PostScript Spring/Summer 2005 by Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

SPRING/SUMMER 2005 VOLUME 16 NUMBER 1

Throop Pharmacy Museum Lithograph

PostScript

For a contribution of $500 you will receive a limited edition, numbered (1 through 500), signed and unframed collector’s lithograph of the Throop Museum painting created by Paul Niemiec Jr. ’71 (Pharm.D., Duquesne University, 1981). The outside dimensions of the lithograph measure 26” x 21” and the image measures 20” x 15”.

N E W S

Please complete the order form and enclose your check made payable to ACP Throop Museum Lithograph. Master Card/Visa also accepted.

O F

A L B A N Y

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O F

P H A R M A C Y

Thank you for your support of Albany College of Pharmacy.

Yes, I would like to order a limited edition lithograph of the Throop Pharmacy Museum, created by Paul Niemiec Jr. ’71. Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________________________________

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Signature: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Contributions may be designated to the following (please specify percentages): Student Center: ______% Annual Fund: ______% Throop Museum Endowment: ______% Total 100 %

NON-PROFIT U.S. Postage PAID Albany, NY Permit No. 219 ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY 106 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208-3492

125th Commencement NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno addresses Class of 2005

PostScript 16

On the Cover: New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno speaks at ACP’s 125th Commencement.

Ledger

FEATURES_________________________________________ Cover Story: Graduation Day 125th Commencement exercises

Dedicated to Students Gymnasium to honor Al White

The Way We Were Recollections of ACP’s oldest alum

DEPARTMENTS____________________________________

President’s James J. Gozzo, Ph.D.

Two Numbers Worth Noting in 2005-06

President’s Ledger From the Dean’s Desk Letters to the Editor

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Join us in celebrating our 125th year and the legacy of successful graduates who continue to make ACP great

On Campus ACP through the decades Recognizing science excellence New law school pathway Denio elected to leadership role Cronin honored Springfest 2005 Student Center update

5 6 7 8 8 9 9

s you read this issue of PostScript, keep two numbers in mind: 125 and 6,854. The first number, of course, is the year we will be celebrating throughout 2005-06 – our 125th academic year. Our plans for this quasquicentennial observance include a decade-by-decade history of Albany College of Pharmacy, and the muchanticipated grand opening of our Student Center in 2006. I am especially looking forward to exploring the history of ACP, and I hope you will enjoy this trip through time with us. Beginning with the 1880s, we will profile a new decade each month throughout the year. We will include important, interesting and fun pieces of history about the College, as well as a flavor of the social context surrounding life at ACP during each decade. For example, did you know President James Garfield died two weeks to the day before ACP taught its first lecture Oct. 3, 1881, the second U.S. president in 16 years to be assassinated? Or that Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross the same year?

Student News Student-athletes recognized Women’s basketball: Dynasty! “Board” on rotation Student honors, awards, achievements Building a brighter tomorrow

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Faculty News Faculty awards Nephrologists form research group

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Advancement Meet the Office of Institutional Advancement Alumni profile Calendar of events

22 22 23

Alumni Affairs A letter from the Alumni President Planned giving Reunion 2005

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Class Notes Engagements, births, retirements & much more

In Memoriam

All of this history will be available through our Web site, www.acp.edu, simply by clicking on the 125th icon. I invite you to visit each month and join us in this celebration. We have enjoyed a proud tradition at ACP for generations, a tradition we are building on as we grow in this our 13th decade. Which brings me back to the second noteworthy number for this issue of PostScript – 6,854. That is the number of women and men who have graduated from ACP since our inception. Our alumni. A vital, talented, dedicated network of pharmacy and health care professionals who have gone on from ACP to do great things in the communities in which they live. We are pleased to tell just a few of those stories within these pages, from Dan Spadaro ’23, our oldest living graduate, to the newest members of our alumni body, the Class of 2005. We were honored to have New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno address our graduates at this year’s Commencement – our 125th! We hope you’ll enjoy a look back at just a few of the fun moments from

Reunion Weekend 2005, and catching up with Regina Snyder ’47, Gary Hall ’57 and Mona Cichello ’83, the new President of The Alumni Association of Albany College of Pharmacy, Inc. Mostly, we hope you’ll enjoy another opportunity to keep up with all that is going on at ACP, both on our campus and wherever it is our alumni work and live. Our progress continues as we grow in alignment with our Comprehensive Strategic Plan. Our student body has grown to 1,150 – a third number to note! – on our way to our target of approximately 1,400. We continue diversifying our academic offerings, building on the strength of our outstanding Doctor of Pharmacy program to provide additional career options in the health sciences for all of our students. We are anticipating an exciting 125th year in 2005-06, and we look forward to opportunities to meet with you, either again or for the first time, as we work together to advance ACP.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2005

F ROM TH E

Dean’s Desk

VOLUME 16 NUMBER 1

Mary H. Andritz, Pharm.D.

Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes

Managing Editor

Ron Lesko

Total Quality Management course provides students strategies for success

During the Spring semester, some ACP students saw how management tools can be used to make improvements even on our own campus. The elective course Total Quality Management (TQM) in Health Care, taught by Angela Dominelli ’78, Ph.D., introduces the concept of continuous quality improvement as a strategy that identifies goals, assesses progress toward them and proposes means to meet the goals if the outcome has not been accomplished. To illustrate this approach, the class applies TQM to a topic relevant to life at ACP. This year’s class decided to focus on communication. Having already formulated some ideas about improving communication from my office to students, faculty and staff, I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the members of the TQM class to hear their thoughts on this subject. They had begun mapping out obstacles to good communication in a “cause-and-effect diagram.” This type of chart illustrates factors that may be contributing to a situation. As is usually the case when using this approach, the class had identified many possible contributing factors through which they gained an appreciation of the complexities and challenges associated with good communication. Such insight then led to ideas about how to make improvements. I attended the class when recommendations for improvement were dis-

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cussed. Old and new communication methods were featured. Suggestions included enhancing the use of our Web site as well as having more editions of the student newspaper and putting up more bulletin boards for specific documentation. I appreciate the efforts of the class and am incorporating their ideas into strategies that are under development. The academic experience ideally fosters the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Students in the TQM class learned the theory of continuous quality improvement and how to apply techniques that have been developed in non-academic settings. Perhaps they learned that there are usually opportunities to improve things that are critically important to the development of individuals and to organizations. Changes in attitude are more difficult to measure and sometimes are apparent only at a later date. Will they at some point integrate into their lives that: • Growth comes with daring to ask the question, “Is status quo good enough?” • They don’t need to embrace the latest fad to find a solution • There are many contributors to a problem and some are not immediately evident • There are many strategies that successfully can lead to improvement

PostScript is published as a magazine for alumni, parents and friends of Albany College of Pharmacy.

2005-06 Editorial Board

• Developing approaches to solve a problem can contribute to change and is more rewarding than just complaining about a situation • Lifelong learning can be viewed as a type of continuous quality improvement. Whether we interact with students in the classroom, at experiential sites, in our neighborhood or at professional meetings, we have the potential to shape their attitudes as well as to contribute to their knowledge and skill development. Perhaps one interaction with you will be the next building block in the formation of positive attitudes about continuous self-improvement or the evolution of our professions. You may not see immediate results, but you may be planting a seed or nurturing one that was started at ACP. What an opportunity to shape the future!

James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., President Mary H. Andritz, Pharm.D., Dean Vicki A. DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement William Cronin, Vice President of Finance and Business Affairs Robert J. Gould, Vice President of Enrollment Management Packy McGraw, Director of Student Affairs

Contributing Photographers

Shannon Ballard David Clarke Don Elliott Ron Lesko Josh Snitkoff

Office of Institutional Advancement

Vicki A. DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Sergio A. Mendez, Executive Director of College Relations Shelly Calabrese, Director of Annual Programs Lynne DellaRocca, Coordinator of Institutional Advancement Ron Lesko, Director of Communications Christine Shields, Assistant Director of 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

Letters to the Editor

We Want to Hear from You! 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.

ACP IN THE COMMUNITY ACP has been active in numerous community events in 2005, including, clockwise from top left: National Wear Red Day on February 4, when students from the Phi Delta Chi and Rho Pi Phi fraternities set up an information table at Crossgates Mall to dispense information about heart disease in women; the Eddy Visiting Nurses Association Health Fair on March 10 in Troy, in which students provided blood pressure screenings and other health-related expertise; Albany’s Freihofer’s Run for Women, at which ACP sponsored an information table and “Ask the Pharmacist” session June 3-4; and the 25th annual GHI Workforce Team Challenge Race, the area’s largest road race, in which faculty, staff and friends participated in this great fitness event.

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On Campus AS SCENE ON CAMPUS

Visit www.acp.edu/AsSceneonCampushome.html for a photographic chronicle of life on ACP’s picturesque campus.

