Page 1

Wegmans School of Pharmacy

Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 1

Inside this issue:

Honoring Dean
Swigart

5K in Honor

Hooding
Ceremony 2015

Graduating Class
of 2015

Spotlight on Class 3
of 2015
Awards
Ceremony 2015

Faculty and Pre5

ceptor Accolades
Recent WSOP
Publications

Brown & Gandhi

Honored

New Community
Pharmacy

In Memory of Dean Swigart

On December 23, 2014 the WSOPs beloved leader and founding Dean, Dr.
Scott Swigart, passed away after a year and a half battle with pancreatic cancer. A Celebration of Life service was held on the SJFC campus on January 11 to
remember Dean Swigart and the many contributions he made to the school and
the academic community at large.
Scott was a spirited presence on campus, and a true friend. His leadership of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy created a culture that fostered student
success and growth of the school. His zeal for life and his passion for his career
went hand in hand, and his absence on our campus and in our community will be
felt for some time. He was loved by many, and will be missed by all. Our
thoughts and prayers are with his family, said Dr. Donald E. Bain, President, St.
John Fisher College.
Swigart started his responsibilities at St. John Fisher College in September 2005. Under his leadership, the School has experienced tremendous growth and its graduates achieve some of the most successful
licensure exam pass rates across the state year after year. In addition, he has nurtured a strong communityminded atmosphere in the School of Pharmacy. Teams of faculty and students regularly travel on domestic and
international medical mission trips to provide free medical care to underserved populations, and hold an annual Day of Service, among a variety of other service activities.
His academic pharmacy experience spanned nearly 30 years. Prior to Fisher, he spent five years as
the Founding Dean and Professor at the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Before that, he held positions of Assistant Dean and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Nova
Southeastern University College of Pharmacy, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Big Rapids, Michigan.

Student Organiza- 7
tion Updates

Swigart Posthumously Honored at

Rochester Pharmacy Gala

RhoChi Induction 7
Ceremony

Spotlight on
Service

Annual Alumni CE 9
Event
White Coat
Ceremony 2015

Letter from Dean 9

Upcoming Events

June 2015

The late Dr. Scott Swigart, founding dean of the Wegmans

School of Pharmacy, was honored at the annual Rochester
Pharmacy Gala on February 28.
Swigart was recognized as this years Rochester Champion of
Pharmacy for his extraordinary achievements to the profession. His wife, Cindy, and his son, Aaron, a junior at Fisher,
accepted the award.

5K in Honor of Dean Swigart

The St. John Fisher College community planned the Swigart 5K, a
fundraiser in honor of the late Dr. Scott Swigart, founding dean of
the Wegmans School of Pharmacy. The run/walk was scheduled on
campus on Saturday, April 18, with all proceeds benefitting pancreatic cancer research at the Pancreatic Cancer Association and the
Swigart Scholarship Fund. This event was organized by SPST 250 Facility and Operations Management and sponsored by Student Government Association (SGA).

Page 2
Volume 3, Issue 1

Wegmans School of Pharmacy Newsletter

Hooding Ceremony 2015

Faculty honored graduating students with awards at the 5th Annual Hooding Ceremony on May 8th. The winners included:
Deans Circle Award Given to students whose GPA was in the top 10% of the class.
Recipients: Katelyn Armes, Alyssa Ashworth, Brittany Gould, In Lok Lam, Nicole
Moore, Aaron Schmerbeck, Casey Stackwick, Matthew Stryker, and Michelle L.
Zaepfel
Teva Outstanding Achievement Award Given to a student who demonstrated outstanding achievement.
Recipient: Casey Stackwick
Facts and Comparisons Award of Excellence in Clinical Communication For a student
who is in the top 25% of the class and demonstrated superior verbal and written skills.
Recipient: Jason Quitadamo
Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award Presented to a student who is in the top 25% of
the class, and who has demonstrated high professional motivation and a unique ability to
communicate drug information.
Recipient: Dina Berardi
Lilly Achievement Award Given to a student who has demonstrated superior scholastic and professional achievement.
Recipient: Aaron Schmerbeck
Merck Academic Excellence Award Presented to two students who have demonstrated excellence in clinical skills and
time management.
Recipients: Emma Gorman and Jeremy Siehnel
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Graduation Award Awarded to students who have demonstrated efforts
to minimize adverse effects due to inappropriate use of natural medicines and encourage an evidence-based approach to
natural medicines.
Recipients: Ryan DeCaro
APhA-Senior Recognition Certificate Given to the student who made the greatest contribution to the Wegmans
School of Pharmacy APhA-ASP Student Chapter.
Recipient: Jessica Recckio
Pharmacist Society of the State of New York (PSSNY) Award Given to a student who took leadership roles in activities with the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York.
Recipient: Nicholas Lomenzo
USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award Given to a student who has demonstrated a commitment
to public health and public health practice.
Recipient: Kelly Curran
Excellence in Experiential Education Given to the top 10% of students for their core rotations.
Recipients: Alyssa Ashworth, Brittany Gould, Alexandria Johnson, Chelsey Payne, Justin Piacentino,
Jason Quitadamo, Mark Stowell, Michelle Zaepfel

Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 3

Graduating Class of 2015Congratulations!

On May 9, friends and family gathered at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester to celebrate the most
recent graduating class of pharmacy students.

Students Celebrating Graduation at Blue Cross Arena. Photos courtesy of John Smille Photography.

Spotlight on the Class of 2015

Class of 2015 Post-Graduation Plans

Alyssa Ashworth - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Rochester, NY)

Tim BachPGY1 Resident at MCPHS University/ Atrius Health - Amb Care (Boston, MA)
Dina Berardi - Clinical Pharmacist at Rochester General Hospital (Rochester, NY)
Regina Blackley- PGY1 Resident at Highland Hospital - Acute Care (Rochester, NY)
Janelle Collins - Clinical/Staff Pharmacist at St. Josephs Hospital (Syracuse, NY)
Kelly Curran - PGY1 Resident at Centra Health - Acute Care (Lynchburg, VA)
Andrew Decker - PGY1 Resident in Pediatrics at URMC (Rochester, NY)
Emma Gorman - PGY1 Resident at Buffalo General Hospital - Acute Care (Buffalo, NY)
Alex Johnson - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Alexandria, VA)
Collin Lafayette - Walgreens Clinical Practitioner of Community Services (Philly, PA)
In Lam - PGY1 Resident at UC San Diego Health System - Acute Care (San Diego, CA)
Nick Lomenzo Community Pharmacist at CVS (Washington, D.C)
Nicole Moore -Pharmacist at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital (Newark, NY)
Paige Nelson - Westfield Community Pharmacy (Westfield, NY)
Chelsey PaynePGY1 Community Resident at URMC (Rochester, NY)
Anita Pena - PGY1 Resident at Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Acute Care (Milwaukee, WI)
Justin Piacentino - MBA Program at St. John Fisher College (Rochester, NY)
Whitney Porto - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Buffalo, NY)
Jason Quitadamo - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Rochester, NY)
Taylor Rider - PGY1 Resident at Rochester General Hospital-Acute Care (Rochester, NY)
Andrea Schiliro - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Charlotte, NC)
Tim Sidle - Pharmacist at Cayuga Medical Center (Ithaca, NY)
Cara Sold - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Rochester, NY)
Rob Sold - Community Pharmacist at CVS (Rochester, NY)
Matt Stryker - PGY1 Resident at ACPHS- Ambulatory Care (Albany, NY)
AJ Troccia - Community Pharmacist at Target (Southern Tier/Rochester, NY)
Kylle Waselesk i- Community Pharmacist at Target (Charlotte, NC)
Michelle Zaepfel -PGY1 Community Resident at URMC (Rochester, NY)

