FA L L 2 0 0 6 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2
PostScript N E W S
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A L B A N Y
C O L L E G E
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P H A R M A C Y
Center of Attention ACP Student Center comes to life at the heart of an expanding campus
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FEATURES_________________________________________ Remembering a Friend and Classmate James J. Morrissey ’65 Gallery dedicated
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Cover Story: Community Center New Student Center opens its doors
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DEPARTMENTS____________________________________
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On the Cover: The new ACP Student Center, dedicated on September 9
President’s Ledger From the Dean’s Desk Letters to the Editor
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On Campus Springfest Nanopharmaceutical grant awarded Championship soccer teams Commencement 2006 Admissions office move Bookstore manager recognized New Dean Medhi Boroujerdi Academic structure change New director of cytotechnology
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Student News Fraternity earns top ranking Collecting books for charity ‘Union’ of school and sports Kudos to our students Phi Lambda Sigma and Rho Chi inductions
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Faculty News Top teachers Freefalling for a cause Faculty awards and achievements
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Advancement IA updates Calendar of events ’56ers shine Time-limited IRA tax advantages Planned giving
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Alumni Affairs Alumni award winners announced Racing for hope Fore for scholarships Alumni profile: What’s on tap? Alumni profile: My only limitation … Reunion Weekend 2006
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Class Notes Weddings, births, retirements & much more
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In Memoriam
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Focus on … Andrew Flynn ’87
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President’s
Ledger
James J. Gozzo, Ph.D.
One Vision Fulfilled, Another Emerging The 2006-07 academic year marks an important and exciting time for all of us in the ACP community. As we near the end of one strategic planning initiative and simultaneously begin work on another, we have the opportunity to reflect on all that we have accomplished together since the start of this decade – and to look ahead to more progress in the years to come. There is no better place to begin than with the ACP Student Center, which opened this fall at the heart of our expanding campus. This outstanding 54,000-square-foot facility represents an important part of the ACP evolution. We are a bigger institution but are still focused on doing all we can to provide an outstanding academic, professional and social experience for our students. The Student Center provides this and more. From its welcoming aesthetic features such as the 1,800-square-foot atrium main entrance, the towering threestory wall of smoked glass and an inviting mezzanine level, to utilitarian features such as the 350-seat café, 500-seat lecture hall, student and administrative offices, and the IT Student Support Center, the Student Center has filled key needs as we improve services.
Nearly 800 of our approximately 1,240 students live in on-campus housing this year, compared to only 100 of our approximately 650 total students living in ACP housing in 1998. Our faculty and staff have grown in similar fashion. The Student Center has enhanced the overall campus experience for this entire expanded campus community, and it has raised our institutional profile at a critical time. While we have grown significantly under our 2002-07 Comprehensive Growth Plan – with increased enrollment, new facilities, expanded research and new academic programs – we are at work this academic year on a new strategic plan that will provide a blueprint for equally dynamic advancement into the years ahead. Our most striking enhancements will be programmatic in nature, building new and forward-looking degree programs on our campus for both undergraduate and graduate students. Toward this end, we have undergone a major academic reorganization in recent months, led by our dean, Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Now with four academic departments instead of the previous three, we are better positioned to support the
academic expansion we envision. Dr. Boroujerdi continues to offer outstanding, energetic leadership as we prepare the institution to provide an even more comprehensive catalog of degree offerings, all focused around our great tradition as a leader in pharmacy education. We have attained a new level of excellence at the start of the 21st century. I invite you to visit the campus and be a part of our effort to strive for a higher level of excellence in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, health sciences and research.
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F ROM TH E
Dean’s Desk Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Focusing on Our Strengths It was with a great degree of excitement that I accepted the position of dean at Albany College of Pharmacy. I think that with the talent, energies and administrative commitment already here, my 30 years experience as a pharmacy educator and dean has found a perfect match. Together, I am absolutely positive we will achieve great things for the College in the years ahead. I’d like to take a moment to describe my goals and the environment I am hoping to create to help us achieve these goals. Simply stated, nothing short of making ACP into a leading, world-class college of pharmacy and related health care professions should be our collective aim. This only can happen on a department-by-department basis, with each department focusing on our core competencies – that is, the competencies that the graduates who leave our programs are required to have in order to be leaders in their chosen fields. Part of my mandate as dean is to make sure that ACP’s varied disciplines flourish, both with respect to quality teaching and continued success in research and scholarship. To this end, with the endorsement of President Gozzo and with the support of our faculty, we have undertaken a reorganization of the College into four dynamic academic departments: Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences, Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
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Allow me to briefly describe the basic functions of each. The Department of Arts and Sciences is responsible for providing courses in basic sciences and humanities to students completing the first two years of curricula in all of our degree programs. Led by Chair David Clarke, Ph.D., Arts and Sciences also will have the opportunity to develop new B.S. programs in pre-med and liberal arts. The Department of Health Sciences will develop revamped programs in the critical areas of biomedical technology under the direction of Chair M. Elyse Wheeler, Ph.D. The nature of this department will be varied and flexible, to allow for the many constant changes in the field. Importance will be placed on classroom and online instruction in the application of pure, clinical and diagnostic sciences. The task of the Department of Pharmacy Practice is to teach the knowledge of professional pharmacy, which is to say the clinical, social and administrative roles associated with the work. Led by Chair Margaret Malone, Ph.D., the department will concentrate on experiential education and eventually will offer more accredited residency and fellowship programs. It is hoped that the department will offer a B.S. program in pharmaceutical marketing and management in the near future. Finally, the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is responsible for instituting a thorough program of study
in drug discovery and development, including the disciplines of pharmacology, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, physiology and pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics. The courses developed by this department under the leadership of Acting Chair William Millington, Ph.D., will be offered as required courses to all students completing degree programs in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The underlying rationale for adopting this new structure is that it will allow us to address the various constituencies of the College with a greater degree of clarity and effectiveness. It will facilitate better strategic planning and resource allocation, promote healthy growth, efficiency in standards and better communication, and assure accountability for the College in its drive to provide the best possible education for our students. To our alumni, my colleagues, and the greater Capital Region community, you have my assurance that nothing short of making ACP into a leading, world-class college of pharmacy and related health care professions will be our collective aim. I look forward to reaffirming our position as one of the pre-eminent colleges of pharmacy in the state, the nation and the world.
FA L L 2 0 0 6 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2
PostScript is published as a magazine for alumni, parents and friends of Albany College of Pharmacy. Managing Editor
Ron Lesko
Letters to the Editor
We Want to Hear from You!
Editor
Christine Shields 2006-07 Editorial Board
James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., President Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Dean Vicki A. DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Robert J. Gould, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Operations Packy McGraw, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Contributing Writers
James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Shannon Ballard Ron Lesko Christine Shields David Zdunczyk
Do you want to comment on an article you’ve read in this issue of PostScript? Do you want to express your views about an important issue in the world of pharmacy, health care or science? Or about a professional issue you’ve encountered recently? Do you want to reminisce? Or share your thoughts about developments at Albany College of Pharmacy? We want to hear from you! We’ll reserve this space in each issue of PostScript for letters to the editor to give you a forum to share your two cents (checks and major credit cards accepted!). This is your chance to sound off about issues that are important to you. Let us know how we’re doing. Let us know how you’re doing. Let us know what’s important to you. Letters to the editor can be sent by e-mail to alumni@acp.edu, or mailed to PostScript Letters, Albany College of Pharmacy, 106 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208. All letters to PostScript are subject to editing for length, taste and accuracy. To be published, letters must include the writer’s name, address and a phone number at which the author can be reached. Contributors should specify whether they want their e-mail address published. In the words of Garrison Keillor: Be well, do good work and keep in touch.
Contributing Photographers
Nancie Battaglia Colleen Breiner Don Elliott Ron Lesko Kris Qua Siena College Communications Department Office of Institutional Advancement
Vicki A. DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement David Zdunczyk, Director of Development Shelly Calabrese, Director of Annual Programs Lynne DellaRocca, Systems Administrator Deanna Ennello-Butler, Associate Director of Advancement Research Deborah Reutter, Coordinator of Institutional Advancement Ron Lesko, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Christine Shields, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Please send story ideas, comments, letters and suggestions to: PostScript Albany College of Pharmacy 106 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 1-888-203-8010 alumni@acp.edu
ACP THROUGH THE DECADES 1981. Ronald Reagan is sworn in as 40th president in January and wounded by John Hinckley three months later. AIDS is first identified. Iran frees the 52 hostages held in Tehran since 1979. MTV goes on the air, debuting with the song “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. Pac-Man mania sweeps the country. And ACP celebrates its 100th birthday with a gala event held at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza in Albany, the construction of which, ironically, led to the demolition of ACP’s first home on Eagle Street, which was shared with Albany Medical College. From that downtown building to today’s expanding campus and new Student Center, ACP has grown into one of the nation’s premier scientific institutions. Join us this fall as we finish up the celebration of our 125th academic year – our quasquicentennial! – with a decade-bydecade history of the College. Each month for the past year we have explored a new decade, reliving our past as we build for the future. To see how ACP fared through rock ‘n’ roll, the Vietnam War, a much more comprehensive curriculum and the first new College leader in decades, visit www.acp.edu and click on “Celebrating 125 Years” for a fascinating look at where we’ve been and where we are going. You also can access the “Celebrating 125 Years” pages of our Web site by visiting the Our Story section.
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On Campus
6 0 ’ t s e f g n i r p S Springfest 2006 on April 21 was the largest on-campus event in ACP history! More than 800 students, faculty and staff members and their guests turned out for fun in the sun thanks to the terrific efforts of the Student Government Association and Office of Student Affairs, and the sponsorship of Kinney Drugs.