ACP Through the Decades 1881. President James Garfield was assassinated, the second president in 16 years to be killed while in office. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. Albany College of Pharmacy began its first academic year. From our humble yet visionary beginnings – three faculty members and a shared building with Albany Medical College – ACP has grown into one of the nation’s premier scientific teaching institutions. As we celebrate our 125th academic year in 2005-06, we do so with more than 80 faculty members, 1,150 stu-

dents, our own rapidly expanding campus – and the same progressive vision for the future of health care that guided our founders. We welcome you to join us as we celebrate our proud heritage. We will explore a new decade in ACP’s history each month, highlighting interesting moments in time for the College and the world beyond our campus. Please take a few moments to enjoy the first two decades in our history – the 1880s and 1890s – by visiting www.acp.edu and clicking on the “Celebrating 125 Years” link. You also can access the “Celebrating 125 Years” pages of our Web site by visiting the Our Story section. We invite you to check back monthly to learn about a new decade in ACP history!

oppor tunities lear ning tech valley connections careers histor y ar ts&r ecr eation we’ve got it all! quality of life

Design by Chris Iula, Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Albany College of Pharmacy 4 Albany Law School 4 Albany Medical College 4 The College of Saint Rose 4 Excelsior College 4 Empire State College 4 Graduate College of Union University 4 Hudson Valley Community College 4 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 4 The Sage Colleges 4 Schenectady County Community College 4 Siena College Skidmore College 4 SUNY Cobleskill 4 Union College 4 University at Albany, SUNY Visit www.nytechvalleymag.com/ss/f1.htm

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Albany was an attractive location for the new college. Along with classes in the building ACP shared at its inception with Albany Medical College (above), students also could attend, free of charge, lectures at the State Library or the State Museum of Natural History. Although there were no facilities for living on campus, “good board and rooms could be had for $3.50-$6 per week” and students were advised that “by clubbing together and boarding themselves, they [could] live comfortably and pleasantly at even lower rates.”

Spring/Summer 2005

On Campus

Law School Pathway Now Available for ACP Students

ACP Recognizes Science Excellence Megan Figge, a senior at Albany Academy for Girls in 2005-06, was among the 2005 recipients of ACP’s Biomedical Sciences Excellence Award.

ACP again participated in three prestigious regional and international science events this year, recognizing the outstanding achievement of 15 local, national and international high school students. In March, the College was a sponsor of the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair and Science Congress at RPI in Troy. It is the third year the College has participated. ACP presented Biomedical Sciences Excellence Awards to two top students. Meaghan Alexandra Figge, then a junior at Albany Academy for Girls, was selected for a project entitled “Biochemical Evolution of the Breast Cancer-Inhibiting Protein, BRCA-1,

Over Half a Billion Years.” Jessie Klapper, then a senior at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, was selected for a project entitled “Experimental Verification of a Rational Prediction Method for Hammerhead Ribozyme Activity.” Both recipients presented their research at ACP on April 8. In May, ACP was a Special Award Organization for the second year in a row at the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix. The Intel fair is the world’s largest pre-college celebration of science, bringing more than 1,200 students from 40 nations. ACP selected four fair participants as Biomedical Sciences Excellence

Award recipients: Daniel James Cromer of Englewood, Colo., Laura Ann Huppert of Piedmont, Calif., Katherine Joy Nicholas of Ephrata, Pa., and Russell Thomas Burrows of San Antonio, Texas. ACP also offered a scholarship to a fifth student at the Intel fair, Shaarika Sarasija of India. Shaarika, whose research project explored the successful use of wild asparagus to increase milk yield in goats, will attend ACP this fall in the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program. The College also once again hosted the regional Chemistry Olympiad in March. Eight students achieved scores qualifying them with nearly 1,000 other students across the country to move on to a national qualifying exam. Four students ultimately qualify each year to represent the United States in the International Chemistry Olympiad competition.

ACP and Albany Law School have teamed up on an exciting new joint degree program that will allow students in ACP’s Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program to set a course toward a law degree from the start of their undergraduate education. The B.S./J.D. 3+3 program will guarantee qualified freshmen in ACP’s Pharmaceutical Sciences program a spot in law school, providing they maintain the required GPA and achieve a qualifying score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Students will spend the first three years at ACP and the final three years at the law school, earning their Bachelor’s degree after the first year of law school and their Juris Doctor at the completion of the program. The joint program was approved by the New York State Board of Education in May and currently is accepting students.

“This program provides a distinctive opportunity for students choosing ACP as we build on our core strength – an exceptional Doctor of Pharmacy program – to add new programs and pathways related to the health sciences,” said President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. “Our dual focus on creating new programs of our own and partnering with other respected institutions of higher education in the Capital Region, such as Albany Law School, will allow us to create a unique college environment and add value to each graduate’s degree.” The B.S./J.D. program builds on similar relationships ACP has with other area institutions, including programs with Albany Medical College, The Graduate College of Union University, The Sage Colleges, The College of St. Rose and Hudson Valley Community College. Students graduating from the program will be qualified to work in law

firms, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, government and health care-related public service organizations, said David W. Clarke, Ph.D., Director of ACP’s Pharmaceutical Sciences program. “By selecting appropriate electives students will be prepared to participate actively in health-related law and policy development with a special emphasis on pharmaceutical research, manufacturing, development and distribution,” he said. “Students will be poised to provide counseling to the growing pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries on intellectual property and regulatory compliance issues. “This includes filing and prosecuting patents, development of technology transfer agreements, negotiating licensing agreements, the preparation of regulatory documents and working with government agencies to ensure compliance with the state and federal laws governing these industries.”

SUMMERSESSIONS@ACP

ACP welcomed area high school students in March for the regional Chemistry Olympiad qualifying exam. Eight students achieved scores allowing them to move on to the national qualifying exam.

Spring/Summer 2005

ACP expanded its summer academic programming this year to open the course offerings to its entire student body as well as students from other institutions, in addition to the traditional cohort of Accelerated Pharm.D. students. The Summer Sessions program was a success, drawing nearly 150 total students, most of them from ACP, including 68 in the Accelerated program. The College offered two sessions – May 23-July 1 and July 11-Aug. 19. Course offerings included physiology/pathophysiology, organic chemistry, pharmacotherapy, molecular biology and math concepts.

Spring/Summer 2005

On Campus

Denio Elected to National Leadership Role Growing up as one of 18 children, John Denio learned at an early age the value of being proactive to achieve his goals. It is a trait he believes will serve him well in his new role as national President-Elect of the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society for 2005-06. Denio, Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs at ACP, also will serve as President of the organization in 2006-07, and Past President in 200708. In a speech to delegates at the national American Pharmacists Association meeting in April, Denio talked about his role as a leader and lessons learned in his large family. “With 17 brothers and sisters you can’t be late to the dinner table, so

you have to be kind of aggressive about the things that you do,” he said. “So that’s carried on through time. There are plenty of opportunities to help people and assist, but you also have to be aggressive getting to the table.” Phi Lambda Sigma is a student organization focused on promoting the development of leadership qualities. One of Denio’s primary focuses over the next three years will be to reach out to Phi Lamdba Sigma alums to reengage them with the society in an effort to offer mentoring opportunities. “Our plan is to go out to the alumni and bring them back to the organization or make them aware of what’s going on in the organization, to make

John Denio, Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs.

them aware of opportunities that are out there to match up students with mentors and continue in leadership roles,” he said. Former Associate Dean of Student Affairs Al White established ACP’s Phi Lambda Sigma chapter in 1983, and Denio has been involved since 1993. He serves as an advisor to the College’s chapter, and also has been a regional delegate. This is his first national office. “One of the things that I recognized at the national meeting is that the people at these meetings are very active and really good role models, people who step up to the plate,” Denio said. “It’s really nice to be involved in a group like that.”

Cronin Honored for YMCA Service

Bill Cronin, Vice President of Finance and Business Affairs.

Vice President of Finance and Business Affairs Bill Cronin was selected by the Capital District YMCA as a 2005 President’s Award recipient. The theme for the President’s Award

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Class of 2005 was “Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Deeds.” The President’s Award is an annual award presented to eight “Mission Champions” representing each of the Capital District YMCA’s service areas. Cronin is an active volunteer with the Troy YMCA. He has been a Board member for more than 10 years and also serves on the Development and Finance committees. He is a past Chairman of the Development Committee, and also is active with the

organization’s Reach Out for Youth Phonathon each year. “As a college administrator for the past 34 years, I take great pride and personal interest in the fact that the YMCA has played such a large role in the development of higher education,” Cronin said. “I am honored to be recognized by such an influential organization within our community.” A dinner honoring Cronin and this year’s other recipients was held in April at the Albany Marriott.

ringfest p S Springfest 2005 was a big hit April 22, thanks to the great efforts of the Student Government Association, the sponsorship of Kinney Drugs and the cooperation of Mother Nature. There was a lot of bull (the mechanical variety), a lot of barbecue (the Dinosaur variety) and a lot of great bands (plenty of variety, local Irish favorite Hair of the Dog and headliner Candid, from Syracuse)!

STUDENT CENTER CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Construction of ACP’s new Student Center moved into an exciting phase this summer as the steel skeleton emerged, giving shape to the highly anticipated project. Completion of the 54,000-square-foot facility is slated for the spring of 2006. The Student Center will feature a 500-seat lecture hall, 350-seat cafeteria, student lounge, bookstore and office space.