C
L
A
S
S

O
F
2
0
1
5

Page 4
Volume 3, Issue 1

Wegmans School of Pharmacy Newsletter

Awards Ceremony 2015

On April 30th, the annual Awards Ceremony was held in Cleary Family
Auditorium to honor faculty and students for their achievements during the
last academic year. The following recognitions were made:
Target Award - Given to a pharmacy student with a minimum 3.0 GPA,
who plans to work in a community pharmacy after graduation.
Recipient: Nicole Moore
Pharmacy Society of Rochester Essay Competition - Requires a P2 student
to write an essay answering the question, What incentives could a
professional society offer to encourage membership?.
Thiem Award Recipients at the 2015 Awards
Recipient: Maria Caraballo
Ceremony
CVS Award - Given to a student who is interested in pursuing community
pharmacy as a career and is engaging in patient care activities in a community pharmacy.
Recipients: Jillian Bankoff, Alexandra Hess, Heather Miller, Nicole Murphy
Walgreens Diversity Award - Awarded to students of an underrepresented minority group with an interest in
community pharmacy.
Recipients: Janis Connor, Daniel Sabins, Nhon Ta
Walgreens Diversity and Inclusion Award - Awarded to a student who embraces diversity and promotes diversity and
inclusion initiatives on campus.
Recipient: Trang Nguyen
Thiem Award Awarded to students for their PCOA exam results and/or academic achievements.
Recipients: Alyssa Ashworth, Erin Beitz, Nicole Camp, Maria Caraballo,
Janelle Collins, Steven Conway, Emma Gorman, David Kim, Boris Krasnov, In Lok Lam, Megan Monahan, Paige Nelson, Jeremiah Northern,
Vladimir Poplavskiy, Leslie Radka, Steven Rush, Aaron Schmerbeck, Matthew Stryker, Ryan Thomas, August Troccia, Matthew Yacobucci
NACDS Foundation Pharmacy Partners Scholarship
Recipient: Amanda Gertz, Jamie Stanton
Holley Value-Rite Pharmacy Award
Recipients: Elida Iskandrova, Oladapo Olawumi, Catherine Felderbaum
ASHP Clinical Skills Competition
Winners: In Lam Lok and Emma Gorma
APHA Counseling Competition
Winner: John Snyder
ACCP Clinical Skills Competition
Faculty Preceptor of the Year:
Dr. Alex DeLucenary
Winners: Marwa Amer, Matthew Yacobucci, Megan Ziegler
Teachers of the Year - Awarded to faculty members and selected by students.
P1 - Dr. Jennifer Mathews
P2 - Dr. Jennifer Mathews
P3 - Dr. Lisa Avery
Faculty Preceptor - Dr. Alex DeLucenay
Outstanding Advising Award
Recipients: Drs. Lipika Chablani, Jennifer Mathews, Amy Parkhill, Melinda Lull
APPE External Preceptors of the Year
Community Preceptor: Brian Shelvin, R.Ph., from Walgreens, Perinton
Institutional Preceptor: Andrew Smith, Pharm.D. from URMC

Theim Scholarship 2015-2016

Winners

Outstanding Advisors:
Drs. Melinda Lull, Jennifer Mathews, Lipika
Chablani, and Amy Parkhill

3, Issue 1
Volume 2,

Page 5

WSOP Faculty and Student Accolades

ASHP Poster Presentations
Fitzgerald B, Parkhill AL. Creating a survey assessing pain medication use and adherence in patients with myotonic dystrophy and
facioscapulohumeral dystrophy. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting.
Stummer L, Parkhill AL. Guest satisfaction survey on programming and guest services provided at Hope Lodge Hospitality House: a
service learning project. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting.
Kukla M, Birnie C. Refugee patients at risk for hypertension in Rochester, NY: a comparative study. 2014, American Society of
Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting.
Lam I, Traina A, Lull ME. An examination of the effects of atorvastatin and parathyroid hormone on osteoblast activity. Abstract #
311916160. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting.
Blackley R, Stryker M, DeNapoli S, Lull ME. The differential effects of fructose and glucose on advanced glycation end-product formation and cellular damage in vitro. Abstract # 311391532. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical
Meeting.
Bankoff J, Lull ME. Educating pharmacists and the public about the role of over-the-counter medications in the management of autism spectrum disorders. Abstract # 311884059. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting.
Ashworth AL, Lam I, Moore NE, Lull ME. Development and implementation of peer-led weekly review sessions and the assessment
of their impact on student learning. Abstract # 311883625. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical
Meeting.
Stryker M, Blackley R, Lull ME. Altered cell-surface receptor levels result from fructose advanced glycation end product-induced
inflammation. Abstract # 311392960. 2014, American Society of Health Systems Pharmacy Midyear Clinical Meeting.

