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Alumni

In Memoriam: Class of '20 Alumnus Tyler Reed Remembered

The CU Pharmacy family is saddened by the recent passing of 2020 alumnus Tyler Justin Reed, 30, of East Sandwich, who passed Friday February 23, 2024, leaving family, friends, colleagues and all whom he encountered heartbroken. 


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date March 04, 2024
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

Seasoned CU Pharmacy Alumna Goes Beyond Dispensing Medications, Making a Meaningful Impact on Patients

For 10 years in her role at a specialized pharmacy focusing on Oncology, Dr. Kris O’Malley, PharmD ’14, has actively engaged in assisting patients with the management of oral medications.  The scope of her work emphasizes the profound influence pharmacists can have on patients' lives, reinforcing the belief that impactful pathways exist when healthcare professionals invest time and effort in compassionate care.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date March 04, 2024
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Faculty    Alumni    Pharmacy    Clinic-Based Pharmacy    Academia

Got the Sniffles? Our Pharmacist Has Herbal Suggestions

It’s February, it’s cold and flu season, and by now you know the drill and you’ve got your go-to feeling-ick over-the-counter (OTC) medication. But what about supplements and herbal prevention remedies?


Author Jordan Kellerman | Publish Date February 12, 2024
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Alumni    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

From Active Duty to Resident Pharmacist

Arjay Mendoza graduated from CU Pharmacy's award-winning International-Trained PharmD program in 2022 and went on to pursue a residency with the United States VA and teach classes at his alma mater, The University of Manila in the Philippines. He made time to chat with the Orange County Pharmacists Association (OCPhA) podcast about his  remarkable career journey.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date January 04, 2024
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy    Careers    Clinic-Based Pharmacy    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

Mentoring and Work-Life Balance Factor into 2014 Alumna's Success

Over the course of a decade, Christine MacBrayne, PharmD '14, has found a fulfilling and enriching life experience in balancing her career and family. Dr. MacBrayne reflects on her student days and the valuable lessons she learned that have contributed to her growth as a thriving pharmacist, both personally and professionally.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date December 21, 2023
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Faculty    Alumni    Students

The Ultimate 2023 Roundup

What happened in 2023? At Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, a lot. Our alumni shared their experience with students and future pharmacists, our faculty continued to get creative in their teaching methods, our graduates had one of the highest NAPLEX pass rates in the nation, and we continued to find innovative ways to make pharmacy school more accessible and interactive.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date December 18, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

2023 Alumni Highlights! A Year to Remember

It was a tremendous year with a variety of activities that kept alumni returning back for more. In addition to alumni featured in spotlights each month, a robust schedule of events drew alumni back to their alma mater. Here's what 2023 had to offer:


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date December 04, 2023
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Press Coverage    Faculty    Alumni

Toxicant released from sugarcane ash may be causing mysterious kidney disease in agricultural workers

The burning of sugarcane and rice husks may be releasing a toxicant causing a mysterious kidney disease in agricultural workers, according to a paper by Jared Brown, PhD, and alumnus Keegan Rogers, PhD.


Author NewsMedical | Publish Date November 02, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy    Careers    Community Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy 2018 Alumnus Fulfilled a Promise in Pursuing His PharmD Degree

2018 alumnus Richard Dziallo joined the Alumni Association Board in 2022. As one of its newest leaders, Dr. Dziallo recalls his years as a student, leading up to his career today as a Pharmacy Manager.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date October 01, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy 2018 Alumnus Credits Mentors in Shaping His Career Path in Pharmacy

When entering the lobby of the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2018 alumnus Lee Amaya can be found immortalized in rap video he created while a student in the PharmD program, representing the diverse talent among the CU Pharmacy Alumni. Now just a few years later, Dr. Amaya recalls his student experience and those moments that impacted his learning and contributed to his success as a pharmacist today working in the specialty area of Infectious Diseases.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15th, we celebrate Dr. Amaya and other CU Pharmacy alumni of Latina/Latino descent for their significant contributions in the field of Pharmacy and to the community.



Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date September 01, 2023
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Alumni    Clinical    Careers    Community Pharmacy

Alumna Highlighted for her Work with Walmart

This article was originally featured on Walmart Health and Wellness Linkedin. Alumna Elizabeth Piehl, PharmD '22, has been working in community pharmacy as part of the Walmart team since she was a student. 


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date August 14, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumni Association Names 2023 Board Member

The alumni association for the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently selected it newest board member to begin a three year term this July. As a member of the Class of 2003 and a faculty member, Dr. Monika Nuffer brings a broad perspective to help direct the goals of the association.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 30, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Announces 2023 Alumni Awardees

The Alumni Association for the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is proud to unveil the recipients for the fourth annual alumni awards. This year's honorees are Susan Finstrom, RPh '86, Kristin Holmes, PharmD '13, and Paul Limberis, RPh '79. The awardees will be honored Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 during the 4th Annual CU Pharmacy Alumni Awards as part of Homecoming weekend. 


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 30, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy 2014 Alumnus Concentrates Pharmacy Knowledge in Academia to Prepare Future Pharmacists

2014 alumnus Norman Fenn recently joined the Alumni Association Board. As one of its newest leaders, Dr. Fenn explores his career since graduation and the lessons learned in that time.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 30, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy    Careers    Pharmaceutical Industry

2013 CU Pharmacy Alumnus Contributes to Healthcare Through Data

Dr. Andrew Webb, a 2013 alumnus of the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, is an example of excellence and innovation in the field of pharmacy. Since graduating, Dr. Webb has embarked on a remarkable journey marked by his unwavering commitment to patient care and health informatics. This month's alumni spotlight provides a glimpse into his career path, highlighting his growth as a professional. 


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date June 30, 2023
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Faculty    Alumni    Pharmacy Perspectives

Personally, and Professionally, the Payoff Comes After the Hard Work

Before she left to hike Mount Everest base camp, Chandler Follett, PharmD, Clinical Instructor, said it would be fine.

“Hiking is just walking around with your backpack, right?” she mused.


Author Jordan Kellerman | Publish Date June 06, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Diversity    Pharmacy    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

CU Pharmacy Provided 2007 Alumnus the Space to Be His “Authentic Self”

The journey from small-town roots provided 2007 alumnus Robert Willis an opportunity that not only directed and shaped his career as a pharmacist but also provided him the road map to self-discovery, making him the person he is today. In celebration of Pride Month this June, Dr. Willis reflects on his college experience that launched his Pharmacy career and brought him to the realization of his identity as a gay man.



Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date June 01, 2023
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Alumni    Students    Pharmacy Perspectives    Graduation    Careers    Community Pharmacy    Academia

A PharmD, For Personal Merit, and Professional Innovation

Determination doesn’t sleep, and neither does Lisa Chang, BS, MBA, and soon to be Doctor of Pharmacy from the North American-Trained PharmD program (NTPD).

Unlike traditional PharmD programs, where training is in-person, the NTPD program at CU Pharmacy is built for individuals already licensed to practice pharmacy but who want the added benefits of a doctoral degree.


Author Jordan Kellerman | Publish Date May 17, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Diversity    Pharmacy    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

2003 CU Pharmacy Alumna Overcomes through Resilience and Perseverance

Giving up has never been an option for 2003 graduate Hien Pham. Not even a cancer diagnosis could disrupt her goal of becoming a pharmacist and living life to the fullest.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date April 30, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Diversity    Pharmacy    Equity Diversity and Inclusion    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna Finds Success in Stepping Outside Her Comfort Zone

In celebration of Arab-American Heritage Month this April, we feature 2016 CU Pharmacy alumna Lana Al-Omar as the Alumni Spotlight. Lana reflects on her time as a student on campus, catching us up to date on where she is today, along with sharing pearls of wisdom to guide future pharmacists.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date April 03, 2023
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Alumni

In Memoriam: Class of '54 Alumnus Don Vecchio Remembered for His Longstanding Pharmacy Expertise

Donald A. Vecchio  “Don” died February 8, 2023, a few months short of his 91st birthday. Don was a man of faith who loved life and lived it to the fullest.  He was the only child of Dominic and Mary Vecchio, raised in North Denver where he graduated from North High School. Don received his pharmacy degree at CU Boulder, followed by four years of service in the Army. 


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date March 03, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Diversity    Pharmacy    Equity Diversity and Inclusion    Academia

2003 Alumna’s Professional Growth Matches the Evolution of the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy

2003 alumna Hilda Bi Ndikum has experienced several transitions in the growth of the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. As a student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, she first took pharmacy courses when the School was located on the University of Colorado campus at Ninth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. She joined the faculty when the School relocated to the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, operating out of the Academic Office Building. She continues in her faculty role today with the School now in its own dedicated building at Anschutz.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date March 03, 2023
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Alumni    Students    Pharmacy

Navigating the Pharmacy Profession: Leading with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

On Thursday, Feb. 23, CU Pharmacy transformed its regular lunch and learn into an Alumni Association panel discussion for Black History Month. Hosted by the CU Pharmacy Alumni Association, in collaboration with the Career Services Office and the School’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the event provided the opportunity for students to network with alumni and ask questions about their journey in the pharmacy profession.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date February 27, 2023
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Faculty    Alumni    Students

CU Pharmacy Graduates Have one of the Top NAPLEX Pass Rates in North America

Recently, The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) released its most up-to-date North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® (NAPLEX®) results, showing University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CU Pharmacy) graduates had a first-time pass rate of 96 percent. Only two other schools in North America saw higher scores.


Author Jordan Kellerman | Publish Date February 21, 2023
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Alumni    Pharmacy

In Memoriam: Class of '06 Alumnus Roy Brunson Remembered as Tireless Patient Advocate

Roy Dean Brunson, Pharm.D. class of 2006, passed away on January 15, 2023. He was born February 12, 1955, in Fort Hood, TX, and spent his early childhood in Hawaii.  Roy had several careers before choosing pharmacy. Most notably, he was a tennis pro at the Coco Palms Resort in Kauai, HI, where he met his wife, Carol.  


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date February 16, 2023
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Alumni    Pharmacy    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

Wrestling with Fame

Jeff Gold, PharmD, has a name fit for the bright lights, whether it’s the lights of a film crew, or the lights of a professional wrestling match. Those film lights found him for the Netflix documentary, “Take Your Pills: Xanax”, as he is a leading psychiatric pharmacist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado and a specialist on medications like Xanax and other benzodiazepines.


Author Brad Bobel | Publish Date February 06, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Diversity    Pharmacy    Equity Diversity and Inclusion    Careers    Clinic-Based Pharmacy    Community Pharmacy    Academia

2012 CU Pharmacy Alumnus Serves to Advance Healthcare Needs in Underserved Communities

CU Pharmacy alumnus Harold Okocha, PharmD ‘12, recently discussed his pharmacy career. As a board member of the CU Pharmacy Alumni Association and a member of the School’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Dr. Okocha stands as a leader and role model for future pharmacists.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date February 03, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy    Careers    Clinic-Based Pharmacy    Academia

CU Pharmacy 2016 Alumna Makes It Her Mission to Empower the Community

CU Pharmacy 2016 alumna Kelsey Schwander returned to her alma mater as a Clinical Assistant Professor, practicing out of the Marcus Institute for Brain Health to provide assessments and medication recommendations for patients who have suffered from brain injury. Her body of work serves to fulfill her personal mission of empowering patients, providers, and businesses to create healthcare solutions.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date January 01, 2023
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

Us, You and 2022! A Year in Review

It was life full circle in 2022 as a return to normalcy occurred and in-person activity amped up. Along with the numerous alumni featured each month, a full schedule of activities kept CU Pharmacy alumni involved. Here is just a glimpse of the year 2022 as we draw the year to a close:


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date December 05, 2022
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Alumni    Pharmacy

Pharmacy Alumni Awards Honor Three Recipients for Major Impact and Innovation

The Alumni Association of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences held their third-annual Alumni Awards which honored three outstanding alumni, spanning three generations of pharmacists.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date October 31, 2022
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Alumni    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Well Represented In This Year’s Homecoming Tailgate

CU Pharmacy alumni spanning 60 years of graduates gathered with their friends and family, along with students, faculty, and staff, on the CU Boulder campus, Saturday, Oct. 29 to celebrate the annual Homecoming event at Ralphie’s Corral.