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ACP Receives $2 Million to Pioneer Nanopharmaceuticals ACP has received $2 million from the New York State Legislature to create a Center for Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, part of the College’s ongoing development of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Albany College of Pharmacy under the direction of Shaker A. Mousa, Ph.D. The Center will merge nanotechnology and biotechnology to advance drug delivery and development as a pioneer in the emerging field of nanopharmaceuticals. Currently under construction, the Center will be located in the Center for Functional Genomics on the University at Albany’s East Campus in East Greenbush, across the Hudson River from Albany.
The Center will pioneer the development and use of drug-uptake particles 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. This stateof-the-art technology will allow medicines to be delivered to specific cellular targets anywhere in the body with the ability to overcome biological barriers by entering cells without triggering their immune responses. This will allow medical personnel to target diseased cells without also affecting healthy cells in the area. “Using nanotechnology in pharmaceutics can help in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and tumor cell growth,” said Dr. Mousa, PRI’s executive director and chairman and a
senior research scientist at DuPont Pharmaceutical Co. for nearly two decades before joining ACP in 2002. The Center plans to hire up to 50 employees within the next two years and will partner with other local and regional nanotechnology and biotechnology centers such as the Ordway Research Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University at Albany to exponentially multiply the power of the growing scientific, medical and technical expertise converging in Tech Valley and across the state.
We are the Champions! ACP’s men’s and women’s soccer teams both won Northern Independence Conference championships in October with victories not for the faint of heart! The women’s team (8-4) beat longtime nemesis Clinton Community College 1-0 on October 16 on a secondhalf goal by Allissa Phillips ’11. It is the Panthers’ first NIC title since 2000. “Those last 30 minutes felt like a couple of hours, but I’m just so proud of the team,” coach Jack Beckett said. The following day, the men found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-0 score early in the second half of a
rain-soaked final against North Country Community College. But the Panthers (11-2) rallied behind their leading scorers, with two goals from Brandon Schenck ’11 and a goal and assist from Erik Voss ’07. It is the first time in ACP history that the men’s team has won back-to-back conference championships. The Panthers are 22-4 over the last two seasons under coach Rich Komulainen. For complete information about ACP’s soccer and basketball teams, visit the Athletics section of our Web site under Student Life.
The women’s and men’s soccer teams celebrate NIC championships on back-to-back days in October.
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On Campus
2006
Commencement Former Union College President Roger H. Hull challenged the members of the largest class of Doctor of Pharmacy students in ACP history to fill their first prescription as graduates during his remarks at the College’s 126th Commencement ceremonies May 7. Hull, who led Union College from 1990 until last summer, also announced that ACP would be one of the first schools nationally to partner with his Help Yourself Foundation. Hull founded the charitable foundation in 2005 to create college-based academies for at-risk children beginning in
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third grade. ACP’s Help Yourself Academy will open in January, in partnership with Albany’s School 18. “’SCRIPT – a simple word that stands for other simple words, words that I hope you will keep in mind,” he said, evoking the familiar pharmacists’ vernacular as an acronym that emphasized his message. “Sympathy, care, responsibility, integrity, passion and truthfulness. “I believe very strongly that we all have an obligation, individually and institutionally, to contribute to the community in which one lives or is located. I am delighted, therefore, that
the College recognizes its obligation to improve the lives of the children in its neighborhood. The College’s ’script is being filled. Please fill yours.” ACP awarded 138 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees, the largest number ever, during the ceremonies at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. Emily S. McQuillan of Troy, N.Y., received the William Mansfield Prize, awarded to the graduate with the highest grade-point average over all six years of the curriculum (3.8). Catherine A. Sheffield of Schenectady, N.Y., received the Alumni Prize, awarded to the graduate with the highest GPA dur-
ADMISSIONS MOVE The Office of Admissions will have a new look and a new location later this fall when the staff moves from South Hall into spacious new quarters in the Wardle Wing on the west end of the O’Brien Building. With a sleek, modern look, the new facilities will welcome prospective students and their families to a centrally located and much more spacious reception area and suite of offices. The new space became available when the cafeteria, café and adjacent lounge relocated to the Student Center. Director of Admissions Carly Connors will move there with her full staff: Associate Director of Admissions Michael Green, Assistant Director of Admissions Drew Colberg, Assistant to the Director of Admissions Melissa Kroup and Senior Administrative Assistant Jacqueline Harris. “We are really hoping to make an excellent first impression on prospective students,” Connors said. “We found a lot of visitors to the College were coming directly to the O’Brien Building and then wandering around campus looking for the Office of Admissions, which was not easily accessible in our old location in South Hall. “Our new location will ensure that prospective students can find us easily and get us off on the right foot. It’s also great to be closer to the heart of the campus and our beautiful, new Student Center.”
Former Union College President Roger H. Hull, opposite page top left photo between ACP Board Chair Kandyce J. Daley ’74 and President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., delivered the address at the 126th Commencement ceremonies May 7, a day filled with a wide range of emotions.
ing the four professional years of the curriculum (4.0 in years 3-6). Daniel J. Hind of North Syracuse, N.Y., delivered the student address. As in previous years, all graduates have jobs waiting for them or have been accepted to graduate programs. The average starting salary was about $90,000. “We are proud of the outstanding achievements our graduates have made during their academic careers at ACP,” said President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. “They will help people manage the increasingly complex drug therapy programs that are becoming critical components of today’s health care management, they will play a vital role in research and drug development, and they will serve in a wide variety of other critical roles as members of the health care team.”
CONGRATULATIONS BOOKSTORE BOB!! ACP Bookstore Manager Bob Kern was recognized at the biannual Follett Higher Education Managers Conference with the prestigious P.R. Litzsinger Store Manager of the Year Award. Bob was recognized in the Diamond category, representing community colleges, medical colleges and similar institutions. He was chosen from approximately 270 Follett bookstore managers in that category for “Bookstore” Bob Kern his outstanding performance over the last two years. He received the award in a rousing Oscar-type event during the conference in Orlando, Fla., in June. “I’ll never forget it, that’s for sure,” Bob said.
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On Campus
Introducing … Dean Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D., has been named the new dean at ACP, responsible for academic, curricular, professional and research development as well as student affairs. He got off to a busy start, guiding the reorganization of ACP’s academic structure into four departments, creating a new associate dean of academic and professional affairs, and reforming the College’s continuing education and research units (see related stories, pages 2 and 9). “This is an exciting time to be part of the ACP community, and I am honored to have this opportunity to help shape the College’s future,” Dr. Boroujerdi said. Dr. Boroujerdi joined ACP in 2005 as a professor of pharmaceutics, a role in which he will continue. Previously, he was dean of the Massachusetts Col-
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lege of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston School of Pharmacy from 200205 and associate dean for pharmacy at Northeastern University’s Bouve College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences from 1988-99. Dr. Boroujerdi replaced Mary H. Andritz, Pharm.D., who left ACP to become dean at Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “Dr. Boroujerdi is an ideal candidate to serve as our new dean, with extensive academic and administrative experience,” said President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. “His career focus on research, through his own investigation and as a leader and mentor for faculty and students, also will be a tremendous asset.” Dr. Boroujerdi’s administrative leadership experience includes roles in both academics and research. At
MCPHS, he served concurrently in 2003-05 as dean of the Boston School of Pharmacy and dean of research and graduate studies for the multi-campus institution. At Northeastern, Dr. Boroujerdi served concurrently from 1988-99 as associate dean for pharmacy and as the university’s director of graduate programs in biomedical sciences. Among a variety of other administrative appointments during his 20-year career at Northeastern, Dr. Boroujerdi also served as chair of the departments of pharmaceutical sciences (1996-98) and pharmacy practice (1991-94). During a 27-year research career, Dr. Boroujerdi’s focus has been in the areas of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and toxicodynamics of anticancer drugs, antioxidants and flavonoids. His achievements include 110 publications and approximately $3 million in funding from a variety of organizations and industry. Dr. Boroujerdi authored a textbook titled “Pharmacokinetics: Principles and Applications,” and has trained 10 Ph.D. recipients and two M.S. recipients. He has served as an advisor to numerous undergraduate students as well as a member of other thesis committees. He is a four-time recipient of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s “Best Teacher” recognition. Dr. Boroujerdi received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.
NEW DIRECTOR OF CYTOTECHNOLOGY
New Structure to Guide Academic Diversification Eight faculty members have accepted new leadership roles at ACP in a significant academic restructuring designed to better position the College for programmatic and institutional growth and diversification. The appointments include a new associate dean, four department chairs, director of continuing professional development, and two Dr. Dominelli ’78 takes on a new academic prorole as associate dean of academgram leaders. ic and professional affairs. The College also is conducting a search for an associate dean of research and graduate education. “I would like to express my thanks to each of these individuals for stepping forward to lead these critical areas,” said Dean Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D. “This is an important time for the College as we seek to establish a still greater presence in high-quality pharmacy and health science education and research.” Angela C. Dominelli ’78, Ph.D., was appointed to the new position of associate dean of academic and professional affairs in October. Dr. Dominelli joined the ACP faculty in 2000 and is an associate professor of pharmacy administration in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. ACP reformed its previous structure of three academic departments into four units. The new chairs are:
Department of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor David W. Clarke, Ph.D. Dr. Clarke joined the ACP faculty in 1997 and served as director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program from 2004 until accepting the department chair position July 1. Department of Health Sciences Associate Professor M. Elyse Wheeler, Ph.D., MT(ASCP). Dr. Wheeler has been a member of the ACP faculty since 2001. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor William Millington, Ph.D. (acting chair). Dr. Millington has been a member of the ACP faculty since 1999. Department of Pharmacy Practice Professor Margaret Malone, Ph.D. Dr. Malone joined the ACP faculty in 1992. Professor Robert A. Hamilton ’77, Pharm.D., of the Department of Pharmacy Practice is the director of the Office of Continuing Professional Development. Dr. Hamilton will lead the College’s efforts to expand on its continuing education activities. Assistant Professor Andreas Karatsolis, Ph.D., of the Department of Arts and Sciences has been promoted to director of instructional communication. Dr. Karatsolis will provide leadership, expertise and creativity in ACP’s efforts to integrate technology into teaching and learning. Associate Professor Michael J. Raley, Ph.D., is the new director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program. Succeeding Dr. Clarke, Dr. Raley will lead the College’s efforts to establish academic and research opportunities for students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Indra Balachandran, Ph.D., SCT, CFIAC, has been named director of the cytotechnology program in the Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Balachandran comes to ACP from Thomas Jefferson University, where she most recently served as an associate professor in the Department of Bioscience Technologies. She previously held faculty posts at Onondaga Community College and SUNY Upstate Medical University, both in Syracuse, as well as Coimbatore Medical College in Coimbatore, India. Dr. Balachandran also worked as a cytotechnologist at HRH Laboratories in Utica, and Sahlgrenska Hospital in Goteborg, Sweden. She has presented her research at conferences nationwide, focusing on innovations in teaching, testing and evaluation, including the development of educational software. The one-year post-baccalaureate Cytotechnology certificate program at ACP prepares students for the licensing exam required by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Graduates regularly score in the top 10 percent on the national registry exam and go on to nationally recognized health care facilities. “The close interaction with faculty and emphasis on one-on-one instruction at ACP is a significant factor for our graduates’ success,” Dr. Balachandran said. ACP also offers a Cytotechnology concentration, in addition to the Clinical Laboratory Sciences concentration and Physician Assistant Studies program, in its Bachelor of Science program in Biomedical Technology.