Spring/Summer 2005

Student News

Dynasty!

Student-Athletes Recognized Jason Howard receives the men’s soccer MVP award from Coach Rich Komulainen.

ACP celebrated the achievements of its 2004-05 athletic teams in April with the annual Athletic Banquet at the Normanside Country Club in Delmar, N.Y. The award recipients included two team MVPs who finished their ACP athletic careers in style: Kevin Mocerine in men’s basketball, and Shelby Spriggs in women’s soccer. Shelby completed a stellar five-year career as the Panthers’ second-leading career scorer. She finished with 79 goals, 39 assists and 197 total points, all second on the career list to 2005 Albert M. White Sports Hall of Fame inductee Amy Murphy ’00 (104-42-250). Shelby earned first-team All-Northern Independence Conference honors in 2004. Kevin became the 16th member of ACP’s 1,000-point club and finished his career with 1,306 points, 11th-best in school history. He earned second-team NIC honors. Below is a complete listing of ACP’s athletic award recipients:

Second straight NIC title, strong returning lineup bode well for Lady Panthers’ future Randi Maurer, ACP’s career scoring leader, cuts down the nets after the Lady Panthers won their second straight NIC championship in February.

Shelby Spriggs, receiving the women’s soccer MVP award from Coach Jack Beckett, capped a stellar five-year career as ACP’s second-leading scorer.

The women’s basketball team enjoyed a season nearly 20 years in the making in 2004-05. With forward Randi Maurer smashing the career scoring record set in 1986 by Rita Leighton, the Lady Panthers rolled to their second straight Northern Independence Conference championship, the school’s first back-to-back conference titles since Leighton helped ACP to titles in 1985 and ’86. The Lady Panthers finished 17-5 and were perfect in the NIC, going 6-0 in the regular season before beating Clinton Community College in the championship game Feb. 18. That victory sent fifth-year players Jessica Maurer – Randi’s older sister – and Toni Baldino out in style. ACP is 51-15 over the past three seasons under Coach Rich Jones – and there is plenty of reason for optimism in 2005-06 and beyond.

Randi Maurer became just the third woman in school history to top 1,000 points. She averaged 20 points in 2004-05 and her 421 points were the second-highest single-season total in school history. She surpassed Leighton’s 1981-86 career total of 1,166 points and, with one season left, is at 1,356 and counting. Randi also was named the NIC’s Most Valuable Player, leading five ACP players on the all-conference team. Center Jessica Maurer (9.2 points, 7.1 rebounds), forward Pam Leonardi (15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds) and guard Sarah Gruber (7.9 points, 7.8 assists) earned first-team honors. Guard Amber Jillson (11.8 points) was named to the second team. Of those players, all but Jessica Maurer return in 2005-06. Gruber, a two-time NIC all-conference selection in soccer, also received the NIC’s Student-Athlete Award in basketball for the second consecutive season.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD RECIPIENTS Men’s Basketball Team MVP: Kevin Mocerine Coach’s Award: Marcus Boone Matt Manchester 110% Award: Graig Reed All-NIC second team: Kevin Mocerine

Women’s Basketball Team MVP: Randi Maurer Coach’s Award:: Jessica Maurer 110% Award: Cortney Komenda, Christina Rex NIC MVP: Randi Maurer All-NIC first team: Sarah Gruber, Pam Leonardi, Jessica Maurer All-NIC second team: Amber Jillson NIC Scholar-Athlete Award: Sarah Gruber

Spring/Summer 2005

Men’s Soccer Team MVP: Jason Howard Coach’s Award: Tim O’Neill 110% Award: Scott McCabe NIC MVP: Jason Howard All-NIC first team: Scott McCabe

Women’s Soccer Team MVP: Shelby Spriggs Coach’s Award: Katie Auringer 110% Award: Sarah Gruber All-NIC first team: Sarah Gruber, Shelby Spriggs, Kim Whalley NIC Scholar-Athlete Award: Sarah Gruber

Getting ‘Board’ on Rotation Normally a clinical rotation for Doctor of Pharmacy students does not bring to mind “fun and games,” but that was the case for Adam Reeners ’05, Pharm.D., during his sixth-year rotation last winter at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, N.Y. Adam was given a unique opportunity by preceptor Robert Harris to create a board game about substance abuse to replace an outdated version being used to educate teens in the hospital’s adolescent psychiatry ward. After researching and writing approximately 50 questions in four categories that covered alcohol, marijuana and other substance abuse as well as smoking, Adam created an original board design and game format. His “Street Smart” game was completed in time to use with patients in Harris’ MedEd group before the end of Adam’s five-week rotation. Adam Reeners ‘05 “I knew before creating the game that the biggest challenge would be to make it fun,” Adam said. “That was just as important to me as the educational content, so I was a bit anxious about testing it out. It wasn’t until I heard ‘I want to play again!’ several times that I knew I had succeeded.”

Spring/Summer 2005

Student News

Students Recognized for Academic, Professional Excellence

ACP is proud to recognize our students for their honors, awards and achievements during the 2004-05 academic year. All class years are for the 2005-06 academic year: Cytotechnology student Jon Califano received a National Student Honor Award certificate from the American Society for Clinical Pathology in April in recognition of outstanding academic and leadership achievements in the medical laboratory sciences. Sixth-year Pharm.D. student Margot Duboc was the winner of ACP’s Patient Counseling Competition, sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP). Margot received a trip to the APhA Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., in April and represented ACP well in the national competition. Cytotechnology student William Fore received the annual Cytyc Cytotechnology Student Educational Grant. The recognition included a $1,000 scholarship. Cytyc established the grant in 2004 and recognized another ACP Cytotechnology student – Kelly Fischer-Lopez – with the inaugural award. Pharm.D. students Jeffrey Graves (fourth year) and Nimish Patel (sixth year) won first place in the poster competition at the International Phar-

Spring/Summer 2005

maceutical Students Federation-Pan American Regional Symposium IV in Kingston, Jamaica, in May. The poster was entitled “The Red Dress Campaign – Improving Cardiovascular Awareness Among Women.” Nimish also took first place in the advanced-level counseling competition at the symposium for his insight on two medications in a complex HIV case. Nimish Patel also has been appointed to the position of APhA-ASP International Pharmaceutical Students Federation National Project Coordinator. It is the first time an ACP student has been appointed to this position. Nimish will help develop and implement goals to further APhA-ASP involvement with the international federation and advance its mission to act locally to promote the profession of pharmacy globally. Nimish also will serve concurrently as APhA-ASP Region 1 Delegate until that two-year term expires in November. Cytotechnology student Wing Sze Lee was selected to present her case report, “Mediastinal Solitary Fibrous Tumor in a Lung FNA,” at the American Society for Cytotechnology National Conference in Minneapolis in April. Sixth-year Pharm.D. student Timothy Randolph was the second-place winner in the Eighth Annual U.S. Pharmacist Essay Challenge. Tim is the third ACP student in the last four years to receive an award in this prestigious contest, sponsored by Sanofi Aventis; only 22 other students nationally have been recognized since this contest began in 1996. The essay topic was “Pharmacotherapy in Managing Insom-

LORDE POETRY PRIZE Second-year Pharm.D. student Stephanie Kohan won first prize in the Seventh Annual Audrey Lorde Poetry Prize contest, sponsored by Medusa: Community of Poets and Writers at Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y. The contest is open to all Capital Region women currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. Stephanie’s winning entry follows:

Hemistich the sound rushes down the field of tossed away knives and elongated sighs all is devoured by mahogany towers that stretch & flex till they reach the apex of you. only of you. Doctor of Pharmacy students Jeffrey Graves ’08 and Nimish Patel ’06 at the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation-Pan American Regional Symposium IV.

nia: Assessing Patient Needs and Outcomes.” In addition to a $750 award, the achievement also included a $1,000 donation to the College in Tim’s name. He requested that this donation be used for a new loan program for deserving students. Additionally, Tim’s essay was accepted for publication in the journal of the New York State Council of Health-system Pharmacists. The College’s APhA-ASP chapter won first place for the second year in a row in Region 1 for its work on Operation Immunization, an awareness campaign designed to increase the public’s knowledge of immunizations while raising the number of adults receiving immunizations. “It’s very impressive that our students would win that kind of an award considering the environment they’re in,” said Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs John Denio. New York is one of the few states that does not allow pharmacists to immunize.

air will sift through the hair and goosebumps will chatter, chatter, then break and as the moisture is wiped from the eyes drying & pulsating, breathing versifies and sartorial prosody is an art well-defined as white & black do shimmer & shine then dull to unrefined threads of silk that absorb and reject light column window sills and of the shifts with a daring twitch the corners of eyes and periphery vision do alert to surprises that lurk in division but there is only one. just remember, only one. when the shrapnel glints wooden sandles clatter swift air is scythed again then lenses refract as skin gleams black on black slight rustles of stalks think of it, contrast intact can you see it in your mind? nothing but a field of wheat with occasional cypresses withering in the heat