“We have represented with us today 60 years of alumni from 1959 to 2018 and we’re happy to have everyone here,” said Dean Ralph Altiere.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date October 31, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy 2010 Alumnus Focuses on Applying Technology in Pharmacy

2010 alumnus Charles Foster finds value in incorporating advanced technology to move forward the work of pharmacy. He’s even gone as far as to create a website specifically designed for pharmacy professionals to network through an online community.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date September 30, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

All Roads Lead Back to CU Pharmacy for 2012 Alumna

2012 graduate Michaela Hasan never imagined she'd return to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Through networking and reconnecting with faculty from her days as a pharmacy student, she found herself at the doorstep of the CU School of Pharmacy once again--this time returning as a member of the faculty at the newest facility operating out of the recently completed Health Sciences Building.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date September 01, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumnus Proud to Serve Community Over 40 years

1972 CU Pharmacy alumnus Robert Fowler wears many different hats as a pharmacist, city coroner and minister, establishing a reputation for multitasking in order to meet community needs. For anyone who has ever thought about how far you can go with a pharmacy degree, Robert demonstrates the possibilities when you use your background knowledge to think outside of the box and apply your degree to areas that most would never consider as an option with a pharmacy degree.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 29, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Announces 2022 Alumni Awardees

The Alumni Association for the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is proud to unveil the recipients for the third annual Alumni Awards. This year's honorees are Edward Skaff, RPh '59, Kristin Speer, PharmD '12, and Laura Tydall, PharmD (RPh '82).


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 01, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna Finds Rewards in Academia

2012 CU Pharmacy alumna Julia Slejko has traded places going from student to faculty with her career in academia. She had been working in biotech for about seven years before considering graduate school, taking pharmaceutical sciences courses as a non-degree student at the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the early 2000s. Then she discovered CU Pharmacy's Center for Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research (CePOR) degree program and found her fit in pharmacoenomics, the scientific discipline which compares the value of one pharmaceutical drug or drug therapy to another.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 01, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumni Association Names 2022 Board Members

The alumni association for the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently selected board members to begin terms this July. Each member brings a unique skill set and perspective to helping guide the work of the association.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date June 03, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna Uses Skill and Passion to Benefit the Geriatric Community

2012 CU Pharmacy alumna Renee Castilleja (née Torres) hits new stride in career as a long term care pharmacist, stepping out of her comfort zone and aligning her passion for working in geriatrics.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date June 03, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna Explores Business Model for New Opportunity

As this month’s 2022 Milestone feature, Kristin Speer (nee Braschler) looks back 10 years ago since graduating from the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She offers insight and advice for the next generation of pharmacists.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date April 29, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

How Medications, Murder and Modernization Became one Alumna’s Theme

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Rho Chi, the academic honor society for pharmacy. In special acknowledgment of the occasion, this month’s alumni spotlight focuses on a former president of the CU Pharmacy Alpha Theta chapter of Rho Chi, Laura Tyndall. Laura marks her 40-year anniversary as a 1982 graduate of CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She looks back on the last 40 years and the opportunities that have come her way in that time. Continuing with the feature on alumni milestones, Laura provides a retrospective on the changes she’s experienced in the pharmacy profession and her role in influencing those changes.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date March 29, 2022
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Alumni

Preceptor of the Year is Alumni for Life

For this month’s 2022 Milestone feature, Terrie Sajbel, RPh ’82 looks back over the past 40 years since graduating from the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. As a two-time Preceptor of the Year through the School’s Experiential Programs, Terrie has nurtured future pharmacists adding to the community of highly regarded professionals in the industry.

 


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date February 26, 2022
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Alumni    Pharmacy

5 Minutes with a Pharmacist: Dr. David Gurule

 

Dr. David Gurule, PharmD, '16, joined us for 5 Minutes with a Pharmacist, a new series on why our alums live and work in Colorado. "I was born and raised in rural Colorado so to me it has always been what I have known," he says. "I really enjoy the people. I get to see most on a regular basis and have formed relationships with them and their families."

 

Author SOP Communications | Publish Date February 09, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna Makes Medical Matters Her Affair

2022 marks a milestone year for the classes of ‘82, ’92, ‘02, and ’12. All year long, we’ll be spotlighting alumni from each of these classes as they provide a retrospective on life at CU Pharmacy and their career success. ’02 alumna, Elisha DeLong Sieg kicks off the first 2022 alumni spotlight.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date January 28, 2022
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Alumni    Pharmacy    Advancement

Pharmacy Was a Family Affair

Perhaps Marguerite Cole Moore, ’60, was predestined to become a pharmacist. Her father, Wallace Cole, grew up in Salida, Colorado, and worked there for Wagoner’s Drug Store. When he graduated from high school in 1924, he worked in Denver for Maier Drug and Strickland Drug Company, prior to enrolling in the Capitol College of Pharmacy. After graduating in 1928, he purchased a drug store in Center, Colorado. Eventually, he ended up buying Pioneer Drug in Lamar, Colorado, which he renamed Cole’s Prescription Pharmacy. He received his fifty-year certificate of Pharmacy Registration in 1978.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date January 14, 2022
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

Alumnus' Nuclear Oncology Role Broadens Work

CU Pharmacy alumnus Andrew Maurer, PharmD ‘10, recently discussed his newest career as a Nuclear Oncology Radiotherapy Specialist. As chair of the Nomination Committee for the School’s Alumni Association, Dr. Maurer is regularly engaged with his alma mater as a leader and role model for future pharmacists.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date December 30, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

Remembering a Pioneer of Compounding

Robert 'Bob' Leslie Light, BS, '78, of Sun Lakes, Arizona passed away on November 8, 2021 after complications from COVID-19.

Bob is recognized as a pioneer of compounding who has helped the pharmaceutical industry maintain and exceed standards of quality set by state and federal levels, and whose methodologies have been adopted by Walgreens across the country. Bob traveled to Brazil to educate physicians about pharmacy compounding and said the experience was the exclamation point to an amazing pharmacy career.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date December 23, 2021
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Alumni

Alumnus Leaves Legacy in Standardized Pharmaceutical Care

Alumnus Ronald “Ron” Lewis Kennedy, RPH, passed away on December 7, 2021. A 1968 graduate of the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, he was awarded the Distinguished Coloradan Award from the School in 2014 in recognition of lifetime achievement in the field of pharmacy.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date December 16, 2021
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

Introverted Pharmacist Spreads Wings for Business Intelligence Career

CU Pharmacy Career Services Manager Laurie Sein chatted with Przemek Lott, PharmD ’19, recently about his journey to becoming a business intelligence pharmacy practitioner.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date November 29, 2021
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

Alumna Shows Drive and Initiative in Identifying a Pharmacy Career

CU Pharmacy alumna, Jennifer Kobylarczyk, ’19, describes how she created a path for herself in building a career as a consultant pharmacist incorporating her experience in compounding pharmacy (the process of combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient) and veterinary pharmacy (dispensing veterinary drugs, supplies or products and advising owners of companion animals and livestock). Career Services Manager Laurie Sein conducted the interview.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date October 30, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

Would You Like a Sundae With that Prescription?