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Student News
We’re No. 1 ACP professional fraternity earns top national ranking ACP’s chapter of the Phi Delta Chi Professional Pharmacy Fraternity brought home the prestigious Thurston Cup from the national Phi Delta Chi Leadership Development Seminar in August. The Thurston Cup is the highest honor a Phi Delta Chi chapter can receive. “Think of it as a chapter of the year award,” said Matthew Grassi ’09, chapter president, who attended the conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., along with fellow ACP student Stephen Esker ’08, eastern regional correspondent. “This is a tremendous honor for our chapter and Albany College of Pharmacy.” Established in 1974 by an endowment from Emory W. Thurston, the award is presented to the chapter that has promoted the profession of pharmacy and Phi Delta Chi to the fullest extent during the preceding year. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, ACP’s chapter outperformed 50 other Phi Delta Chi chapters nationwide to bring home the coveted award for the first time in school history. “This recognition exemplifies one of the basic differences between pro-
Left to right, Phi Delta Chi Grand President Song You with ACP brothers Brian Conners ’04, Sean Greene ’00, Alumni Brother Brett Laude, Grand Vice President of Student Affairs Chris Gardiner ’06, Eastern Regional Correspondent Stephen Esker ’08 and Macary Marciniak, Pharm.D., BCPS, faculty brother. Matt Grassi ’09, worthy chief counselor, is in front.
fessional pharmacy fraternities and what we generally think of as college fraternities,” said Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs John Denio. “The members of PDC serve as student health care role models on our campus and have now been recognized nationally for their service to the community and the profession of
pharmacy. We are very proud of the professionalism they display.” The ACP chapter also received first-place awards for professional and service projects and brotherhood, and was fourth in leadership and annual chapter publication.
BOOK ‘EM ACP student Amie Kim ’09 and Rho Pi Phi are asking for your support in an effort to collect and donate books to benefit children at nearby Parsons Child and Family Center. Any donations of books suitable for the fifth- to ninth-grade reading level will be of great help and will be a big step for those children who lack the proper resources to learn and develop. If you have any books, new or old, please e-mail Amie at kima@acp.edu. Monetary donations to purchase new books also are welcome. Students Cheryl Silverman, Amie Kim and Anna Leung with books for Parsons.
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‘Union’ of School and Sports Kris Ferrari ’10 knows he’s not your typical studentathlete. For starters, he attends school at one college – ACP – and competes on the track-and-field team for another – Union College (that’s OK, stay tuned). Beyond that, he’s a thrower in a sprinter’s body, giving away half a foot or more and 25-75 pounds to the throwers he competes against (and often beats). None of that causes any concern for Kris, though. He’s got it all down to a science, a couple of them actually: time management (a tricky discipline for some college students) and physics (often trickier still!). “The curriculum at ACP is a little harder than at other schools, so it does make managing school and sports harder sometimes,” Kris said. “But if you actually sit down and make a schedule there’s plenty of time.” So he hangs out a little less on weeknights and sticks to his schedule, which usually includes two or three trips each week to Union in Schenectady for practice, and meets most weekends from January on (Kris competes in both the indoor and outdoor seasons, roughly December through May). Then there’s the whole physics thing. At 5-foot-6 and 175 pounds, Kris knew he’d have to master that to have a chance as a thrower at the Division III intercollegiate level. He gave up the high jump, his first love, after his freshman year to concentrate full-time on the throwing events – shot, discus, hammer (outdoor) and weight (indoor). As a senior at Johnstown (N.Y.) High School, Kris qualified for states in both the high jump (he cleared 6-1) and the shot put. He finished seventh in the state in the shot and still gets a kick out of the photo from the award ceremony. It’s him and a bunch of guys about 6-4, 240. “It’s all about technique and explosion,” he said. “It’s all about physics, actually, centrifugal force. The more relaxed and fluid you are the farther it’s going to go.”
The ability to compete on Union’s athletic teams is a benefit available to all ACP students through the College’s membership in Union University. Kris currently is the only ACP student playing for Union. “Kris’ accomplishments at Union College are quite impressive,” said ACP Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Packy McGraw. “Since the Pharm.D. became the degree program for the majority of ACP students, participation in intercollegiate athletics by ACP students has declined at Union. “Kris has been able to combine his academic competence, athletic ability and a strong desire to compete into a career as a successful student-athlete.” A third-year Doctor of Pharmacy student, Kris has taken first in both the shot and discus in several dual meets. He finished in the middle of the pack in both events at the 2005 Division III state championships and plans to compete for Union again this winter and spring. One new aspect could be his throwing coach. His brother, Aaron, is hoping to join the Union staff after graduating this year from SUNY Brockport, where he also competed as a thrower.
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PHI LAMBDA SIGMA INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS
Student News
The Phi Lambda Sigma National Pharmacy Leadership Society is pleased to announce the induction of 10 new ACP members. New members were inducted formally during a ceremony September 30 as part of Family Weekend.
Kudos! Nicole DeGregoria, a student in ACP’s Cytotechnology certificate program, has been selected as one of five national recipients of the Geraldine Colby Zeiler Award, presented by the American Society of Cytopathology. Awarded to stimulate and reward high achievement and promise during training, the award recognizes academic performance, microscopic and diagnostic skills, leadership qualities, initiative, acceptance of responsibility, dedication and interpersonal relationship skills. It includes a $1,000 prize. ACP’s chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists has won first place in the Region 1 Operation Immunization project for the third year in a row. The chapter received a plaque and $250 award at the APhA annual meeting in San Francisco in March. ACP is the only school in Region 1 to win the award three times
in a row and also has the most total wins in the region. Established in 1997, Operation Immunization is a national student pharmacist project created by APhA-ASP and the Student National Pharmaceutical Association. In 2005-06, the chapter’s goals were to distribute immunization-related information to a diverse set of individuals and to educate the public about pending legislation that would allow pharmacists to provide flu and pneumococcal vaccines to adults. Jennifer Lieberman ’11 is a twotime winner of a scholarship from the Mind the Gap Foundation, based in Mission Viejo, Calif. The scholarship, based solely on academic merit and one essay question, was first awarded to Jennifer for her freshman year. Now a second-year student, Jennifer is pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and serves as a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions at ACP.
Tanvi Bale Brian Myer Jared Burridge Sonia Patel Lindsay Davison Timothy Reed Matthew Grassi Mina Tadrous Ryan Madison Angela Dominelli ’78, Ph.D. (honorary faculty) Phi Lambda Sigma is dedicated to the recognition of contributions pharmacy students make to the College, the community and health care. Admission to the society is based on peer recognition of an individual’s leadership and organizational skills demonstrated throughout their college years.
Mind the Gap was founded in 2004 by Steve Werner after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. The foundation’s mission is to “mind” or be attentive to the “gaps” or needs of children, from birth to college, through collegiate scholarships and financial support of other child-oriented non-profit organizations.
RHO CHI HONOR SOCIETY The Gamma Gamma chapter of the Rho Chi Honor Society inducted 47 new members from the fourth- and fifth-year classes September 30 as part of Family Weekend. Rho Chi is the only national scholastic honor society for pharmacy and holds membership in the Association of College Honor Societies. Collin Anderson Magdalene Assimon Sarah Bouchard David Burchett Kristen Canning Andrea Cappello Whitney Caron Stephen Caruana Robert Cherico Andrew Cowan
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Aislinn Early Samuel Evang Abigail Fitelson Daniel Fortier Mark Gilbert Nicole Gordon Jeffrey Graves Sarah Gruber Riazul Hasan Michael Horlacher
Alecia Heh Joseph Henderson Sarah Khalil Jee Young Kim Stephanie Kohan Yoo Jung Lee Vanessa Lee Steven Leggett Anna Leung Philip Lubanski
Douglas C. Maleh Daniel Malone Victoria Matos Michael Nashat Robert Nashat Timothy Reed Steven St. Onge Caleb Selby Alan Serbonich Emilia Smal
Michael Sourial Margaret Stack Mina Tadrous Erica Tavares Cory Van Deusen Joshua Vinson Megan Wiggers
Faculty News
Top Teachers Ray Chandrasekara, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Arts and Sciences, and Jeff Voigt, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received the 2006 Teacher of the Year awards at Commencement in May. Dr. Chandrasekara was recognized as the Traditional Teacher of the Year, Dr. Voigt as the Professional Teacher of the Year. The traditional teacher teaches primarily first- and second-year courses, while the professional teacher is honored for instruction in years 3-5, referred to as the “professional years” at ACP. Votes are tallied from students in years 1-5 based on three criteria: instruction, instructor-student rapport and teaching-related activities. “These professors dedicate their time, efforts and energy to helping ACP students reach their goals; they’re looked at as teachers, mentors and friends, and we cannot express our gratitude strongly enough for all that they do,” Student Government President Ryan Madison ’08 said in praise of this year’s distinguished pair. Dr. Chandrasekara
Dr. Voigt
FREEFALLING FOR A GREAT CAUSE That’s Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty member Kara Lee Shirley, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCPP, who’s all smiles as she freefalls from 13,500 feet last April. Dr. Shirley joined 273 volunteers in tandem jumps at skydive centers in 18 states as part of the sixth annual Operation Freefall: the Two-mile High Stand Against Sexual Assault. The event helped raise awareness and more than $200,000 to assist victims of sexual violence. Dr. Shirley’s fund-raising efforts contributed about $1,000 to that total. Dr. Shirley was grateful to all who supported her in her firstever jump. “We have made a difference in lives affected by sexual assault,” she said.
