus named after him, and when he passed, dozens of alumni created an endowed Scholarship that has supported over 100 students since its founding.
1950’s
1930’s
Rinaldo DeNuzzo, Class of 1952—A full professor at ACP for 58 years, DeNuzzo was affectionately nicknamed “Prof” by his students. He also practiced clinical pharmacy up until the last three years of his life and held pharmacy licenses in several states.
Rudolph H. Blythe, Class of 1931— Rudolph was founder of the Pharmaceutical Research division of SmithKline & French (SK&F). He joined the company in Philadelphia in 1934 and retired as director, Pharmaceutical Research in 1966. Dr. Blythe invented the time-release capsule during a distinguished career as a pioneer industrial scientist and pharmaceutical inventor. Under his leadership, SK&F's lab became one of the world's most respected pharmaceutical research and development labs. Blythe was Trustee Emeritus and the largest donor in ACP's history. He established the Rudolph and Dorothy Blythe Research Fund in 2000 with a $1,000,000 gift.
Jefferson Award from the Times Union for his service to the community through his work with Trinity. 1960’s Thomas Alpert, Class of 1967
DeNuzzo served his country as a member of the U.S. Congressional Review Panel on Prescription Drug Payments, as Coordinator of Pharmaceutical Services for the XIII Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, and as chair of the NYS Dept. of Health's Ad Hoc Advisory Committee. He served as Regent of the Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, and a regular radio talk show guest on WGY's "Ask the Pharmacist."
How did your education prepare you for your career? My education of compounding and residency helped when me when I was working at Einstein Pharmacy in Albany during my time at ACP. Working there also gave me the opportunity to work with patients. My practitioner training allowed me to meet all types of people and learn all types of skills. Even now, when I go to see my doctor, he knows that I was a pharmacist practitioner and how that has helped my doctor communicate with me since we understand each other. 1970’s
1940’s World War II—“As the hour rapidly approaches when we, members of the Class of 1942, will depart from the comparative tranquility of academic life and enter a world at war, we can but wonder what awaits beyond the horizon.”— Foreword of the 1942 Yearbook. The 1940’s were a hard decade for the College. Already struggling to stay afloat in the aftermath of the Great Depression, WWII saw many students drafted and enrollment numbers dwindle. The class of 1943’s curriculum was accelerated to allow for a January graduation, giving students the chance to complete their coursework before entering active service. Once the war was over, ACP’s ranks swelled with ex-servicemen. Half of the freshman class in 1945 were veterans and 42 percent of the male and female students were married. Walter Singer graduated in 1948. He would go on to succeed Dean O’Brien upon his retirement. Singer would serve as Dean of the College until 1982. 2021 ALUMNI NEWS 08
Selig Corman, Class of 1958—After graduation, Corman began his long career in pharmacy, eventually taking responsibility for Lincoln Pharmacy, which was established by his father, who was also an ACP graduate, in 1935. He continued to operate the pharmacy and care for his customers until 1988, when Corman sold Lincoln Pharmacy, though it still remains in operation today. Corman created the position of Director of Professional Affairs at the New York State Pharmaceutical Society where he served for 23 years. Corman was committed to serving his community. In 1973 he joined the board of directors of the Trinity Alliance in downtown Albany, an organization committed to lifting up the lives of so many people in Albany's South End neighborhood. He served on that board for over four decades, ultimately being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from Trinity and later was awarded a
Edward Ullmann, Class of 1973 How do you see your role in your community? As a trusted leader in a small community, I see my role as follows: 1. Treat all patients equally regardless of culture, background, income or life experience. 2. Serve as a role model for hope. Demonstrate your values through your actions. Demonstrate the beauty of love. 3. Serve as a trusted pharmacist, public health advocate, job creator, mentor and community leader. 4. Being there when needed. Not just when it is convenient. That’s what the community wants to see and feel. 5. Be a change agent. Feel the pulse of what is needed. Create action through volunteerism, donations and making a difference.