NOTE: This article originally appeared in The Denver Gazette: Amanda Hancock, Writer; Chancey Bush, Photographer.

Maybe you’ve forgotten about this 170-year-old dynamic duo: Pharmaceuticals and sweet treats.

It has slipped from some memories, according to the surprised expressions of people who walk in this front door. Despite the sign out front and despite the smell of fresh waffle cones mixed with the distant sight of pill bottles, visitors are repeatedly confused about what’s offered here.


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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna’s career blends pharmacy and business

In her own words, 2018 CU Pharmacy alumna Chelsea Sax reflects on her experience completing the PharmD program and entering the corporate sector as a managed care pharmacist with the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company Express Scripts in an interview conducted by Career Services manager Laurie Sein as part of a series on specialty careers in pharmacy.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date September 30, 2021
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Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumnus Stacks the Cards in Career Choice

Career Services Manager Laurie Sein continues her conversations with CU alumni involved in new and novel fields of pharmacy. This time, Dmitriy Gekker, PharmD '20, takes center stage, discussing his role at STAQ Pharma as an intern production pharmacist.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date August 30, 2021
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Faculty    Alumni    eScripts    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Announces 2021 Alumni Awardees

The Alumni Association for the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is proud to unveil the recipients for its second annual alumni awards. This year's honorees are Lucas Smith, PharmD '14 and Boris Tabakoff, RPh '66, PhD '70.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 28, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumnus Takes Initiative

Career Services Manager Laurie Sein puts the spotlight on 2018 graduate Bayli Larson, who completed an ASHP fellowship that evolved into her current role as a Strategic Initiatives Associate for the healthcare professional society.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date July 28, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

Boulder Revisited: Alumnus Recalls Pharmacy School Pre-Anschutz

As the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences approaches the eve of its 110th anniversary, an interview with Morrison Brown, ’55 provided a walk through time in recounting his days on the Boulder campus as a pharmacy student and the opportunities afforded him as an advocate for the pharmacy profession.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date June 30, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumni Association Names 2021 Officers and Board Members

The alumni association for the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently selected new officers and board members to begin terms this July. Each member brings a unique skill set and perspective to helping guide the work of the association.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date June 30, 2021
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Research    Alumni    Pharmacy    Clinical Research    Graduate Program

CU Pharmacy Alumnus Strategizes through PhD Program


Recently, we connected with Dr. Chong Kim (CK), who received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Outcomes during the fall 2020 Commencement on Dec. 12. Dr. Kim  describes himself as a critical thinking, highly motivated, and hard working problem solver. Currently, his specific interests lie in optimizing the landscape of the healthcare environment around the world. His main expertise involves observational studies, development of statistical methods, and programming. He's currently working as a manager at Stratevi.

Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date May 28, 2021
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Alumni    Philanthropy    Pharmacy    Advancement    Health Sciences    Integrative Health    Medicine

CU Pharmacy Alumnus Built a Legacy in Alternative Medicine

Longtime friend and supporter, Henry Leopold Strauss, 93, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2021 at the home where he lived for the past 60 years. Strauss, RPh '51 leaves a lasting legacy with the University and Colorado and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, his alma mater.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date April 30, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

CU Pharmacy Alumna Draws from Personal Experience to Treat Neurology Patients With Compassion

Dr. Felecia Hart always had passion for health care solutions to multiple sclerosis (MS), and a chance opportunity provided the outlet for her to combine that passion with her PharmD. She currently works for Novartis, a pharmaceutical company in Fort Collins, CO as a medical science liaison.

Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date March 30, 2021
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Alumni    Students    Diversity    Pharmacy    Scholarship

The Beverly Brunson Pharmacy Diversity Scholarship

According to former Skaggs School Director of Student Services Beverly Brunson, her career was a happy accident, spanning nearly three decades, changing thousands of lives, and redefining how we see the face of pharmacy.


Author Jordan Kellerman | Publish Date March 22, 2021
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Community    Alumni    Pharmacy

Graduate Takes the Reins of National Organization

Sandra Leal, a 1999 CU Pharmacy graduate and EVP of TabulaRasa Healthcare, is the new president of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the largest association of pharmacists in the United States and the only organization advancing the entire pharmacy profession. Leal officially assumed her three-year leadership term at the 2021 APhA  Annual Meeting and Exposition on March 15.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date March 15, 2021
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Alumni    Diversity    Pharmacy    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy    Community Pharmacy

Alum Puts a Fresh Spin on Patient Education

Pharmacists are known for being medication experts who take their role of patient education seriously. 2012 PharmD alum James Delk has created a way to make that serious message, well, fresh.


Author Lori Westermann | Publish Date February 10, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy    Careers    Hospital-Based Pharmacy

Alumnus prescribes two doses: medication and music

Dr. Corey Craig doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to balancing his pharmacy career with his love of music. During a recent interview, Corey shared his thoughts on pursuing a career in pharmacy and provided insight on managing the time as a nuclear pharmacist and a professional DJ.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date January 28, 2021
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Alumni    Pharmacy

NTPD Graduates Provide Leadership for CU Pharmacy Alumni Association

Most pharmacy professionals enter the North American-Trained PharmD (NTPD) program as a way to earn their Doctor of Pharmacy degree and increase their career opportunities. But an increasing number of NTPD graduates are also using their expanded opportunities to flex their leadership muscle and give back to the pharmacy profession. One place that NTPD graduates are making their mark is on the CU Pharmacy Alumni Association Board. This year almost half of the board is comprised of alumni from the North American-Trained PharmD program.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date January 25, 2021
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Alumni

Recent PhD graduate puts it all together with research

Six graduates were recently conferred their degrees from the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences through the CU Anschutz Graduate Program during the fall 2020 Commencement, Saturday, Dec 12. Philanthropic Advisor Lauren Wise had a chance to speak with one of the graduates, Reena Berman, about her experience pursuing her PhD in Toxicology. Here’s how Reena responded to the questions:


Author Lauren Wise | Publish Date December 19, 2020
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Alumni

"CU has given me everything that I have in the US.”

Lauren Wise with the Advancement Office recently had a conversation with 2019 CU Pharmacy alumnus Stefanos Aivazidis, who spoke on his time at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, pursuing his PhD in Toxicology. Below is the discussion between the two:


Author Lauren Wise | Publish Date November 21, 2020
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Alumni    Students

Elm scholarhip honors veterans and their loved ones

Two days after Dario Martinez graduated from high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. At just 17, he wasn’t old enough to sign his contract himself, so his mom had to sign it for him.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date November 11, 2020
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Alumni

CU Pharmacy Alumni Awards launched at virtual ceremony

The alumni association for the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences launched the inaugural year of its alumni awards, Thursday, Oct. 22, honoring alumni Debra Devereaux (BS ’76) and Kevin Kerr (PharmD ’11) at a virtual event in celebration of Homecoming Week.   


