URI College of Pharmacy Annual Report 2023

WHO WE ARE Mission

We are a welcoming and inclusive student-centered research community. We pursue lives of service and intellectual exploration to solve scientific challenges and prepare students to deliver interdisciplinary health care with compassion and intention. Vision

To advance health and transform communities

MESSAGE FROM PAUL LARRAT

As educators and researchers in the health sciences, we understand that the work we do impacts many more than the students in our classrooms and labs. Those students will leave Avedisian Hall and venture into the world of health care, compounding medications, researching cures to various illnesses, serving the patients who walk through pharmacy doors, and ultimately enhancing the health-care system for the better.

Looking back over the past year, it’s clear the URI College of Pharmacy has made great strides in accomplishing that ultimate goal, making major contributions to the overall health of our society. Our faculty and student researchers have garnered several millions of dollars over the past year to help fund important studies on Alzheimer’s disease, the opioid epidemic, liver disease, microplastics in the environment, and other health challenges.

The college’s commitment to excellence and innovation is reflected in key performance indicators that identify important factors to rank the quality of our program and progress toward our organizational goals. We not only compare ourselves to our peers, but we monitor our performance over time, and we have continued to excel in every key indicator.

The college’s 90 percent, three-year North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination pass rate is second in the entire Northeast, and our 96 percent rate of postdoctoral residency placements is No. 1. Faculty members have garnered more than $90 million in federal research funding over the last five years, by far the highest total in the region—$21 million more than the second-ranked college. Those key metrics, combine with the college’s 98 percent student satisfaction rating, has helped position us among the top 25 of all pharmacy colleges in the country.

The quality of our programs is evident in the lab, in the classroom, and in the community. Our students have received research awards of their own, been honored nationally for their service in the community, completed health services missions in foreign lands, and lobbied state officials on important pharmaceutical issues. Our recent graduates have achieved impressive board pass rates, secured residency positions at a clip well above the national average, and nearly unanimously found employment immediately upon graduation.

The following pages of this report detail just some of the accomplishments that have made the URI College of Pharmacy a national leader. I invite you to visit our website at uri.edu/news for a comprehensive look at the college’s achievements of the past year and all those to come in the future.

Onward!

Dean E. Paul Larrat

BY THE NUMBERS

$22.1M Research funding in 2022–23

2022 graduates employed upon graduation

1 Rank among all New England pharmacy schools in research funding

graduates in 2022

RESEARCH

Dynamic Faculty, Students Fuel Scientific Discovery

Pharmacy Professors Attract Millions in Research Grants

College of Pharmacy investigators continue to grow and expand the research goals of the college through securing collaborations and funding with private and federal sponsors. The URI faculty and student researchers continue to make valuable contributions to the science of health care that have the potential to impact the overall well-being of the community.

The following pages describe just some of the dynamic projects in the College of Pharmacy. For more detail, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

Retinal Scans To Detect Alzheimer’s Disease

Pharmacy Professor Secures

$10.3M NIH Grant for Groundbreaking Research

Pharmacy Assistant Professor Jessica Alber is looking to change the way doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, a change that could raise new possibilities for treatment.

Alber, also affiliated with the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience at URI, has received a five-year, $10.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support her work using retinal imaging to screen for early changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The project could help provide a low-cost, minimally invasive screening technique to detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear.

While there are no treatments that can slow or stop Alzheimer’s disease, new developments in drug and lifestyle therapies indicate the potential for success with earlier intervention. Yet one of the primary challenges in treating the disease has been that it is difficult to diagnose, as traditional diagnostic procedures are invasive and expensive.

Using retinal imaging as a “window to the brain,” Alber and collaborators seek to develop a more affordable and accessible screening tool that could potentially be part of a routine eye exam.

To read more about Alber’s study, visit uri. edu/pharmacy/news.

Professor Jessica Alber works with study participants on research using retinal imaging to screen for early changes associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Using retinal imaging as a “window to the brain,” Alber and collaborators seek to develop a more affordable and accessible screening.

New Models Help Break New Ground in Studying Alzheimer’s

Disease

Blood vessels in the brain likely hold important clues as to how and why Alzheimer’s disease develops— yet existing models are limited in what they can show about the role the cerebral vasculature plays in the disease. As one of the field’s foremost experts in small vessel diseases in the brain, William Van Nostrand understands that a better model would open new possibilities for researchers to answer critical questions.

In the fall of 2022, his lab began work on two new NIH grants to develop gene-edited rat models for cerebral small vessel diseases, including cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which causes such symptoms as dementia and is linked to Alzheimer’s. The models will be the first of their kind for the field.

“As we have made advances in our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, we needed to create models that are more closely

aligned with pathology in humans,” said Van Nostrand, pharmacy professor and co-director of the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience.

For more details on the study, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

Study Confirms Link Between PFAS in Drinking Water and Weight Gain

Researcher Philippe Grandjean leads a study that confirms a direct link between certain chemicals in drinking water and human obesity—specifically that increased perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) content in blood promotes

weight gain and makes it harder to keep a lower body weight.

Grandjean is a physician who holds a research appointment with the college and serves on STEEP—Sources, Transport, Exposure and Effects of PFAS—a special URI-led science effort helping the public grapple with man-made PFAS pollution, including its presence in drinking water.

“We’ve shown that children with increased PFAS concentrations tend to gain weight and develop higher levels of cholesterol,” said Grandjean, also a professor of environmental medicine at the University of Southern Denmark. “We now focused on adults who participated in an experimental study of five different diets in regard to weight gain. Our results add to the concern that environmental pollution may be affecting our metabolism, so that we tend to gain weight.”

For more details on the study, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Philippe Grandjean, left, is pictured with research partners Rainer Lohmann, from the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, and Elsie Sunderland, from Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Researchers Feng Xu, seated, and William Van Nostrand look at amyloid deposits in the blood vessels of a rodent model previously developed by their lab.

Pharmacists Can Safely Start Care for Opioid Use Disorder

Study: Pharmacists Can Safely, Effectively Start Care for Opioid Use Disorder Without a Physician

Researchers at the URI College of Pharmacy, Rhode Island Hospital, and Brown University found that pharmacists—not just physicians and clinicians—can safely and effectively start patients with opioid use disorder on lifesaving treatments without a prior visit to a doctor.

The first-of-its-kind study documents 100 patients who started on buprenorphine at a pharmacy. Once stabilized on the medication, patients were randomized to receive either continued care in the pharmacy or care in a clinic or physician’s office. After one month, the patients in the pharmacy group showed dramatically higher rates of retention in care: Eighty-nine percent continued in the pharmacy, compared to just 17 percent in the physician or clinic group.

“We have a serious treatment gap. We are missing 90 percent of the people with opioid use disorder who need and want treatment,” said clinical professor Jeffrey Bratberg. “Pharmacists are an underutilized partner in the health-care workforce. There is a pharmacy within 5 miles of where 95 percent of Americans live.”

For more on the study, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Strategic Opportunities

Professor Plays Key Role in National Association’s Drug Decriminalization Recommendation

Clinical Professor Jeffrey Bratberg played a key role in historic changes to the American Pharmacists Association’s policy statements on substance use. The association is now expressing support for decriminalizing the personal possession or use of illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia.