Kandyce Daley, Class of 1974 How have you used your degree in an unconventional way? When I graduated from ACPHS in 1974, retail pharmacies still used manual typewriters to produce labels, a bates stamper to generate Rx numbers on the label and hard copy prescription, and handwritten receipts. In 1980, the first pharmacy computer systems were developed. I was asked by the VP of Pharmacy for Fay’s Drugs to head up our pharmacy computer project. Although this may not sound like an unconventional use of my degree today, it certainly was a first for my generation. We were charged with verifying that all programs conformed to the needs and laws of pharmacy practice in the states we operated in, ease of use for our pharmacists, and that third party plan billing was accurate. In addition, we had to create our formulary and pricing algorithms, sig codes, drug interactions, allergy alerts, and a training package for all our pharmacists. To do this, my colleagues (many of whom graduated from ACPHS) and I had to use every bit of the knowledge we learned at ACPHS. 1980’s Darren Triller, Class of 1989 How did your education prepare you for your career? The pharmacy programs at ACPHS certainly gave me a solid clinical foundation for my career and my post-doctoral fellowship in home care gave me the additional skills in research and professional writing that really set me up for success in subsequent positions. As a tenure-track faculty member, I was expected to be innovative and productive, which also translated well to subsequent positions and opened additional doors. In more recent years I’ve found it valuable to continue educating myself in areas not included in traditional clinical programs, such as computer programming and data analysis. The combination of clinical training and
technology skills has allowed me to get involved in all sorts of fun and impactful projects. 1990’s Gregory Sciarra, Class of 1993 How do you see your role in your community? My role in the community is more important now than it ever has been previously. Healthcare is changing seemingly overnight, and I am at a point in my career where I can really give back to the community. I am in a role that serves medically underserved communities where access to primary care is difficult and certainly not equitable. It’s my chance to help bridge the divide around access to good quality healthcare. I also have a responsibility to help and mentor the next generation of healthcare workers very much in the same way my preceptors and partners all mentored me early in my career. Healthcare disparities still exist and have been magnified in the recent years. If through my mentorship I can help the next generation of healthcare workers understand it’s all our roles to help bridge this divide and no longer punt the issue down the road, we have a chance to truly make a lasting impact on our communities at large. 2000’s Neil Mandalaywala, Class of 2008 How have you used your degree in an unconventional way? My pharmaceutical sciences degree helped lay a foundation for continued interest in learning and education. Now that I am in my 30’s I want to continue to learn something new in all kinds of disciplines. With that goal, I went onto obtain a degree in acupuncture!
pharmacy and industry, are the inaugural class of GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Advisory Board members. They work with the Board of Trustees to provide the perspectives of recent graduates in key decisions, and they also serve as mentors to current students by sharing their experiences and advice. The inaugural class are: Venkatesh Satram ‘17 (Chair); Ryan Guilaran ‘18 (Vice Chair); David Denio ‘11; Anthony DiSpirito ‘10; Kirsten Donato ‘17; Carolyn Enos ‘16; Chiara Evans ‘18; Megan Nadler ‘11; Aniwaa Owusu Obeng ’11 and Molly Trayah ‘14. “After graduation, getting out into the field, the level of excellence that PharmDs can bring that are outside the typical role of pharmacy surprised me. The sheer talent of PharmDs that I have come across in my career is humbling, eye opening, and motivating to see the impact and the shared passion and the capability of all these individuals.” -Venkatesh Satram ‘17 2020’s Marum Sadiq, Class of 2021 How has your role as a healthcare professional changed over time? I've been working at the ACPHS COVID Testing Site for just over a year now. In that time, I've seen myself grow into a more confident and informed professional. I've been given the opportunity to operate in many different roles in a short time. I think the most important part of my job is answering questions and providing information. With so much misinformation about COVID-19, it's important to welcome questions and have open conversations with community members. I never want people to think that there are sides to take in this pandemic. I know that everyone is capable of growing and I’m happy to take part in someone’s learning experience.
2010’s Ten graduates of ACPHS from 2011 to 2018, representing both the Albany and Vermont campuses, and beginning careers in public health, community pharmacy, hospital
For more, visit acphs.edu/alumni/ the-dose/through-decades.