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Faculty News
Faculty Awards and Achievements
Dr. Cerulli
Dr. Hamilton
Dr. Shirley
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ACP sent a team of five faculty representatives to the 2006 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Institute “Building an Effective Structure and Process for Experiential Education” in Landsdowne, Va., in May. Topics included new accreditation standards, introductory pharmacy practice experience models, creation of reflective portfolios, assessments and preceptor training. Representing ACP were former Vice President of Clinical and Professional Development Mary Andritz, Pharm.D., and Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty members Laurie Briceland ’83, Pharm.D., Jennifer Cerulli ’93, Pharm.D., BCPS, Jen Evans ’96, Pharm.D., and Bob Hamilton ’77, Pharm.D. Three faculty members have been elected to new positions this academic year. Cytotechnology Education Coordinator Joe Walker, SCT (ASCP), has been elected as a regional director of the American Society for Cytotechnology. The region includes New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. He also has earned specialist certification in cytotechnology and is the 541st individual to have passed the examination since its inception in 1980. … Nicole Stack ’02, Pharm.D., of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, is the new president-elect of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. … Pharmacy Prac-
tice Assistant Professor Kara Shirley, Pharm.D., BCPP, BCPS, has been elected as the 2006-08 grand vice president for collegiates of Lambda Kappa Sigma International Professional Pharmacy Fraternity. Several members of the Department of Pharmacy Practice received prestigious fellowships and awards during the 2005-06 academic year. Department Chair Margaret Malone, Ph.D., FCCP, has been granted fellowship in the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, The Obesity Society. … Harold J. Manley ’96, Pharm.D., BCPS, has been elected a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. Manley joined 16 other ACCP members who were recognized during a special ceremony at the College’s 2006 Annual Meeting in St. Louis in October. Michael Brodeur, Pharm.D., received the ACP Preceptor of the Year award. … Susan Bruce ’99, Pharm.D., BCPS, received the Educator of the Year award from the New York State Chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. … Jennifer Cerulli ’93, Pharm.D., BCPS, received the Capital Area Pharmacists Society Pharmacist of the Year Award. Thomas P. Lodise, Pharm.D., was awarded the New York State Chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Researcher of the Year Award. … The Romanian Institute of Economic Forecasting has named John Polimeni, Ph.D., an honorary member of the Scientific Council of
the Romanian National Academy of Sciences. ACP faculty received research grants totaling $857,155 during the first nine months of 2006. In the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Michael P. Kane ’84, Pharm.D., BCPS, received a $40,480 grant from Abbott Diabetes Care for A Glucose Meter Accuracy and Precision Comparison: The FreeStyle Flash versus the Accu-Chek Advantage, Accu-Chek Compact, Ascensia Contour, and the BD Logic. Thomas P. Lodise, Pharm.D., received a $25,000 grant from Pfizer, Inc. for Examination of the Relationship between Empirical Vancomycin Dosing and Onset of Nephrotoxicity. … In the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Robert M. Levin, Ph.D., received a $65,000 grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. for The Effect of Darifenacin on Overactive Bladder in Female and Male Rabbits. … In the Department of Health Sciences, Chair M. Elyse Wheeler, Ph.D., received a $9,775 grant from The Community Foundation for the Capital Region for Acquisition of Student Microscopes for the Implementation of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program at Albany College of Pharmacy. … In the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Executive Vice President and Chairman Shaker A. Mousa, Ph.D., MBA, FACC, FACB, received: • A $306,900 grant from the Charitable Leadership Foundation Medical Technology Accelerated Pro-
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gram for Wound Healing and Haemostatic Treatment Using Novel Pharmaceutical Nanoploymer or Nanoparticles Formulation of Thyroid Hormone T4 Analogs. A $100,000 grant from Aventis for Role of 1, 6 Anhydo in Enoxaparin Fractions in the Modulation of Endothelial Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor. A $100,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for Tissue Factor/Factor VIIa Modulation in Ocular Angiogenesis. A $100,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for Enhanced Tumor Chemotherapeutic Uptake Using Heparin Derivatives. A $56,000 grant from Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc. for Neuroprotective Effects of Othera’s Novel Compounds. A $54,000 grant from Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc. for Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of TPH in the Modulation of Complement Activation and Inflammation.
Dr. Lodise
Dr. Wheeler
Dr. Mousa
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Ellen Morrissey Nesbitt, center, and Thomas Morrissey, right, help ACP President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., unveil a plaque honoring their brother during the June 2 dedication ceremony of the James J. Morrissey Jr. ’65 Gallery.
Remembering a Beloved Friend and Classmate The James J. Morrissey Jr. ’65 Gallery
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t is going on 45 years now, and it has been with the Rev. Ronald S. Winchell, D.Min., all that time, every day. The kindness and caring of his friend and former classmate James J. “Jimmy” Morrissey Jr. ’65. “I owe my pharmacy career to Jimmy and Dean (Francis J.) O’Brien,” Rev. Winchell said. The year was 1962, during Winchell’s second year at ACP. His parents moved from their home in Ithaca, N.Y., to Florida. As a consequence, Winchell no longer would qualify for financial assistance as a New York State resident. With no financial resources, he was prepared to quit school and join the Navy.
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“I shared my plight with Jimmy, who asked me not to do anything until he talked with Dean O’Brien,” Rev. Winchell remembered. “Jimmy called me back and said I was to return to school. Dean O’Brien would loan me the tuition and I could live with Jimmy and his mom” in Albany. Winchell went back to ACP and finished his third year carrying a full academic load and working four part-time jobs to make ends meet. By the end of the year, he had repaid the tuition loan but was exhausted and subsequently transferred to the University of Florida, where he earned his B.S. in Pharmacy in December 1964. He considers himself an honorary ACP alum, Class of 1965.
The text on the memorial plaque in the James J. Morrissey Jr. ’65 Gallery:
A life dedicated to the service of others. As a graduate of Albany College of Pharmacy, Jim motivated fellow alumni to pursue professional excellence. As a pharmacist, public health and hospital administrator, he also set a high standard for others to follow. In his honor and memory, his friends, family and fellow alumni have contributed generously to make possible the James J. Morrissey Jr. ’65 Gallery at the Pharmacy Practice Laboratory, showcasing important professional artifacts of historical significance. It is their intent that those now privileged to use this new educational facility will be inspired to serve others by pursuing equally high standards of professional excellence. Memorial Fund Drive Lead Donors Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Brakemeier ’65 Mr. Thomas J. Morrissey Mr. J. Gordon Dailey ’57 Mrs. Ellen Morrissey Nesbitt Mr. Thomas P. Gillette ’65 Dr. Robert E. L. Nesbitt, Jr. Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Ronald S. Winchell Supporting Donors Dr. Nicholas S. Bonarrigo ’65 Mr. Richard S. Heise ’65 Mr. Nicholas Chervinsky ’65 Ms. Sally J. Lembcke ’65 Mrs. Nancy F. Chervinsky ’65 Mr. Daniel R. Long ’65 Mr. Timothy C. Colyer ’65 Mrs. Sandra F. Lory ’65 Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Cornell ’65 Mr. Wayne F. McDonald ’65 Mr. John F. De Grazio ’65 Mrs. Christina A. McDonald ’65 Mr. Albert DiDonna ’65 Mr. Robert McGaugh ’57 Mrs. Jean L. Duvall ’65 Mrs. Janice M. Morrison ’64 Mr. David D. Edwards ’65 Mr. David M. Pelton ’69 Mr. M. Daniel Frodyma ’65 Mr. John Reepmeyer ’65 Mr. Stephen T. Godlewsky ’65 Mr. Peter J. Ryan ’65 Ms. Karen M. Ryan ’68
“My heart has always remained with ACP and Dean O’Brien, Jimmy and the many friends I made there,” said Rev. Winchell, an ordained Episcopal priest. Those heartfelt feelings for Morrissey are shared by those who knew him, including the members of the ACP Class of 1965. They were deeply saddened when they lost their James J. Morrissey ’65 friend to a sudden heart attack in 1997, and eager to participate when Robert H. Brakemeier ’65, M.D., proposed a memorial to Morrissey in 2003. The Class of 1965 appeal raised approximately $50,000 toward a Morrissey memorial, which the College matched. On June 2, about 20 friends and family members – including Morrissey’s brother Thomas, his sister Ellen Morrissey Nesbitt, and cousin J. Gordon Dailey ’57 – gathered at ACP to dedicate the James J. Morrissey Jr. ’65 Gallery. “I’m proud of what we accomplished here,” said Dr. Brakemeier, who traveled from his home in Texas to attend the dedication.