This shift comes as the worsening overdose epidemic demands changes to a punitive response that has disproportionately harmed people of color and people experiencing poverty. The focus on punishment has not helped save lives or supported public health and, in fact, has put more people at risk of drug-related harm, the statement asserts. The updated statement affirms the potential of pharmacists and pharmacies as public health professionals and venues that are accessible to individuals and communities struggling with substance use throughout the U.S.

“As key access points for harm reduction services like naloxone, sterile syringes, and medication for opioid use disorder, pharmacists play an essential role in addressing the overdose crisis,” Bratberg said.

Large research grants are awarded when a hypothesis is well defined and supported by early success. Early success requires proofof-concept funding, provided by alumni and friends who invest in strategic opportunities.

What Is the Life Cycle of Microplastics in the Body?

Pharmacy Professor Jaime Ross never expected to study microplastics. But when the opportunity presented itself to investigate the potential impacts of microplastics on the body, she felt like the timing was right to try something new.

“Researchers have been looking more at the impact of microplastics on marine life and oceans but not the impact on human consumption and disease. We are interested in microplastics because it seemed like a black box in discussions about human health,” said Ross, who is also appointed to the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience.

Ross’s research seeks to answer foundational questions about the life cycle of microplastics in the body and whether chronic exposure affects brain health. Ross, with Research Assistant Professor Giuseppe Coppotelli and Ph.D. candidate Lauren Gaspar, has been investigating potential impacts of microplastics exposure after considering questions about environmental influences on brain health from colleagues in her field.

Read more about her fascinating work at uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

Professor Jaime Ross {left) and her research team, including Professor Giuseppe Coppotelli and Ph.D. candidate Lauren Gaspar (right) study the impact of microplastics on the body.

Study Identifies New Toxins in Freshwater Algal Blooms

Bacterial algal blooms and the toxins they produce are a persistent problem in freshwater lakes and rivers and have affected local populations by contaminating drinking water and placing a significant burden on local economies due to diminished recreational activity. The toxins can sicken pets and livestock and potentially pose a significant danger to people’s health.

Pharmacy researchers are trying to mitigate the problem, discovering new toxins in local waterways and working to develop a detection and monitoring system to protect the public, thanks to a $400,000 research grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The researchers, led by Professor Matt Bertin, have been scouring three lakes in Roger Williams Park in Providence,

harvesting algae, and testing it for toxins. The team has uncovered a surprising, and potentially alarming, number of new toxins.

The study, “Shifting paradigms to emerging toxins in freshwater cyanobacterial blooms,” is funded for the next two years, during which time the team plans to discover and categorize the full community of toxic bacteria found in algal blooms and document the effects those toxins have on the human body. Learn more at uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

Professor Matt Bertin leads a study aiming to mitigate the harmful effects of algal blooms in freshwater lakes, including those in Roger Williams Park, pictured above.

STUDENTS

Prepared to be the Next Health-Care Leaders

URI College of Pharmacy Commencement 2023

Dean Paul Larrat, joined by URI President Marc Parlange, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wolfe, and the faculty and staff of the College of Pharmacy, conferred degrees upon the graduating Class of 2023 on May 21. Dean Larrat and the entire College of Pharmacy extend their heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2023.

Hooding Ceremony Honors Pharmacy Doctorate, Master’s Degree Recipients

Dean Paul Larrat and Professor Deyu Li, director of graduate studies, congratulated graduating students receiving Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Studies and Doctor of Philosophy and Pharmaceutical Sciences degrees during the college’s annual “Hooding Ceremony” on May 19.

The 2023 Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Studies graduates include:

Daniel Thomas Kelly

Adriana R. Servant

Ravi Y. Upadhyay

The 2023 Doctor of Philosophy and Pharmaceutical Sciences graduates and their major professors include:

Alicia M. Crisalli, with major Professor Bongsup Cho”

Gina Gallucci, with major professor

Nisanne Ghonem

Rui Qi, with major professor Deyu Li and Van Nostrand

Aleksandra Stanisavljevic, with major professor William Van Nostrand

Li also presented Graduate Student Research Excellence Awards to Shweta Kamat and Gina Gallucci; and an Excellence in Teaching Award to Yibo Li.

Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Studies and Doctor of Philosophy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recipients include Rui Qi, Alicia Crisalli, Ravi Upadhyay, Gina Gallucii, and Daniel Kelly. Not pictured: Adriana Servant and Aleksandra Stanisavljevic.

Annual Showcase Highlights Student Research

With subjects as varied as carcinoma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and lung cancer, dozens of pharmacy students showed off their research projects during the annual Student Research Showcase April 27. Faculty members reviewed the research and issued awards for the top projects in each department:

Doctor of Pharmacy:

First place: Elizabeth Delvecchio, Alexander Linn, Lydia Maskell, Lucas Nicolau, and Ariana Toledo

Second place: Jason Cambra, Katelyn Choiniere, Gillian Diiorio, Rocco Riccitelli, and Allegra Sette.

Third place: Amanda Blais, Kathryn McGee, MacKenzie Plouff, Jessica Samuel, and Matthew Tocco

Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science:

First place: Margaret Hill

Second place: Kristen Harder

Third place: Nisha Kakwani

Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Science:

First place: Sydney Bartman

Second place: Michelle Gregoire

Third place: Winifer Ali

Post-Doctoral Fellows:

First place: Emily Reddich

Second place: Xiaoyue Zhu

Third place: Janitha Unagola

Dean Paul Larrat, Janitha Unagolla, and Subarna Das

Kristen Harder

Amanda Blais, Kathryn McGee, MacKenzie Plouff, Dean Paul Larrat, Jessica Samuel, and Matthew Tocco

Dean Paul Larrat, Jason Cambra, Katelyn Choiniere, Gillian Diiorio, Rocco Riccitelli, and Allegra Sette

Pharm.D. Graduate Awards

As the 2022–23 academic year was winding down, the URI College of Pharmacy issued a series of academic, professional, and service awards to graduating students on May 18. Award winners include:

Viatris Excellence in Pharmacy: Evelyn Conroy

Rho Chi Award: Katherine Houlihan

Rho Chi Service Award: Joseph Kennedy

Merck Award: Lauryn Conti, McKenzie Nigro, Joseph Kennedy Wolters Kluwer/Facts and Comparison Award: Christa Kooser

DEI Award: Kayla Arroco, Anjali Bordoloi

University Excellence Award: Stephanie Dowling, Maggie Hill College of Pharmacy Academic Excellence Awards:

Kathryn LeBlanc, Alexander Kelbley, Kaitlin Leduc, Matthew Carley, Brigid Perry, Christina Miller, Theresa Robinson, Emily Short, Brooke Kelley, Athena Matsikas, Katherine Carron, Cassandra Crompton

Outstanding Achievement in Teaching: Michael Leone

Outstanding Achievement in Research: Emily Canuel, Stephanie Robertson

Outstanding Achievement in Pharmacy Practice: Rebecca Trojan, Deanna Farrell

Outstanding Achievement in Self-Care: Jessica Mills

Outstanding Achievement in Global Health Advocate of the Year: Kayla Arroco, Jaidyn DeJesus

APhA-ASO Award: Danielle D’Achino

Phi Lambda Sigma Award: Sonika Tahiliani

PPAG Award: Olivia Bleier

ASHP Award: Mackenzie Nigro

SNPhA Award: Whitney King

ASCP Award: Mackenzie Nigro

NCODA Leadership Award: Emily Canuel

Kappa Psi: Matthew Campion

Lambda Kappa Sigma: Anjali Bordoloi

AMCP Award: Marta Jankowska

APhO Award: Matthew Campion

SCCP Award: Anthony Makashov

AAPP Award: Joseph Kennedy

College of Pharmacy Service

Award: Gillian Unger

Public Health Award: Gabriela Nieves

Journey Really Began at URI’

Pharmacy Grad Mazen Taman Earns Pharm.D., Heads to Warren Alpert Medical School

Recent pharmacy graduate Mazen Taman had but a few minutes to share his journey and his “why” during the URI Commencement, but Taman, a former football student-athlete who was selected as this year’s student speaker, has much to share from a journey that now includes a URI Doctor of Pharmacy degree and entry to Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School.

