BREAKTHROUGHS
President
Toyin Tofade, MS, PharmD, BCPS, CPCC, FFIP
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Greetings from campus!
Welcome to this latest edition of our College magazine. I trust you will see excitement in this issue, which highlights ways we are moving forward with our shared vision for the future of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
In early 2024, we launched an ambitious strategic plan designed to propel ACPHS toward new heights of excellence and innovation. We are already making strides toward realizing these goals, thanks to the collective efforts of our dedicated faculty, staff, students and alumni. In the articles herein, you will see ways we are positioning ourselves for success along our identified pillars or key priority areas:
PILLAR 1: Academic Excellence—Read about expansion in academic programs that began this fall (page 10) and our continued attention to breakthrough research (page 14).
PILLAR 2: Quality Student Experiences—Support for our students’ success remains at the heart of everything we do. You can see that in articles on academics, research and our new business incubator, among others. You’ll also see a fun story on page 22 about one graduate’s use of the alumni network to find her way to a coveted residency.
PILLAR 3: People and Culture—Our dynamic new leadership team will set a growth mindset for the College and help us navigate the roadmap established in the strategic plan (page 8).
PILLAR 4: Engage with Communities—The launch of a new business incubator fosters entrepreneurial spirit and also strengthens our ties with the surrounding community (page 18).
PILLAR 5: Financial Strength & Stewardship—Like Quality Student Experiences, this pillar is woven through all we do. We’ve highlighted the articles where this is especially so with a plum hexagon.
As you read through the magazine, I hope you feel a sense of pride and connection to our shared accomplishments. Your support and engagement are crucial to our ongoing success, and I am deeply grateful for the role each of you plays in our vibrant community. It has been an honor to serve this fine institution for the last two years and I look forward to what lies ahead.
Warm regards,
BREAKTHROUGHS & ADVANCES
FALL
Breakthroughs & Advances is produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing
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
Taylor Mantica
Marcy Stengel
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
ACPHS_Communications@acphs.edu
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with new programs that maintain the College’s individualized approach while expanding its academic footprint.
Clockwise from upper left: Our
cy
her white coat, Professor Thomas Lodise, Drs. Stephanie Dosiek and Michelle Lewis of AMPS.
YEAR IMAGES IN 2023-24
▲ Campus experiences a partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, at 96.6% magnitude.
▼ The men’s track and field team wins the USCAA National Championship on April 27, 2024.
is
▼ Right: ACPHS hosts the Future Health Professionals conference for high school students in November 2023.
Student Lydia Hilaab
crowned Ms. Pharmacy 2024 by Lambda Kappa Sigma.
▲ Top: Commencement Day 2024 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
▲ Middle: President Toyin Tofade speaks at her inauguration in September 2023.
Students show off native garb during Multicultural Club’s MCC Fest in March 2024.
Take a 360° tour of campus now!
▲ Panthers honor Paul Stanley Frament ’39, one of the U.S. Navy’s most highly decorated pharmacists, in a Veteran’s Day ceremony.
Instructor Teresa Kane works with students on campus in June 2024 for the NIIMBL eXperience, which exposes underrepresented groups to the biopharmaceutical industry.
ON & AROUND CAMPUS
Pharmacy’s
Advocate
Former ACPHS Board Member Mike Duteau ’92 received the RxIMPACT Key Contact of the Year Award from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, recognizing pharmacy advocates who engage with members of Congress on pro-pharmacy legislative priorities. “A key contact is someone who is ‘go-to,’” NACDS Chair Mike Wysong said of Duteau. “Mike defines excellence in that role.” Duteau was recognized especially for his effectiveness in the push to implement the enhanced New York Medicaid pharmacy benefit. He is the president of Noble Health Services, a specialty pharmacy in Syracuse.
Collaborating to Serve the South End
2024 brought new but familiar leadership to The Collaboratory, the College’s public health resource in Albany’s South End. Dr. Stacy Pettigrew was named director in January, and Kaylee Stewart ’24 became manager in May. Dr. Pettigrew has extensive roots in the South End, as co-founder of the Radix Ecological Sustainability Center and as a long-time resident of the adjacent Mansion Neighborhood. Stewart, a recent public health graduate, is managing administrative operations, including an initiative to provide training to administer the opioid antidote naloxone (Narcan) with a $166,080 grant from Albany County’s Opioid Settlement Fund. Albany County also committed $200,000 to support The Collaboratory’s services over two and a half years, and St. Peter’s Health Partners contributed $30,000 toward the reinstatement of its Food as Medicine program. More neighborhood collaborations are in the works.
On Board
Walter Borisenok, who has served on the Board of Trustees for a decade, took the reins as chairperson in October 2023. He succeeded Marion Morton ’84, who had served in that position for six years. Borisenok, who founded a company that made nutritional and pharmaceutical raw materials, received an honorary doctorate from ACPHS in 2021. Others elected or re-elected to the board were Matthew Bette, Holly Bonsignore ’82, Rose Lang ’69, Shane McGann ’13, Kimberleigh Phelan and Dawn Thompson. They occupy seats vacated by Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer ’87, Mike Duteau ’92 and retired Rear Admiral Pamela Schweitzer.
National Champs on the Track
Panthers took the gold in the 2024 USCAA Men’s Track and Field Championship, in their first go at the national meet. A special shout-out to Dr. Ryan Haak ’24, who passed up the opportunity to compete individually in the finals of the highly selective Division I Penn Relays on April 27 to run with his ACPHS team at nationals instead. His strong showing in 100-meter and 200-meter
races contributed to the team’s success. Teammate Timothy Hudson was also a proud contributor, winning both the discus and hammer throw. To top off these unmatched performances, ACPHS had several First Team All-Americans, finishing in the top seven spots based on cumulative scoring, including Haak, Hudson and Ethan Nigro. Head coach Samson Dikeman led the team to victory.
L-R: Haak, Hudson, Nigro
Honoring A Decorated Pharmacist
Dozens of visitors joined the campus community in the Gozzo Student Center on November 9, 2023, to pay homage to those who have served their country— and especially to one of the U.S. Navy’s most highly decorated pharmacists, Paul Stanley Frament ’39. A pharmacist’s mate who enlisted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Frament received posthumous Silver Star and Purple Heart medals for
risking his life to aid others on the battlefield during World War II and had a naval destroyer named for him in 1943. In a moving ceremony, his family generously donated artifacts to ACPHS. Now housed at the College are Frament’s medals, letters and proclamations from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and Admiral W.F. Halsey.
BS-MS to MD-PhD
Landon Thompson ’24 became the first graduate accepted directly from ACPHS into a prestigious eight-year MD-PhD program to become a physician-scientist. Thompson was accepted into the University of Kentucky College of Medicine largely due to his research portfolio, established through work with Assistant Professor Dr. Vir Singh since the beginning of his sophomore year. Thompson contributed to the Singh Lab’s work on a novel pathway toward curing HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He graduated from ACPHS with a bachelor’s in microbiology and master’s in molecular biosciences.
Future of Healthcare on Campus
High school students considering futures in STEM were on campus in March 2024 for ACPHS’ first Future of Healthcare Workshop. The College hosted about 150 high-achieving students recommended by educators from public and private schools in the Capital Region. They participated in academic sessions with faculty from pharmacy, microbiology, clinical laboratory sciences and other academic programs; donned lab coats for hands-on lab experiences; and learned about careers at St. Peter’s Health Partners. They also got tips from Assistant Director of Admissions Grace Higgins on what to consider when choosing a college, including not only academic programs but student life, costs and financial aid. “For people who aren’t feeling decided, this was a great opportunity,” said Albany High School sophomore E.J. Verhoff.