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date November 02, 2020
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Community    Alumni

Catching up with Dr. Quoc Ho

Upon graduation, you completed a fellowship at Allergan. How did it go? What progress was made in your research on age-related macular degeneration?


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date October 17, 2020
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Community    Faculty    Alumni

From the archives: CU Pharmacy’s all-female class of 1920 makes history

As the country reflects on the 100th anniversary of women’s voting rights in the U.S., the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is reflecting on a milestone of its own. In 1920, the school awarded degrees to an all-female class, a rare feat in a time when women were still fighting for their rights.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date August 18, 2020
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Community    Alumni

Pharmacy alumnus's career takes flight

"Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane”. . .No, it’s a pharmacist. Class of ‘68 alumnus, Rod Palmieri, is no stranger to facing challenges. So, when the chance to volunteer for the Jackson County Oregon, Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team (SAR) presented itself, he jumped at the opportunity. Really ... he did jump.


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date August 07, 2020
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Alumni

PhD alumna reflects on time on campus

Shortly after graduating, ’19 alumna Uma Fogueri was approached by Philanthropic Advisor Lauren Wise with questions about Fogueri’s time on campus completing her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences though the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Here’s how Uma responded to the questions:


Author Jaron Bryant | Publish Date August 03, 2020
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Alumni    Students

Graduating DDP student plans to advance pharmacy at home and worldwide

 

Neemat Srour, a spring 2020 PharmD graduate, has lived and worked all over the world.

From earning a Master’s degree in France to working as a hospital pharmacist in Saudi Arabia, she has grown an international career with a major goal in mind: one day expanding the profession of pharmacy in Lebanon, her home country.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date July 09, 2020
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Alumni

Alumni find the right fit in the pharmaceutical industry

Once CU Pharmacy alumnus Kevin Henderson graduated and became established in his career in the pharmaceutical industry, he made a goal: “I made a commitment to make sure other pharmacy students knew about all their career options, including industry.” 


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date July 07, 2020
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Alumni

Alum Sandra Leal named APhA president-elect

Note: This story was originally published in the Winter | Spring 2019 edition of Pharmacy Perspectives. Since its publication, Dr. Sandra Leal was named president-elect of the American Pharmacists Association.

When Sandra Leal was growing up in Nogales, Arizona, her family depended on pharmacists across the border in Mexico for medical care. Today, Dr. Leal,PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, CDE, has devoted most of her career to helping underserved, low-income patients access quality health care from pharmacists.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date July 06, 2020
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Community    Faculty    Alumni

Office of Experiential Programs announces 2020 preceptor award winners

Inspiring. Brilliant. A credit to the pharmacy profession. Those are just some of the words the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Office of Experiential Programs uses to describe recipients of the school’s 2020 Preceptor Awards.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date July 03, 2020
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Alumni    Students

CU Pharmacy graduate combines pharmacy and tech

Since he was a teen, computers and pharmacy have fascinated Dean Marucci, PharmD, a 2018 graduate of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Thanks to a pivotal P4 rotation, he has found a job that blends both interests perfectly.


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date July 02, 2020
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Alumni    Students

Pharmacy graduates grow family and careers together in school

Jennifer and Nicholas Tomlinson were both emergency medical technicians in Georgia when they decided it was time for a career change. The couple, married since 2015, found that as they worked on ambulances, they saw impacts on patients when they didn’t take their medications. 


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date July 01, 2020
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Alumni    Students

Megan Williams’ passion for pediatric pharmacy started with her nephew

Megan Williams was about to begin pharmacy school when her 5-year-old nephew was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor that starts in the lower back part of the brain. 


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date June 30, 2020
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Community    Alumni    Students

CU Pharmacy announces awards and scholarships during virtual convocation

The CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences shined a spotlight on high-achieving students, alumni and faculty members recently during the 2020 Awards Convocation Ceremony.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date May 01, 2020
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Research    Community    Faculty    Alumni

Dr. Glenn Appelt’s legacy of generosity lives on with new CU Pharmacy scholarship in his name

If the late Dr. Glenn Appelt knew his wife and daughter would establish a scholarship in his name at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, he would have been proud to see a new generation of students have the opportunity to study pharmacy, says his wife of 30 years, Jennifer Appelt.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date December 20, 2019
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Alumni    Students

Navigating the world of pharmacy with Career Services Manager Laurie Sein

Starting out in pharmacy school, it’s common for students to begin thinking about where they might fit into the wide world of pharmacy. 


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date December 17, 2019
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Alumni    Students

Stanislava Manojlovic, previously a refugee, overcomes obstacles to earn PharmD

Stanislava Manojlovic poses for a photo with her nephew, Maksim Morris, May 24 after the 2019 Commencement Ceremony.

Stanislava Manojlovic’s dreams of becoming a pharmacist started when her mother was injured while tending to sheep in her home country of Serbia. Her family didn’t have any other access to medical care, and her mother’s ankle, cut by a leash, was starting to get infected.  

So Manojlovic’s neighbor, a pharmacist, cared for her mother until she was healed.  


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date June 05, 2019
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Alumni    Students

Erin Terrio’s legacy of determination lives on through posthumous CU Pharmacy degree

As the fall 2016 semester wrapped up, Erin Terrio prepared for finals the same way as any other student.

“She was in the middle of finals, and she was doing all the crazy stuff you do during finals week: staying up all night and studying and studying,” said her sister and roommate, Jennifer Terrio, who is a student at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. “Until the very last second, she was trying to get through all of her finals.”

Terrio was halfway through her second year with the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and almost done with finals when she died of complications from cystic fibrosis, a disease that causes lung infections and makes it harder to breathe because of thick, sticky mucus that clogs the airways.


Author Sara Knuth | Publish Date May 30, 2019
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Alumni    Students

Life-prolonging drugs inspired student to pursue pharmacy

John Song is a third-year student at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences because chemotherapy gave his beloved cousin, Stephanie Maurer, extra time to live before she died of cancer at 34.

“She was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer and was expected to survive three months,” recalls Song. “Because of the chemotherapy she received, she lived for a full year and was able to experience the birth of her niece, hold her, and play with her.”