Other Poster Presentations:

Cornacchia A, Hall M, Lull ME. Effects of fructose-derived advanced glycation end products on acetylation of histones in the
brain. Abstract # 550-25. 2015, Pittcon Annual Meeting [Accepted Abstract].
Upcoming Presentations/Posters:
Drs. Jennifer Mathews and Mindy Lull will be presented both a podium and poster presentation at the Teaching Professor Conference in
Atlanta, GA, in May. They presented work from two different research projects. The podium presentation was titled Implementation
of a student development workshop series to supplement the traditional pharmacy curriculum. They also presented a poster entitled,
Expanding the role of peer tutors through the use of online quizzes.
Grants/Scholarships
Dr. Christine Birnie received a $10,000 grant from the J. Homer Butler Foundation in November 2014 to assist with the acquisition
of medication and supplies for an indigent care health clinic and medical mission outreach in Pune, India.
As an Independent Research student with Dr. Parkhill, Lauren Stummer was awarded a $500 Civic Community Engagement grant
from the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement at SJFC. The funds were used to purchase computer and kitchen
equipment for Hope Lodge Hospitality House. Hope Lodge is a program of the American Cancer Society that provides free housing for cancer patients receiving treatment in Rochester hospitals.
Matthew Yacobucci and Dr. Chablani received the AACP Walmart Scholar award for this academic year. The goal of the scholarship program is to strengthen the recipients skills and commitment to a career in academic pharmacy through their participation at
the AACP Annual Meeting. The 2015 AACP Walmart Scholars Program will provide $1,000 scholarship to the student-faculty pair
to attend the 2015 AACP Annual Meeting and Teachers Seminar in National Harbor, Maryland from July 11-15.

Page 6
Volume 2,
3, Issue 1

Wegmans School
Wegmans
of Pharmacy
SchoolNewsletter
of Pharmacy Newsletter

WSOP Faculty and Student Publications

Prohotsky D, Juba K, and Zhao F. Formulation and stability of an extemporaneously compounded oral solution of chlorpromazine HCl.
J. Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother 2014; 28:367-370.

Prohotsky D, Hughes S, and Zhao F. Stability of levetiracetam oral solution repackaged in oral plastic syringes. Am J Health Syst Pharm
2014; 71:219-222.

Schweighardt AE, Juba KM. Extended-Release Hydrocodone: The Devil in Disguise or Just Misunderstood? Ann Pharmacother. 2014;48(10):1362-1365.

Noviasky J, Darko W, Akajagbor D, Makaron A, Miller C, Pierce D, Seabury R, Whalen K. Digoxin Pharmacokinetics. In: Cohen, H,
editor. Applied Pharmacokinetics: A Clinical Case Study Guide. First ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. P. 65-78.

Noviasky J, Pierce D, Whalen K, Guharoy, R, Hildreth K. Response to the letter to the editor. Bupivacaine liposomal versus bupivacaine: comparative review. Hosp Pharm. 2014; 49(9):794-795.

Noviasky J, Pierce D, Whalen K, Guharoy R, Hildreth K. Bupivacaine Liposomal (Exparel) versus Bupivacaine; No Evidence of Improved Outcomes. Hosp Pharm. 2014 Jun;49(6):539-43.

Lull ME, Utter CR, Traina A. Self-directed learning through journal use in an elective pharmacy course. In press, Pharmacy Education,
January 2015.

Akalkotkar AM, Chablani L, Tawde SA, DSouza C, D'Souza MJ. Development of a microparticulate prostate cancer vaccine and evaluating the effect of route of administration on its efficacy via the skin. Journal of Microencapsulation. Feb 2015.

Amer MR, Cipriano GC, Venci JV, Gandhi MA. Safety of Popular Herbal Supplements in Lactating Women. Journal of Human Lactation.
2015 April 16; [Epub ahead of print].

Rush S, Kim S, Hughes S, Gilbert J, Ciancaglini P, and Zhao F. Stability of glutamate-aspartate cardioplegia additive solution in polyolefin
IV bags. Hospital Pharmacy Journal. Accepted 2015 [Awaiting publication].

Cipriano GC, Andrews CO. The Hispanic Pharmacist: Value beyond a common language. JPP Sage Open Medicine. Accepted 2015
[Awaiting publication].

Brinn NR, Gandhi MA. A Review of the Role of Melatonin in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. American Journal of Pharmacy and Health Research. 2014; 2(12) [Epub ahead of Print].

Kaur K, Gandhi MA, Slish J. Drug-Drug Interactions Among Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Medications. Infect Dis Ther. 2015 April 21; [Epub ahead of Print].

Berardi DM, Gutmann LL, Gandhi MA, DeLucenay AJ. The Future of Hypercholesterolemia Therapy: A Review of PCSK9 Inhibitors. Submitted to Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics on 05.28.2015 [Pending Peer Review].