TOGETHER AGAIN
The campus has hosted two reunion gatherings since our last publication. Both were engaging events for sharing memories and catching up. We hope to see you in 2025!
STEERING into the FUTURE
New and familiar leaders will navigate ACPHS along its new roadmap.
They are aiming toward a clear destination: a university that is a hub of research and learning, serving 2,000 students on and off campus who become the next generation of leaders in their fields.
Some of these six leaders have moved into newly created roles and others have reinvigorated critical positions. Working with President Toyin Tofade and the rest of Cabinet,
they share a belief that ACPHS can achieve the aspirations set out in the strategic plan by building on its well-established foundation, growing with an eye toward workforce needs and attracting students of all ages.
Academic Affairs
Dr. Sibdas Ghosh joined the College in June 2024 as interim vice president of Academic Affairs. He oversees all areas related to academic program-
L-R: Meredith, Pasquarella, Tackes, Malik, Ghosh and Carreno
ming, including research and scholarship, accreditation and faculty development. He works collaboratively with college leadership and constituents, and supervises the newly appointed deans of Pharmacy and of Health Sciences, the Center for Innovative Learning, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and Library Services.
Dr. Ghosh has decades of experience in higher education, as both a faculty member and administrator. He was most recently provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pa.
He was drawn both to what ACPHS is and what it intends to be.
As to the College’s current assets, he is especially impressed with its people. “The faculty blows me away,” he said. He pointed especially to researchers who seek to engage students in their scholarly work (see page 17).
Looking toward the future, it was the strategic plan that appealed to him. He sees the plan’s five pillars as individual goals that, like fingers, equal more than the sum of their parts. “At the end, it’s a hand,” he said.
“The strategic plan is a draw for me,” he said. “It’s already laid out. You don’t want to spend more time to create a path that is already
there, which aligns with my bright vision.”
Pharmacy and Health Sciences
As of July 2024, Pharmacy and Health Sciences have become distinct schools within ACPHS, each with its own dean reporting to Dr. Ghosh.
This subtle but significant change builds on the success seen last year with the appointments of an associate dean of Pharmacy and an associate dean of Health Sciences, each focused on directing their separate divisions. (For more on what was accomplished last year, see the Priorities & Progress insert.)
Dr. Courtney Tackes ’14, formerly ACPHS’ assistant dean of Experiential Education, has stepped into the role of interim dean of Pharmacy. She sees her primary responsibility as preparing the department for an expected accreditation review in spring, so that a permanent dean can build from a strong foundation.
Long-time microbiology professor and researcher Dr. Meenakshi Malik is now dean of Health Sciences. When she took on the new role of associate dean for that division last year, Dr. Malik pointed to tremendous growth in all manner of health sciences fields as the “north star” that would guide her plans for growth. She led the creation
of new programs that reconfigured existing offerings and offered ways to learn online.
While Dr. Malik has taken on additional administrative responsibility, her fundamental goal remains “to grow health sciences as much as I can,” she said. Watch for more new programs under her leadership.
Research
Dr. Joseph Carreno ’10 is now director of research, a role whose significance is highlighted under the strategic plan. The plan calls for both growth in scholarly activity and in public recognition of the breadth of research at ACPHS.
Having helped to develop those research goals, Dr. Carreno believes in them. Seeing his role as more of a facilitator than a rule enforcer, he aims to support faculty to seek opportunities that will, first, provide invaluable experiences to students and, second, contribute to the College’s financial health.
The role is also one that excites him as a dedicated researcher himself.
Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement
Vice Presidents David Meredith and Michael Pasquarella are working to engage those outside campus in ACPHS’ collective vision.
Meredith joined the
College in January 2024.
Charged with increasing enrollment during a dramatic shift in the population of traditional college students, he sees his role as fine-tuning ACPHS’ outreach to potential students of all ages—but only those whose goals align with the College’s offerings.
In other words, he understands the College cannot be all things to all students. But that for right students, it’s the best place they could be.
“It’s about finding the people who fit and are invested in the mission themselves— to be the next generation of leaders to improve the health of our society,” he said. “It’s fine-tuning our targets and showing them the great stuff that’s here.”
As the head of Institutional Advancement, Pasquarella, who joined the College in October 2023, understands that donors do not invest in the College so much as they invest in what the College does. They invest in the future, through students, and in improved health care for all, through both education and services provided through resources like The Collaboratory.
“We are stewards that must be trusted with their gifts, to use them well,” Pasquarella said of potential donors. “It’s not about needs and priorities. It’s about vision and possibilities.” ●
EXPA
In its largest academic expansion in years, ACPHS begins 2024-25 with new programs that maintain the College’s individualized approach while expanding its academic footprint.
NDING BY DEGREES
It’s at the very top of the strategic plan, the first goal under the first pillar: “Launch new, innovative academic offerings.”
ACPHS has wasted no time.
At the start of the Fall 2024 semester, the number of ACPHS bachelor’s and master’s degree programs grew by nearly 50 percent over the previous academic year—from 12 to 17.
What’s more, ACPHS has begun online delivery of two other degree programs, allowing students to take those courses from anywhere.
That remarkable expansion was made possible by rethinking several longstanding academic courses, as well as the acquisition of programs from The College of Saint Rose, which closed in Spring 2024.
The new offerings increase ACPHS’ growing footprint in the health sciences, where job growth expectations continue to outpace other industries, and
provide entries into the fields of social sciences and physical sciences—additional areas needed to achieve the aimedfor designation of “university.”
Together, they represent a speedy start to achieving milestones detailed under the first pillar of the strategic plan: Academic Excellence.
ORGANIC GROWTH
Three new programs have sprouted organically from the College’s prior offerings. They are a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS), an online Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) and a hybrid Master of Science in Cytotechnology and
AI @ ACPHS
Molecular Cytology. All are responses to the needs of growing industries for highly skilled graduates and a change in expectations from students of all ages. They have been designed with the hallmarks of an ACPHS education: individualized curricula and a personal touch.
Artificial intelligence is transforming many industries, higher education chief among them. The technology can contribute to personalized learning experiences, enhanced research capabilities, more efficient administrative tasks—and also concerns about students’ AI literacy skills. ACPHS’ Center for Innovative Learning is keeping faculty and staff up to date on the AI discussion with regular virtual trainings. Instructional Designer Jen Mlyniec presents new developments, and participants share their experiences benefiting from AI and confronting its challenges.
Photo created by Mlyniec using the AI image generating app Magic Media on the graphic design platform Canva and the prompt, “AI literacy in higher education.”
Required and Recommended Coursework for the BSHS
GENETIC COUNSELOR
Bi Biology
CB Cell Biology
MB Molecular Biology
Mi Microbiology
AP Anatomy & Physiology
Ge Genetics
Ch Chemistry
OC Organic Chemistry
Bc Biochemistry
Ph Physics
Ca Calculus
St Statistics
En English
Ps Psychology
DP Developmental Psych
So Sociology
MT Medical Terminology
Nu Nutrition
>> Custom pathways to myriad professions
Interest in the BSHS became apparent within weeks after ACPHS received state approval to offer it in January 2024, as students in high school and at the College itself immediately submitted inquiries and applications. The new degree builds on the foundation of ACPHS’ biomedical technology program, often chosen by pre-medical students, but subtracts the rigorous laboratory requirements and adds the flexibility to follow literally
dozens of career paths—everything from anesthesiology assistant to veterinarian.