Morrissey was a standout member of the Class of 1965, both for his friendly nature and his achievements. He was a Dean’s List student, a member of the basketball team, class president and a member of the Student Council, among other activities. He enjoyed a successful career as a public health and hospital administrator with Bassett Hospital in Cobleskill, N.Y. The Morrissey gallery features pharmacy artifacts and occupies an alcove and sitting area overlooking ACP’s stateof-the-art Pharmacy Practice Lab in the former O’Brien gymnasium. A plaque dedicating the gallery in Morrissey’s member, as well as a second smaller plate with the gallery name, adorn the space. The history of pharmacy provided in the gallery and the present and future of the profession in the Pharmacy Practice Lab provide an interesting juxtaposition. “Jimmy was a class leader for several years and had a distinguished career,” Dr. Brakemeier said. “After his untimely death, I got the idea to memorialize the Class of ’65, and James Morrissey as a highlight of our class, and give each individual class member an opportunity to contribute.” Their efforts provided a fitting tribute to a beloved ACP alumnus.
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Community Center New ACP Student Center welcomed at the heart of campus
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CP received an extra special 125th birthday present this semester when the College officially opened the spectacular new ACP Student Center with much pomp and circumstance, celebrating the College’s most significant new construction project in nearly 80 years. On a gorgeous late-summer morning, about 150 faculty, staff, students, friends and alumni, including many who had given generously toward the construction of the 54,000-square-foot facility, gathered in front of the dramatic new building for the grand opening ceremony September 9. On hand to cut the ribbon and join President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., in offering remarks were Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings, ACP Board Vice Chair Zachary Hanan ’63, Chairman Emeritus Alfred J. Collins ’53 and Student Government Association President Ryan Madison ’08. Tours of the facility featured a twoscreen multimedia presentation on the construction of the Student Center created by student Gregg Eady ’10. “Think of the Student Center as the living room of our campus,” said President Gozzo. “Until now, there was no central place where students, faculty and staff could gather for socializing, dining or attending a lecture. The new building gives the College a sense of place. It allows everyone at ACP to be a part of a larger community.” Located at the heart of ACP’s expanding campus, the Student Center, with its soaring 1,800-square-foot glass atrium, extends a welcome not only to the College community but the surrounding University Heights community as well, greatly enhancing the environment in which students live and learn. The fully wired and wireless facility is a state-of-the-art gem. On the first floor, The Bookstore at the ACP Student Center is a beautifully appointed 5,000-square-foot facility just off the main entrance. It is brimming with books, of course, but also with sweatshirts, coffee mugs, key chains and the like bearing the logos of ACP as well as bookstore partners Albany Law School and Sage College of Albany. Also located off of the main entrance is a 350-seat café with food court-style service and Jazzman’s, a coffee shop/convenience store. The William M. Cronin Dining Room in the rear of the cafeteria is available for private dining or meetings. With sleek furniture, geometric patterned carpeting, a coral-and-gray color scheme and a large wall of smoked glass on the east side, the building’s lower level provides all the amenities with a sense of style.
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Left, above, the café from the mezzanine and, below, The Bookstore at the ACP Student Center. Right, top, the mezzanine offers a view of the entire campus and, bottom, the lecture halls are fully wired.
Up a flight of stairs from the cafeteria is a comfy perch featuring leather club chairs in the upper-level mezzanine lounge. Students can get a birds-eye view of all the action below or, through the huge expanse of glass, take in the panorama of the greater campus – from the cupola-topped Classroom Building (formerly the home of Christian Brothers Academy) to the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, soccer field, and Notre Dame and South Hall residence facilities. Also on the second floor, the 500-seat auditorium/theater, with comfortable chairs and laptop capability at every seat, can be converted into two lecture halls or used in its entirety for community lectures and performances. The new facility also features a student lounge just outside the lecture hall, with a large-screen TV and piano. Down the hallway are the IT Student Support Center and offices for student organizations and the Office of Student Affairs. “The Student Center certainly adds to the ‘quality of life’ at ACP,” said Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Packy McGraw. “It serves as a hub for students and will play a significant part in all aspects of student life.” Madison heartily agrees. “The new Student Center is a major stepping stone for the Student Government Association,” he said. “With our offices more conveniently located, students will seek us out on a regular basis, strengthening the lines of communication.”
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The Student Center was designed by Envision Architects of Albany, led by managing principal Michael Poost, who has worked with the College on an array of construction and renovation projects since 1978. “The building’s greatest strength is the way it works to successfully coalesce ACP into a true campus by unifying all of the different buildings that serve the College,” said Poost. “Working on the Student Center with Dr. Gozzo and everyone else involved in the project was a very collaborative process; they were all an integral part of the design.” David Rubin, president of Sano-Rubin Construction Co., Inc., and construction manager for the $13.5 million project, said his firm thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the largescale project. “What was most gratifying to all of our staff was the uniqueness of the project in every aspect and the differing functions and requirements of the individual spaces,” Rubin said. “All of these unique aspects were reflected in every step of the construction management process. The building is the result of many, many meetings to make sure that each individual’s concerns were met and that everyone ended up happy.” At ACP, that feeling is unanimous.
Advancement
IA Updates The Office of Institutional Advancement is pleased to welcome David Zdunczyk as the new director of development. David comes to ACP from Albany Institute of History and Art, where he also served as director of development. David’s resume also includes development experience at The Sage Colleges, Albany Medical Center and the American Water Ski Hall of Fame in Polk City, Fla. Also new to the team is Debbie Reutter, who joined the staff in October as coordinator of institutional advancement. Debbie has been with ACP since 1994 and has held different roles of increasing responsibility during that time, most recently as an ITS support specialist. In her new role, she
IA staff, left to right, Deanna Ennello-Butler, Ron Lesko, Christine Shields, Lynne DellaRocca, Shelly Calabrese, David Zdunczyk, Vicki DiLorenzo and Debbie Reutter.
will support and coordinate multiple projects and will provide general administrative support. In other Institutional Advancement news, Vice President Vicki DiLorenzo is pleased to announce promotions for Director of Communications Ron Lesko and Assistant Director of Communications Christine Shields. Ron now serves as executive director of marketing and communications and Christine as associate director of marketing and communications.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Important dates and events to watch for (all events at ACP unless otherwise noted).
NOVEMBER Friday, November 3 ACP Career Fair. Albert M. White Gymnasium, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Open to all students. Saturday, November 4 ACP Interview Day. 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. An opportunity for graduating students to meet with prospective employers. Sunday, November 5 Annual Law Day. Saratoga Hotel, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 8:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Visit www.acp.edu/academics_ contedcalendar.html to download the reservation form, or call (518) 6947231 for information. Saturday, November 11 Fall Open House. For more information, visit www.acp.edu/admissions_ visit.html or call (518) 694-7221.
Wednesday, November 15 Pharmacy in the News. 7:45-11:45 a.m. ACP and via video conference at A.O. Fox Healthcare, Oneonta, N.Y., and Elizabethtown (N.Y.) Community Hospital. Registration deadline Wednesday, November 8. Visit www.acp.edu/ academics_contedcalendar.html to download the reservation form or call (518) 694-7231 for information.
JANUARY Wednesday, January 17 Psychiatry Medical Management Update. Check back at www.acp.edu/academics_contedcalendar.html for more information!
tedcalendar.html for more information!
MARCH Watch your mail this month for the Spring 2007 issue of PostScript. Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10 PPI Conference. Albany Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Check back at www.acp.edu/academics_contedcalendar.html for more information!
MAY Sunday, May 6 127th Commencement. Stay tuned for details.
FEBRUARY Sunday, February 11 Annual Infectious Disease Update. Check back at www.acp.edu/academics_con-
JUNE Friday, June 1-Sunday, June 3 Reunion 2007. Stay tuned for details.
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Advancement
’56ers Shine! Congratulations to the members of the 50th Reunion Class of 1956, who made a spectacular showing at Reunion 2006 in June! More than half of the 41 class members attended this year, thanks to the efforts of 56’s class agents, who reached out personally to invite fellow alumni via phone calls and notes. Kudos go to Pat Faragon, Murray Hyatt, Paul Lanciault, Richard Menapace, Andrew Perkins, Alan Rand, Stan Rolen, James Spillan and Al Strack for all their hard work. The Class of 1956 also commemorated its 50-year milestone in a very special way. Through a fund-raising appeal coordinated by the agents, the ’56ers were able to contribute $2,315 to the Francis J. O’Brien ’20 Emergency Loan Fund to be used for students with financial need.
Are you interested in becoming a class agent or helping to celebrate your Reunion year with a special gift? Please contact Shelly Calabrese, director of annual programs, at (518) 694-7304 or calabres@acp.edu.
Time-Limited IRA Tax Advantages The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows donors aged 701⁄2 and over to make “qualified charitable distributions” of up to $100,000 a year from their IRAs for the 2006 and 2007 tax years. The total amount rolled over directly to a charitable cause, such as ACP, will be excluded from your gross income for the tax year in which the distribution is made. This tax advantage is attractive for both itemizers and those who do not choose to do so. In fact, if you don’t itemize yet reside in a state with no state income tax (and thus generally
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cannot claim deductions), the new IRA provision still will benefit you. Why? Since any charitable gifts from IRAs previously were distributed as taxable income, they had to be reported as such but received no offsetting tax treatment. Donors can get more detailed information on this time-limited tax benefit, available only through December 31, 2007, by contacting Director of Development David Zdunczyk at (888) 203-8010 or zdunczyd@acp.edu.