Helping to Build a Brighter Tomorrow ACP’s chapter of the Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society is spearheading the College’s participation in a joint effort with five other local schools to build a Habitat for Humanity house in Albany County. The Campus Partnership House project will include students from ACP, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College, The College of St. Rose, Siena College and the University at Albany. Collectively, the students will raise $70,000 in cash or in-kind services to sponsor the house, which will be built through the fall and winter. Dedication is scheduled for the spring. “There are so many different ways for students to get involved in the area, and this is a great way to show what Albany is producing as far as college students are concerned,” said fifth-year Pharm.D. student Abby LaHart, Secretary-Treasurer of Phi Lambda Sigma and one of the project’s main organizers. Along with the vital fundraising portion of the project, the students also will volunteer as construction laborers. The project is an example of the spirit of volunteerism at ACP, a reflection of students’ dedication to helping others in their professional and personal lives, said John Denio, Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs. “The theme of the (pharmacy) profession is to serve, so this is just another aspect of that,” Denio said. “Projects like this go beyond the scientific and professional aspects of the ACP experience. It’s giving back to the community, and our students seem thirsty for that.” Phi Lambda Sigma will take a leadership role at ACP, working with the Office of Student Affairs to involve the entire campus community – students, faculty, staff and administration. “The people who are involved are already some of the most active students at ACP,” Denio said. “These students represent all of the organizations on campus and can bring all of these organizations into the project.” If you would like to find out more or help with this effort, please direct all inquiries or contributions to Habitat for Humanity, in care of Associate Dean John Denio, Campus Partnership House, Albany College of Pharmacy, 106 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208.

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Faculty News

Awards Recognize Faculty Excellence The following ACP faculty members were recognized for their outstanding professional achievements during the winter and spring of 2005, examples of the outstanding work done by the College’s faculty. Congratulations everyone! Associate Professor Harold Manley, Pharm.D., BCPS, of the Department of Pharmacy Practice received the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Young Investigator Award. The purpose of this national award is to highlight the research program of an ACCP member who has made a major impact in an aspect of clinical pharmaceutical science. Dr. Manley’s research is focused on medication-related problems in chronic kidney disease. He will receive his award and present a lecture on his work at the 2006 Spring Practice and Research Forum in Monterey, Calif.

ACP Community Pharmacy Resident Sarah Parnapy ‘04, Pharm.D., and her faculty advisor Macary Weck, Pharm.D., BCPS, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, were selected as recipients of a $1,000 scholarship in the 2005 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy/Wal-Mart Annual Conference Scholarship Program. Drs. Parnapy and Weck were among 20 pairs selected for this award nationally. The goal is to strengthen the recipient’s skills and commitment to a career in academic pharmacy through participation in programming and activities at the 2005 AACP Annual Meeting and Seminars. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Assistant Professor John Polimeni, Ph.D., has been named to the Editorial Board of the Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment.

Department of Pharmacy Practice Assistant Professor Darren Triller ’89, Pharm.D., was selected by the Capital District Center for Independence as a recipient of Darren Triller ‘89, Pharm.D., a Special Recog- was recognized for his work to nition Award for raise awareness of people with disabilities. contributions he has made in promoting disability awareness through ACP’s Foundations in Pharmacy course. In the course, Dr. Triller requires second-year students to use equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks to help them develop a better understanding of patients they will serve in professional practice. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Associate Professor Elisabeth (Lisa) Vines, Ph.D., had two oil paintings accepted to the 23rd Annual National Small Works Exhibit. This juried show in Cobleskill, N.Y., is presented by the Tri County Arts Council and featured 73 artworks by 49 artists from 18 states. Dr. Vines’ paintings are part of her “Window Treatment” series, a series dedicated to looking in and out of windows.

Macary Barba Weck, Pharm.D., BCPS, center, completed the GlaxoSmithKline Executive Management Program for Pharmacy Leaders.

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ACP Nephrologists form Unique Research Group Nephrology, the medical specialty that deals with kidney function and disease, isn’t exactly a household word, despite the kidneys’ vital function in removing waste and toxins from the body and helping to regulate blood pressure. The exciting work of four faculty members in the Department of Pharmacy Practice may go a long way toward changing that. Through research and collaborative efforts unequaled at other pharmacy schools, George Bailie, Pharm.D., Ph.D, Darren Grabe ’93, Pharm.D., Rowland Elwell ’00, Pharm.D., and Harold Manley ’96, Pharm.D., BCPS, aim to put kidney disease on the radar screen. They have formed the Albany Nephrology Pharmacy Group (ANephRx) to focus on research, service and education of patients, students and the public. ANephRx will serve as a locus for nephrology pharmacy research. Two of the group’s aims: to enhance collaboration among clinical researchers in the field and increase both grant funding proposals and scholarly publications. “There’s a near-epidemic of kidney disease in the United States,” said Dr. Bailie, who has more than 20 years of research, teaching and service activities in nephrology. “Kidney disease has been classified as a public health issue, and we’re trying to make the public aware of that,” he added, noting that more than 20 million Americans – one in nine adults – have chronic kidney disease. Not only are the numbers stagger-

The Albany Nephrology Pharmacy Group: Rowland Elwell ’00, Pharm.D., George Bailie, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Harold Manley ’96, Pharm.D., and Darren Grabe ’93, Pharm.D.

ing, but the disease has been on the rise for the last two decades, and only a tiny fraction of people know they’re at risk. The most common risk factors are diabetes and hypertension. A Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology, Dr. Bailie is the first pharmacist ever to earn that distinguished status. Since joining ACP in 1988, he has concentrated on outpatient peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients. Dr. Grabe works with predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease not yet requiring dialysis, and Dr. Elwell has considerable expertise in outpatient dialysis. Dr. Manley is the ANephRx member newest to the ACP faculty. He moved from the University of Missouri-Kansas City last year to hone his focus on hospitalized patients with kidney disease. “The four of us have known, communicated and collaborated with each other on different endeavors for a number of years,” Dr. Manley said. Because of the silent nature of the warning signs for kidney disease, there are many people who, even in the most advanced stages, remain unaware they have failing kidneys. According to one study, almost 45 percent of people with stage 4 kidney disease – a stage away from failure – never had been told they had kidney problems. Between 20 percent and 40 percent of people with earlier stages of the condition were equally uninformed. With their expertise in patients toward the latter stages of the disease, ANephRx members are investigating

various medication-related issues in patients across the spectrum of kidney disease, including the effects of medications and certain medication-prescribing practices, drug disposition (pharmacokinetics) and safety (pharmacodynamics) in patient populations. Both ANephRx and ACP’s focus on kidney research are unique, Dr. Manley said. “Across the nation, only a small number of the roughly 90 colleges of pharmacy have even one nephrology faculty member on their roster, but ACP has four. That’s highly unusual for any specialty,” he said, adding that the Albany area is “ripe with opportunities to collaborate with a lot of similarminded faculty, and rich with a patient population with kidney disease.” “The College is extremely progressive and has the flexibility to allow a large number of faculty with expertise to come together,” Dr. Bailie said. “Our President and our Dean are very willing to put resources into areas where they see productivity.” ANephRx works in conjunction with nephrology clinicians at Albany Medical Center, Rubin Dialysis Center, Inc. and Albany Regional Kidney Center. All four nephrologists provide daily inpatient service to approximately 30-40 patients at all stages of renal function at Albany Medical Center Hospital and Stratton Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. “More and more, pharmacists are becoming active in counseling patients and managing disease states,” Dr. Bailie said.

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Clockwise from left: President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D., presents an honorary degree to New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno; members of the Class of 2005 file into their seats at the start of the ceremony; Dr. Gozzo presents Melissa Cloonan with the College’s first-ever B.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Sen. Bruno joins Dr. Gozzo, Dean Mary H. Andritz, Pharm.D. (seated, second from right) and members of the Board of Trustees for a pre-ceremony photo. Below: One graduate’s mortar board communicates a popular graduation day sentiment!

State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno highlights 125th commencement

Graduation Day R

eminded by New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno that graduation marks the beginning of “a new chapter in the books that you are writing for yourselves,” 107 students received their degrees during ACP’s 125th Commencement ceremonies May 8 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. Melissa Cloonan of Gouverneur, N.Y., was among the graduates, breaking new ground as the first student ever to earn ACP’s new Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Cloonan, who focused on the program’s premed preparation, will attend medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical Center this fall. Cloonan, who graduated summa cum laude, was honored and excited to be the program’s first graduate, and reflected fondly on her ACP experiences in academics, research and undergraduate life. “I think it’s definitely worth it to go to ACP if you want to do your undergraduate work to prepare for medical school,” she said. “I really think they prepared me well, not just academically but in other ways as well.”