Program Director Dr. Nicole Shakerley calls it a “choose your own adventure” approach. In designing the program, she reviewed admissions requirements for numerous graduate programs to ensure the degree would provide any student aiming for a health profession with the preparation they need, as well as electives to accommodate varied interests.
Student Caitlyn Asher moved into the BSHS program in Spring 2024, midway through her first year at ACPHS.
“It’s a very well-rounded major in health sciences that can pretty much get you wherever you want to go,” she said.
>> Delivering a close-knit community to students anywhere
The MSBS is a one-year program for college graduates looking to enhance their academic records before applying to medical school. The program helps students fill in gaps in their experience to present their best selves to
competitive institutions. Since its inception, the MSBS has attracted tight-knit cohorts of students from all over the country.
In a post-pandemic world, the way to expand became obvious.
“We started thinking, maybe we’re missing some students who would really benefit from the program but can’t move to Albany for a year,” said Dr. Elizabeth Brookins, director of Pre-Professional Pathways. “Since the MSBS classes don’t have labs, online students do not miss out on any hands-on component.”
The aim is to provide the same close community virtually that MSBS students benefit from on campus.
“It’s the same program, online students have the same advising and resources available at their fingertips,” Dr. Brookins said. “It’s just through a screen rather than across the desk.”
A similar commitment extends to the new hybrid master’s in cytotechnology and molecular cytology, said Program Director Jenna LeBlanc ’13, who refers to her colleagues and students as her “cyto family.”
The idea for a hybrid program had been percolating for years, LeBlanc said. The need for lab scientists has been growing, as their numbers have shrunk while the diagnostic tests they perform now contribute to an estimated 70% of medical decisions. Indeed, interest in an advanced degree is as likely to arise from professionals looking to advance their careers as from undergraduate students. But unlike MSBS classes, cytology and cytotechnology are laboratory intensive, with lots of hands-on training. For a long time, an online option seemed impossible. Then necessity spawned invention during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, students were sent home with microscopes and slides, which they used during online instruction with their class. It worked.
Through the new hybrid model, students complete lab assignments not at home but at satellite sites, which may be their workplaces, under the supervision of a licensed cytotechnologist, often their supervisors. In fact, the new program’s first students work
for employers who reached out to ACPHS looking for a way to develop their employees’ skills.
>> Acquired programs
Four other programs have been acquired from The College of Saint Rose, with state approval obtained for ACPHS to offer them permanently to all current and potential students. To support the acquired programs in biology, psychology, forensic psychology and forensic science, ACPHS hired eight former Saint Rose faculty members.
ACPHS selected programs from Saint Rose strategically, choosing those that would complement its role as a preparer of health professionals, while expanding its academic footprint into the social and physical sciences.
“To grow, we need to make sure we are diversifying our portfolio,” said ACPHS President Toyin Tofade.
The first Saint Rose program approved was biology, a natural fit with ACPHS’ health sciences offerings. Indeed, ACPHS already offered much of the coursework and had faculty expertise to support the
program. Dr. Kelly Halstrom, a microbiologist who had taught at Saint Rose, joined ACPHS as program director.
Psychology, ACPHS’ first bachelor’s program in the social sciences, offers yet another path to the rapidly growing mental health professions, while providing classes of interest to pharmacy and health sciences majors who expect to work with patients.
Forensic psychology and forensic science, which use different avenues to collect legal evidence, also add a physical sciences component to ACPHS’ offerings and provide collaborative opportunities with
neighboring Albany Law School.
Growth from the four new programs was immediate in Fall 2024, due to enrollment by former Saint Rose students, and it’s only expected to grow. Early signs indicated an easy transition, as faculty and students moved from one cohesive, collegial campus to another, just a few miles away.
Junior Bridget Rakoczy, a forensic psychology major considering a career in social work, said she initially wondered if she would fit in on a campus filled with many students aiming to become pharmacists or health providers. Now, she sees advantages to being
These examples show a few ways that students can choose among courses to earn a BSHS that positions them well for their individual goals.
around other pre-professionals and value in ACPHS’ other longstanding strengths.
“I like the professional environment—like psychiatry or psychology,” Rakoczy said. “Maybe I will even do research. I’d be interested to see how medical aspects could interplay with psychological aspects.”
Senior Grace O’Boyle, also a forensic psychology major, expressed gratitude that ACPHS hired former Saint Rose faculty.
“I’ve known the professors for three years, so I’m really lucky to still have them,” she said.
DOUBLE THE CREDENTIALS
In addition to new programs, ACPHS has added a new pathway to its pharmacy programs. Students can now seamlessly receive a bachelor’s degree en route to their doctorates. In May 2024, 40% of pharmacy students chose to receive both degrees.
MORE THAN A NUMBERS GAME
Researcher’s substantial contributions to understanding antimicrobial resistance are immeasurable.
When it comes to research, few can match the output of Dr. Thomas P. Lodise:
Since he joined ACPHS in 2002, he has amassed more than 240 peer-reviewed publications on PubMed, the online database maintained by the National Library of Medicine, averaging nearly 11 publications a year.
Based on a composite score that aims to measure research impact, he ranks in the top 2% of the nearly 7 million cited researchers with at least five publications in the Scopus academic online database.
In his top three subfields (microbiology, pharmacology and pharmacy, and epidemiology), he is in the top 1% percentile of cited scientists of all time.
These awe-inspiring numbers, however, do not do justice to Dr. Lodise’s work. To achieve such results, Dr. Lodise is as driven as one might expect, working well into evenings and weekends designing studies, analyzing and interpreting data, and writing manuscripts to enhance our understanding of the epidemiology and treatment of patients with infections that have become resistant to commonly used medications.
As strong a focus as he has on advancing the field of infectious diseases, what drives him is the prospect of improving patients’ lives. At his core, Dr. Lodise is a pharmacist, focused on developing the best treatment practices for patients with antimicrobial-resistant infections.
“It’s one thing to publish research,” he said, “but research cannot improve patient care
unless the knowledge is transferable to clinical practice.”
Always eyeing the practical applications of his work, Dr. Lodise uses cutting-edge study design and mathematical methods to develop anti-infective treatment strategies that are personalized to the patient, improve outcomes, reduce the likelihood of adverse drug reactions, and minimize the emergence of drug-resistant infections.
His focus expands beyond the individual level to populations of patients. Dr. Lodise and his collaborators could be said to be working to save future generations in their quest to ensure antimicrobial drugs maintain their effectiveness. A 2019 study in The Lancet estimates the annual death toll associated with antimicrobial resistance to be upward of 5 million people; that number is expected to grow in
240
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS ON PUBMED SINCE 2002
TOP
2% OF CITED RESEARCHERS WITH AT LEAST FIVE PUBLICATIONS IN SCOPUS
TOP
1% OF CITED SCIENTISTS OF ALL TIME IN HIS TOP THREE SUBFIELDS
CREDENTIALS
Thomas P. Lodise, PharmD, PhD (epidemiology)
Tenured professor
Department of Pharmacy Practice
Clinical practice, Stratton VA Medical Center
Pharmacokinetic Lead for Antibacterial Resistance Group, an NIH initiative
Principal or Co-Investigator on Phase 1-4
Clinical Trials
Contributor to consensus treatment guidelines
Author, editor and scientific editor— multiple publications and journals
International authority in:
• Systemic literature reviews
• Epidemiology of bacterial infections
• Antibiotic-resistance-related health outcomes
• Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD)
coming years due to rising rates of resistance.