Author SOP Communications | Publish Date February 25, 2019
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Alumni

Not Just a Pharmacist

CU Pharmacy alumnus Richard Onufrock balanced two worlds - the worlds of pharmacy and art. Throughout his life, the graduate of the Class of 1961 worked as a pharmacist and an accomplished illustrator.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date September 07, 2018
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Faculty    Alumni    Students

CU Pharmacy at AACP's Pharmacy Education 2018 Annual Meeting

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's (AACP) annual meeting, Pharmacy Education 2018, was held July 21-25 in Boston and CU Pharmacy received several awards and had presentations and posters from students, faculty, and staff. 


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date August 01, 2018
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Alumni    Students

Life Experiences Shape Future

When Erlynn Frankson was a teen, her grandfather moved in with her family so her mother could take care of him. “She was a nurse and the most equipped of her five siblings to be his caregiver,” says Frankson.

Frankson experienced palliative and hospice care on a personal level. It’s what she came home to after school every day and shaped who she is today. “I saw suffering and it stuck with me 10-20 years down the road.”


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date July 17, 2018
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Alumni    Students

PhD Student Counts His Blessings

Adedoyin D. Abraham is one lucky guy.

Of Nigerian heritage, Abraham won a diversity immigrant visa in 2005 through the U.S. visa lottery system. The visa lottery allows foreign-born nationals to migrate, and eventually US citizens.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date July 06, 2018
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Alumni    Students

Coming Full Circle

Having spent the last seven years earning his PharmD through the Distance Degrees & Programs, Lokendra Upadhyay is ecstatic to be able to spend his weekends not studying.  “For me, it’s been a great investment of time and energy,” says Upadhyay.

Twenty-five years ago, Upadhyay had the opportunity to tack one more year onto his BS and obtain his PharmD from CU but declined. “I was ready to get out and start earning money. In retrospect, it would have been a lot easier, but then I wouldn’t have all my life experiences,” says Upadhyay.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date June 28, 2018
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Alumni    Students

Life Redirected

When Joe Oropeza was 17 years old he wanted to become an Army Ranger, one of the most elite soldiers in the U.S. Army. But two strokes and open heart surgery — prior to his high school graduation — put an end to his military career before it started.

“I was 17 and invincible,” says Oropeza, who recently celebrated his 12th-anniversary post-surgery.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date June 14, 2018
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Alumni    Students

Military Musician Hits High Note in Pharmacy

For seven years, Dan Galipeau served in the US Army as a military musician, playing saxophone and sometimes piano. Performing for deployed troops, their families at home, international audiences and dignitaries including the President of the United States offered Galipeau a window to the world. “My military career took me to more than 15 countries representing the US Army and NATO,” says Galipeau.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date June 01, 2018
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Alumni    Students

Oncology Resident and CU Pharmacy Grad Wins Prestigious Poster Contest

Congratulations to Clay Cuny, PharmD, a PGY2 Oncology resident and 2014 CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy graduate! His research project was chosen as a Top 10 Trainee Research Poster at the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) 2018 Annual Conference. This is a huge accomplishment as there were 188 trainee abstracts presented at the meeting!


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date May 01, 2018
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Alumni

CU Pharmacy Supporters Edward and Karen Skaff Honored

Over 400 people gathered at this year’s Benefactor Recognition Dinner in the Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The event recognizes and celebrates those behind philanthropic gifts to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Among those in the crowd were Edward and Karen Skaff, CU alums and longtime supporters of the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date April 03, 2018
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Alumni    Students

Pharmacy Family Learns Life Lessons and Skills by Building Houses Together

Sue and Tim Mead (CU Pharmacy alums '79 and '75 respectively), together with their daughters, have built a strong family bond by building houses for others. "In addition to learning how to roof, stucco and cut wood, the experience taught us how to give back, to see that we are part of a bigger world, and to reflect on how much we have," says Sue Mead.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date March 29, 2018
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Alumni    Students

It's a Small World After All: Surprise CU Connection in Italy

When in Rome...meet Italian pharmacists! That's exactly what fourth-year CU Pharmacy student Karly Bergquist did on her vacation to the country. 


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date March 26, 2018
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Alumni

From Infantry to Public Health

As a military combat veteran, I had a strong desire to pursue a career where I could continue serving the greater good. The Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service (USPHS) has provided me an incredible opportunity to do so as a pharmacist.


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Alumni

CU Pharmacy at Homecoming

Around 70 alumni, students, faculty and staff with the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences paraded the grounds of the University of Colorado Boulder campus to support the CU Buffs football team as they played against the California Golden Bears, Sat., Oct. 28th for this year's homecoming weekend.


Author Stephanie Carlson | Publish Date November 01, 2017
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Alumni    Students

Millennial Finds Passion in an Unexpected Place

At the age of 17, it's not easy deciding on a career pathway. At that time, I was interested in finding out about medications, though. I wanted to be somewhat like my mother who is a physician in Egypt. I liked the way she knew what she was doing when anyone was sick. She would provide advice and make decisions when it was related to us getting sick or anyone else in the family or neighbors.

I entered pharmacy school (which in my country only requires a bachelor's degree). I asked so many questions and nothing motivated me. 


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date August 03, 2017
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Alumni

From Problem Child to Entrepreneur

It's hard to believe that recent CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy graduate Adam McHenry was ever a problem child. As an eighth grader, McHenry was a handful. "I didn't care if I was in class or not. I hung out with the wrong crowd," says McHenry.

One day, the school called his parents and told them that they had not seen him for a while. "The next month, my parents enrolled me in a Lutheran school. It turned my life around."


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 18, 2017
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Alumni

All in the Family

"Having my daughter and I obtain doctorates at the same time is a seminal moment," says Maumi Villarreal.  She and her husband, Daniel, are both first generation college graduates and have modeled a college education to their daughters -- Sarah and Chelsea.  "Our parents are very proud of us," says Villarreal.

Villarreal passed on her love of pharmacy to her eldest daughter, when Sarah would help her mom at the local ASHP meetings.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 05, 2017
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Alumni

A Miracle for My Ears

Can you imagine total silence or hearing only muffled conversations?  "You adapt," says recent CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy graduate Lauren Kirchner.  "But there is an advantage.  Patients think I am really engaging with them because I am concentrating on their lips and hearing what they have to say."

And in a career that requires patient interaction, being attentive is a plus.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 27, 2017
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Alumni

Listening More Important than Talking for Podcast Host

Creator and host of the Talk Pharmacy podcast, Ahsun Babalmorad is a natural when it comes to interviewing his subjects. The program, which airs on iTunes, provides listeners with interviews of students and faculty, offering insights into the world of pharmacy and the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy.