During his time at URI, Taman excelled in academics, participated in research projects, and actively engaged in campus activities. He interned at Rhode Island Hospital and CVS Pharmacy, contributing to studies on blood pressure monitoring and investigational drugs. He was also involved in COVID-19 vaccine trials and volunteered for community organizations.

Taman attributes his motivation to his single mother, who worked tirelessly to support his education and athletic endeavors. URI faculty, coaches, and mentors also played a significant role in his transformation, emphasizing the importance of education and providing unwavering support.

As Taman prepared to graduate, he recognized the influence of his experiences at URI, instilling in him confidence, a strong work ethic, and the values necessary for success. He said he was grateful for

the opportunities that have shaped him and aspires to make a positive impact in the medical field.

Taman’s speech at Commencement highlighted his journey, emphasizing the importance of community, hard work, and giving back. He said he is beyond grateful for his achievements and the people who contributed to his growth.

To see more of Taman’s amazing story, visit uri.edu/ pharmacy/news.

Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Student Access

‘My

High -achieving students are tomorrow’s future leaders, but access to premier training is often unaffordable. The College of Pharmacy depends upon scholarship support to recruit and retain promising students, and we are grateful for donors like the Simpson family for investing in the next generation of pharmacists (see page 39).

Senior Spotlights

Michaela Young

Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island

Future plans: PGY-1 Residency at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Orlando, Florida

“URI has some of the most supportive faculty members and professors. It is because of this that I’ve been able to grow professionally as much as I have in the time span that I’ve been a student here.”

Joel R. Seeram

Hometown: Charlestown, Rhode Island

Future plans: Per diem staff pharmacist at CVS and Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts; cannabis research

“Although I originally planned to attend college out of state, I have not a single regret choosing URI because I have matured more than I ever thought possible while maintaining close relationships with my family (especially my dad) and friends at home. I was also able to participate as a research assistant in designing the curriculum for our new cannabis studies program, complete a psychology minor, and, of course, become a Pharm.D. While I work as a staff pharmacist in both retail and hospital settings, in the long run I hope to incorporate the last seven years of knowledge to truly further modern medicine and patient-centered care both locally and nationwide.”

Sonika Tahiliani

Hometown: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Future plans: PGY-1 Residency at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey

“URI provided me with a strong foundation that has been instrumental in shaping who I am today. The reputable pharmacy program, along with opportunities for involvement in organizations, leadership, mentoring, community service and research, have fostered both my personal and professional growth. The relationships I have formed with my classmates, faculty, and mentors have been invaluable, providing me with a support system that I will always cherish. I am grateful for the experiences I have had at URI, and I can’t wait to see where life takes me next!”

Student Leaders, On Campus and Beyond

Pharmacists and pharmaceutical researchers are often leaders in their communities, and URI students often waste no time serving in the role. Four students in particular have taken on leadership roles over the last year, making significant impacts on the university community and the state.

Revaa Goyal has been appointed to the URI Board of Trustees, which appoints and reviews the university president, sets performance goals, approves the budget, and oversees the campus facilities. Goyal has been appointed as a student representative, offering the board a student’s perspective on university needs. She is working on such issues as housing shortages, food insecurity, and overall student life. In addition, Goyal serves as an RA, campus tour guide, URI 101 mentor, vice president of American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and secretary of Kappa Psi.

Nisha Kakwani has been named Resident Academic Mentor (RAM) of the Year for the University for her work mentoring more than 150 first-year pharmacy students, helping them adjust to college life. RAMs provide resources, coordinate student programming, and provide one-on-one academic support. Kakwani said she aims to prioritize mental health and assist in educational progress, as well as support their social lives. She also serves as a university tour guide, pharmacy RA, vice president of ASCAP, and as a board member on the college’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, promoting diversity in the profession.

Ramez Rizk was elected student body president in March, and now oversees the Student Senate, represents students at university events, and works with faculty members and university administrators to improve the quality of life for students. Rizk is an international student from Egypt, a resident assistant, teacher assistant, member of the Middle Eastern Student Association, a member of Christian organizations, a Global Peer Ambassador, and founder of a Pharmacovigilance Club in the college. He is working on such issues as a syllabus bank, food sustainability, and better composting practices in Dining Services, among others.

Mazen Taman was selected as student speaker for the University’s main Commencement ceremony in May. Taman excelled in academics, played for four years as a linebacker on the URI football team, participated in pharmaceutical research projects, and actively engaged in campus activities. He interned at Rhode Island Hospital and CVS Pharmacy, contributing to studies on blood pressure monitoring and investigational drugs. He was also involved in COVID-19 vaccine trials and volunteered for community organizations. After earning his Pharm.D. in May, Taman is preparing for medical school at Brown University.

OF PHARMACY

Ramez Rizk, Nisha Kakwani, Revaa Goyal, and Mazen Taman

Pharmacy

Class

of 2026

Welcomed to Profession During White Coat Ceremony

Oath of a Pharmacist

“I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy. In fulfilling this vow:

“I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.

“I will promote inclusion, embrace diversity, and advocate for justice to advance health equity.

More than 100 new pharmacy students officially entered into the field of pharmacy Oct. 14, 2022, as they donned their white coats for the first time.

Pharmacy Dean Paul Larrat greeted the students and their families in a packed Edwards Auditorium, welcoming the students into their first professional year of pharmacy training, before leading them in the Oath of a Pharmacist.

“I will apply my knowledge, experience and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal outcomes for all patients.

“I will respect and protect all personal and health information entrusted to me.

“I will accept the responsibility to improve my professional knowledge, expertise and self-awareness.

“I will hold myself and my colleagues to the highest principles of our profession’s moral, ethical and legal conduct.

“I will embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.

“I will utilize my knowledge, skills, experiences and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.

“I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.”

Prospective Students Experience College’s Offerings, Opportunities

Dozens of high school students from around the state visited Paramaz Avedisian ’54 Hall recently to learn about the College of Pharmacy and the opportunities it offers during the college’s annual High School Day.

Pharmacy students led students through a tour of Avedisian Hall, joining faculty members in demonstrating the state-of-the-art lab equipment and detailing the programs students can expect to be a part of should they choose to attend the college. Students took part in various workshops, including a CPR lesson, a naloxone demonstration, a drug-compounding example, and a look at the many medicinal plants in the Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden. They toured the Pharmaceutical Development Institute, experienced the advanced patient simulation lab, used pipetting equipment, and more.