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She cited outstanding support from the faculty and her research mentor, Shaker Mousa, Ph.D., Director of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, as key elements in her success. Creation of the new Pre-Med Advisory Committee also will be beneficial to future students, she said. Her solid academic preparation at ACP was underscored during one of her interviews at another medical school to which she ultimately was accepted. On the day of her interview, the exact lecture she was missing at ACP was being given to the med students. “I told my interviewer, ‘I want to make this short. I want to go to that lecture!’” Cloonan said. “I couldn’t believe it. I thought that was a good thing, because if you go to ACP you get so much farther ahead.” Sen. Bruno emphasized three points for the graduates to remember throughout their lives – faith, hope and charity – in addition to the exciting professional opportunities awaiting them. “As health care and medicine advance at such a rapid rate, you will be faced with tremendous challenges,” he

said. “You will not only have to keep up with what is happening, but you will be breaking new ground yourselves.” Erin E. Fifield, Pharm.D., of Fort Ann, N.Y., delivered the student address, drawing inspiration from a book her mother had given her upon graduation from high school – the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” She found new meaning in the book at this new stage in her life, challenging her fellow graduates to make the most of the myriad opportunities awaiting them wherever life may lead.

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Dedicated to Students

that fit two guys. Sometimes the ball would keep going From the 1970s on, one of Dean White’s most rewarding right into the furnace room,” says Harry Mikhitarian ’54, a roles was as Associate Dean of Student Affairs, where he former member of the ACP Board of Trustees who capforged many positive relationships as advisor to internationtained the team during the 1953-54 season. al students. In spite of the obstacles, Dean White led the Panthers to “He would go to the airport himself to pick them up,” 13 consecutive winning seasons before stepping down as Denio explains with a smile. “They would arrive with a suitcoach in 1966. case of clothes and not “Coach was a big part of all of much else, and sometimes our lives,” says J. Gordon Dailey Al would have to send out a ’57, team captain in his senior memo to the faculty asking “The Gymnasium Dedication Fund Drive is a great way year and a current Trustee. “He for sheets and towels.” for alumni to honor Al White and support his long-time got the whole school interested “He was a real role efforts to create dynamic living and learning environments in the team.” model for me,” adds Denio, for all ACP students.” Dean White revitalized the who worked closely with Athletic Commission and Dean White as advisor to the increased opportunities for the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy —Harry Mikhitarian ’54 team to compete against more Leadership Society. A four-year schools. As Director of founder of the national orgaAthletics, he added new sports, nization, Dean White began including golf, tennis, soccer and women’s basketball. one of the first chapters in the country at ACP and served as His contributions to the curriculum were many as well. national president. Always ahead of the curve, as early as 1962 Dean White had Though Dean White wore many hats during his half cenpublished in professional journals on patient-centered phartury at ACP, all of his roles had one thing in common – stumacy and the changes in education it would necessitate. He dents came first. The Albert M. White Gymnasium is a fitting introduced physical pharmacy courses to the College, hired tribute to the man who went above and beyond to make clinical faculty and is credited with making ACP one of the the student experience at ACP more fulfilling. very first colleges of pharmacy to offer clinical studies.

ACP Gymnasium to honor Al White’s contributions to athletics, student life

or all of his nearly 50 years at ACP – as a beloved coach, faculty member and Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Albert M. “Al” White made students his main focus. Now many of them are returning the favor. In a fitting tribute, the ACP Gymnasium will be christened the Albert M. White Gymnasium in October, thanks in large measure to the contributions of many of Dean White’s former students, athletes and friends. All contributions to the Gymnasium Dedication Fund Drive will go toward the construction of ACP’s Student Center. Plaques inscribed with the names of all donors will be placed in both the Student Center and White Gym. “Al did so many things for the students,” says John Denio, Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs, who initially was hired by Dean White in 1977 to coach basketball and soccer. “ACP was, at that time, a one-building institution with the entire student body living off campus. There was no place for them to be together outside of the classroom.

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“Al would be thrilled to be back on campus now during the construction of the new Student Center.” The 54,000-square-foot facility, rising just outside the gym’s front door, will contain a 500-seat auditorium, a bookstore and food-court style dining space for up to 350 students. It will face the gym and Classroom Building, both former facilities of Christian Brothers Academy before that institution relocated to Colonie in 2000. When it is completed in 2006, the Student Center will make real Dean White’s dream of a facility to enhance the out-of-classroom experience. The gym has been a welcome addition to ACP. When Dean White began coaching the basketball team in 1952, he did so in a cramped facility in the O’Brien Building, where players had to adjust their shots so as not to hit the ceiling. That space now is home to the College’s state-of-the-art Pharmacy Practice Lab. “There was no locker room, just a stall with a bench

Coach White with members of the 1952-53 men’s basketball team, his first at ACP (left), and in his office with a few of the many awards he collected during 14 seasons leading the Panthers on the court.

HOW YOU CAN HELP You can help make Al White’s vision of enhanced campus life at ACP come true with your financial contribution to the Gymnasium Dedication Fund Drive. All proceeds will benefit construction of ACP’s new Student Center. For more information, contact Sergio Mendez, Executive Director of College Relations, at (518) 694-7251 or mendezs@acp.edu.

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Women’s Basketball Team Creates Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship To celebrate the memory and achievements of one of ACP’s most accomplished student-athletes, the women’s basketball team has created a new scholarship in honor of Rita Leighton ’86, M.D. Dr. Leighton, a member of the ACP Board of Trustees from 2002 until her death in October 2004, was chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Glens Falls Hospital. While at ACP, she was co-captain of the 1985-86 women’s basketball team – at 24-1, the best in the College’s history – and held the school career scoring record for 19 years. She was inducted into the Albert M. White Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Randi Maurer, the current team cap-

tain and a fifth-year Pharmacy student, surpassed Dr. Leighton’s scoring record last season. Randi also has been a leader in the team’s efforts to create the Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship. “Rita Leighton made an outstanding impact on our women’s basketball program early in its development,” Randi said. “Her ability to excel in athletics as well as academics during her career at ACP serves as an inspiration to all of us as basketball players, and we consider it an honor to have the opportunity to establish this scholarship in her memory.” The team hopes to raise $10,000 toward the scholarship, which will be

awarded to a second-year student-athlete who has played on the women’s basketball team for two seasons. All ticket proceeds from the ACP Women’s and Men’s Alumni Basketball Tournaments, scheduled Oct. 29 in conjunction with the dedication of the Albert M. White Gymnasium, will fund the scholarship. Immediately following the men’s game, a cocktail reception will be held in the Alfred J. Collins, Jr. Board Room in the adjacent Classroom Building, with an auction to benefit the scholarship to follow at 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact Vicki DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at (518) 445-7331.

Join us Saturday, October 29, for an afternoon and evening of special events to dedicate the Albert M. White Gymnasium and to benefit the Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship. All events are in the gymnasium unless otherwise noted: Noon: 1:30 p.m.: 3:30 p.m.: 4:30 p.m.: 6:00 p.m.: 7:00 p.m.:

Women’s Alumnae Basketball Game Men’s Alumni Basketball Game Leighton Memorial Scholarship cocktail reception, Alfred J. Collins, Jr. Board Room, Classroom Building Leighton Memorial Scholarship benefit auction, Alfred J. Collins, Jr. Board Room, Classroom Building Albert M. White cocktail reception. Invitation only. Albert M. White dinner and gymnasium dedication. Invitation only.

Rita Leighton ’86, M.D.

How you can support the Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship Please fill out and return the following form if you plan on attending the dedication events Saturday, Oct. 29, or if you would like to support this initiative in another way. Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________________________ State: ________________ Zip: ______________ Phone: __________________________________________________________ Class Year: ________________________________ c Yes, I will attend the Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship Auction c No, I will not attend but I would like to make a donation to the Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship

Amount of contribution: $___________________ Method of Payment: MasterCard/Visa Acct #: ___________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________

c My check is enclosed c Credit Card Exp. Date: ___________________

c No, I will not attend but I would like to donate this prize for the auction: _________________________________________________

The Way We Were Oldest ACP alumnus shares his memories

ACP’s oldest alumnus has done a lot of living in his 102 years, but Daniel Spadaro ’23 still remembers fondly his time at the College in the years following World War I. “I didn’t want to leave,” he recalled. “I liked all of the activities.” Spadaro reminisced during a recent visit at his Florida home with Vicki DiLorenzo, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. An excellent athlete, Spadaro played in the occasional baseball game and won the 440 relay against fellow classmates during a field day held at Ridgefield Park in Albany. He also was in the thick of all things social at ACP, involved as secretary of Alpha Epsilon Phi and a violinist with the College’s first orchestra in 1923. The College Orchestra and Glee Club played at official ACP functions and was hired for dances and “smokers” given by fraternities and other school groups. “We had a lot of fun,” he said, remembering fondly a big prom thrown by the junior class at year’s end that featured dancing at the Ten Eyck Hotel to the sounds of McGuirk’s Orchestra. Spadaro grew up on a farm in North Vale, N.J., before relocating to Albany and always has been fascinated by plant life. So it was a natural that when he arrived at ACP that his favorite subject would be Materia Medica, or materials of medicine,