“I have made a commitment to support ACP over the next two years and know, since I am over 70 1⁄2, that I must take the minimum IRA distribution. The rollover is a perfect way for me to support the College and, by directing my minimum distribution to ACP, meet the IRA requirements.” — J. Gordon Dailey ’57
Planned Giving Gino Turchi
Gino Turchi never went to Albany College of Pharmacy but he considers it one of his top “causes.” For Gino and his wife Willie, giving back to the community is what it’s all about. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, Gino can look back on his life accomplishments with a great sense of pride. Willie and Gino Turchi An avid golfer who has been involved with the sport since he began to caddy at age 8, Gino ultimately went on to build and own the Northway Heights Golf Club in Clifton Park, which he operated with Willie and their late son, Gene. By the time he sold the course in 1991 after 25 years in the business, Gino had been involved in the design and construction of the Ballston Spa Country Club and the Cobleskill Golf and Country Club as well. Gino has given back to the community in support of two of his favorite things – golf and athletics – through the support of ACP’s annual Dean’s Cup Golf Tournament and related scholarships, the creation of golf scholarships at Siena College and the building of the Turchi YMCA Family Center in Schenectady. But he’s also given back in discreet ways, paying the bills for medical emergencies and bereavement-associated needs without asking for a dime in return. “In my life, I got a lot of help from a lot of people,” Gino said. “In return, I’d like to help kids who may need a bit of financial assistance to attain their dream of a college education.” Now Gino wants to make sure his legacy continues. By making a bequest to ACP in his will, Gino supports ACP’s long-term future and financial viability and ensures that his ideals will live on.
WHAT IS PLANNED GIVING? Planned giving is a meaningful way to make a charitable gift of lasting value to ACP and realize significant tax benefits on your estate. Through a bequest provision in your will, you can designate a specific amount of money, a percentage of your estate or the remainder of your estate after other bequests are satisfied. Additional planned giving tools include charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and gifts of life insurance. For more information about planned giving at ACP, contact Vice President of Institutional Advancement Vicki A. DiLorenzo at (518) 694-7331 or dilorenv@acp.edu.
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Alumni Affairs
Alumni Award Winners The ACP family extends warm congratulations to the 2006 Alumni Award winners! OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE ACP ALUMNI BODY AWARD
Timothy Garrity ’66
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION OF PHARMACY AWARD
Lee Anna Obos ’91
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Tim Garrity ’66 has been involved with ACP for a long time. Since his graduation, he has served the College in many different capacities, from two different stints as a member of the AAACP board of directors and chair of the first Annual Alumni Fund Raising Drive to his current work as a founding member of the new Alumni Council at ACP. Now a licensed real estate broker for RE/MAX, Tim goes by the moniker “The Real Estate Guy” these days. A member of the Capital Association of Realtors and the New York State and national associations of realtors, he has received many awards for his work both in the field and in the community. He was the recipient of the Distin-
guished Alumni Award from ACP in 1981, the Community Service Award from Conifer Park, Outstanding Young Men of America Award, the Past Presidents Award from the North Creek Chamber of Commerce and the RE/MAX Executive Club for outstanding performance and professionalism. In addition to his work with the AAACP board, he has served as president of the boards of St. Peter’s Addiction Recovery Centers, the Delaware Neighborhood Association, Union University’s Pharmacy College Council and the North Creek Chamber of Commerce. Tim also was a board member for Our Brothers’ Keepers Foundation in Albany and on the Advisory Committee for Sage Junior College of Albany.
Lee Anna Obos ’91 never imagined the path her career would take when she was hired as a pharmaceutics laboratory instructor at the College in 1993. In 1999, her job responsibilities grew to include planning for the renovation of the Throop Pharmacy Museum, a historic drug store that had been moved lock, stock and barrel in 1938 from its original home in Schoharie, N.Y., and installed at the College. Working with the New York State Museum, Lee Anna planned the renovations for a new museum and became the curator of the Throop when it reopened in 2001. Since then she has created displays of historic artifacts throughout the College, written grants, chaired the Throop Phar-
macy Museum Scholarship Endowment Committee and hosted tours of the museum for groups ranging from a History of Medicine course at RPI to the Visiting Nurse Association. In addition, she has curated exhibits on the Throop and the history of pharmacy for Albany International Airport, the Ten Broeck Mansion and the Schenectady County Library. Lee Anna has been recognized with a Certificate of Commendation from the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy for her dedicated service and contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy. Her articles on the Throop were published in the Institute’s Apothecary’s Cabinet as well as ACP’s own PostScript.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AWARD
James Paul Byrnes ’66
Jim Byrnes ’66 grew up in a pharmacy family. More specifically, an ACP family. His father, Paul A. Byrnes ’34, founded the Byrnes Drug Store in Nunda, N.Y., in 1935 and Jim’s first memories are of the store. It was a natural for him to attend ACP, following in the footsteps of his dad and brother Tom, a 1957 graduate. In 1983, when his father retired, Jim and Tom incorporated to the Byrnes Pharmacy, with Tom as president, Jim as vice president and Paul as chairman of the board. In 2001, the brothers swapped roles and Jim took over as president. A new chapter opened for the Byrnes last year when they sold the pharmacy to Jeremiah Axtell, a 1990 ACP graduate. Not one to rest on his laurels, Jim still fills in from time to time at the Nunda Family Pharmacy, as the store now is known.
Jim currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Pharmacy Society of Rochester, a delegate for the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York and as a member of the American Pharmacists Association. He has been a member of the ACP Alumni Advisory Committee, the New York State Mental Hygiene Pharmacists Association, the American and New York State councils of health-system pharmacists, and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. A life-time resident of Nunda, Jim has served as the mayor of the village for two separate terms and has been a councilman, a trustee and chair of the zoning board. A volunteer for the Nunda Fire Department for 25 years, he also has served as a member and E.M.T. for the Nunda Volunteer Ambulance Service for 33 years.
CALLING ALL ALUMNI: FAVORS AND FREEBIES The Office of Institutional Advancement is in need of your help! We are missing a number of yearbooks since the College began publishing the Alembic Pharmakon in 1916. If you or your family members would be willing to donate any of the following volumes, it would be a tremendous help in Reunion planning and in our pursuit of the College’s history. If you would prefer not to give up your yearbook, we’d love to be able to copy it and return it to you. We are currently in need of: 1923, 1924, 1929, 1943, 1954, 1959, 1962, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1992 and 1993. We’re also in need of addresses for lost alumni. If you have classmates who have not been receiving PostScript, please let us know so we can add them to our mailing list. Contact Lynne DellaRocca at dellarol@acp.edu or by phone at (518) 694-7253. For those of you who would like your news even faster, ACP now has an electronic newsletter that is published every two weeks. If you would like to subscribe, send your e-mail address to Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Ron Lesko at leskor@acp.edu and watch your e-mailbox!
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Alumni Affairs
Racing for Hope Craig Tynan, assistant registrar and men’s basketball coach, supported a great cause when he participated in the Westchester Triathlon in Rye, N.Y., on September 17. Craig is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and to support former ACP basketball player Michael Piecuch ’03, who has been stricken with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Michael has undergone chemotherapy and radiation as well as a bone marrow transplant and continues to fight the disease. Craig surpassed his $3,000 goal, raising nearly $6,000 for this worthy cause. If you would like to support Craig’s efforts, visit http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyvt/tntnyvtCTynan. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training is the world’s largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk a whole or half marathon or participate in a triathlon or century (100-mile) bike ride. Since 1988, more than 295,000 volunteer participants have helped raise more than $660 million. Coach Tynan, back left, with Mike Piecuch (42) and teammates in 2001.
Fore! The 13th Annual Dean’s Cup Golf Tournament took place on July 31 at the Normanside Country Club, raising a grand total of $73,000 for the Dean’s Endowment for Excellence scholarship fund. This year’s scholarship recipient, first-year student Emily Napper, is pictured second from left, with her foursome, Robert J. Gould, vice president of finance and administrative operations; sister Elena Napper ’09 and John Denio, associate dean of student and academic affairs.
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ALUMNI PROFILE
What’s on tap? Susan Nicholson Layne ’61 often can be found tapping her toes these days. For Sue, that’s not a sign of impatience, it’s a favorite hobby. As a dancer with the Lynda Tarpley Tappers in her hometown of Oklahoma City, she performs in local arts festivals such as the Oklahoma City Arts Festival, a six-day event that draws thousands of people from all over the country. The group also performs at local venues, including schools and nursing homes. “This is a group of adult dancers who range in age from their 20s to a couple of 80-year-olds,” says Sue, who took up tapping when she retired in 2001. When not dancing, Sue’s definitely not twiddling her thumbs! She also loves gardening, playing the piano and traveling. Her community volunteer work includes a long-standing commitment at The Children’s Hospital at Oklahoma University Medical Center, as well as ushering for events at the local Civic Center. Sue worked in retail pharmacy for
25 years, 20 of those in Wells, Maine, where she owned a pharmacy. When the store was purchased by Hannaford Brothers in 1972, she continued on as a store manager, managerial trainer and buyer for the 15 stores Hannaford owned at the time. That background was invaluable when, in 1986, Susan and husband Bob Layne, a graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, left pharmacy to go in a totally different direction. As franchisees for Dale Carnegie, which presents training courses and seminars in leadership, communication, sales, presentations and public speaking, they started full commission sales in Maine. That move brought them to Oklahoma in 1992, where they utilized their pharmacy experience to good advantage. “A privately owned pharmacy chain in Tulsa contracted with me to provide customer service training for their pharmacists to help them deal with stress, avoid burnout and enjoy their jobs more, thus reducing turnover,”
Sue Layne ’61, right, shows off her moves.
Sue explains. “They felt I would have more credibility with their pharmacists than any other trainer.” Since their retirement, Sue and Bob have been living the good life, enjoying five children between them as well as grandchildren Nicole, 16, a Wells resident, and Connor, 2, who lives in Donegal, Ireland. “I’ve never forgotten my pharmacy roots,” says Sue. “I still feel an attachment to ACP and a career that provided financial stability for me and my children.”
PHARMACY PRACTICE LAB DEDICATIONS ACP dedicated several important areas of the Pharmacy Practice Lab during 2006, thanking each of the organizations that supported construction of the state-of-the-art facility. The ceremonies included the February 7 dedication of the teaching pharmacy, supported by a gift from CVS Corp. Pictured with President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. (right), are, from left, CVS representatives Jim Gallagher, R.Ph., manager, professional and college relations; Ericka Kerr, region manager; and Papatya Tankut, R.Ph., vice president, pharmacy professional services. ACP also held dedication ceremonies to recognize the vital support of Kinney Drugs and Rite Aid.