Pharm.D. Students Awarded Scholarships

Students Receive Awards During URI’s Annual Youngken Clinic

Nine URI College of Pharmacy students were awarded scholarships during the college’s 65th annual Heber W. Youngken Jr. Pharmacy Clinic. Winners include:

Michael Akon ’24

Jason Cambra ’24

Kate DeBoer ’23

Nina Doyle ’23

Ousainou Faal ’26

Celia Parisi ’24

Madison Savidge ’24

Russ Scarpa ’24

Jasmine Takach ’24

International Student Brings American Pharmacy Experience Back to France

The URI College of Pharmacy attracts students from far and wide, including visiting international student Sacha Huet, who traveled from France to experience an international education and gain perspective in the field of pharmacy.

Throughout the spring 2023 semester, Huet worked in community and institutional settings to gain a variety of perspectives and learn the pharmacy profession in the U.S. Working at Miriam Hospital in Providence and Green Line Apothecary in Wakefield, Rhode Island, she expanded her knowledge

of disease state management, disease prevention, patient outcomes, and wellness in the practice of pharmacy in a variety of settings.

“Hospital pharmacists in America have a lot more freedom and a lot more duties to attend to,” Huet said. “I like that my preceptor trusts my abilities, and I am able to see how progressive American pharmacy truly is.”

Huet returned to France at the end of May to finish her studies and hopes to visit Rhode Island and several other states in the future as a licensed pharmacist.

“Hospital pharmacists in America have a lot more freedom and a lot more duties to attend to.”

—Sacha Huet

Paul Larrat To Step Down as Dean, Resume Teaching, Research

Dean Paul Larrat announced that he is stepping down as dean to resume teaching and continue his research.

Over the last 10 years under his leadership as dean, the college has tripled its research funding, moving into the Top 10 nationwide, spearheaded the Pharmaceutical Development Institute, helped establish the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, played an instrumental role in the fight against COVID-19, and increased its faculty size by 30 percent as it has expanded its offerings. And, of course, the college has maintained an exemplary educational program that has seen graduating students almost universally employed upon graduation.

While he is quick to pass the credit onto others, Larrat has been at the helm of the college during its decade-long expansion. Larrat announced he will be stepping back from his role as dean during the 2023–24 academic year. He will remain with the college as a faculty member, resuming teaching and researching. Larrat’s previous research mostly focused on health-care policy, and he also has a background in epidemiology, so he expects to collaborate on projects with other epidemiologists in the college.

Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Transformative Faculty

Professor Recognized for Pharmacy Outreach Work

Adjunct clinical assistant professor Nancy Tortolani was recognized by the Leon Matthieu Senior Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for her work on their pharmacy outreach program. In this program

Tortolani helps with monthly presentations, blood pressure screenings, Medicare Part D workshops, and health fairs.

“We would like to honor you this year for your interest and dedication in promoting the health of older adults,” center director Mary Lou Moran said. “We have been so fortunate all these years of having you, other pharmacy department educators, and, of course, pharmacy students providing health education programs to our members and the community as well as health screenings.”

Meet the Faculty: Tom Kalista

Tom Kalista, Pharm.D. ’13, was recently named clinical assistant professor with a focus on the community pharmacy and ambulatory care practice settings. In his new role, he will help establish a model for student pharmacists in community/ambulatory care through his entrepreneurial and business skills in collaboration with Matt’s Local Pharmacy in Middletown, Rhode Island.

Kalista teaches primarily in the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process Laboratory, focusing on comprehensive pharmacy practice and patient care, and clinical and therapeutic sciences courses in the Pharm.D. curriculum. His background includes time in community and ambulatory care pharmacy practice, with a focus on diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cigarette smoking cessation, and heart failure pharmacotherapy management. He emphasizes the importance of a more patient-oriented approach in the community setting so pharmacists can expand their role as advisors for both patients and other health-care professionals in the community.

Teaching and research excellence define the College of Pharmacy. Teachers like Tom Kalista and Nancy Tortolani make an impact that serves both our students and the patients they care for. Faculty support is an investment in the future.

ACADEMICS

Interdisciplinary Approach Prepares Next Health-Care Leaders

Winter J-Term in Indonesia

Students Experience Health Care a World Away

Pharmacy Students Join Other Health Disciplines for Winter J-Term in Indonesia

The College of Pharmacy recently expanded upon URI’s 50-year relationship with the country of Indonesia, as professors brought 26 health sciences students on a service learning trip during Winter J-Term this year. URI professors brought the students to Indonesia for two weeks, where they got a lesson in the social determinants of health. The students visited the capital, Jakarta, where they learned the challenges of urban public health in an impoverished, often flooded area lacking clean water, before traveling to a rural outpost to witness the similar health challenges there. They spent time volunteering in a maternal health clinic; learned traditional Indonesian medicine; and participated in an oral health outreach program, teaching children proper oral hygiene.

“The students are learning about health care in a very different part of the world, but they’re also learning how many health issues are similar to what’s going on here,” said Paul Larrat, outgoing pharmacy dean. “They’ve been involved in mental health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, things that also impact the U.S. It’s all transferable.”

Rhody Road Trips for Pharmacy

This past Winter J-Term, pharmaceutical science students, along with Professor Erin Edmonds, participated in the first-ever Rhody Road Trips for the Pharmaceutical Industry. They visited five local industry partners including Sagamore Sales and Marketing in Warren, Rhode Island. The class is expected to continue during J-Term for the foreseeable future.

Advanced Pharmacy Practice at R.I. Hospital

Seven recent graduates completed the Longitudinal Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (LAPPE) program at Rhode Island Hospital, a program designed for students who have a strong interest in health-systems pharmacy and plan to pursue a residency program after graduation.

The students completed all six LAPPE rotations at Rhode Island Hospital in their final year and presented research projects at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists midyear meeting. The students include Olivia Bleier, Cassandra Compton, Lauryn Conti, Alexander Kelbley, Sarah McGee, Mezan Tamen, and Gillian Unger.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Keeping Industry Leaders on the Cutting Edge

College Hosts 38th Annual Seminar By the Sea

Pharmacists from around the region earned continuing education credits while discussing some of the most pressing pharmacy and health-care issues during the 38th annual Seminar by the Sea conference presented by the Office of Healthcare Workforce Development.

The college’s flagship continuing education event of the year attracted more than 300 pharmacists and other health-care providers to the hybrid in-person and online conference, “Food for Thought: Demystifying the Brain-Gut Connection.” The annual event includes up to 15 contact hours of continuing education credit for pharmacists, as well as opportunities for professional networking with colleagues and health-care industry representatives in meeting rooms and in a virtual exhibit hall. To learn more about the 2024 conference, visit uri.edu/pharmce

Youngken Clinic Offers Insightful Discussion, C.E. Credit

The URI Office of Continuing Professional Development hosts the Heber W. Youngken Jr. Pharmacy Clinic each November, offering valuable continuing education credit and insightful discussion on the key issues facing pharmacists today.