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Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training Builds Bridges to Industry What is CBET? Essentially, the Center is a scaled-down model of a production site at a biopharmaceutical company. The “bio” part refers to the fact that the “factory” used by such companies to produce advanced therapeutics is actually a living cell. Today’s sophisticated therapies—new oncology drugs, treatments for auto-immune conditions, and more—are grown by biological processes. This manufacturing method differs dramatically from older approaches. Those used chemical processes to produce drugs such as aspirin and Synthroid®. CBET launch stages CBET stage one part one was the creation of a 3,800 square foot facility housed in the SUNY NanoFab Complex in Albany. This stage features an upstream and downstream lab, classrooms, and offices. In the upstream lab, students learn how to use those living cell factories to produce molecules of interest—molecules that will eventually become the active ingredient in advanced therapeutics. How does that happen? At its most basic, the desired genetic material is inserted into a few cells. Then the cells are fed, bathed, circulated, and generally pampered so that they reproduce millions of times. To harvest the desired genetic material, the cells must be opened in very specific ways, and the genetic material separated from the cell factories. During the downstream phase, the genetic material is further purified and freed from viruses and other toxic agents. CBET classrooms were busy in the Spring 2021 semester. We hosted the first cohort of Professional Science Masters (PSM) students. The PSM program is a one-year degree program that culminates with a three month, paid industry internship. In the Spring, PSM students completed their first semester there. They will return in the Fall to finish their degree requirements. During this stage one part one, CBET faculty are also offering industry training programs in topics such as mammalian cell culture, downstream bioprocessing, and vaccine production.
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Stage one part two is envisioned as an expansion of the space, with the addition of a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) lab and a facility for cell and gene therapy. The second CBET stage will entail construction of a much larger facility. New capabilities will include formulation and fill-finish. In this way, the Center will be able to train students and industry professionals on the entire production cycle—from starting cell line through final product ready to be shipped to customers. With the added space, CBET will also be able to accommodate more Masters students and industry trainees. It will also set up availability of additional offerings such as contract research. David and Christine Stack donated $1.5 million to the Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET) to further advance this flagship initiative for ACPHS. To honor this generous donation, the new center will be renamed the Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training. David Stack is an ACPHS alumnus, Chair of the Discovery for Life Steering Committee and a member of the Board of Trustees. He is also Chairman and CEO of Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “We are committed to supporting initiatives that enhance educational opportunities and provide a broad path for career advancement for our students following their time at ACPHS. The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training is designed to do both,” said David Stack on behalf of his family. As Stack noted, CBET was conceived as a way to provide a richer set of career paths to ACPHS students. Those career paths lead to the biopharmaceutical industry—especially to careers in biomanufacturing. Advanced skills needed to grow an advanced biopharmaceutical industry According to the 2018-2019 Trends In Biopharma Manufacturing Survey Report sponsored by NIBRT (Ireland’s National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training) and The Medicine Maker, almost half (46%) of respondents noted the biggest challenge to the growth of the biopharmaceutical industry was securing staff
with technical skills. Reinforcing this, a 2018 BioPlan Associates survey found that the five most difficult slots for biopharma companies to fill were upstream process development, downstream process development, process engineers, upstream operations, and process development formulation. CBET takes advantage of strong industry demand as it provides a variety of degree and training programs in these areas. This strategy was recognized by another generous CBET donor and College Trustee, Walt Borisenok. “We look for opportunities to propel education and industry forward because it is critical that future biopharmaceutical leaders have access to the latest equipment and expertise,” said Walt Borisenok on behalf of his family. Borisenok co-founded Fortitech, Inc., in 1986, a company that develops and manufactures nutritional products for the fortification of food and pharmaceuticals. He sold the company in 2012. He and his family have donated $750,000 to CBET for the Upstream Lab and to endow a scholarship for students in the Professional Science Masters program. ACPHS is not a normal setting for a biomanufacturing center. The College has neither an engineering school nor a business school. However, what ACPHS does have are the strengths that come from being a school of pharmacy and health sciences. These curricular disciplines generate a variety of critical skills: • Pharmacists gain an in-depth knowledge of the molecular
mechanisms of drug action. Early on in their studies, they learn the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic properties that allow biologics to be so effective. Most importantly, pharmacists understand the critical role that formulation plays in drug efficacy—that expensive biologic must be formulated in a manner that allows the human body to deliver it to its target. • P harmaceutical scientists know the origins of the great specificity of biopharmaceuticals. Their knowledge of the basic biochemistry and molecular biology gives them the ability to design these complex molecules. • Microbiologists can make a two-fold contribution—they understand microbial expression systems and they understand infectious diseases. • The clinical laboratory science program teaches students about molecular diagnostics and surrogate endpoints—critical components of the drug discovery process. • F inally, public health students understand that what happens in a clinical trial does not always translate into a drug’s performance in the wider population. As the first biomanufacturing center in a school of pharmacy and health science nationally, and the only center of its kind in New York State, ACPHS is well on its way to building bridges to industry.