Dr. Brown Honored with Clinical Achievement Award

Dr. Jack Brown, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice & Administration, has been honored with the 2014 Jerry Siegel Clinical Achievement Award. The award was presented during the 9 th Annual Jerry
Siegel Clinical Achievement Awards dinner on Monday, December 8, in Anaheim, California. The award is named for
Jerry Siegel, who was the Director of Pharmacy at Ohio State University Medical Center for over 30 years.
This award has special meaning to be because the namesake is one of my earliest mentors and is given to a Pharmacist that has had a significant and sustained track record of advancements in clinical research and practice, which is
humbling, said Brown.

Dr. Gandhi Wins Szarejko Information Literacy Award

St. John Fisher Colleges Lavery Library recently presented Dr. Mona Gandhi, Assistant Professor in the Wegmans
School of Pharmacy, with the 5th Annual Dr. Mark Szarejko Faculty Information Literacy Award. The award is named
for Szarejko 80, in recognition of his support for the library. It is given to a Fisher faculty member who actively supports information literacy. According to the committee, Gandhi is committed to developing information literacy
skills in her students and encouraging the practice of these skills throughout the Pharm.D. curriculum. She has restructured the Drug Information course to incorporate demonstration and practice of fundamental information literacy skills. She has also developed a close connection with her science librarian, Michelle Price, where each brings
their respective strengths into the classroom and beyond. Additionally, Gandhi has supported the library by serving
as Chair of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy Library and Learning Resources Committee, and as a member of the Colleges Library
Committee. She has also extended the pharmacy-related information literacy conversation by presenting on the topic at various pharmacy association conferences including several poster sessions, two manuscript presentations, and a roundtable discussion.

Volume 3, Issue 1

Page 7

New Community Pharmacy!

P4 Paige Nelson and preceptor Greg Nelson had a very unique experience recently with
the grand opening of their familys independent community pharmacy in Westfield, NY
called Westfield Community Pharmacy. Independent pharmacy ownership is not new for
the Nelsons however, because they have another pharmacy in the southern tier area. Upon graduating, Paige will be the supervising pharmacist at their Westfield location. Paige states that a lot went into opening the new pharmacy, but it has all been worth
it. She is honored to be able to carry on her familys legacy and to serve the local community. Community outreach is something that our school instilled in Paige. They have already hosted a brown bag event at a local senior apartment complex and have scheduled
several more brown bag events, are sponsoring a local 5k benefit, and are having blood
pressure screenings on the first Friday of every month.

Student Organization Updates

APhA Counseling Competition
John Snyder, a P3 student, won this years local APhA counseling competition and represented WSOP at the national competition in
San Diego, California during the APhA annual meeting. The national competition was similar to how the local APhA counseling competition is conducted, with some important differences. Participants are provided a drug list roughly a week in advance with the potential
medications that they may end up counseling a patient on. The counsel itself is broken up into two parts: the prep and the counseling
session. Each part lasts 5 minutes. Electronic references are not available at the national competition, which is a major difference from
the local competition. All available references were actual books. During prep time, the national competition requires the student pharmacist to select their product, patient case, and reference(s) from an adjacent table and bring them to the empty table they will be
conducting their counsel at. Notes, references, rubrics, etc. were not allowed in the room prior to prep time. Another difference hinges around how the student pharmacist is introduced to the patient. At the WSOP, students enter a room where the patient is seated
and waiting. Nationally, the counseling session begins when the patient walks up to the student and says "Hi, I am here to pick up a
prescription." Both the student pharmacist and patient are standing at this time. Advice that John would offer to future participants is to
play the rubric, remember to bring your white coat, and jot down a very brief outline with part of the prep time for your counseling
session. Making a brief outline that uses key words to remind you of what you must say based on the rubric is a great way to keep
yourself on track.

Pharmacy Students Place in Top 10 at National Clinical Skills Competition

Pharmacy students In Lam and Emma Gorman placed in the top ten at the National American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
(ASHP) Clinical Skills Competition. It took place during ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December 2014 with 127 schools and/or
colleges of pharmacy competing. This win marks the 2nd time that a Wegmans School of Pharmacy team finished in the top ten.

RhoChi Induction Ceremony

On Tuesday, March 31st, 16 P2 students and one faculty member (Dr. Alex DeLucenay) were inducted into the Rho Chi Pharmacy
Honor Society.