In addition to discussions on pain management, cardiovascular health, immunization updates, and more, the program offers live contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit. The 65th annual edition of the conference in November 2022 featured a keynote presentation from Dr. Robert Arnot, bestselling author and former chief medical correspondent for NBC News, CBS News, and MSNBC. Other presenters included some of the leading local voices in the pharmaceutical sciences industry, including URI College of Pharmacy lecturer Thomas Kalista, CVS Health Fellows Yousra Bouzaghar and Russell Neill, and R.I. Department of Health associate director Jacqueline Grace Kelley.

For more information and to register for the next continuing education conference, visit uri.edu/pharmce.

Dr. Robert Arnot

Sara Hanson, right, a manufacturing engineer, demonstrates a capsule-filling machine for URI President Marc Parlange, left, and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed at the URI Pharmaceutical Development Institute.

Pharmaceutical Development Institute Trains Industry Partners

The URI Pharmaceutical Development Institute (PDI) continued its mission to enhance the economic development of the region’s pharmaceutical and biotech industries this academic year, hosting Amgen Inc. employees for training in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The PDI offers a range of courses that can be delivered off the shelf or customized to specific company needs. We can also work with biotech and pharmaceutical firms to develop custom courses focused on their specific needs and processes. All courses are taught by experts with extensive industry experience. Learn more about PDI training programs at uri.edu/ pdi/trainingcenter.

The PDI also offers contract development and manufacturing, and alalytical services, helping industry partners develop non-clinical materials, and optimize formulations so they can be scaled for larger clinical trials.

For more information about PDI programs, visit uti.edu/pdi.

Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Innovative and Distinct Programs

The Pharmaceutical Development Institute’s training program supports both industry

and URI students involved in the process. It is real-world learning that leads to workforce development and economic growth. Such is the hallmark of URI’s innovative and distinct Programs, funded through philanthropy.

ACCOLADES

College Recognized for Impressive Service to Community

URI

College of Pharmacy Is a ‘Health-Care Hero’

Honoring its standing as a “top-tier pharmacy college” and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Providence Business News named the URI College of Pharmacy the top “Health-Care Educator” in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.

The college is routinely ranked among the top pharmacy schools in the country and is among the top 5 percent nationally in federal research funding. It has a Top-10 rank in postgraduate year 1 residency placements, and students are employed upon graduation at a rate of 97 percent. The college had the second-highest graduation rate in the Northeast last year and was among the schools with the highest pharmacy board pass rates.

During the height of the pandemic, faculty and staff members, students and alumni helped lead the response, training hundreds of immunizers, administering thousands of vaccines, and leading dozens of immunization and testing clinics. One professor developed a novel non- polymerase chain reaction-based COVID-19 test, while others volunteered to fill the shortage of pharmacists at state field hospitals and clinics. The college donated and supported the distribution of electronic tablets to patients, and the Pharmaceutical Development Institute produced hand sanitizer.

Pharmacy Dean Wins PBN Annual Education Award

Paul Larrat, pharmacy dean, was named the 2023 education winner for Providence Business News’ annual C-Suite Awards Program, which recognizes innovators, trailblazers, role models, and leaders in the community.

Larrat is “passionate about the power of leadership to positively affect the quality of life of the patients we serve.” His research and teaching efforts have focused on drug use in special populations, drug benefit design issues, formulary compliance strategies, pharmacoeconomic evaluation, decision analysis, outcomes assessment, health policy, and drug utilization management.

A 1982 graduate of URI, Larrat has also earned a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Pharmacy Administration, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology. He served as a NASA fellow, spending several months at Kennedy Space Center assisting in life sciences research projects focusing on volatile organic compound production during extended space travel.

Pharmacy Professor Todd Brothers coordinated the pharmacy inside the state’s COVID-19 Field Hospital in Cranston, Rhode Island, along with several URI faculty members and students.

A student in Professor Angela Slitt’s lab works on a novel coronavirus test that Slitt developed.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Fostering a Committment to Service

Community First Responder Program To Help Stop Overdoses Throughout

Region

$1.3M Grant Will Fund Distribution of Narcan Kits, Community Overdose Reversal Training

Life Saved after Community First Responder Program Outreach

The Community First Responder Program (CFRP) has distributed thousands of life-saving naloxone kits while educating members of the community to reverse opioid overdoses. The program has expanded to become the Northeast Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center for overdose response training across rural New England, thanks to a new $1.3 million federal grant.

The grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration allows the CFRP to expand into a regional hub, adding five institutions around New England, according to clinical professor Anita Jacobson, director of the program. Husson University, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont, and Western New England University will join URI.

For nearly four years, the CFRP has provided free naloxone and educational training seminars, garnering more than $4 million in grants. Trainees receive a free naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray kit—the medication to reverse an opioid overdose—and may request fentanyl test strips to help detect the lethal synthetic opioid. For more information or to become a first responder, visit web.uri.edu/cfrp

A URI College of Pharmacy Community First Responders event made an immediate impact on the community recently, playing a direct role in saving a life. Pharmacy students were staffing a table in Cranston, Rhode Island handing out Narcan opioid overdose prevention kits and educating residents about the lifesaving medication. Local resident Michael Aubin stopped by, ultimately taking two Narcan kits to keep in his car in case he ever had occasion to use one. He had no idea how soon it would pay off. Just two days later, Aubin stopped at a local park in Providence and heard someone yelling for help with a friend who was suffering an overdose. Because of his conversation with the URI students, Aubin knew just what to do.

“They literally screamed ‘Does anyone have Narcan?’ I did. I used it on his friend, and it saved his life,” Derby said. “I administered the first dose and he immediately stopped convulsing. I saw some police officers in the park and ran to tell them. They came over and gave him a second dose, and 30 seconds later, he came back. I would suggest looking up URI Community First Responders and looking at when they have free Narcan handouts. Just when I thought I would never need it, I did, and it saved a life.”

Rhode Island Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee members met at URI May 17 and toured the centralized naloxone distribution site on the Kingston Campus. From left: Carrie Bridges Feliz (committee chair), Kate Michaud, Tammy Whan, Adi Goldstein, Marti Rosenberg, Anita Jacobson, and Lauren Nocera.

Students Bring Services, Supplies to Jamaica for Residents with Disabilities

A group of pharmacy students spent part of their winter break in Jamaica working with some of the most vulnerable populations in Jamaica. Students joined nursing students and Professor Chris McGrane in working with residents affiliated with Mustard Seed, an organization in Jamaica that serves children and adults with severe disabilities. The students lived among the patients in the residential community, Sophie’s Place, feeding residents who are unable to feed themselves, providing comfort, and leading those with some ambulatory ability in light physical therapy.

Students provided direct care, planned workshops for the caregivers, and taught them about medication schedules, self-care, and proper use of medical equipment—much of which the students brought with them to donate.

Students, Faculty Lobby for Pharmaceutical Issues

Students, faculty members, and preceptors worked with state leaders during the spring semester to fight for ways to improve the pharmacy profession, making a lasting impact on the future of the profession.

Students discussed providing pharmacists the authority to prescribe and counsel patients on FDAapproved nicotine products, which the R.I. General Assembly approved. This was in collaboration with R.I. Department of Health and the American Lung Association.

Students also testified in support of the contraceptive access bill (RI S0103), providing the authority and payment to counsel and prescribe hormonal contraceptives.