AC P H S A LU M N I TA K E A DVA N TAG E OF PSM OPPORTUNITIES In 2020, ACPHS established a new Professional Science Master’s in Bioprocessing and Biomanufacturing. This one-year, non-thesis program, is designed for early and mid-career professionals who want to enter the dynamic biopharmaceutical industry. Marwah Albaker and Patricia Drake, both ACPHS alumni, are two of the first students to enroll in the program. MARWAH ALBAKER ’16 MS ’22 What drew you to the program? I received my BS in Chemistry from ACPHS in 2016 and have been working as a pharmacy technician at Albany Med. I wanted to go back to school, but I wanted to do a short program give me the opportunity to advance my career. I was
interested in the biopharmaceutical industry, and CBET was a great fit for me. What are your plans after you complete the program? I want to work in the biopharmaceutical industry and hopefully stay local. I’d love to seek a position at Regeneron or continue to be a part of CBET. It’s a great organization and there are a lot of opportunities there. PATRICIA DRAKE ’19 MS ’22 What drew you to the program? I was incredibly unsatisfied with my current career path post-graduation. There was little chance for growth, or for movement within my industry. The program offering came at the perfect time in my life, everything seemed to align, and I was able to take a chance on this
master’s program. I’m very thankful I did, I’ve been learning many cutting-edge things in my classes, and as the internship component comes to a close, I have a much clearer view of what career path I want to be on. This program is giving me the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to succeed outside of my previous degree and break into this growing and fascinating field. What are your plans after you complete the program? I am not a hundred percent sure what I will do after graduation. I have my heart set on two different companies very close to home (Curia and Regeneron). I want to work in the biopharmaceutical industry, and as the next semester approaches, I’m sure I will better visualize where I want to go and make a decision. Overall, I enjoy the lab work, I enjoy my internship, I enjoy learning from the brilliant professors at CBET. I am eagerly awaiting the next semester, and beyond. 11
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D I ST RIB U TI NG HOPE ne of ACPHS’s key values is playing a positive role in the community. It has been a guiding force for the College since its founding, and the events of the last year and a half has only intensified our commitment to be good neighbors. In the Fall of 2020, when plans to reopen college campuses in the Capital Region were beginning to take shape, ACPHS stepped forward to offer assistance in testing, tracking, and tracing COVID cases for other schools including Albany Law, Maria College, the College of St. Rose, and Sage College. When the vaccines became available in early 2021, ACPHS and the Collaboratory recognized a need to deliver vaccines in Albany’s South End. We partnered with the South End Community Collaborative, church pastors, and South End residents to call, go door-to-door and hang fliers to ensure residents in this medically underserved area got their opportunity to be vaccinated. And to accomplish this goal, we used one of our best resources, our students.
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Public health students like Saima Hannan ’22 helped with the initial outreach, making phone calls to eligible individuals. “People were so excited to get the opportunity to schedule their vaccine somewhere. They expressed a lot of gratitude. Many individuals didn’t have access to the internet, so they weren’t able to schedule appointments for themselves. It was a really rewarding feeling,” Hannan said. Patrick Wood ’22 worked on site at clinics in the South End. Though the vaccine is widely available now in the US, during the early spring, many found it difficult to find appointments nearby. “Making the calls to people was heartwarming because some people had been struggling for months, making appointments 4 hours away. We were able to serve the people in their community, and that’s gratifying,” Wood said. “I was able to meet all the new people every day and talk about why they decided to get vaccinated. We took the opportunity to talk about
why they might have been uncertain and addressing questions.” PharmD students Rachel Wi ’22 and Delaney Frears ’21 volunteered to administer the vaccine. For both, it was experience unlike anything they’d done before. “I got to be hands-on, to give the vaccinations and take part in counseling the patients. Our target patients were elders, and they were eager to get their vaccines when they became available, especially since they were the high-risk population, said Wi. “Some of them had a lot of questions, but once we talked them through it, they were fine. They were happy, felt privileged.” “It was cool getting involved with the community, being able to help out. I’d done a few flu shots before, but this was my first experience giving multiple vaccines,” said Frears. “The trust the people had in me, even though I was a student, and their trust in health care workers was amazing. I was honored to be able to do this.”