Of Iranian heritage, Babalmorad comes by his ability to talk -- and more importantly to listen -- naturally. His father worked for an American oil company prior to the Iranian revolution in the 1970s and was sent to study engineering in the US. While here, the revolution broke out back home, so his father and mother decided to stay and raise a family. "At that time, my parents saw more opportunity in the US than in their home country," says Babalmorad, a first generation American and Colorado native.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 20, 2017
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Alumni

Gap Year Proves Invaluable

After attaining his bachelor of biomedical sciences from Western Michigan, Ross Osgood took some time off to figure out what he really wanted to do.

“I was kind of on a pre-med track,” says Osgood.

“I bounced around between med school, dental and PA programs – not really feeling like any of them were the right fit.” So, he shadowed dentists and worked in a nursing home, but still was unconvinced that any of those allied health care careers were right for him.  “But when I started doing research, it just clicked.”

During the year between undergrad and grad school, he missed the deadline to sign up for dental school, so he joined Americorps instead.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 14, 2017
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Alumni

Brushes with Cancer Put Pharmacy Grad on Career Path

Whitney Pittman's career path seems pre-ordained.

When she was 10 years old, a classmate and friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor. At age 15, her friend died. "It was the first time I had ever heard the word cancer and that really left an imprint on me," says Pittman.

"Since high school I knew I wanted a career in health care, specifically pediatric oncology," says Pittman.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 08, 2017
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Alumni

Anschutz Campus Celebrates 10,000th Grad

Today, the University of Colorado Anschutz celebrated graduating its 10,000th student in the health and health care disciplines since relocating to its present campus in 2009. And, brothers Jonathan and Jefferey Chheuy, who graduated from CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences were two of them.

Born just 13 months apart, the Chheuy brothers are very close, and that's a good thing since the two have been confused with each other their entire lives.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date May 26, 2017
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Alumni    Students

Facing Challenges Head On

MaLaura Creager has experienced quite a lot in her life. She and her brother are the first in their family to obtain bachelors’ degrees. And, MaLaura will be the first to attain her Doctor of Pharmacy degree when she graduates from CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy later this week.  “My family is so, so proud,” says Creager, who will have her own cheering section at Commencement when 20 family members descend on Colorado to share her excitement.  “They are so impressed that I will be a pharmacist.”

For Creager, the mantra “it’s not if you go to college, but when” that many families embrace was not reality.  


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date May 26, 2017
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Alumni

Alumna Parlays Experience into Company

“I never thought I had an entrepreneurial bone in my body. Boy, was I wrong,” says alumna Mei Tang, PharmD ’07.

As a working pharmacist specializing in hospital pharmacy and managed care pharmacy, Tang decided to pursue her PharmD through CU’s distance program and attained her doctorate in ’07. “I worked and lived in Michigan full-time, so a distance program was really the only option. It was a perfect match for my situation and the right fit for me. It was a tremendous step forward in my career,” says Tang. 


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date February 06, 2017
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Alumni

Life Post Graduation

Following a grueling first-year residency, some pharmacy post-graduates might seek out an opportunity to downshift and relax.

But for Skaggs alumna Adrienne Kercsak (PharmD ’14), the “downshift” from her clinical pharmacy residency finally gave her time to undergo brain surgery this past April—to remedy a brain aneurysm first diagnosed nine years ago, but now three times the size and at risk of catastrophic rupture.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date January 31, 2017
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Alumni    Students

Value of Family and Pharmacy

Driss Gaieb comes from a family of pharmacists. Growing up in Tunisia where his father and uncle were rural pharmacists, he learned first-hand the role they play in their communities.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 25, 2016
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Alumni

Karate Kid

Christina Tulk of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada, came of age during the Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi and Ralph Machio craze of the 1980s. She was 9 years old when the movie hit theaters. “That’s when I got bit by the karate bug. I am 40 years old and still at it,” says Tulk.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 18, 2016
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Alumni

CU Healthcare Alumni Happy with their Education, Jobs

Our students are happy with their education, according to the first-ever system-wide survey sent to alumni.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 15, 2016
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Alumni

A Career Less Traveled

Sierra Hill's path to pharmacy has been unconventional. After receiving her bachelor's degree in Molecular Cellular & Development Biology (MCDB) from CU Boulder, she went to the U.K. where she worked for the Royal College of Radiologists in England and then the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. "I wanted to be a citizen of the world. And, ultimately, my global work experience helped to mold my career path," says Hill.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 11, 2016
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Research    Alumni

Married to Research

Cameron and Pallavi McElroy have been sharing their love for pharmacy and research since 2008 when they first met in their master’s of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Pharmacology and Toxicology program at the University of Toledo.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 06, 2016
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Alumni

Coming to America

Quoc Ho came to America when he was eight years old. The Vietnamese native arrived in California with his parents and two older sisters in 1996. As a third grader, the only language he knew was Vietnamese. "It was sink or swim, so I learned English quickly," recalls Ho. And that's been his modus operandi ever since -- learn the lay of the land quickly, and use the knowledge to propel forward.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 29, 2016
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Community    Alumni    Students

CU in Peru

Michael Carpenter’s experience at CU’s School of Pharmacy has been vastly different than most. As part of CU Peru, Carpenter has gained a unique global experience unlike any other.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 16, 2016
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Alumni

2016 Preceptor Awards

We know the amazing impact our preceptors have on our students’ lives. Here’s a look at this year’s Annual Preceptor Dinner winners.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 13, 2016
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Alumni

Second Chances

“I was going to go to prison or die,” says Anastasia Sosa Vozza Bell.

A childhood fraught with family dysfunction, clashes between mother and daughter, homelessness, and exposure to the seedier side of life, Bell says her life was “full of chaos and drama."


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 03, 2016
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Research    Faculty    Alumni

True Grit

Michael Cobretti’s got grit. At least, that’s what Dr. Christina Aquilante says.

Cobretti graduated from CU’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy in 2015 with a dream of doing a residency. But when it came time to match, the Walgreens pharmacy manager didn’t make the cut.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date May 23, 2016
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Alumni

Grateful Alumnus Gives a Gift that Keeps on Giving

Edward and Karen Skaff recently established an Endowed Scholarship Fund to help promising students achieve a rewarding career through their studies at the highly regarded Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date March 16, 2016
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Faculty    Alumni

Love, Campus Style!