Adopt a Resident at Brightview Commons

For years, URI pharmacy students have worked with residents at Brightview Commons, a residential senior community in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, in an “Adopt a Resident” program. Students spend time with residents sharing experiences, stories, and health information, and receiving credit toward their degree. In addition to the students’ frequent visits, Brightview residents also visited Avedisian Hall to get a direct look at the students’ experience.

Pharmacy Flu Clinic

Pharmacy faculty members and students, led by clinical professor Virginia Lemay, contributed to the fight against influenza, hosting a flu clinic in Avedisian Hall in October 2022. The college vaccinates hundreds of students, faculty, and staff members from around the University every fall.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Making an Impact on Campus and Beyond

Watercolor Painting in Medicinal Greenhouse

Students, faculty, and staff members joined Medicinal Garden Coordinator Elizabeth Leibovitz for watercolor painting in the College of Pharmacy greenhouse, an extension of the Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden outside Avedisian Hall.

Named after Youngken, the College of Pharmacy’s founding dean and a pioneer in the study of medicinal plants, the garden contains more than 200 medicinal plants, 500 ornamental plants, and nine birch trees, along with walkways and benches. Students and faculty members often study the medicinal plants in the garden and the lab.

Learn more about the garden: uri.edu/youngken-garden

Students Honor Young Boy, Get Lesson in Cancer Care, Compassion

Pharmacy students are learning about childhood cancer and the impact it has on young patients and their families, while contributing to a lasting tribute to a young boy gone too soon.

Sean MacDonnell was just 4 years old when he was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer known as rhabdomyosarcoma. Despite long odds, Sean, grandson of pharmacy professor Celia MacDonnell kept fighting, continued taking part in every clinical trial, and kept his spirits up, until he was unable to continue fighting and passed away in August 2022 at age 8.

Fellow professors Margaret Charpentier and Britney Brown wanted to help pay tribute to their colleague’s grandson while also adding an educational component to their oncology pharmacy classes. So, they enlisted the students to take part in “Shells for Sean,” an online tribute in which participants paint colorful designs on seashells and leave them somewhere for

a stranger to find. A message inside asks anyone who finds a shell to take a picture and add it to the “Shells for Sean” public Facebook page. Students and faculty members collected shells to dedicate, and students will deposit them all over the country and even the world as they embark on their clinical rotations. While giving Sean’s family a lasting tribute and a way to remember their beloved son, the URI students also got a lesson in compassionate care, Charpentier said.

“Our career goal is to help others,” she said. “So, we thought we would end the semester with this message: Let’s put the patient first.”

To read more about Sean MacDonnell and the “Shells for Sean” initiative, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news.

ALUMNI

Representing College’s Tradition of Excellence

URI Alumnus Wins Judith Saklad Award

Charles Caley Is Second-Straight URI Grad To Win Prestigious Award

URI College of Pharmacy alumnus Charles Caley ’86, Pharm.D. ’91, won the 2023 Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award from the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists. It is the second-straight year a URI alumnus has won the prestigious, national award after URI Professor Robert Dufresne was honored last year.

The award is presented to a psychiatric pharmacy practitioner who has achieved a level of professional distinction. Caley, chair of pharmacy practice and clinical professor at Western New England University, has primarily studied movement disorders associated with antidepressant treatment, metabolic effects of second-generation antipsychotics, and mental illness stigma in health care.

Caley received a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1986 from URI and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1991. To learn more about Caley and the Saklad Award, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news

Former Pharmacy Board

Chair Wins College’s Campbell Award

The college presented alumna and R.I. Primary Care Physician Corp. director of pharmacy Stacey Ranucci with the Dr. Norman A. Campbell Award for Ethics and Excellence in Healthcare, honoring her contributions to pharmacy and health care in general in the region.

Ranucci is board certified in geriatric pharmacotherapy and as a diabetes educator. She was appointed to the R.I. Department of Health’s Board of Pharmacy in 2015 and served as the chair from 2018 through 2022. She served on the 2022 National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Resolutions Committee for District 1 and was the NABP District 1 chair for the District 1 and 2 meeting in the fall of 2022.

Ranucci has served as a clinical pharmacist for Triad Healthcare, Westview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, PharMerica, and CVS Pharmacy, and she is a current adjunct professor of ambulatory care for URI. She is a fellow with the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, a member of the NABP Resolutions Committee, and former chair of the Board of Pharmacy for the state of Rhode Island.

URI Alumnus, CVS Executive Details Opportunities in Pharmacy Profession

Pharmacy students heard firsthand about the opportunities awaiting them when they graduate, and the changes occurring in an increasingly patient-focused profession during a lecture by Jared Tancrelle, Pharm.D. ’09, URI alumnus and senior vice president of retail operations for CVS Health.

Pharmacists are among the most trusted professionals, especially those in a community pharmacy who become integral parts of the community, Tancrelle said. Never was that more obvious than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when nearly 300 million Americans visited their local pharmacy for a coronavirus test, COVID vaccine, or just some trusted advice,

Preceptors of the Year

he said, adding that trust will only increase as the profession evolves. Tancrelle, along with fellow alumni

Jeremy Blais and Ariana (Houle) Costanzo, outlined the increasing use of technology, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, and detailed opportunities and growth potential that awaits them. In addition to continuing to work as a retail pharmacist, Tancrelle has worked on the design and rollout of CVS’s pharmacy workflow processes and systems, oversight of the pharmacy delivery platform, and design of several store service strategies.

“There are a lot of opportunities in our profession,” he said.

Each year, the college honors the professional pharmacists who take students and recent graduates under their wing to gain the experience they need, identifying the Preceptors of the Year. This year, they include:

• Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

(APPE) Preceptor of the Year: Jimmy Berghelli, director of clinical integration at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, mentors several advanced pharmacy practice experience students throughout the year, tailoring each unique experience to the student’s goals and objectives.

• Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences

(IPPE) Preceptor of the Year: Rachel Fortin, clinical pharmacist specialist at Lifespan who mentors introductory pharmacy practice students throughout the year. Fortin demonstrates excellence in teaching, innovations in clinical advancements, and professionalism, and continues to reinvent individual student success.

“There are a lot of opportunities in our profession.”

—Jared Tancrelle

Simpson Family Gift Supports College, Student Scholarships

Former owners of Simpson’s Pharmacy donate $1 million to College

David ’57 and Nancy L. Simpson, of Simpson’s Pharmacy in Pawtucket, have reinforced their legacy at URI with a $1 million gift that supports the University, the College of Pharmacy, and pharmacy students.

Simpson Pharmacy in Pawtucket, RI, was an independent, community-based pharmacy that was founded in 1929. Two of the Simpsons’ daughters, Carol Smith ’84 (Nursing), Cheryl Stoukides ’85 (Pharmacy), carried on the family business before recently closing. David Simpson’s gift will benefit qualified potential pharmacy students who don’t have the means to pay tuition.

“It’s prompted by this legacy of education in our family,” Cheryl Stoukides said. “Education was so important to my father. And he wanted everyone to have an opportunity, especially those he knew didn’t have the resources.”

The Simpsons have designated $500,000 to endow the Simpson Family Scholarship in Pharmacy to

for decades.

educate future pharmaceutical leaders who lack the financial means to pay for tuition. They created the Simpson Family Promenade on the second floor of Avedisian Hall, home to the College of Pharmacy, with another $500,000.