“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the world’s biggest problems,” Dr. Lodise said. “I keep at this work with the goal of preventing those projections from becoming reality.”
That may sound lofty and abstract. Indeed, like most researchers, Dr. Lodise derives satisfaction from knowing much of his work has moved his field forward, without always experiencing a concrete impact from each study. Yet he can also point to a handful of his studies that have positively changed the way medical professionals around the world manage patients.
In the late 2010s, his work culminated in a Phase 4 clinical study that changed worldwide dosing and monitoring practices for vancomycin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The change was significant in reducing some of the worst side effects of vancomycin without compromising its effectiveness, including cutting the incidence of acute kidney injury by more than half.
That’s important because the effects of acute kidney injury can be devastating, Dr. Lodise explained. In the short term, acute kidney
injury can cause prolonged hospitalizations, higher treatment costs and increased deaths. In the long term, it is associated with a decline in organ function in other parts of the body, which increases patients’ susceptibility to other serious conditions, including cardiovascular events and infections caused by a weakened immune system.
A decade earlier, Dr. Lodise participated in numerous studies to determine the optimal dosing of beta-lactam antibiotics, commonly used for patients with serious Gram-negative bacterial infections, which are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to rising rates of antibiotic resistance. His research directly changed the way betalactams are administered. Most importantly, the innovative dosing strategies he helped design have shortened hospital stays and increased patients’ chance of survival.
If there are numbers that matter to Dr. Lodise, it’s these uncountable ones: the likely hundreds of thousands of patients each year who are positively affected by his work.
“I’m one of the fortunate people who’s been put in a position to help others,” he said. “I take it seriously and responsibly. And I keep at it every day.” ●
More Stellar Scholars
In the context of the strategic plan, “promoting breakthrough research” is a goal under Pillar 1, Academic Excellence. It also serves to support other priorities, such as Quality Student Experiences (No. 2) and Financial Strength & Stewardship (No. 5).
Director of Research Dr. Joseph Carreno intends to build on a strong culture supporting research, by incentivizing scholars to submit more grant proposals and secure more work. “My goal is to engineer a system that’s so user friendly that we maximize our research potential,” he said.
Based on the research already underway, that potential seems extraordinary. Prolific publishing like that of Dr. Thomas Lodise is one way to measure impact. Others include securing grants and nurturing the development of students as future innovators.
Several ACPHS researchers are heavy hitters at securing external grants, most notably through the National Institutes of Health R15 program, which seeks to strengthen the research environment at smaller institutions.
Dr. Meenakshi Malik, ACPHS Dean of Health Sciences, has studied Francisella tularensis, a potential bioterror agent, for two decades. In 2024, NIH renewed its support for her work to understand how the pathogen suppresses human immune cells with a $480,000, three-year grant.
Several others are notable for work supported by intramural funding that especially engages students.
Dr. Vir Singh oversees several projects related to HIV. One project, supported by $495,000 in NIH funds, seeks to shock HIV out of its hiding places inside cells, allowing medications to kill it. Such a discovery could result in a cure for the virus that causes AIDS.
Dr. Kideok Jin has a three-year, $480,000 NIH grant to test his theory about the communication between tumor cells and connective tissue in endocrine-resistant breast cancer. His work could help reduce the recurrence of these cancers.
Dr. Marcel Musteata’s three-year, $480,000 NIH grant supports his lab’s work to use innovative micro-sampling techniques to directly measure drug levels in breast cancer tumors, reducing the need to collect blood or tissue samples.
Dr. Martha Hass seeks to improve the treatment of skin diseases by developing stable topical formulations for novel co-drugs. Her work earned the $25,000 Rudolph and Dorothy Blythe Research Award in 2024.
Dr. Timothy LaRocca leads students on explorations of cell death, particularly looking at the effects of high blood sugar on a type of red blood cells. His work has implications for understanding strokes
Research in Dr. Binshan Shi’s lab is focused on the detection and analysis of retrovirus genomes during the infection of human cells. His work includes development of a molecular marker that could inform treatments for AIDS.
ACPHS’ wide breadth of research also includes work in public health and pharmacy education, among other areas. To learn more about our scholarly work, scan the QR code to see our faculty research profiles.
BUSINESS INCUBATOR
‘AMPS’ UP
ACPHS’ Accelerator for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences is bringing innovators, opportunities and fresh thinking to campus, in partnership with Albany Med.
When ACPHS acquired what is now the Life Sciences Innovation Building (LSIB) in 2022, the founder of AlbaNYlabs LLC was excited.
Dr. Sumanta Goswami, whose enterprise was already a tenant there, foresaw the possibility of AlbaNYlabs providing experiences for ACPHS students. A former associate professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, he knows how to train students headed for health care careers and was sure he could put their laboratory skills to good use.
When ACPHS announced in late 2023 that it received $625,000 to launch a business incubator in the building, Dr.
Goswami recognized that the pieces were coming together.
“This is exactly what I’ve been looking for,’” he said.
As the first tenant in the Accelerator for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (AMPS), AlbaNYlabs may indeed benefit from student labor as well as a host of other resources. These include expertise specific to medical innovations, like AlbaNYlabs’ assays that detect the difference between an active viral infection and one that is no longer contagious. It also includes discounted laboratory space, state tax breaks, academic collaborators and a health technology network.
While state-supported incubators have been around
for years, AMPS occupies a rare space among them: Its focus is assisting entrepreneurs to bring new drugs and medical devices to market.
The incubator is led by Dr. Michelle Lewis, executive director of the Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), with mentoring from Dr. Stephanie Dosiek, director of the Albany Med Health System Office of Translational Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer (OTR).
OTR is the successor to Albany Med’s Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center (BACC), which became a predominantly virtual incubator during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Sumanta Goswami, right, looks over designs for new space at AMPS with Drs. Michelle Lewis, left, and Stephanie Dosiek, center.
The collaboration between the two neighbors made perfect sense.
“CBET had space for our companies who wanted space, and we knew how to offer that incubation support,” Dosiek said. “It seems like a really great partnership.”
There were other synergies, including CBET’s ability to provide contract research services to startups on site and at a discount. And for those entrepreneurs whose medical or pharmaceutical inventions may require clinical trials, Albany Med has the capacity to accommodate their needs.
AMPS also brings benefits to the College, including the potential for a direct financial boost, Dr. Lewis said. Through research and development agreements, ACPHS could provide services to a startup in exchange for equity, for example, and reap rewards through royalties if the company succeeds.
And AMPS will expand ACPHS’ reach and its connections to the biotech industry. In addition to Albany Med, AMPS will collaborate with other incubator communities at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University at Albany. ACPHS faculty and students
will benefit from the opportunities these connections spawn.
Just as valuable to budding entrepreneurs as the resources AMPS will provide are the networking possibilities.
Hilario Castillo, who won a “bioinnovation” pitch competition hosted by CBET and OTR in Spring 2024 (see sidebar), was pleased with his $15,500 in prizes. But he was more excited about the connection to a regulatory consultant who would help him secure federal approval to bring his novel two-needle syringe to market.