Page 8
Volume 3, Issue 1

Wegmans School of Pharmacy

Spotlight on Service
Annual Day of Service
On Tuesday, April 14th, 250 students, faculty, and staff volunteered their time within the Rochester Community. This

year, 16 different locations hosted WSOP. Volunteers helped to paint, garden, stock food shelves, serve food to residents,
and many others tasks. Sites included: CP Rochester, Ronald McDonald House. Food Link, Saints Place, Friendly Home,
Equi Center, Seneca Park Zoo, Gilda's Club, St Joseph's Villa, Amer Cancer- Hope Lodge, Daystar, Jewish Home, CURE
Childhood Cancer, Angels of Mercy, and Basilian House.

WSOP Conducts Medical Camp and Health Education Programs in Pune, India
From January 2-16, 2015 a team of students and faculty from WSOP traveled to Pune, India to participate in a two week
medical outreach, serving the poor and underserved in that region. P4 pharmacy students Kelly Curran, Megan Monahan,
Paige Nelson and Michael Smith served on the project, precepted by Dr. Lipika Chablani and Dr. Christine Birnie. WSOP
Class of 2012 alumnus, Paula Monahan, also served on the team, treating over 1700 patients in a mobile medical
camp. The team also conducted several health education programs and conducted a guest lecture at a local pharmacy

WSOP Trip to Montana!

In July, 2015, Dr. Lull traveled with 7 students (Erin
Beitz, Caitlin Kerr, Nick Callara, Dyanna Diaz, Danielle
Dunn, Janis Connor, Mark Besley) to the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning Montana with Global Volunteers. This is the second annual service trip to Montana. While there, they volunteered at the North
American Indian Days celebration, a multi-day festival
celebrating Native American culture and heritage. We
also volunteered throughout the community are participated in cultural events.

Annual Alumni CE Event

Page 9

On Wednesday, May 6th, WSOP held its 4rd Annual Alumni CE Event. This year, Dr. Elizabeth
Phillips presented on It's All About that Base...I Mean Dose? Redefining the goals of cholesterol
therapy. The event was attended by faculty, alumni, and members of the Class of 2015.

St. John Fisher College

Wegmans School of Pharmacy
3690 East Ave
Rochester, NY 14618

White Coat Ceremony

The 2015 White Coat Ceremony took
place on January 11th and marked the
beginning of the professional career of
each P1 pharmacy student. Faculty
and Staff were joined by the Class of
2018 and their family and friends to
celebrate this milestone event.

Send us your news:

pharmacynewsletter@sjfc.edu

Update from the Dean

The 2014-15 academic year has been an extraordinarily year at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy. With
the loss of our Founding Dean, Dr. Scott Swigart, we began on a search to identify his successor. At this
time, we have not yet identified the ideal candidate to fill this important role at the WSOP. The search
will continue into the upcoming academic year, and I will remain the Interim Dean until a new dean is
hired. I want to publically thank the faculty, staff, students and our preceptors for their tremendous dedication and support during this time of leadership transition in our school. The demonstration of teamwork and commitment we embody as a school has never been more evident than this past year. As we
look forward to the coming year, we will remain focused on fulfilling the mission and vision Dean Swigart
developed nine years ago: Preparing pharmacists for lives of intellectual, professional, and civic integrity. Thank you for the privilege of continuing to serve as the Interim Dean during this time.
Best Regards,
Dr. Christine Birnie
Interim Dean, Wegmans School of Pharmacy

Upcoming Events
Special Congratulations to:

Drs. Gabriella Cipriano,

Kathryn Connor, Mona Gandhi,
and Angela Nagel on their
promotion to Associate
Professor with Tenure
Dr. Christine Birnie on her
promotion to Professor

July 2015

WSOP Montana Service Trip, Browning, MT

July 11-15, 2015

AACP Annual Meeting, National Harbor, MD

July 23, 2015

PSR 24rd Annual Golf Tournament, Ridgemont Country Club

August 10, 2015

WSOP Welcomes the Class of 2019!

August 31, 2015

Scott Swigart Memorial Golf Tournament, Cobblestone Creek Golf Club

October 17-21, 2015

ACCP Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA

October 2015

WSOP Career Fair

October 2015

WSOP APPE Elective Rotation Night

December 7-10, 2015

ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition, New Orleans, LA

Dina Berardi, Pharm.D. & Liana Gutmann, Pharm.D., Editors-In-Chief

Mona Gandhi, Pharm.D., Faculty Advisor
Angela Nagel, Pharm.D., BCPS, Editor