Doing a pharmacy residency may not sound terribly romantic, but for Danielle Rhyne and Cy Fixen, it was the perfect setting.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date February 10, 2016
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Alumni    Students

Our Students Secure Top Residencies

Graduates of the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences are capturing some of the most sought after residencies in the nation. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists reported that in 2015 4,358 candidates competed for only 3,006 PGY1 (Post-Graduate Year 1) positions. Despite there being more candidates than residencies, our students are finding themselves competitive, with students placing in top programs at University of California Davis, Johns Hopkins, Stanford University, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Chicago, and Mayo Clinic Health System.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date December 09, 2015
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Alumni

Tipping the Scales

For preceptor Dan Scales, “Pharmacy is more than putting pills in a bottle. We can shape patient care especially if we slow down, spend time with our patients and focus on educating them about their diseases and how to manage them.”

Specializing in HIV and hard to manage chronic illnesses at his Denver area pharmacy, Dan takes a case management approach to pharmacy. “I sit down and get patients to open up and tell us what is really going on in their lives.”


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date September 09, 2015
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Alumni

The Few. The Proud. The PHS Commissioned Corps.

Have you ever wondered how to get a job with the FDA, NIH, CDC, or any federal agency for that matter?

Cameron LaChappelle discovered the answer to that question his first year of pharmacy school when Capt. Berry from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was invited to speak during the Professional Development course.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 18, 2015
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Alumni

Driven to Succeed

Take one look at Suhair Shawar and you know she’s not average. From her Middle Eastern looks to her age to her accent, she’s unusual.

Maybe it’s growing up the middle child of seven. Maybe it’s being born a girl in a culture that cherishes boys. Maybe it’s living in war-torn Jerusalem and immigrating to California as a child that has molded her. “I’ve always had to fight. Fight to be heard. Fight to be noticed. Fight for my place,” says Palestinian American Suhair.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 06, 2015
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Alumni

No Regrets

In 2004, Terry Viramontes joined the Illinois National Guard. A decision he has never regretted.  Still in high school, Terry says, “I had options. I just preferred this one.” He could have gone into the family business. But construction wasn’t for him. “I didn’t want something handed to me. I wanted to do it on my own.”


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date July 01, 2015
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Alumni

Duty. Honor. Pride.

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds. Ever. 

Sara Velotta is part of a legacy of postal workers. Her father, uncle and cousins are all life-long postal employees. It is a life Sara knows well. She even followed in her family’s footsteps.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date June 10, 2015
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Alumni

The Company That You Keep

This year, the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will confer 200 doctorate degrees. It’s not just about the destination, it’s about the journey and the company you keep along the way.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date May 20, 2015
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Alumni

Preceptors Honored for Service to the School

The school hosted its annual Preceptor Dinner Apr. 23 at Fogo de Chão to honor all active CU Pharmacy preceptors. This year marked the 5th anniversary of the event and several preceptors were recognized for their excellence and service to the school. A full list of preceptor awardees from the 2014-2015 school year follows.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date May 11, 2015
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Alumni    Students

Matches Made in Heaven

Congratulations to our fourth-year students who recently matched into PGY-1 residency programs.  To date, 39 students have matched into ASHP’s Residency Match Program including Joselyn Benabe, Andrea Boyce, Caitlin Butler, Sara Byrnes, Michael Casias, Frank Colletti. Carolyn Dahlman, Christina Davis, Nicole Dimaano, Emily Elwell, Brian Fox, Jenna Gorrell, Liane Horiuchi, Ashley Huntsberry, Natalie Kallhoff, Robbie Kattappuram, Monika Lach, Philip Leong, Mengyan Li, Kelsey Melander, Arya Mishra, Kaitlyn Moorehead, Sarah Newman, Atit Patel, Kathleen Paulson, Trang Phan, Azhin Qadir, Lindsay Rumold, Stephen Shaw, Suhair Shawar, Ankit Shukla, Hai Tran, Kellie Vanderburg, Laura Vriesman, Jarod Weidner, Kirby Welston, Cecilia Wong, Regina Yun, Renjbar Zebari.  In addition, Cameron LaChappelle and Deidra Newbrough were selected for Indian Health Services (IHS) PGY-1 residencies. Also, 12 graduates from our 2014 class matched to PGY-2 residencies. We are so proud of you.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date May 11, 2015
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Alumni

My life as a PGY-1 resident

By Norm Fenn, PharmD, Class of 2014

Now that I've been out of pharmacy school for about a year, I can reflect on the education I received at CU and feel strongly that the quality of education I received was extraordinary and absolutely prepared me for residency.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date April 22, 2015
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Alumni    Students

Impressions of Advanced IPPE

I just completed my Advanced IPPE in Steamboat Springs and it was great. This was something that was recently introduced under the new curriculum. In the past, continuous six-week rotations occurred only during the fourth year. Now, we’re being exposed to one rotation during our third year of pharmacy school and I thought the entire experience was excellent.


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date March 05, 2015
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Alumni

Help Keep Pharmaceutical Waste Out of the Water

Adam Oderberg, PharmD, Class of 2007
Think of the last time you indulged in a refreshing glass of water.  Any idea how much Cipro was in it?


Author cupharmacy | Publish Date February 25, 2015
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School of Pharmacy In the News

The Colorado Sun

For Some People, Their Genes and Their Cancer Drugs Don't Mix. A Colorado Center is Trying to Fix That

news outletThe Colorado Sun
Publish DateMarch 18, 2024

“Everybody always says, ‘This is so cool, it’s the future of medicine,’” said Dr. Christina Aquilante, the director of pharmacogenomics at the Center for Personalized Medicine. “It’s not the future. It’s the now. It’s happening.”

Full Story
NBC News

Study Links Cannabis Use to Heart Problems

news outletNBC News
Publish DateMarch 18, 2024

Dr. Robert Page, PharmD, appears on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt to discuss cannabis use and heart problems.

Full Story
AARP

4 Common Pain Relievers and When to Use Them

news outletAARP
Publish DateFebruary 22, 2024

What’s the best over-the-counter pain medication? It depends on what hurts — and why. “If you can target the pain with a medication that treats the underlying cause, the pain relief will be better,” says Sunny Linnebur, PharmD.

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Medscape

Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain Tied to Arrhythmia Risk

news outletMedscape
Publish DateFebruary 13, 2024

Adults using medical cannabis for chronic pain, especially those with cancer or cardiometabolic disease, have a slightly elevated risk of developing arrhythmia, according to an editorial by Robert Page, PharmD

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