In addition, AMPS is an important piece in reviving an “ecosystem of innovation” at the LSIB, Lewis said. When ACPHS acquired the 154,000-square-foot state-ofthe-art medical and life sciences facility in 2022, much of it was vacant.
Dr. Lewis is motivated by the innovators looking for the resources that AMPS offers and the prospect of filling the LSIB with activities that promote research and commercialization.
“They’re coming up with solutions that they feel are going to change outcomes for patients,” she said of prospective tenants. “That’s what the incubator is all about.” ●
Students Benefit from ‘Bootcamp’
AMPS and Albany Med launched Bioinnovation Bootcamp in Spring 2024. The seven-week program offered science-minded entrepreneurs expertise on bringing their novel medical devices, health technologies and pharmaceutical innovations to market. The program concluded in May with Pitch Night, where nine of the 15 participants presented business ideas to a panel of judges.
Participants included surgeons, engineers, medical researchers—and students. RPI sophomore Nikita Patel won the $1,000 Audience Choice Award for a patented skin patch that is worn for eight hours but allows medication to release into the bloodstream over 30 days.
ACPHS student Dylan Wang, then finishing his first year in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, participated with no intention of developing a business idea. He enrolled to fuel a long-held interest.
“I’ve always had this idea in the back of my head of maybe wanting to start a business with the knowledge that I get from a PharmD degree,” Wang said. “This program was the perfect way to introduce me to those potential ideas that could be used in the future.”
How AMPS Helps Entrepreneurs
Aside from the economic incentives like reduced rents and tax breaks, AMPS’ partners and mentors can help tenants by:
• Lending research expertise and equipment
• Drafting a business plan, including market analysis and assistance with pitch presentations and branding
• Connecting with intellectual property lawyers and legal services
• Advising on how to seek investments and funding
• Reducing personnel and capital expenses through discounted contract research services
• Creating an environment for collaboration
• Sharing best practices and lessons learned
Growing the Culture for a Biotech Hub
Neural Stem Cell Institute is helping to create an “innovation ecosystem” at the LSIB.
ASthey toured their future 14,000-square-foot digs in the Life Sciences Innovation Building in August, the founders of the Neural Stem Cell Institute got a nice surprise.
Dr. Michelle Lewis, executive director of ACPHS’ Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), pointed around the corner from the empty laboratories where NSCI scientists would conduct research. She told the firm’s founders, Dr. Sally Temple and Dr. Jeffrey Stern, that biotech innovators would soon move into a new business incubator there.
“Oh, wonderful!” said Dr. Temple, who had just, as it happened, been sharing her enthusiasm over moving into a vibrant environment with a growing population of curious scientists and the potential for accidental collaborations.
“Very often a good idea will come from meeting someone on your lunch break,” Dr. Temple said.
The partners, who are also married, had considered moving their 19-year-old company from its previous location in Rensselaer to a bigger metropolitan area. But the LSIB was both a less expensive option and a natural fit, they said. CBET trains students in the processes of making biologic drugs like the gene and cell therapies that NSCI produces. Some of the company’s manufacturing, now on the west coast, could potentially relocate
back east with the right resources and workforce. The company already has collaborations with researchers at Albany Medical Center, across New Scotland Avenue. Just as important, NSCI employs 43 researchers, lab managers and administrative staff, a dedicated team that Drs. Temple and Stern were committed to keeping.
They also like the Capital Region and pointed to a reason for choosing LSIB that satisfies their entrepreneurial spirits.
“By moving here, we contribute to creating a critical mass for a biotech hub in Albany,” Dr. Stern said. ●
“By moving here, we contribute to creating a critical mass for a biotech hub in Albany,” Dr. Stern said.
ALUMNI GUIDE GRAD
Down Sunny Path
Connections launch young pharmacist on her career.
DR.
Natalie Hart ’24 is living the dream.
“I’m beyond excited,” Hart said. “It’s a new adventure.”
that “people down South are just happier.”
When the time came to schedule clinical rotations, Hart reached out to fellow fraternity members Drs. Kevin Ash ’18 and Lindsay Ash ’21, who agreed to host her at their home so she could afford the expense of a rotation in another state. Kevin Ash connected Hart to Dr. Trisha Reed, who agreed to serve as her preceptor at a CVS in Greenville, S.C. Hart found she did indeed enjoy the area. A lot. She later did an inpatient rotation at Bon Secours Health System in Greenville, training under preceptor Dr. Ryan Lally ’17.
It was doing rounds at Bon Secours that gave Hart the insight into where she wanted to be next.
Dr. Natalie Hart (in the hexagon) with alumni who helped her find her way to a South Carolina residency.
That phrase is often delivered with irony. But for Hart, it is 100% sincere. After graduating with her pharmacy doctorate and a bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences, Hart started a pharmacy residency program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. She is gaining experience in a primary care office as well as at specialty cardiology and diabetes clinics. In her free time, she soaks up the sun at the beach.
To what does she owe this opportunity? She credits her participation in the professional fraternity Phi Delta Chi and the connections she made with alumni.
It was those connections that helped set Hart’s sights on the Carolinas. A native of snowy Syracuse, N.Y., who spent six years in Albany, she was drawn by alumni’s tales of the Carolinas’ Goldilocks-perfect climate—not too hot and not too cold. She came to believe
“It was really good to see how my preceptor was an invaluable person in an interdisciplinary team,” she said. She applied for a residency at MUSC, even though the first round of residency applications had already passed.
After she was accepted, she found a nearby beach where she had spent time as a very young child. The discovery has added to her excitement over the residency.
“This Charleston thing—it seems like I was meant to be here,” she said. ●
ILeaving Her Space
Beloved lab instructor departs campus.
n Fall 2023, Jane Boyd ’82 got a coveted, designated parking space in the O’Brien carport, next to the basement laboratory where she taught Pharmacy Skills.
Before then, whenever someone asked how long she planned to work, Boyd would quip, “I’ll retire when I get a parking spot.” She wasn’t expecting either one of those things to happen soon. It often takes 15 years or more to make it to the top of the list for a carport space.
After a year of parking her car there under a sign with her name on it, Boyd retired in June 2024.
“I finally got the parking spot, and I guess the timing was right,” she said.
Boyd had been a laboratory instructor for 15 years, after working for decades in community pharmacies, including large chains and small independents. She also has served as an advisor to the ACPHS chapter of the American Pharmacists Association–Academy of Student Pharmacists and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. In the latter role, she led a contingent of pharmacy students on an annual clinical rotation in Dominica, West Indies.
“It is inspiring to see the mentorship she provides to not only the pharmacy students but the community there,” Dr. Jessica (Baugh) Anderson ’09 said of Boyd’s leadership in developing the Dominica rotation.
Before taking the lab instructor position, Boyd volunteered at ACPHS, bringing her real-world expertise to the classroom. Making the transition to full-time teaching was easy for her. Pharmacists, after all, must educate patients and pharmacy technicians all the time.
“It just came naturally,” Boyd said.
Boyd was known for being “tough but fair,” she added. In her lab, she maintained the rigor ACPHS is known for, quizzing her students on aspects of dispensing medication they sometimes wondered if they would ever need. Later, those same students often thanked her for the solid preparation.