and his favorite faculty member Vice President of Institutional Advancement Vicki DiLorenzo presents a new diploma to Dean William Daniel Spadaro ’23, ACP’s oldest alumnus. Spadaro’s original was destroyed in hurricanes Mansfield, an expert on medici- that hit his Florida home. nal and poisonous plants. Gulf of Mexico and throughout the “He taught me all about botany United States. and how medicine could be abstract“As time goes on, the aging ed from plants, leaves and bark,” process is trying to slow me down,” Spadaro explained. he said, “but so far, I am doing fairly After graduation, he got a job in well.” Akers Pharmacy in Albany and Today, Spadaro enjoys the sunny eventually went on to become proclimes of Florida and spends time prietor of four drugstores in the area with his closest friend and neighbor, before the Depression. Jim Statler, and his nurse, Nola He wed his wife, Margaret, in Maxwell. 1928 and they spent 74 happy years He loves to receive company and together before she passed away in especially enjoyed his visit with 2002 at the age of 98. “I married the DiLorenzo, who presented him with most wonderful creature alive,” he a new ACP diploma to replace the said. Their daughter, Carol, was born one destroyed in two vicious hurriin 1931. canes that hit the state and damaged Spadaro considers the highlight his home. With the help of ACP’s of his career his appointment as George and Leona Lewis Library Chief Pharmacist at Sterling Drug, a staff, the Office of Institutional pharmaceutical company located at Advancement was able to recreate the time just across the Hudson the diploma based on one in the River from Albany in Rensselaer. He archives. retired in 1967 after 30 years with “The diploma was the one thing the company. Dan was worried about replacing,” “That was a sad day,” he said. “I said DiLorenzo. “He cried when I really loved it there.” gave it to him and then immediately But retirement afforded him more asked Jim for a hammer and nail time for the leisure activities he’s and hung it where he could see it loved for his whole life. He has from his chair.” hunted bear in the Adirondacks and Catskills and fished in Canada, the

Please return this form to: Office of Institutional Advancement, Albany College of Pharmacy,106 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208.

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Advancement

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Important dates and events to watch for during the 2005-06 academic year:

Meet the Office of Institutional Advancement! The Office of Development and College Relations has a new name, a new home and a few new faces for 2005-06. ACP has restructured its primary alumni relations and fundraising department as the Office of Institutional Advancement. The expanded department moved from the O’Brien Building to South Hall in July. Located at 5 Samaritan Rd., next to the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, South Hall also includes the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid and Bursar as well as one of ACP’s two student residence halls. The College also is pleased to announce that the Institutional

Advancement suite in South Hall will be next to the new Alumni Conference Center, a multi-function room renovated this summer to help the College better serve its more than The staff of the new Office of Institutional Advancement, from left to right: Director of Com6,000 graduates. munications Ron Lesko; Lynne DellaRocca, Coordinator of Institutional Advancement; Shelly Among other activi- Calabrese, Director of Annual Programs; Christine Shields, Assistant Director of Communicaties, the conference tions; Vicki DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement; Sergio Mendez, Execucenter will host the tive Director of College Relations. quarterly Board tutional Advancement Lynne DellaRocmeetings of The Alumni Association of ca; Director of Communications Ron Albany College of Pharmacy, Inc. Lesko; and Assistant Director of ComWe invite you to stop in to visit this munications Christine Shields. great new facility the next time you are “We are excited about this terrific on campus! opportunity to continue spreading the The restructured department is led word about the dynamic growth ACP is by Vice President of Institutional undergoing, including the ongoing Advancement Vicki DiLorenzo, who construction of our fabulous new Stuhas served the College for more than dent Center,” DiLorenzo said. “We have 10 years in the Office of Finance and enjoyed meeting so many of you and Business Affairs. look forward to building those relationThe staff also includes Executive ships and establishing new ones as we Director of College Relations Sergio all work together to advance ACP and Mendez; Director of Annual Programs its valuable mission.” Shelly Calabrese; Coordinator of Insti-

SEPTEMBER Friday, Sept. 30 Annual White Coat Ceremony. Albert M. White Gymnasium, 4 p.m.

OCTOBER Join us in celebrating American Pharmacists Month throughout October! Friday-Sunday, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Family Weekend. Stay tuned for details! Sunday, Oct. 2 Men’s Soccer Alumni Game, 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 Continuing Education event: Superior Skin Care Program. Location TBA. Additional dates Oct. 20 and 27. Stay tuned for details!

How my ACP education benefited me most: My education provided the background needed to explore several career opportunities, including community and hospital pharmacy practice, research in the pharmaceutical industry and, finally, teaching.

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What I remember most about my ACP years: I enjoyed the comradeship with classmates, especially the sporting events, dinner dances and other evening activities. Why I support ACP financially: I am thankful that I chose pharmacy as a profession and especially for deciding to attend ACP. While traveling throughout the country presenting pharmacy review courses, I have encountered students from many colleges of pharmacy. It was soon evident that the education provided at ACP is second to none.

Friday, Oct. 28 ACP Board of Trustees Fall Meeting. Classroom Building, Alfred J. Collins Jr. Board Room. Sunday, Oct. 23 Continuing Education event: Illicit Drug and Controlled Substance Drug Diversion Update – What Pharmacists Need to Know. Albany College of Pharmacy. Stay tuned for details!

Saturday, Oct. 29 Men’s and Women’s Alumni Basketball Games. Albert M. White Gymnasium. Women’s game at noon, followed by the men’s game at 1:30 p.m.

What I would say to encourage other ACP graduates to support the College: ACP is and will always be our alma mater. Any contributions – moral, financial or service – will strengthen our College and help current students. What I hope ACP will be like in the future: No one can accurately predict what the practice of pharmacy will be in 20 years. All we can hope is that ACP will provide an education that recognizes the diversity of career opportunities open to our graduates. A sound, broad scientific education will open doorways to a multitude of practices.

Thursday, Oct. 20 Continuing Education event: Superior Skin Care Program. Location TBA. Additional dates Oct. 13 and 27. Stay tuned for details!

Thursday, Oct. 27 Continuing Education event: Superior Skin Care Program. Location TBA. Additional dates Oct. 13 and 20. Stay tuned for details!

ALUMNI PROFILE: Gary D. Hall ’57 Where am I now? After 35 years of teaching at ACP, I retired and moved to the Vero Beach/Fort Pierce area of Florida, where Doris and I are enjoying the ocean, beach, sunshine and hurricanes.

Saturday, Oct. 15 President’s Gala. The Sagamore, Bolton Landing, N.Y. Stay tuned for details!

Rita Leighton ’86 Memorial Scholarship Reception and Benefit Auction. Classroom Building, Alfred J. Collins Jr. Board Room, 3:30 p.m.

The 12th Annual ACP Dean’s Cup Golf Tournament at the Normanside Country Club in Delmar was a great success August 1, raising $50,000 to support the Dean’s Endowment for Excellence Scholarship. Among the attendees was the 2005 scholarship recipient, Kristin Whitaker of Corning, N.Y., an ACP freshman in 2005-06. Many thanks to all of the generous sponsors and participants who made the event such a huge success!

Albert M. White Gymnasium dedication ceremony and dinner. Albert M. White Gymnasium, 6 p.m. Invitation only.

Friday, Nov. 4 Annual Career Fair. Albert M. White Gymnasium, 2-5 p.m. Open to all students. Saturday, Nov. 5 Annual Interview Day. For students graduating in 2006. Sunday, Nov. 6 Continuing Education event: Annual Law Day. Location TBA. Stay tuned for details!

DECEMBER Tuesday, Dec. 6 The Alumni Association of Albany College of Pharmacy Inc., Board of Directors meeting. South Hall, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (alternate date Tuesday, Dec. 13)

JANUARY Watch your mail this month for the Fall/Winter issue of PostScript!

MARCH Wednesday, March 8 The Alumni Association of Albany College of Pharmacy Inc., Board of Directors meeting. South Hall, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (alternate date Wednesday, March 15)

MAY Friday-Sunday, May 5-7 Reunion Weekend. Saturday, May 6 The Alumni Association of Albany College of Pharmacy Inc., Annual Meeting. South Hall, time TBA.

NOVEMBER Watch your mail this month for the 2005 President’s Report, the annual publication of research and scholarly activity at ACP!

Sunday, May 7 126th Commencement, 2 p.m.