“A gift of this magnitude allows us to merge the values of community pharmacy with today’s healthcare system,” said Dean Paul Larrat. “It underscores our shared commitment of exceptional service to patients regardless of the setting. The Simpson family has demonstrated its strong commitment to the College’s future and the future of pharmacy education at URI.”

The Simpson gift also comes in as part of Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for the University of Rhode Island. This multi-year initiative aims to help students and faculty while also advancing research and improving facilities. All contributions to URI count toward the comprehensive campaign’s $300 million goal until its completion in June 2024.

Carol Smith ’84, and Cheryl Stoukides ’85 pose with Pharmacy Dean Paul Larrat in front of the Simpson Promenade, named for their family, which ran Simpson’s Pharmacy in Pawtucket

“A gift of this magnitude allows us to merge the values of community pharmacy with today’s healthcare system.”

—Paul Larrat

TIME + TALENT

Our college community is indebted to a vast network of alumni, partners, and friends who dedicate their time and expertise to support our mission.

Dean’s Advisory Board

Dea Balazi

Rami Beiram

Norman Campbell

Christine Collins

Christopher Federico

Eugenio Fernandez

George Grandolfi

Beth Hebert-Silvia

Kenneth Lawrence

David Ludwig

Henrique Pedro

Susan Petrovas

Lynn Pezzullo (chair)

Jared Tancrelle

Rita Valentino

Emeriti Members

Ewa Dzwierzynski

Heather Larch

Colleen Moffitt

Justina Molzon

Nancy Motola

Eleanor Perfetto

Robert Potter

Ed Quinlan

Edward Rudnic

Sara Thompson

John Zevzavadjian

Preceptors

Tena Abraham

Shawn Ackerman

Madeline Acquilano

Erica Adler

Sameer Afghani

Cyrus Agarabi

David Ahern

Scott Ahern

Svetlana Akbasheva

Katie Akley

Sarah Albanese

Nicole Allie

Nilesh Amin

Nishita Shah Amin

Timothy Amison Jr.

Shawna Amoroso

Valerie Anselmo

Eric Antonovitch

Joseph A. Aquilant Jr.

