Alumni
Pharmacy alumni flex their creativity as fiction authors
They exemplify the many ways alumni contribute to society. Read the full story.
Celebrating Our Alumni series shares voices across all programs
The college community is fortunate to have alumni who engage to support students and advance the science and professions of medical laboratory science, occupational therapy, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Throughout the year, alumni voices are highlighted through the Celebrating Our Alumni series.
- Meet Jennifer Brown, PhD, MLS(ASCP)cm, SCcm, MLS Class of 2007: “What I love about medical laboratory science is that it’s an applied science. Doing all the nerdy technical, but also contributing to patient care.”
- Meet Ganesh Babulal, PhD, OTD, MSCI, MOT, MOT Class of 2010: “When I went to practice, I really saw the importance of the impact of research on generating evidence-based practice.”
Visit the Celebrating Our Alumni webpage for more stories.
San Diego alumni gather
San Diego area alumni came together for an event at The Farmer and the Seahorse, The Alexandria at Torrey Pines in San Diego. We were delighted to connect with alumni in the area.
Pictured left to right: Marta Giri; Nagdeep Giri, PhD, ‘08; Naveed Shaik, PhD, ‘08; Interim Dean Amy Pittenger; U of M Vice President for Research and Innovation, Dr. Shashank Priya.
In Memoriam
William “Bill” Hodapp, passed away on Jan. 18, 2025. He came to the college from the pharmaceutical industry and, as a faculty member, worked closely with former Dean Larry Weaver. To those who knew him, Bill will be remembered as a kind, thoughtful and organized person with a special sense of humor. He did a great deal for the College of Pharmacy and the University of Minnesota, including his leadership role in the founding of the college's Century Mortar Club and the establishment of the Century Mortar Club Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutical Management and Economics. He was the first recipient of the Spirit of the CMC Founders Award given in recognition of an individual or group demonstrating the spirit of the CMC founders in supporting the experiences and opportunities of student pharmacists. In addition, Bill received the Pharmacy Alumni Society's Distinguished Pharmacists Award given for his leadership and contributions.
Mary Zweber, ‘60 (Medical Technology), passed away Aug. 30, 2024. Mary worked as a medical technologist at War Memorial Blood Bank in Minneapolis.
Giving in support of the college
New endowed fellowship in Pharmaceutics
The College of Pharmacy is pleased to announce a new endowed fellowship in Pharmaceutics—the Dr. Kuchi S. Murthy and (the late) Swatantra Bharathi Murthy Fellowship. Read more online and watch for more information about fellowships in an upcoming issue of “College of Pharmacy Gives.”
Research & Innovation
Center for Drug Design’s ProteXidine™ could change skincare
Decoy molecules boost the skin's ability to mitigate UV damage. Read the full story.
New funding awarded for HIV-related research
Dr. Melanie Nicol received $3 million over five years from the NIH. Read the full story.
Education
One year of the Concordant Mentoring program
It leverages shared identities in pharmacist-student mentoring. Read the full story.
OT students help car owners find the right fit
Through CarFit, students help drivers adjust cars to suit their needs. Read the full story.
Practice
Mapping pharmacy access gaps across Minnesota
With MDH, the college created a map of pharmacy access gaps. Read the full story.
College News
Student News
Maddie Everson, a student in the college's Year 1 Occupational Therapy Cohort on the Rochester campus, is one of the first members of Minnesota’s personal care assistant (PCA) College Service Corps. Her experience was recently featured in a Minnesota Star Tribune article
The U of M CLARION Student Board once again hosted the annual CLARION Local Interprofessional Case Competition supported by the Center for Health Interprofessional Programs (CHIP). The competition was held in-person at the Health Sciences Education Center and included 10 teams with a total of 27 students representing different healthcare professions. Students presented their analysis and air quality strategic plans to develop resilient health systems for a changing climate.
This year’s 2nd Place team included Vy-Cam Nguyen (P4), Harsheen Batra (Healthcare Administration) & Lily Yang (Public Health). This team receives a $2,000 team scholarship.
This year’s 3rd Place team included Taiwo Aremu (SAPh graduate student), Andrea Li (Dentistry) & Gurjot Singh (Public Health). This team receives a $1,000 team scholarship.
Associate Professor Chrystian Pereira, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, Smiley’s Family Medicine Clinic, Medication Therapy Management, was one of the case authors. The case was titled, “The Air We Share: Developing Resilient Systems for a Changing Climate.”
Faculty and Staff News
Occupational Therapy Program
Are you looking to get back into the field of OT? Know a friend who wants to return? Consider taking our nationally recognized OT Refresher/Reentry Course! Visit the website for more information!
Pharmacy Program
Congratulations Pharmacy Teachers of the Semester
- Class of 2026 (P3)
- Duluth & Twin Cities Teacher of the Semester: Dr. Elizabeth Ambrose
- Class of 2027 (P2)
- Duluth Teacher of the Semester: Dr. Jared Van Hooser
- Twin Cities Teacher of the Semester: Dr. Lisa Coles
- Class of 2028 (P1)
- Duluth & Twin Cities Teacher of the Semester: Dr. Dan Harki
Additional awards for TAs of the semester went to Tsung-Hua Shen, Rachel Cohen, Gavyn Walsh, Christopher Lewis, Alexa Ellis, Emily Wells, and Laylia Yang