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Alumni Affairs

Greetings Fellow Alumni,

Planned Giving Regina G. Snyder ’47

I am honored to report to you in this PostScript and hope to serve you well over the next two years as President of The Alumni Association of Albany College of Pharmacy, Inc. Recently, I had the esteemed pleasure to induct the members of the Class of 2005 into the Association at the close of this year’s Commencement ceremony May 8. The traditional bagpipe music at Commencement reminded me that graduating from ACP is a momentous event for the graduates and their families. This day marks the wondrous start of each graduate’s new career. Later, however, some graduates may be surprised to learn that graduation day is not the “happily ever after” day we all thought it was when “slaving” over our lessons in college. Once we reach that day, what happens after? Many of us have found out it is an everlasting, lifelong lesson of learning and working in one’s chosen profession. Part of that lesson is giving back to your profession and alma mater; making a difference and a legacy. It is volunteering in your community, speaking to or teaching audiences that need your information, or connecting back to ACP and colleagues. On a related note, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to members of the Association Board and all ACP alumni for your Phonathon contributions this year. Your generosity has made a difference at ACP and will continue to do so for years to come. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize your Association

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Board members, including those whose terms recently have ended: Immediate Past President Jeanne Kennicutt ’79, who provided outstanding service during her two-year term as President; Mary-Ellen Jensen Rinaldi ’83, a Board member since 1991 and fellow classmate, whom I personally will miss; Mark Roach ’86, who was instrumental in developing the evaluation of our fund manager; and Linda Gizzi-Lombardi ’96 for her service. I also would like to thank the following Board members continuing their service: Evelyn Akers ’68 Selig Corman ’58 Dick Cornell ’65 Laura Fantauzzi ’68 Debra Feinberg ’81 Julie-Ann Fortran ’89, President-Elect Marie Hare ’49 Tony Laiacona ’76 Malcolm Payne ’86, Treasurer Carole Praga ’69 Peter Robinson ’51 Faith Rothermel ’04 Angelo Ruperto ’84 Nancy Shishik ’83 Jane Wells-Fox ’68 Russell Yandon ’75 I am delighted to welcome the new members elected to our Board, some returning to serve again: Thomas DiDonna ’68 Tim Garrity ’66 Jim Kitts ’66 Cynthia Meyers ’83 Frank Riley ’80 Serene Shishik-Mastrianni ’91 Connie Stitt ’78

With the addition of our new members, we now have filled 24 of the 25 seats. We will be working diligently this year to fill the executive positions of Secretary, 2nd Vice President and 1st Vice President (and Chair of the Development Committee) on an interim basis until our next annual meeting and elections in the spring of 2006. Right now, Julie-Ann Fortran, Malcolm Payne and I are filling in with double duty and we would like to share our wealth of knowledge and, of course, the work! Finally, I am pleased to report to you exciting changes at ACP. The Association will be working closely with Vice President of Institutional Advancement Vicki DiLorenzo and her staff on Association activities that will include designated space for our efforts and the collection of the Association’s files in a central place. We also will be working with the Institutional Advancement staff on fundraising efforts to benefit ACP. In closing, my message to you is one of renewal and return to your roots at ACP. Let us help you find your avenue of return and legacy. You always may call your contacts at ACP or any Association Board member with your questions, concerns and suggestions. Sincerely,

Mona A. Cichello ’83

I graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy in June 1947 with a B.S. degree in the Accelerated program – graduation in two years and eight months.This was during the war years. Hospital pharmacy was my field for 17 years – Pittsfield, Mass.,Albany, Somerville, N.J., Staten Island, N.Y., and 10 years as Assistant Chief Pharmacist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital on East 68th Street in New York City. In 1964 I returned to the Cooperstown, N.Y., area and worked in retail pharmacy for 20 years. I worked in several stores owned by ACP alumni – eight years with Elmer Jenks ’50 in Canajoharie, eight years in Waterville with William Mahanna ’55, one summer in a store owned by Ron McLean ’51 in Newport, and one summer in West Winfield at the store owned by Ray Matteson ’28. While I was working in Canajoharie, continuing education for relicensure in New Jersey became law.ACP had a continuing ed program before it became New York state law. I could attend various classes at ACP and fulfill my New Jersey requirements. I have always been very appreciative of this.

In November 1994,Anne Glasser, then head of Alumni Affairs at ACP, called me with the news that there were 54 alums in North Carolina, where I had moved in 1985. I worked with her to form the North Carolina Chapter of The Alumni Association of Albany College of Pharmacy.We met several times over the years.We have recently become reactivated. There are now approximately 100 ACP alums in North Carolina. A few years ago it became necessary for me to rewrite my will. I included ACP as a beneficiary. I would urge all of you who are able to do likewise.The school is evolving rapidly and the College would greatly appreciate your support.

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 Vicki A. DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at (518) 694-7331 or dilorenv@acp.edu.

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Reunion 2005 OLD FRIENDS GATHERED to reconnect, share memories and enjoy laughs at ACP’s Reunion Weekend 2005, held May 6-8. The weekend was filled with a variety of fun activities, including the Alumni Golf Tournament, campus tours and the Alumni Dinner Dance, to name just a few. Alumni from a wide range of class years came together to celebrate, including the Golden Anniversary Class of 1955! We have highlighted some of the weekend’s activities below for your enjoyment.

The Maggy family – from right, Leo ’58, Mark ’91 and Michael ’85 – accept the Outstanding Service to the Community award from Jane Fox ’68, Chair of the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee of the Alumni Association. Julie-Ann Fortran ’89 accepts the award for Outstanding Service to the Alumni on behalf of 2005 recipient Jeanne Sutherland Kennicutt ’79, former President of the Alumni Association, from Jane Fox ’68, Chair of the Association’s Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee.

Peter Robinson ’51 and wife Helen enjoy a spin on the dance floor at Saturday’s Dinner Dance.

Dr. Bruce Martin ’55 addresses his classmates at the Friday night Special Anniversary dinner honoring those graduates celebrating their 50th and 45th reunions. Katherine Bradley Denegar, receives the Outstanding Service to the Profession of Biomedical Technology award from Jane Fox ’68, Chair of the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee of the Alumni Association.

H. Russell Denegar ’43 and wife Katherine Bradley Denegar enjoy a moment during Saturday’s Dinner Dance. Members of the Class of 1955 reminisce about the way they were in yearbook photos from 50 years ago.

Leonard Dwyer ’58 and wife Marcia celebrate the Outstanding Service to the Community award given to their good friends, the Maggy family. Jeffrey Fudin ’81 receives the Outstanding Service to the Profession of Pharmacy award from Jane Fox ’68, Chair of the Nominations, Elections and Awards Committee of the Alumni Association.

June Favreau Cherniak ’55 receives the special medal commemorating the 50th anniversary of her graduation from ACP, an honor bestowed upon all members of the 50th-year reunion class.

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Edward Burns ’55 points out his yearbook photo to Vicki DiLorenzo, ACP’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

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Class Notes 1940s

1960s

1980s

1990s

2000s

‘47

‘63

‘81

‘91

‘94

‘97

A memorial gift to Louise Swendsen Maggiacomo ’47 and her husband, Humbert Maggiacomo ’50, has been received from Gerald and Esther Ottaway of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., the village where the Maggiacomo’s pharmacy was operated for many years. The Ottaways gave this memorial to honor the Maggiacomo’s service to the community and customers. Mr. Ottaway is a cousin to Regina G. Snyder ’47, a classmate of Louise Swendsen Maggiacomo.

Irving L. Eckstein, D.D.S., of North Woodmere, N.Y., was selected by Align Technology Inc., as one of the top 100 orthodontists out of 7,000 worldwide in using the company’s new clear, wireless braces, Invisalign. As a Captain and dentist in the U.S. Army, Irving was assigned to the 101st Airborne in 1967-69, and also has served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at New York University’s College of Dentistry.

Valerie Vashio has taken a new position at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, Md. Valerie is a Regulatory Review Officer for postmarketing and compliance issues in the Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Device Evaluation and Safety, Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Previously, she worked at the FDA’s Center for Drugs and Center for Biologics. While in her new position, she received her Regulatory Affairs Certification in U.S. regulatory affairs.

Susan LaHart Poupore and her husband, Casey, welcomed their second daughter, Claire Anne, in March 2004. The couple’s first daughter, Sarah, was born in March 2002. … Joseph Waltz and his wife, Helene, welcomed twin daughters on May 26, 2004.

Lisa Morana recently received two awards from Medicine Shoppe International, Inc., in recognition of excellent community service and achievement at the Liberty (N.Y.) Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy. She received the Community Service Award for hosting monthly diabetic support groups and exceptional customer counseling. She also received The Quarterly Sales Achievement Award, which included a $1,000 scholarship that Lisa donated to ACP.

Jeannie Smalley Baratta and her husband, Stephen Baratta ’98, welcomed their second daughter, Lily Mae, on March 15, 2004. The Barattas can be reached at sbaratta@rochester.rr.com. … Kristen McComb and her husband, Matthew Maurer ’96, welcomed their first child on Oct. 2, 2004.

‘89 Thomas Collins of Pittsford, N.Y., welcomed his second daughter, Molly Margaret Collins, on June 29, 2004.

‘00 Thomas McComb Maurer also was the first grandchild for Karen KolodziejMcComb ’68! You can reach Kris and Matt at mccomb09@earthlink.net. Kris is a pharmacist at Rite Aid in Northville, N.Y., and Matt is a supervising pharmacist at Price Chopper in Amsterdam.

Jen Allen Van Amberg and her husband, Brian, welcomed twins Alexis and Emma on Feb. 1, 2005. Jen is a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Northeastern University. She and her family are living in Weymouth, Mass., and can be reached at beavjen@msn.com.

Thomas Maurer

Elizabeth and Kristen Waltz

Elizabeth Cecilia Waltz and Kristen Lee Waltz are keeping mom and dad busy at home in Rochester, N.Y. Joe is a staff pharmacist at Rochester General Hospital, where Helene also works as a physician’s assistant. Along with celebrating the birth of his daughters, Joe, a lifelong Red Sox fan, still is celebrating Boston’s 2004 World Series championship!