“She would expect the same level of professionalism and dedication to care that she exemplifies from all who worked with her,” said John Croce ’84. ●
OTHER RETIREMENTS
Dr. Michael Kane ’84
Dr. Kane began teaching at ACPHS in 1988. As a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, he maintained a practice site at Albany Med’s Division of Community Endocrinology, where he worked as a pharmacist and researcher for 21 years, mentoring 20 ACPHS pharmacy residents. Over 36 years, he has shared a wealth of knowledge, expertise and wisdom, and has helped shape ACPHS through his distinguished career as a pharmacist and academician.
Dr.
Kevin Hickey
Dr. Hickey joined ACPHS in 2003 and served as associate professor of Africana Studies, English and Humanities. He developed courses, experiential education initiatives and campus events, including a 19-year run on the Africana Film Series, all designed to encourage students to embrace cultural diversity.
Dr. Robert Waniewski
During eight years in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Waniewski provided exemplary leadership and helped guide the department through curricular changes.
Katherine Palladino
Ms. Palladino was part of the cytology program for seven years, bringing her years of experience working at Albany Medical Center to the ACPHS classroom.
2023-24 FRIENDS WE’LL MISS *
David Kile ’74
ACPHS alumnus, former trustee and faculty member David Kile ’74, described as an innovator, leader and “gentle giant,” died on Oct. 6, 2023, at age 72.
His history with the College began more than 50 years before, when he attended Albany College of Pharmacy, and culminated in Spring 2023, when he continued to teach classes after retiring from full-time faculty responsibilities the previous year.
He was also the parent of an alumna, Sarah Kile ’01, a member of the College’s Board of Trustees from 2003-2009 and a friend who maintained close ties with a group of ACP classmates—four couples who met in college and married each other.
Between his graduation in 1974 and his return to ACPHS to teach in 2009, Kile worked primarily in hospital pharmacy, serving as director of the pharmacies at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy and Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, after spending his early career in Vermont. But his return to the College to teach may have been the highlight of his professional life, according to his wife.
“When he moved over to the College, that was the best thing ever,” said Susan Kile ‘74. “He absolutely loved teaching. He loved touching the students’ lives.”
More about Kile is on the College website. Click the QR code.
Bob McGaugh ’57
Alumnus and former trustee
Robert McGaugh ’57, who gave years of service to the College and his community, died on Nov. 6, 2023, at age 88.
He served on the College Board of Trustees from 2003-2010 and as a board member at Community Memorial Hospital of Hamilton, N.Y., where he owned Crowes Drug Store from 1967-1999.
“He was a great student, he was a great citizen, he was valued in his community,” said his classmate Gordon Dailey ’57.
McGaugh and Dailey were part of an alumni group who remained friends for life, meeting for lunch, golf or holidays with their families. Others were Nick Anagnost, Ed Badgley, Thomas Byrnes, Henry (Hank) Phillips (who died Aug. 31, 2024) and Frank Viviani (who died in March 2023).
As a student, he originated an annual picnic at Thacher Park that became known as the “Spring Thaw with McGaugh.” He was “the easiest-going character of our class,” according to the 1957 yearbook, always willing to take a break at a pub. Academics were a breeze for him, said Dailey, who teased him for being an “underachiever.”
It was McGaugh, though, who was known for his wit. “He used to bust my chops,” Dailey said fondly. “He was phenomenal.”
*As of August 31, 2024
L-R: McGaugh, Phillips, Byrnes, Anagnost, Dailey and Badgley at Seven Oaks Country Club in Hamilton, N.Y., August 2023
1950s
Annette P. Matthews ’50
August 22, 2023
Shirley Del Santo ’50
September 25, 2023
Lester E. Maxik ’52
July 14, 2023
Norman R. Gallagher ’54
March 4, 2024
Anthony C. Hickey ’54
March 12, 2024
Lucian J. Wiskoski ’55
March 22, 2024
James R. Spillan ’56
June 22, 2023
Robert F. McGaugh ’57
November 6, 2023
Barbara L. LaPorta ’57
December 7, 2023
Dr. David M. Serrone ’57
March 21, 2024
Henry J. Phillips ’57
August 31, 2024
Dr. John F. McCarthy, Sr. ’58
July 21, 2023
Harold E. Veeder, Jr. ’58
August 6, 2023
Virginia M. Brennan ’58
December 6, 2023
Conrad J. Knapp ’58
January 21, 2024
Michael D. Colucciello, Jr. ’59
August 1, 2023
1960s
Michael A. Lotano ’60
February 6, 2024
Col. Charles A. Harsanyi ’61
April 9, 2023
Gene Hohenstein ’61
June 27, 2023
Daniel L. Frair ’61
September 9, 2023
Ronald C. Menard ’61
May 3, 2024
Jack S. Witkowski ’62
November 17, 2023
James J. Gaylord ’62
November 30, 2023
Charles H. Hudson ’62
March 20, 2024
Wilma D. Kenny ’62
April 19, 2024
Carol H. Phelps ’62
June 22, 2024
Vance H. Griffith ’63
January 12, 2023
Paul R. Pollack ’63
January 1, 2024
Kenneth H. Bresett ’63
February 17, 2024
Albert E. Green ’63
March 7, 2024
Lance P. Frasier ’63
July 25, 2024
Dean J. Nugent ’65
January 20, 2024
Dr. Nicholas S. Bonarrigo ’65
March 28, 2024
Ray E. Richardson ’66
February 12, 2023
Timothy T. Garrity ’66
July 23, 2024
John S. North ’67
August 23, 2024
Richard W. Barker ’68
September 18, 2023
David C. Brands ’68
January 11, 2024
Ronald L. Munzberg ’68
June 13, 2024
Veronica M. Burling ’69
August 6, 2023
Robert E. Delaney ’69
October 18, 2023
1970s
John P. LeGrand ’70 March 29, 2024
Stephen J. Strosberg ’71 October 24, 2023
David M. Kile ’74
October 6, 2023
Michael M. Perhach III ’75 June 25, 2024
Wayne P. Becker ’75 July 25, 2024
Christopher A. Aldi ’78 October 6, 2023
Holly F. Griffith ’79 August 9, 2024
1980s
Dale H. Franz ’82 February 7, 2024
Timothy C. Feraldi ’83 December 23, 2023
Sean F. McCarthy ’83 April 5, 2024
Sondra G. Dagostino-Powers ’87 February 28, 2023
Michael F. Dooley ’89 May 5, 2024
1990s
Barbara J. Herrera ’90
March 14, 2024
Kelli M. Lewin ’93
June 7, 2024
Abigail D. Wastowicz ’95
November 2023
2000s
Scott E. Kierenia ’00
June 6, 2024
Dr. Jessica M. Kirk ’07
February 6, 2024
2010s
Dr. Matthew C. Hoeffner ’19
January 5, 2024
Dr. Alishah A. Premji ’21
March 21, 2024
Former ACPHS Board of Trustees
Dr. Desmond R. Del Giacco
January 19, 2022
Irwin C. Gerson
September 2, 2023
Former ACPHS Employees
Patricia DiMuria
October 18, 2023
Joseph C. Early Sr. October 13, 2023
Dr. Barry S. Reiss
July 16, 2024
ACPHS Scholarship Contact
Joyce Bollinger
April 27, 2024
CLASS NOTES
Updates from alumni across the decades.
1950s
Eugene Ponessa ’53, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Ponessa has been living in St. Petersburg, Fla., for 68 years. He has lived at Westminster Palms the last eight years, which he describes as “a retirement community which provides meals, entertainment, and activities.” Mr. Ponessa says, “When you hit your 90s, life takes on a different lifestyle.”