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Alumni Affairs ALUMNI PROFILE
‘My only limitation … is my imagination’ Barbara Rogler ’88 knows her limitations. “My only limitation in this job is my imagination,” Barbara says – and she has plenty of it. As a senior clinical education consultant for Pfizer Inc., Barbara can do any research project she wants on any disease state of interest to the major pharmaceutical company. And that’s a lot. For example, she has collaborated with the American Heart Association on an initiative to assess cardiovascular risk of patients in Central New York. In 2004, they screened more than 600 patients in one day. With four years of data, Barbara was able to relate the information to disease state management and drug usage. “I get to work with many different types of health care professionals – physicians, nurses and pharmacists,” she says. “I present the findings to them to better educate them about the results and the options available.” The ultimate goal is to improve patient outcomes. “It’s always been about the betterment of the patient for me,” she says. Barbara also has been involved with a project to assess the vulnerabilities and health care needs of patients over age 65 in Rensselaer County,
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N.Y., especially in underserved rural areas. The results will guide the development of programming and resources for that population. “Using my education and the resources of a large company to make a difference in small communities is so rewarding,” she says. While working in hospital pharmacy practice early in her career, Barbara saw first-hand the contributions drug companies make to health care delivery and advances. “We would not be where we are today without them,” she says, citing that 583 new drug entities have been developed in the past 20 years. Part of her job for Pfizer is educating the sales staff about new drugs and how they relate to specific disease states, and lecturing for state pharmaceutical organizations about health statistics and drug usage. After earning her B.S. in Pharmacy in 1988, Barbara spent 10 years in institutional practice, first at Auburn Memorial Hospital, west of Syracuse, and then at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vt. It was during this time that she earned an M.S. in Health Sciences Administration from Sage Graduate School and began to see new career possibilities emerging.
“Pharmacists have so many more interesting career options now,” Barbara says. “When I was at ACP, you either went into retail or institutional practice. Now you can do so many different things with a pharmacy education.” She has seen her alma mater grow dynamically in recent years, and is bullish about the breadth of opportunities available to students in all of ACP’s academic programs. “The College is moving in such a positive direction,” Barbara says. “With all the new programs, the new Student Center and the great students ACP is attracting, it is truly amazing what’s going on at the College.”
R e un i o n Weekend
2006
Reunion Weekend 2006, held May 5-7, was a huge success filled with lots of activities for alumni old and new! Highlights included horse drawn tours of the greatly expanded campus, the Alumni Golf Tournament, a special celebration for the 50th Reunion Class of 1956 and the Alumni Dinner Dance at the Desmond.
Linford Snyder Jr. ’51 and wife Nancy Ward Snyder ’51 take to the dance floor.
Trustees Robert McGaugh ’57, J. Gordon Dailey ’57 and Chairman Emeritus Alfred J. Collins Jr. ’53.
The band included alumni P. Edgar Badgley ’57 and George Ehrmann ’54.
President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., presents Murray Hyatt ’56 with a medal commemorating the 50th Reunion class as Board Chair Kandyce Daley ’74 looks on.
John Romeo ’86, and his wife Erin.
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Class Notes 1950s ‘51 A mini-reunion for four members of the Class of ’51 took place in February when Harold (Hal) Seitz, Leonard (Len) Every, Harold Jaffee and David (Dave) Silverhart and their wives got together. “We’ve been friends for almost 60 years and are all leading active retirement lives,” wrote Hal, a resident of Florida.
‘57 Ann Parillo is the producer and host of “Schenectady
Today-The Wednesday Edition,” a live television show on the Public Access Channel in Schenectady County. Since 1998, Ann has played host to many local celebrities, academicians, politicians, chefs and regional activists. Last fall she received Haven’s Schenectady Movers and Shakers Award for her work in community television and service. Over the past year, Ann has traveled twice to China with longtime companion Gregg Millett, who recently was honored by the National Museum of China in Beijing. Gregg’s gift of his father’s color slides depicting daily life in China more than 60 years
ago are considered a national treasure by the Chinese government and have been exhibited in both China and the United States. Contact Ann at aparillo@nycap.rr.com.
1960s ‘66 Alice McMorrow Sliter and husband William (Bill) Sliter recently sold their Marathon (N.Y.) Village Pharmacy after nearly 30 years in business. The store will become the third Kinney Drugs in Cortland County. The Sliters have no special plans for retirement but remain very active in the Marathon community, where Alice serves as secretary of the Maple Festival Committee and Bill is a member of the Lions Club.
Front to back: Andy and Dave Silverhart, Jean and Len Every, Judy and Harold Jaffee and Sabina and Hal Seitz
CLASS OF 1951
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CLASS OF 1956
1970s ‘71 Bernard Graham has been appointed interim provost of Wilkes University, where he has served as dean of the Nesbitt College of Pharmacy and Nursing since 1995. He brings more than 35 years of experience to the interim post. Before his tenure at the college, Bernard served as associate dean of the College of Pharmacy at Idaho State University and as an associate professor at the University of South Carolina. He resides in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., with his wife Doreen Zobre Graham, a pharmacist at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. … John W. (Jack) Becker retired in February after many years working both in an independent pharmacy and for a large corporation. Jack bought the Becker Pharmacy in Red Creek, N.Y. in 1975. In 2002, he sold the business to Rite Aid and moved to the company’s pharmacy in Wolcott, N.Y. Now that he has retired, Jack spends some of
his time running BeckerNatural.com, an online natural medicine business that he began in 1996. Although he sells his products worldwide these days, local residents still drop by his home in Red Creek to pick up their remedies.
‘73 Robert Sheehan has been appointed vice president of the school board for the Schalmont Central School District in his first term on the board. A resident of Schenectady, Robert is a pharmacy manager at St. Clare’s Hospital. He and his wife, Sharon, have three children.
– and just in the nick of time! John’s duties will be expanding this fall when Hazard’s II opens in the St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital. … Connie Fahd Corbett sent in a photo of granddaughters, Shannon Nicole, 2, and Erin Lavinia, 5 months. “Both are the apples of their ‘Gringa’s’ eye!” A resident of Selkirk, N.Y., Connie has been a staff pharmacist at the CVS in Glenmont for 29 years. Contact Connie at c1k1c@aol.com.
‘74 John Pelella has owned Hazard’s Pharmacy in Cornwall, N.Y. since 1986 and it’s very much a family business. His wife, Margaret, does the bookkeeping and gift buying while sons Chris, an architect, and Matthew have both worked in the store. Matthew will graduate from ACP in May with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree
CLASS OF 1961
Connie Fahd Corbett’s granddaughters, Shannon and baby sister Erin
‘75 James L. Clark Jr. recently co-edited the book Drug Products for Clinical Trials, Volume 147 in the Drugs
and the Pharmaceutical Sciences series. He currently serves as director of CRO negotiations and trial support at Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs in Titusville, N.J. Contact him at jclark9444@verizon.net.
‘76 David M. Stark has been named to the board of directors of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Massachusetts biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of innovative molecular imaging pharmaceuticals and targeted radiotherapeutics. David is executive partner at MPM Capital’s MPM BioVentures IV Fund. He brings to the board more than 25 years of experience in marketing, sales and commercialization at companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, including Roche Labs, Innovex, The Medicines Company and MPM Capital.
‘78 Robert (Bob) Montemorano was re-elected in May to the school board of the Clyde-Savannah School District. A resident of Clyde, N.Y., Bob owns Galens Express Mart and Pharmacy. He and his wife, Cheryl, have three children.
1980s ‘87 Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer, Pharm.D., BCPS, has been installed as president of the New York State Council of Health-system Pharmacists. Leigh is director of pharmacy at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, N.Y. She is a resident of Laurens, N.Y.
CLASS OF 1966
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1990s ‘90 Steve Kwasnik has owned the Canastota (N.Y.) Community Pharmacy since July 2003. The pharmacy, which currently employs seven, is extremely service-oriented. “We do our best to go the extra mile for the customer,” Steve said in a recent article in the Canastota Bee-Journal.
‘92 Matthew Steed and wife Kristen Brown Steed ’91 opened Steed’s Pharmacy in Southport, N.Y. in June. The drugstore fills the last vacant storefront in Southport Plaza and is a welcome addition to the thriving retail center. For now, the Steeds will handle the pharmacy themselves, hiring additional staff as the business grows. Matt Steed is not the only member of his family to attend ACP. So far, nine Steeds have graduated from the College and two have married ACP alumnae. Several are involved with the Ger-
ould’s pharmacies and health care centers in the Southern Tier of New York and northern Pennsylvania. With a new crop of Steeds waiting in the wings, including Matt and Kristen’s four children, odds are there will continue to be Steeds in ACP’s future!
‘95 Kimberly Tobin and Stephen V. Battaglia were married in November 2005. Kimberly is a pharmacist at Pharmacy Solutions Inc. in Utica, N.Y., where Stephen is employed as director of pharmacy operations. The couple resides in New Hartford, N.Y….C. Michael White, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut, was featured in a June article in the Hartford Courant on the use of humor in the classroom. A former stand-up comedian, Mike regularly sprinkles his lectures on the Storrs campus and during clinical rotations at Hartford Hospital with a few jokes. Proving, once again, that a “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine
CLASS OF 1981
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go down.” During his 10 years at UConn, he has hosted retirement parties and roasts and last fall did a stand-up routine at a fundraiser held to benefit a pharmacy school in New Orleans hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. On the more serious side, Mike has published dozens of articles on his work on how to decrease the adverse effects of drugs and procedures on cardiovascular disease. This spring he was inducted as a UConn teaching fellow, an award given to only four professors a year. Mike and his wife, Laura Milch White, reside in Newington, Conn., with their two children.