‘93 Tracey Mertz-Puleo and her husband, Thomas, welcomed a daughter, Arianna Constance, on Oct. 25, 2004. The family lives in Sparta, N.J. Arianna Puleo

CLASS OF ’55

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CLASS OF ’60

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Keeping it in the (ACP) family Three ACP alumni, who together have been involved in the family pharmacy for nearly 70 years, recently passed the torch on to another ACP graduate when they transferred ownership of the Byrnes Pharmacy in Nunda, N.Y., to Jeremiah Axtell ’90. Paul A. Byrnes ’34 purchased the pharmacy, which had been in existence since 1842, in 1935. Sons Thomas E. Byrnes ’57 and James P. Byrnes ’66 followed in Paul’s footsteps and headed off to ACP. Tom joined the business full-time in 1960, while Jim worked in several pharmacy positions after graduation, eventually becoming chief pharmacist at Craig Developmental Center in Sonyea, N.Y. Jim signed on at the family pharmacy in 1999 and assumed the roles of president and supervising pharmacist from his brother, who held the positions until 2002. Axtell worked for an independent pharmacy, Milex Drug, in Caledonia, N.Y., for 15 years before he made the decision to become “a hometown drugstore owner/operator.” He took over Byrnes Pharmacy in April. He and his wife Susie, a former kindergarten teacher, now live and work in her hometown as proprietors of the Nunda Family Pharmacy LLC. Their family also includes four children: Andrew, Jacob, Rachel and Olivia. “Perhaps one of them will keep the ‘family pharmacy’ going, with a little help from ACP,” says Axtell.

From one ACP family (L-R): Thomas ’57, Paul ’34 and James Byrnes ’66, celebrating the Byrnes Pharmacy’s 30th anniversary in 1965 …

… To another (L-R): Jeremiah ’90 and Susie Axtell, pictured with Tom, Barb and Jim Byrnes, and longtime employee Eunice Englert.

Congratulations to the Class of 2005!

A Business and a Destination Maggy Marketplace, a second-generation family pharmacy that has expanded to meet an array of needs in the small North Country community of Dannemora, received an Excellence Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the New York Business Development Corp. Founded by Leo “Skip” Maggy ’58 in 1973 and currently operated by sons Michael “Mickey” Maggy ’85 and Mark Maggy ’91, Maggy Marketplace was honored for the positive economic impact its recent expansion has had on the community. The extensive project included a state-of-the-art pharmacy, bakery, meat market and deli, a produce and grocery section and an expanded cards and gift section. “The Maggy Marketplace has an ambiance not expected in a small town,” the SBA wrote in announcing the award. “The result is a destination that is a focal point in this Northern New York community.” The Maggys received the award at the 7th Annual Small Business Excellence Awards ceremony in May in Syracuse.

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Michael “Mickey” Maggy ’85, second from left, and Mark Maggy ’91, center, accept the Excellence Award on behalf of their family from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the New York Business Development Corp.

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Spring/Summer 2005

In Memoriam Rudolph H. Blythe ’31

President and Dean Walter Singer, Ph.D. Walter Singer, Ph.D., who served Albany College of Pharmacy admirably as President and Dean from 1967-82, died July 26 at home with his family after a long illness. “We are saddened by the loss of Dr. Singer,” said ACP President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. “His steady leadership helped the College establish a solid foundation for the academic, professional and research growth we have undertaken over the past decade. We will remain forever grateful for his many contributions to this outstanding institution.” The son of the late Pauline and Morris Singer, Dr. Singer was born in Detroit and spent most of his childhood in Catskill, N.Y. He was Assistant Dean and lecturer at the University of California School of Pharmacy, where he had earned his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. In 1960 he was the medical supply officer and chief pharmacist at the Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley in California, and he also served as a pharmacist at the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1980. Dr. Singer assumed the leadership of ACP in 1967. His tenure included the construction of the administration and library building in 1981-82 in conjunction with the College’s centennial. The building was named for alumnus Rudolph H. Blythe ’31 in 2000. Dr. Singer also set the foundation for excellence in research at ACP to complement and enhance the College’s excellence in teaching.

Dr. Singer was appointed Dean Emeritus in 1983 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Dr. Singer was active in a number of organizations and won many awards. He was published more than 20 times and gave more than 200 talks on a range of pharmacy topics. Tennis was Dr. Singer’s lifelong passion. With a national ranking in his age group, he played in several tournaments a year. For several years, he organized the Senior Tennis Tournament for the Albany area and held that tournament each year until 2004. Dr. Singer also was an avid reader and enjoyed collecting coins, stamps, insects, photos of flowers, tennis rackets and thousands of books. Dr. Singer is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Lilia Singer, also a pharmacist and well-known artist, and his two daughters, Paula Singer of Fresno, Calif., and Dr. Michelle Singer of Guilderland, N.Y. He leaves two grandsons, Damian and Aaron Acevedo; a brother and sister-inlaw, Martin and Eleanor Singer of Watervliet, N.Y.; and a sister, Bernice Liepshutz Tolin of Tallahassee, Fla. He also leaves behind two great-children; several nieces and nephews.

‘48

‘57

‘75

Helen Simkins George July 29, 2004

Patricia C. Longtin Dec. 28, 2004

Edward J. Ottenot Dec. 12, 2004

Jane Clark Hobbs Aug. 12, 2004

Norman M. Simms Aug. 30, 2004

‘51

‘63

Nancy Palmer Baresel May 4, 2005

David J. Deal May 1, 2005

‘52

‘73

Douglas C. Stone Feb. 18, 2005

Gary M. Moore Jan. 25, 2005

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‘93 Andrea Hilse Dec. 10, 2004

‘00 Dale S. Tarapacki April 11, 2005

Rudolph H. Blythe ’31, Ph.D., who invented time-release capsules during a distinguished career as a pioneer industrial scientist and pharmaceutical inventor, died July 23 after a brief illness in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 95. A Trustee Emeritus of Albany College of Pharmacy, Dr. Blythe generously made the largest philanthropic gift in the College’s history in 2000, donating $1 million to establish the Blythe Research Fund in memory of his wife of 61 years, Dorothy Skivens Blythe. The College’s administrative and library building also bears Dr. Blythe’s name. “This is a great honor for me,” Dr. Blythe said during the building dedication ceremony Nov. 14, 2000. “Albany College of Pharmacy played a vital role in my education and provided the foundation for my professional career. I am glad to have been able to give back to the College that gave so much to me, and it is with great pride and humility that I stand here today to accept this wonderful honor.” Born March 23, 1910, in Roxbury, N.Y., Dr. Blythe graduated from ACP in 1931, receiving the Kappa Psi gold scholarship for having the highest grade-point average in his class during all three years of study. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Columbia University in 1933. Dr. Blythe established the first pharmaceutical research laboratory in the United States during a 32-year career with Smith, Kline and French Laboratories in Philadelphia. It was there that he pioneered the time-release technology, which Smith, Kline and French marketed for the first time as “Spansule capsules” in 1952. Other companies quickly followed, and time-release capsules became one of the world’s most widely prescribed dosage forms during the second half of the 20th century. The invention led to a Nobel Prize nomination. During his career at Smith, Kline and French, Dr. Blythe was instrumental in developing one of the world’s most respected pharmaceutical research and development labs. Under his leadership, the company developed numerous improvements in pharmaceutical product design, leading to more stable products, better patient and clinical acceptance of drug products and better utility of drugs. His work was influential in establishing pharmacy as the equal of other disciplines in the pharmaceutical industry, such as chemistry. Dr. Blythe was a teacher and mentor to a generation of pharmacists at Smith, Kline and French, as well as numerous pharmacists outside the company. A widely published author and active speaker, he focused on opportunities and responsibilities facing pharmacists. Among his many awards, the American Pharmaceutical Association presented him with the Ebert Medal for outstanding research in pharmacy in

Rudolph Blythe with then-Chairman Al Collins and President Gozzo in 2000.

1950. Ten years later he received the Pharmacy Achievement Award from the Philadelphia branch of the American Pharmaceutical Association for outstanding achievement in the correlation of research and practice in pharmacy. Dr. Blythe was a member of the Board of Trustees at ACP from 1958-67. Since the College had no graduate program then, Dr. Blythe started a scholarship fund encouraging eligible graduates to continue their pharmaceutical education. “Dr. Blythe’s dedication to the pharmaceutical profession is an inspiration,” said ACP President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. “We are deeply honored to count Dr. Blythe as an alumnus and friend of ACP.” Dr. Blythe retired from Smith, Kline and French in 1966 and moved to Gainesville, Fla., where he was appointed Associate Professor of Pharmacy and, in 1970, Assistant Dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, a position he held until his retirement in 1975. He is predeceased by his wife and son Rudolph H. Blythe Jr. Survivors include son George Blythe of Vero Beach, daughter Elizabeth Karow of Gainesville, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In honor of his life of invention and service to the community, his family intends to establish the Rudolph Blythe Innovation Foundation to identify and reward high school seniors for their practical creativity.

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