Stanley Rolen ’56, BS Pharmacy
A piece of advice from Mr. Rolen: “Have faith in people. Be careful in your evaluations of people as well.”
Edward Trnka ’59, BS Pharmacy
After graduating from ACPHS, Mr. Trnka attended Rutgers University, where he earned a master’s in pharmaceutical science in 1963. He went on to teach science, math and health for 30 years in Saugerties, NY.
“Retail pharmacy was my summer job and upon retiring from the school system in ’92, my full-time occupation.” He and his wife Eleanore traveled both nationally and internationally, visiting all seven continents. One trip was particularly unique: “Having obtained a pilot’s license, with a tour group and every family flying their own planes, we flew around Australia.” They have four children, 13 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. “We are settled comfortably here in Saugerties, aging quietly in place.”
1960s
Richard Marra ’60, BS Pharmacy
After graduation, Mr. Marra joined the family pharmacy where he served the community of Port Washington, N.Y., for 43 years. He writes, “Sue & I will be celebrating our 64th wedding anniversary this October. I am still living in Port Washington but also have a home in West Dover, Vt.”
Julia F. Carroll ’60, BS Pharmacy
Mrs. Carroll is proud of the four generations of pharmacists in her family: her father, James Franco, who graduated in 1924; she and her husband, Alan and Judy Carroll; her sister, Linda Franco; her daughter and her husband, Laurie and Scott Varner; and her granddaughter, Kimberly Varner, who graduated in 2022. “We’ve really kept pharmacy in our family!”
John Bottiroli ’61, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Bottiroli continues to work for Elizabethtown Hospital, no longer as a pharmacist but in the Transportation Department, where he takes patients to appointments or transfers them home. “I gave up my license on 9/30/22—completing 60 years.”
James Cullum ’62, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Cullum continues to practice law and is a member of the Board of Directors of Albany Medical Center and Albany Med Health System.
Dr. Ronald Winchell ’65, BS Pharmacy
Dr. Winchell and his wife Judy were recently in Berlin and saw the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. He writes of his memories of ACPHS, “I’ll never forget Dean Francis J. O’Brien. He interviewed me and told me on the spot I was accepted into the first five-year class. I won the Rho Pi Phi Key for Excellence in biology.” He is now retired, living in Madison, WI. “I play golf three or four days a week in the summer and downhill snow ski in the winter, weather permitting. I also ski regularly at Vail and have skied most of the ski centers in the USA, even Whistler in British Columbia.”
Dr. Frank Kniffen ’69, BS Pharmacy
Dr. Kniffen writes, “I’ve been retired for some years now but I’m spending my time tutoring students in English as a Second Language. It’s very rewarding and I feel that I’m still providing service for people!”
1970s
Dr. Harvey Arbit ’70, BS Pharmacy
Dr. Arbit and his wife Judy recently saw “The Who’s TOMMY” at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway. He writes, “This is a must-see show when you are in New York City.”
Robert Mason ’71, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Mason and his wife Marie celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in May. His hobbies include spending time with their four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, golfing and reading (mostly history). He and his wife are members of the Penn Yann Lions Club. They also make time to see their friends Pat Howlett ’71 and Patty Howlett ’69. “Marie and I enjoy going here and there whenever we feel like it so we just don’t sit at home. Retirement is great!”
Charles Sharkey ’72, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Sharkey suffered a heart attack in January 2024 but is thankfully on the road to recovery. He vacationed in Marco Island, Fla., in February, and in March was inducted into the NYS Softball Hall of Fame. “Also, I have two granddaughters that I am proud of. Nora is 9 years old and has won two gymnastics competitions, finishing in first place in all four events (bars, vault, beam, and floor exercise). Olympics in her future?
Annelise is 7 years old and is a fighter who is now cancer free. Life is good.”
Linda Ronk ’73, BS Pharmacy
Mrs. Ronk recently retired from pharmacy after 50 years! She was a retail pharmacist working mostly for CVS and spent her last 10 years as a relief pharmacist with Brandon Community Pharmacy in Vermont. She runs an Airbnb called “The Red Barn Loft” in
Brandon. Mrs. Ronk has five grandchildren and two step-grandchildren and enjoys knitting and sewing. “I am never bored. When I moved on from CVS, I was able to take up jogging for a couple of years. I ran two 5Ks and walked/jogged for Huntington’s Disease for several years. I had a good friend in high school in Broadalbin, NY, that had the disease and has sadly since passed away. Yes, there is life after pharmacy!”
Edward Ullmann ’73, BS Pharmacy
ACPHS President Toyin Tofade and Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Michael Pasquarella visited Ed Ullmann ’73 at his Wellness Rx Natural Pharmacy in Phoenicia, NY, in August 2024. Pharmacy student Noah Desgaches, doing a clinical rotation there, described it as working in a homelike atmosphere.
1980s
Maryann Roefaro ’81, BS Medical Technology
Mrs. Roefaro will retire in February 2025 after 23 years as CEO of the largest independent cancer center in Central New York. She is currently writing her fourth book and reports, “Life is good.” She writes, “My physics lab partner, best friend and father of my daughters, Dale H. Franz ’82, died in February of 2024. We miss him beyond measure.”
David Crimmins ’81, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Crimmins and his wife Andrea moved in 2017 to Las Vegas, where they have taken an active role in local events. They have worked at Wolfgang Puck’s pop-up restaurants during events like the Formula One race and the Super Bowl.
Julius Pasquariello ’83, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Pasquariello retired after 22 years with New York State and bought a condo in Rotterdam, NY. “Now that I am retired, I have been practicing my saxophone and taking lessons (those of you on Facebook have to put up with me).”
Michael Zandri ’84, BS Pharmacy
Mr. Zandri is still practicing long term care pharmacy. “Wow, 40 years since graduation,” he writes. Married 38 years, he has two children: a married daughter, 32, who is an attorney in Boston, and an engaged son, 29, an engineer in Ohio with Abbott Labs. His mom, 88, still lives in Cohoes “at the house of many parties.”
Catherine (Peck) DiLorenzo-Strothenke ’87, BS Pharmacy
After retiring from being a pharmacist/ supervisor after 34 years, Mrs. DiLorenzoStrothenke and her husband “traveled, raised koi, became beekeepers, planted an orchard and completed home improvements. Early 2023, we were joyfully free to babysit our first grandchild.” In fall of 2023, Mrs. DiLorenzo-Strothenke took a “fantastic parttime job” at Wesley Community, a senior residential complex in Saratoga Springs. This past winter, Mrs. DiLorenzo-Strothenke’s brother developed acute myeloid leukemia. “On June 4, 2024, I was thrilled to complete a 3.93 million stem cell donation. My brother is now on the road to recovery. I pray he lives decades more. No job is as rewarding as giving back life to someone I love.”
Dr. Tammy Bowman ’89, BS Pharmacy
Dr. Bowman received her doctorate in podiatric medicine and works as a podiatrist now. She writes, “We welcomed grandson Thomas on April 10, 2024, to parents Teresa and Peter CrastoDonnelly. Involved with farming in my spare time and spending time with family.”
1980s & 1990s
Dr. Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer ’87, BS Pharmacy and Brian Hemstreet ’96, ’98 BS Pharmacy, PharmD
The two connected in Washington, DC for the Joint Commission for Pharmacy Practitioners meeting.