FOLLOWING UP WITH ERIC MACLAUGHLIN ‘96 Last year, we spoke to Eric MacLaughlin ‘96 about the work he was doing alongside his colleagues at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to produce viral transport media (VTM) that were essential to widespread COVID-19 testing. Containing a broad-spectrum antibiotic and an antifungal agent, each VTM vial maintains the integrity of virus samples on their way to test processing. Without those, there would be no reliable testing. Initially, MacLaughlin and his team estimated they would produce the vials for around four to six weeks, when they started in late March of 2020. In July of 2020, they were still producing the vials and had made around 190,000. When they finally wrapped up production, roughly a year after the initial launch, they had produced close to half a million vials. “During the spring, things started to stabilize, and we were getting back to normal,” MacLaughlin said in July. “But in the last few weeks, we have had increasing rates of COVID infections, largely as a result of transmission of the delta variant and those not vaccinated. I hope that we can improve the vaccination rates for those who have been hesitant about getting the vaccine.” In addition to producing VTM, MacLaughlin was working his regular class load during the school year. There are very few who wouldn’t describe the 2020-2021 school year as “tough”, and MacLaughlin is no exception. Students were largely able to do labs in person and relied on Zoom for didactic classes. Academically, they didn’t see a massive drop off, but he saw some students struggling. “First year students were the ones who struggled the most. All the students lost out on certain aspects of professionalism and networking that in-person learning affords. But the first years especially,” MacLaughlin said. “They didn’t know their classmates; they didn’t know the faculty.” He’s hopeful that as the world continues to return to work its way back to pre-pandemic
landscape, they will be able to do more with these students through team building and socialization activities to help them catch up. 2021 brought another unexpected and unwelcome bump in the road for the state of Texas. In February, the rest of the nation became familiar with the eccentricities of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) when the state was hit hard by a rare winter storm, knocking out power to millions. Across the state, those without power tried to stay warm in buildings that were designed to stay cool. Later on, it would become clear how close the state’s power grid came to failing. In a state where temperatures typically do not get below freezing, the cold was more than most were prepared for. Amarillo, where MacLaughlin lives and works, often sees colder weather into the single digits and is one of the few not on the ERCOT grid in Texas. “We didn’t lose power, but there were occasional rolling black-outs and school closures to conserve energy. Our other campuses that are on ERCOT were an absolute mess. Students didn’t have power, pipes burst, we had to shut down for a week. It was a major wrinkle, and it was a lot of added stress on top of COVID that we didn’t need. But we made it through. And seeing snow in Houston was remarkable,” MacLaughlin said. Halfway through 2021 and as the pandemic recedes in large parts of the US, MacLaughlin feels there are lessons to be learned from the last 18 months. “We need to invest more in disaster preparedness. We need a better base of US supplied personal protective equipment,” McLaughlin said. “We need to take a wholesale look at disaster preparedness.” The final effect of the pandemic is not known yet and likely will not be for some time. But these lessons learned so far have shaped our lives and will continue to do so in the months and years ahead. 2021
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Building Towards the Future Construction was in full swing during 2021. Projects included the Panther’s Den, Ralph’s On Campus, the SIMS labs, and the biology lab.
PROGRESS ON THE BIOLOGY LAB
PROGRESS ON THE SIMS LABS
P R O G R E S S O N T H E PA N T H E R ’ S D E N A N D R A L P H ’ S O N C A M P U S
F O R M O R E P H O T O S O F T H E F I N A L S PA C E S , V I S I T ACPHS.EDU/ALUMNI/THE-DOSE/REUNION-WEEKEND-2021-PHOTOS
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C R E AT I N G A P L A N , AND YOUR LEGACY October is a special month here at ACPHS, because it’s National Pharmacy Month! Our students are in the swing of the fall semester, and learning what makes our jobs as pharmacists and health scientists so special: continuing to care for patients when our communities need us the most. As ACPHS graduates, you have taken pride in your profession and led the future of pharmacy and health sciences. We’d like to share a way to protect your own future: FreeWill, an online estate planning service that makes it simple and costfree to write a legal will. While creating your plans, you will also have the opportunity to join our Francis J. O’Brien Society: a group of passionate alumni and supporters who have made it a part of their personal legacy to support ACPHS students for years to come.
You can create your free will, and your own legacy, at FreeWill.com/ACPHS.
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ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES 106 New Scotland Ave Albany, NY 12208
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Letter from Dr. Dewey Alumni Through the Decades Stack Family Center Distributing Hope Following Up with Eric MacLaughlin ‘96 New Construction Progress