Sept. 15, 2005, in Barnesville, Md. Jennifer is a pharmacist at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, Md., where the couple resides. Her husband is the sales director at Southwest Distribution in Washington, D.C. … Ellen Shiomos Kalaitzidis and husband Anestis welcomed their first son, Dimitrios Constantine, on March 25, 2006. A staff pharmacist at Stop and Shop Pharmacy in Walpole, Mass., Ellen and family reside in North Easton, Mass.
‘96 Martin Kowalsky wed Kristy A. Taylor in October 2005. Martin is a pharmacist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in Manhattan. The bride and groom make their home in Carmel, N.Y.
‘97 Jennifer Buiva and John O’Rangers were married
Dimitrios Constantine Kalaitzidis
‘98 Air Force Capt. Jason J. Lennen of Ballston Spa has been named the 59th Medical Wing’s Company Grade
Officer of the Year. Jason was cited for his performance as a clinical pharmacy practice element leader at the Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. Jason earned the honor for his exemplary duty performance, job knowledge, leadership qualities, significant self-improvement and other specific achievements and accomplishments. He earned his doctorate from Purdue University in 2005.
‘99 Erika Koncak Bronk and husband Tom welcomed their first child, Owen David, on March 17, 2006. Owen weighed in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. Erika is employed as a veterinary
Owen David Bronk
pharmacist at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca, N.Y. … Vincent H. Tam has been selected for the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Young Investigator Award for 2006. Vincent, an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences and Administration at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, has concentrated his research on microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents, a rapidly spreading problem with potentially grave consequences. In his work, Vincent has collaborated with investigators in the College of Engineering at the University of Houston, as well as other leading experts in the field of molecular resistance mechanisms. His research has led to publication in leading infectious diseases journals, including Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and Journal of Infectious Diseases.
2000s ‘01 David Jones completed a pharmacy practice residency at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla., in 2004. After passing the BCPS exam that same year, David is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and currently works as a clinical pharmacist at Oneida (N.Y.) Healthcare Center. … Evan Slichko is the new pharmacist at Inter-Lakes Health in Ticonderoga, N.Y. In addition to dispensing medications for the residents of Heritage Commons, a residential health care facility, the ILH pharmacy serves emergency room and hospital patients as well as employees. Evan previously worked as a clinical pharmacist at Rutland (Vt.) Regional Medical Center.
‘04 Matthew Dashnaw has received the Eliza Anna Grier Scholarship to attend Ross University School of
Medicine in Dominica, West Indies. In addition to attending classes and studying, Matt participates in the Salybia Mission project, delivering health care to the Carib Indians on the island. Although he does whatever is needed, assisting physicians and other medical students, the highlight of his day is the children who come to the mission for help. Matt still has two years of residency to serve in the United States, which will give him experience in geriatrics, surgery, family practice and pediatrics. Though he is keeping his options open, right now he is leaning towards pediatrics as a career. … Rosanna DeFazio and James Carbone ’97 were married May 27, 2006, in Rochester, N.Y. Rosanna is a pharmacist at Wegmans in Rochester while James is employed as a clinical consulting pharmacist at Omnicare in Rochester, where the couple resides. … John J. Heaphy and Mary Rae Verschage were married April 2, 2006, in Las Vegas. After a honeymoon in Italy, both are back home and working as pharmacists in Troy, N.Y. … Julia Kalin married Brian Robak on Sept. 25, 2005. Julia is employed as a pharmacist at CVS in Bowie, Md., where the couple resides.
CLASS OF 1986
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In Memoriam
Associate Dean Emeritus Albert M. White
Dean White in the 1960s
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Beloved coach, professor, administrator and friend, Associate Dean Emeritus Albert M. White, 80, who served Albany College of Pharmacy loyally for nearly 50 years, died July 29 surrounded by his family. Al first arrived at ACP in 1952, fresh from the University of Connecticut College of Pharmacy, where he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Once Dean Francis J. O’Brien ’20 learned that Al had coached basketball back home in Connecticut, he hired him on the spot for $3,200 a year, plus an extra $500 to coach. That was the beginning of a long and rewarding relationship for Al and ACP. As basketball coach, “Wizard” White led the Panthers through 13 consecutive winning seasons before stepping down in 1966, the year after his team captured the Northeastern Collegiate Conference championship. But Al kept his hand in the sports program at ACP. As athletic director from 1952-87, he added golf, tennis, men’s soccer, women’s basketball and cross country to the sports landscape. On the academic side, as a professor of pharmacy Al introduced physical pharmacy courses at the College and hired the first clinical faculty, helping ACP become one of the first pharmacy schools to offer clinical studies. Named assistant dean of student affairs in 1974 and associate dean in 1990, one of Al’s most rewarding accomplishments was forging positive relationships with students. He developed an international cultural aware-
ness program as well as minority scholarships at the College. In 1991, Al’s many contributions to ACP were recognized with an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Although he retired in 1999, Al continued to be involved with the College for several more years. He was honored in October 2005 when the ACP gymnasium – the former Christian Brothers Academy gym – was christened the Albert M. White Gymnasium at a moving dedication ceremony attended by scores of family members, friends and former students and colleagues. There could be no more fitting tribute to someone who gave his all to the College he had served so faithfully. Al is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Carolyn Coughlin White, and five children and their families. He was predeceased by his son Michael J. White.
Al’s family has requested that memorial contributions be made to the Albert M. White Alumni Scholarship at Albany College of Pharmacy. Please send to Albert M. White Alumni Scholarship, Office of Institutional Advancement, Albany College of Pharmacy, 106 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208-3494. For more information, call Lynne DellaRocca at (518) 694-7253.
Col. Harry Samuel Spaulding Jr. ’53 Col. Harry Samuel Spaulding Jr. ’53, M.D., died tragically June 18, 2006, in a hiking accident on McKelligon Canyon near El Paso, Texas. He was 75. Sam grew up in Waterbury, Vt., and after graduating from high school joined the Class of 1953 at ACP. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Duquesne University and an M.D. from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. A colonel with the United States Army, Sam proudly served from 196067 and then again from 1971-93. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a pediatrician and an allergist, primarily in Colorado and Germany. After a medical career that spanned more than three decades, he retired as chief of the Allergy-Immunology Service and consultant to the Surgeon General at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo. He published widely throughout his career and held faculty appointments in pediatrics at colleges all over the country Sam had many interests and many friends, and especially enjoyed hunting, fishing and hiking with a wide circle of “buddies.” He was also an accomplished cook, whipping up delicacies from acorn squash pie to pheasant with sour cream and onions. Most important to Sam was spending time with his family.
He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Yolande, five children and their spouses and seven grandchildren. His family includes several other graduates of ACP: his brothers Dexter Spaulding ’58 and Bruce Spaulding ’67, nephew Troy Spaulding ’85 and niece Stacy Spaulding Bruyns ’96 and her husband Brian Bruyns ’96. Sam was honored with a military funeral at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver and a memorial service in Waterbury, Vt., attended by fellow ACP graduates, including Board of Trustees member Richard G. Robison ’52 and his wife Ellen, as well as Vice President of Institutional Advancement Vicki A. DiLorenzo and Director of Development David Zdunczyk.
Col. Spaulding
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In Memoriam
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‘53
‘65
Alfred S. Carpenter May 21, 2006
Colonel Harry Samuel Spaulding Jr. June 18, 2006
Susan Greenspan Koblantz June 3, 2006
‘37
‘54
‘72
John L. (Jack) Wilson April 13, 2006
Milton Owen Kling May 30, 2006
Colleen Coogan Monje August 6, 2006
‘42
‘60
‘76
Doris M. Colby January 22, 2006
Zaven Hadidad August 26, 2006
Francis “Frank” Giamartino June 19, 2006
Edward B. Rogers April 28, 2006
‘62
‘81
Anthony N. Pacelli May 27, 2006
Rosemary Settanny Toomajian June 23, 2006
‘51 Stephen W. Bull October 6, 2006
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FOCUS ON … Andrew Flynn ’87 What I hope ACP will be like in the future. I have witnessed first-hand some
Andy in the new state-of-the-art Pharmacy Practice Lab at ACP.
Where am I now? I am a faculty member at Albany College of Pharmacy and serve as an instructor in the Pharmacy Practice Lab. How my ACP education benefited me most? My ACP education has given me
the flexibility to choose the career in pharmacy that is right for me. How many other occupations offer the variety of options available to us now? Another benefit was gaining all of the close friends that I still have today as a result of attending the school. Most important of all was meeting my wife, Kelly Letawa Flynn ’89.
What I remember most about my ACP years. I look back and remember what a
great time I had. We studied, we worked, we had a lot of fun and we left with a degree at the end.
of the major changes at ACP during my four years on the faculty. We are experiencing the future of ACP right now. My nephew just began his freshman year at the College and will have a very different ACP experience than I did. How will it differ? He will live in one of the dorms on an actual campus that has several buildings, including one solely dedicated to research. He will walk to his classes surrounded by twice as many students, faculty and staff. He will meet students that are enrolled in the Accelerated Pharm D. program and others involved with a growing number of other degree programs. He will have lectures in a 500seat lecture hall in our new Student Center. He will do most of his assignments on a laptop and take online tests. He will eat in a large modern cafeteria. He will belong to some of the many clubs, intramural sports or fraternities. He will graduate from the six-year Pharm D. program and a have a wealth of opportunities before him. Looking through his eyes, the future seems very bright for ACP!
Why I support ACP financially and what I would say to encourage other ACP graduates to support the College. I sup-
port ACP financially for a couple of reasons. I received financial aid from ACP as a student and am very thankful for that. I feel that now it’s my turn to give back to the College and help support the students who can use a little aid themselves. It’s my way of saying “thank you” for such a good education and rewarding career. I would encourage other ACP alums to support the College for the same reasons.
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Congratulations! Class of 2006
ACP
Sciences forLife
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