Brian Hemstreet ’96, ’98 BS Pharmacy, PharmD and Darren Triller ’89, ’98 BS Pharmacy, PharmD
Drs. Triller and Hemstreet participated in the Anticoagulation Forum’s first National Summit on Anticoagulation Stewardship at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC on June 7. The event brought together leaders from government, professional societies and other stakeholders to advocate for the
CLASS NOTES
advancement of the Anticoagulation Stewardship Care Model developed by the forum, where Dr. Triller serves as director of strategic initiatives. As president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Dr. Hemstreet articulated the important role pharmacists play in high-quality care for thrombosis.
1990s
Heather Pasquale ’96, BS Pharmacy
Mrs. Pasquale writes, “I am pleased to announce my promotion to General Manager of the U.S. Vet Business Unit for Royal Canin North America!” From 2017-2022, she worked for the Mars corporation, where she led a region of nearly 200 hospitals for Banfield Pet Hospital. She joined Royal Canin in 2022, leading Vetsource International. In her new role, she is responsible for growing the Royal Canin North America veterinary business by strengthening relationships with veterinary customers, expanding product offerings, and providing educational opportunities for veterinary partners. She and her husband have lived in the South of France for the past 17 months, where she was on assignment for Mars Petcare/Royal Canin, taking Vetsource, an animal health technology company, international. They will relocate back to the northeastern U.S. with their puppy, Quinn-Henri, and cat, KK.
2000s
John McGrath ’01, BS Pharmacy
Mr. McGrath recently became senior vice president, pharmacy, with the H-E-B Grocery Company that operates across Texas, after departing from a 25-year career with Ahold Delhaize USA, parent company of leading grocery brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. His family have relocated to San Antonio from Scarborough, ME.
Brian Decker ’04, PharmD
Dr. Decker has worked for Vireo Health in Albany as a medical cannabis manager for
the last seven years. He is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and also precepts ACPHS students. “I counsel and educate patients about the background and benefits of this unique medicine so they can have a positive experience and better results.” He has also taken courses and was certified with a specialty focusing on integrative medicine and disease prevention.
Moira O’Toole ’05, PharmD
Dr. O’Toole is now vice president of pharmacy services for Ahold Delhaize USA, the parent company of leading grocery brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop.
Kerry Roarke ’09, PharmD
Dr. Roarke joined the Northern New England Poison Center in 2017 and became a certified specialist in poison information (C-SPI) in 2018. She has had opportunities for public education on poison prevention and has had two case report abstracts published. As part of Finding Our Voices, a local domestic violence nonprofit, she has advocated for new laws to prevent financial abuse and spoken at community events throughout southern Maine. She has also assisted another domestic violence nonprofit, Safe House, with developing two apps to connect people nationwide in crisis and recovery with resources at the state and federal levels.
2010s
Geoffrey Henderson ’10, PharmD
Dr. Henderson was named one of Forbes’ Best 100 Financial Advisors in New York.
Cedrick Batchateu ’13, PharmD
Dr. Batchateu has launched ChronicCare, a company focused on comprehensive health management. “Our mission is to close the
gaps in care that exist between each patient’s visit with their providers.” ChronicCare helps manage Medicare-eligible patients with chronic diseases to reduce hospitalizations, lower costs, and improve outcomes. www.ChronicCare.net
Joseph Gottwald ’16, PharmD and Lindsey Wallace ’15, BS Health and Human Sciences
Dr. Gottwald wrote that he would be starting a staff physician position at the Mayo Clinic and completing a fellowship year in anesthesiology critical care medicine. He and Ms. Wallace were engaged to be married in October 2024.
B. Austin Hettinger ’18, BS Pharmaceutical Science and Taylor Hettinger ’14, BS Health and Human Sciences
After graduation from ACPHS, Mr. Hettinger went on to receive his MS in physician assistant studies from Clarkson University in 2022. He is a physician assistant in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic urgent care at EmergeOrtho near Raleigh, NC. Mrs. (Mateo) Hettinger is a physician assistant in medical dermatology and aesthetics at Thrive MedSpa in Holly Springs, NC.
Alexandra Harris, PharmD, BCPS, Seema Jaipal, PharmD, Ibrahim Jalal, PharmD, Keith Hylwa, PharmD, John Orfanidis, PharmD, BCMTMS, Shamuel Borukhov, PharmD, Shane Sunny, PharmD, Elizabeth Sheehan, PharmD
Dr. Harris writes on behalf of herself and fellow alumni from the Vermont campus, “It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since we all met at the ACPHS Vermont campus where our pharmacy and PHARMILY journeys began. Since our graduation in 2018, the seven of us have remained as close as ever. From John’s wedding in
Greece to Shane’s wedding in New Jersey with Vermont trips and backyard BBQs in between. This journey has been nothing short of incredible, filled with countless memories and milestones. Despite the passing years and the various paths we’ve taken, our bond has only grown stronger. Professionally, we are a mixed bunch with some working in retail and others in hospital. Not a day goes by without someone asking a clinical question in the group chat or sharing a funny story. We are all grateful that ACPHS brought us together and will cherish our friendship forever.”
Ritu Vadgama ’18, MS Pharmaceutical Science
Post-graduation, Ms. Vadgama worked as an R&D product development scientist at a generic pharmaceutical company based in Kansas City, MO. Since February 2024, she has been an R&D formulation scientist at a contract manufacturing organization based in Longmont, CO, where she develops viable formulations for clients’ proprietary drug substances. “Outside of work, I enjoy hiking in the beautiful Colorado mountains and exploring nature.”
Danielle Burt ’19, PharmD Dr. Burt married Daniel Leska on August 2, 2024. Dr. Leska was part of the “ACP of the South” (the Appalachian College of Pharmacy) Class of 2020.
2020s
Elio Megaro ’21, PharmD
Dr. Megaro writes, “I am very excited to share that as of July 28 (2024), I will have completed my Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) program with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” As a PMF, Dr. Megaro worked at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program as a pharmacist and completed rotations at the NIOSH Emergency Preparedness and Response Office and the Office of Policy, Performance and Program Evaluation. “At the end of my fellowship, I will continue to work at the CDC as a full-time pharmacist with the WTC Health Program’s Pharmacy Benefits Team. My work will focus on clinical and operational support. The program provides treatment, monitoring, and research for responders and survivors of 9/11.”
Krystal Ortiz ’22, BS Pharmaceutical Sciences
Ms. Ortiz bought an Alaska Klee Kai (a smaller dog that resembles an Alaskan Malamute or Siberian Husky) and named him Prince. She describes him as “the light of her life.”
Erica Scholl ’23, BS Microbiology / MS Molecular Biosciences
Ms. Scholl just finished her first year as a doctoral student at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA. She has joined the Cancer Biology Department, where her dissertation will focus on identifying therapeutic targets to combat pediatric leukemias. “It is so surreal that I get to take part in this research and see my dreams turn into reality. I will always be grateful to the staff and faculty at ACPHS for helping me transition from a shy first-generation
college student to a growing young scientist and leader!”
Multiple Years and Generations
J. Gordon Dailey ’57, BS Pharmacy, Earl Black ’91, BS Pharmacy, Robert Single ’69, BS Pharmacy and Edgar Stevens ’67, BS Pharmacy
On June 19, these four alumni represented ACPHS at the Kinney Drugs Foundation Annual Golf Tournament—and they won! Kinney Drugs was founded by alumnus Burt Orrin Kinney and is currently led by John Marraffa ’03.
106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208-3492