Jessica Arabi

Madeline Archer

Brittany Arrighi

Nicole Asal

Aisha Ashraf

Ifeoma Asoh

Jeanine AussenbergRodriguez

Carmen Avcioglu

Ashley Ayotte

Jose Badillo

Julie Barber

Andrew Barna

Amanda Barner

Christina Barnett

Pamela Barton

Jeff Bartone

James Beaulieu

Kathryn Bender

Philip Benoit

Maria Bento

Louis Bergantino

James Berghelli

Kyle Bertram

Kimberly Biedka

Colleen Binder

Rania Bittar

William Black

Brett Bollwinkel

Joanna Boone

Christine Borowy

Carol Botelho

Bradley Bouchard

Kayla Bourbonniere

Ryan Bousquet

Jennifer Boyle

Jeffrey Bratberg

Eleanor Broadbent

Todd Brothers

Sarah Brouillet

Britny Brown

Jennifer Brown

Shannon Burke

Mariah Cadavos

Michael Camuso

Steven Cano

Anna Cantin

Alyssa Capuano

Rebecca Carlson

David Caron

Michael Carrier

Danielle Carter

Valci Carvalho

Ava Cascone

M. Ross Casey

Ryan Centafont

Michael Cerasuolo

John Cerini

Lisabeth Cerullo

Teralyn Chang

Michele Chantra

Maggie Charpentier

Jamie Charron

Kristel Chatellier

Ashley Chin

Haeyoung Choi

Sebastian Choi

Kevin Chung

Gregory Cianfarani

Raymond Ciarleglio

Madeline Ciccone

Annaliese Clancy

Nicole Clark

Laura Clarke

Lisa Cohen

Kathleen Colgan

Christine M. Collins

Andrea Cone

Giulia Conley

Kristen Conran

Jennifer Corapi

Jessica Corio

Kimberly Corless

Ann-Marie Coroniti

Thomas Cory

Christie Costello

Erin Cournoyer

Cassandra Couture

Megan Crete

MaryAnne Cronin

Michael Cronin

Mark Curtis

Jeanne Curzake

Melissa DaCosta

Jessica Damon

Philip D’Angelo

Jordan Daniel

Julianne Darling

Jason Darmanin

Ashley Davey

Emma DeCourcy

Kevin Dehner

Alexis Dellogono

Noemi DeSimone

Robert Deveau

Christopher DiBlasi

Danielle DiCostanzo

Cheryl DiLucchio

Lani Dixon

Alexa Donovan

Linh DoPham

Joseph Dora

Monica Dorobisz

Shea Downie

Alex Dozier

Robert Dufresne

Oanh Duong

Katherine Duprey

Kayla Duquette

Chris Durigan

Courtney Durkin

Christine Dyer

Dustin Edwards

Kelsey Eggeman

Alisa Eibling

Christine Eisenhower

Mariebelle El Khoury

Natalie Erichsen

Theresa Fairfax

Alexander Fairhurst

Erika Fallon

Natalija Farrell

April Fasel

Ashley Fay

Matt Federico

Dawn Feret

Eugenio Fernandez

Jacqueline Ferreira

Jennifer Fiebert

Kylie Fogarty

Rachel Fortin

Samantha Fraczek

Pablo Fragoso

Kyle Fraielli

Chris Franzese

Celeste Frappier

Michael Frazzetta

Carlos Freitas

Kayla Friend

David Fussell-Louie

Alyssa Gaglione

Julia Galea

Victor Galli

Deepak Gandhi

Lyndsey Garde

Katelyn Gargano

Melanie Gaspar

Michelle Gaumond

Michelle Gauvin

Bryan Gendron

Marian Gerges

Alex Gianfrancesco

Amanda Giarrusso

Gavin Gillespie

Jane Girgasky

Anthony Giuliani

Surya Gopal

Ami Gopalan

Courtney Grant

Rachel Grant

Justin Greene

Justin Gregoire

Therese Griffin

Christopher Guido

Paul Hackett

Rachel Hambro

James Handshaw

Britt Harrington

Norman Hassan

Ariana Hawkins

Joshua Hayden

Zachary Hecox

Lynnette Henshaw

Jonathan Hersey

Derek Hiett

Jeffrey Hill

Aisa Hodzic

Harvey Hohl

Joseph Hong

John Hoolahan

Zachary Hopkins

Kevin Horbowicz

Michelle Horsfield

Lisa Howitt

Mevlana Hursid

Joyce Hutchison

Justin Huynh

Robert Iacobucci

Abbas Iranmanesh

Anita Jacobson

Nicholas Jandovitz

Whitney Jandreau

Leena John

Sony John

Dana Johnson

Erik Johnson

Gregg Jones

Jay Joshi

Harpreet Kaur

Amanuel Kehasse

Patrick Kelly

Nina Kenworthy

Anne Marie Kilcoyne

Melissa Kilsey

Brianna Kimball

Valerie Klots

Kimete Kodra

Stephen Kogut

Elizabeth Kowalik

Dylan Krawczyk

Danielle Kubicsko

Pranati Kuchimanchi

Angela Kuzmanoski

Marta Lachcik

Tina Langham

Kerry LaPlante

Heather Larch

Matthew Leary

Matthew Lefebvre

Daniel Lefkowitz

Anthony Leggio

Ginger Lemay

Cassandra Letho

Emma Letts

Thomas Levay

Hannah Levesque

Shannon Levesque

Devin Lewis

Maria Lewis

Justin Liauw

Taeho Lim

Danielle Kebadjian

Lindale

Denis Lipovac

Erica Liu

Nicholas Lotano

Christopher Lotito

Greg Low

Scott Lucian

Daniel Lyktey

Brian MacDonald

Celia MacDonnell

Michelle Macwan

Lauren Major

Demetria Malone

William Mann

Ruchit Marfatia

Monica Mark

Kylie Markovich

Sarah Martini

Megan Masse

J. Adam Mathias

Kelly Matson

Rachel McGarty

Kristina McGill

Donald McKaig

Jillian McLlarky

Krista Mecadon

Aimee Mertz

Jayme Messick

Sri Mettu

James Mezheritskiy

Sejal Modi

Margaret Moniz

Miranda Monk

Maricelle Monteagudo-Chu

Melvin Morales Jr.

Jason Mordino

Chloe Morgan

Paula Morgan

Angelo D. Morgantini

Niki-Lynn Moriarty

Gina Morrow

Michele Moura

John Moyher

Michael Muller

Michelle Mullins

Patrick Mun

Brian Musiak

Foster Myers III

Safiya Naidjate

Joseph Nardolillo

Joseph Navarra

Jarrod Nedvidek

Deborah Nery

Lian Ngaopraseut

Kristen Nguyen

Karen Nolan

Kelsey Norman

Ashlyn Norris

Carla O’Donnell

Elly Oh

Matthew Olean

Matthew Olivier

Carmen Oquendo

Avery Pacheco

Donna Paine

Marissa Palm

Stella Panneton

Paul Parchesky

Diane Parente

Akta Patel

Bhakti Patel

Jasmine Patel

Nikitha Patel

Shyam Patel

Vimal Patel

Vrushank Patel

Peter Patota

John Pavis

Jayne Pawasauskas

James Payne

Angel Pechie

Kayla Pederzani

Mariel Pereda

Rachel Pereira

Geoffrey Peterson

Lauren Pickering

Marisa Piers-Gamble

Charles Piwonski

Gregory Plante

Ilda Plasari

Caroline Pomeroy

Kaitlyn Pouliot

Stephanie Preite

Christina Procaccianti

Lisa Puterio

Kayla Quan

William Quirk

Noemi Ramos-

DeSimone

Donald Rastani

Gene Regnier Jr.

Patrick Reidy

Christina Richards

Michael Riendeau

Margaret Rivera

Lisa Rodriguez

Lorna Carrasquillo

Rodriguez

David Rowley

Ellen Rubin

Jessica Ryan

Noelle Ryan

Magne Saba

Caitlin Salvo

Mark Santilli

Kelley Sanzen

Anabela Sargent

Ballard Saul

Emma Saunders

Cynthia Scaffidi

Giuseppina Sclafani

Hope Serafin

Deven Shah

Purvi Shah

Sahid Shaikh

Samantha Shannon

Ann-Marie Shea

Vidya Shetty

Yuliya Sheveleva

Yin Shi

Jennifer Shin

Kevin Silvestre

Sarah Silvia

Andrew Simms

Patrick Skeffington

Sarah Smith

Elizabeth Snarr

Bill Snow

Karina Soares

Robin Sollars

Dawn Sollee

Jenna Solomon

Raymond Spinella

Kevin St. Jean

Kristen St. Jean

Joseph Stanilewicz

Brian Steele

Amy Stoll

Tyler Swalec

Alexandra Tatara

Tracey Taveira

Andrew Terranova

Xia Thai

Karen Thomas

Rhonda Thomas

Erin Tibbetts

Emily Tiglio

Michelle Ting

Frank Toce

Martha Torok

Nancy Tortolani

Robert Tortolani

Rebecca Tourtellotte

Ann Tran

Alyssa Trenery

Krupali Trivedi

Sarah Troob

Dong Tu

Lily Tuleva

Kate Ulbricht

Michael Vardhami

Elise Varkonyi

Tatsiana Verstak

Noelani Vieira

William Viens

Laura Villegas

Jordan Villella

Michael Viscusi

Allan Wang

Kristina Ward

Taylor Ward

Lauren Wardwell

Lisa Wheaton

Gregory Wheeler

Shawn Whitehead

Aaron Williams

Steve Willis

Ian Willoughby

Timothy Winders

Trisha Winroth

Bridgit Witbeck

Margot Wolf

Gregory Wolfe

Nicole Woodward

Melissa Wright

Sarah Wright

Morgan Wynes

Steven Yeager

Kevin Yeh

Richard Zaccone

Kyle Zehner

Tiffany Zeng

Min Zhang

Shu Zhao

Allison Zuern

Jason Zybert

IN MEMORIAM

Edward Avedisian, College of Pharmacy Benefactor

URI was saddened to announce the passing of friend, benefactor, and honorary degree recipient Edward Avedisian late last year.

Avedisian was a longtime supporter of the College of Pharmacy, where he endowed a scholarship and academic chair and provided naming support for the LEED-certified College of Pharmacy building. Each of these gifts was made in memory of his elder brother, Paramaz Avedisian, a pharmacist and humanitarian who graduated summa cum laude from the Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and Allied Sciences in 1954.

To read more about Edward Avedisian’s extraordinary life, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news

Philanthropic resources essential to college’s continuing health care impact

Originally founded in 1902 as Providencebased Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and Allied Sciences, the URI College of Pharmacy has educated generations of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists who advanced human wellness and health in multiple ways. Some were executives in giant corporations, others founded niche companies, several led pharmacies in hospitals and medical centers, and countless others were trusted pharmacists serving local communities.

Seven deans have guided the college through 120 years of unprecedented social, scientific, demographic and political change. Each dean faced unique pressures that shaped the role of pharmacist and pharmaceutical scientists, but one precedent remained unchanged: URI College of Pharmacy trains leaders who advance the quality of health and strive to be a transformative force in their communities.

As the college prepares for its eighth dean, philanthropic resources are essential to advance the college’s strategic themes of

research and outreach; partnerships and students; health and wellness; and institutional effectiveness. To meet this need, URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement is in its final year of the Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for the University of Rhode Island

We need your support to advance the College of Pharmacy by investing in increased student access, an enlivened URI learning experience, the next generation of transformative faculty leadership, new innovative and distinctive programs, and emerging strategic opportunities.

For more information about supporting the College of Pharmacy, contact: Eric Schonewald, assistant vice president for development, at eschonewald@uri.edu or 401-874-9017; or Jennifer Demeter, director of development, at jdemeter@uri.edu or 401-874-2296.

College of Pharmacy

Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road

Kingston, RI 02881

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

URI_Pharmacy

uripharmacy

uri_pharmacy

uri-college-of-pharmacy

uri.edu/pharmacy

How to give:

Gifts to the University of Rhode Island should be made payable to the URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement and can be made online at urifoundation.org/ giveonline