Meet our Students

Read profiles of students and recent graduates to find out what it's like to be a PharmD student at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. Their profiles highlight unique leadership and educational opportunities, as well as their commitment to improving their communities.

Chenwei Yan

Rising third-year pharmacy student Chenwei Yan has many areas of interest— rare diseases, medication safety, preventative care, and increasing access to health care— which make her pursuit of a dual degree in pharmacy and public health a perfect fit.

Lauren and Rachel Gankse

Lauren Ganske and her younger sister Rachel have just wrapped up their respective years of the PharmD program, but they’ve experienced pharmacy school through two different curricula. Lauren, now preparing for her fourth year, has learned through the CI-1 curriculum, while Rachel, about to enter her second year, is part of the first cohort of PharmD students participating in the new MNspire curriculum.

Abby Boreen playing hockey

PharmD student Abby Boreen took her finals early this semester so that she could catch her flight to Canada for the first playoff game of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, where she’s a forward for Minnesota. She’s wrapping up her second year of pharmacy school with no plans to quit playing hockey anytime soon. 

David Kabuye standing in front of capitol

Third-year PharmD student David Kabuye is the College of Pharmacy’s first student advocacy lead. When he spotted the listing in a MPSA bulletin, he thought it was a perfect fit for him— a pharmacy student with a passion for advocacy and the legislative process. 

Prosperity Eneh Headshot

Prosperity Eneh, a student at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, attended the 10th International Aids Society Conference on HIV Sciences in July where she presented her work on evaluating drug-drug interaction potential during hospital stay for people living with HIV and suspected cryptococcal meningitis. 

Emily Schuster Headshot

Emily Schuster focuses her research on improving the wellbeing of herself and others.  She was the first student to introduce and implement a wellbeing breakout session at the Benefits Fair and has created tips for how students can boost their happiness levels.  She believes that there’s nothing better than boosting others’ moods and talking about happiness.

Peter Balogun Headshot

Peter Balogun quickly learned that managed care was at the center of all the different sectors of pharmacy,understanding the different perspectives of the key players in the healthcare system and having a more holistic approach to the problems our healthcare system faces.

Abdi Bile Headshot

Abdi Bile's reason for getting up every morning is his motivation to help and serve Minnesota’s underserved communities and people of color. When he was starting pharmacy school, polio was making a comeback in Somalia, and just as he was entering his final year in pharmacy school, we had the largest measles epidemic in over a decade right here in the Twin Cities.

Vu Ha headshot

Vu Ha began the volunteer initiative Socks n’ Sandwiches after developing a strong passion for community work and volunteering in underserved communities at the College of Pharmacy. On the fourth Thursday of each month, Ha and other volunteers make 60 sandwiches and deliver them to local homeless shelters around the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

Axel Vazquez-Deida Headshot

Axel Vazquez-Deida received the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award for his work and leadership in addressing issues such as access to health services, adolescent health, immunization and infectious disease prevention, social determinants of health, tobacco use, substance abuse, and nutrition and weight status. 

Malia Hain Headshot

From the moment Hain stepped on the University of Minnesota campus during her interview day, she felt as if she belonged at the College of Pharmacy.

APPE Germany Group Shot

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) are essential aspects of the PharmD program. One way to enhance the value of these experiences is to take part in them overseas. Students from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy had the opportunity to travel to Germany and examine the German health system.

Mahli Von Arx Headshot

Mahli Von Arx was diagnosed with a chronic disease that requires her to be on medication indefinitely.  The care she received as a pharmacy patient gave her the desire to care for patients in the same way.

Hoa Bui Headshot

Hoa Bui is a first generation Vietnamese-American who wants to help people have a quality and non-judgemental health care experience. The experiences of her parents and grandparents are why she’s pursuing a career in pharmacy. 

Steven Just headshot

Steven Just has passion for working to increase the number of American Indians in higher education, STEM fields, and health-related professions. Just is a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe and Chapter President of the University of Minnesota, Duluth AISES.

Steven Just has passion for working to increase the number of American Indians in higher education, STEM fields, and health-related professions. Just is a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe and Chapter President of the University of Minnesota, Duluth AISES.

Rowan Mahon Headshot

Rowan Mahon realized that it would be illegal for long-term care facilities in Minnesota to donate medications in the way that 20 other states with repositories are currently doing, and that in order to start a medication repository program in Minnesota, the law had to be changed. Mahon’s passion led her to found the Public Health Advocacy Student Alliance at the college.

Mélanie Mahoney Headshot

Mélanie Mahoney attended the 78th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Glasgow, Scotland. The intention of the congress is to bring pharmacists from all over the globe to discuss ways to enhance the role of pharmacists, in order to ensure patients and health systems receive the full benefits from the medicines they use.

Brittney Mikell Headshot

Brittney Mikell spent three years in Boston working in research at a hospital where she worked on developing a mobile application that enables direct patient feedback to care staff.  Brittney said the application was particularly relevant because the hospital’s nurses were on the brink of strike and the hospital had been looking for ways to meet nurse demands.

Ann Nagle Headshot

Ann Nagle spent 10 years working in drug chemistry and toxicology in forensics, testing suspected controlled substances in a lab to identify their contents. She was frustrated to see pharmaceuticals be one of the top three controlled substances abused in her laboratories. Nagle’s desire to help people struggling with addiction is what sparked her interest in pharmacy.