May 2023

Welcome to the next edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin (BPB) where we will continue to explore and discuss social issues in health care and how we as academicians, practitioners and scientists can lead and support these issues. The BPB will also keep you updated on the latest school news, highlighting the outstanding work of our UB SPPS community.

“The best way to ensure we can support and mentor our future pharmacists and research scientists is to make sure we are reviewing and discussing what is currently happening in the dynamic and ever-changing world we live in.”

This past weekend the academic year came to its official ceremonial close with the completion of our two major celebratory events: Spring Celebration Luncheon on May 19 and Commencement on May 20. These events provided an opportunity for our shared community to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and preceptors and to also wish our graduates well as they embark on the next phase of their respective life journeys.

One of the messages that our graduates received, perhaps more than once, is to “stay connected” – with each other, with their program, and with their communities. This message, of course, is directed in part to cultivate a connected group of new alumni; a strong and active alumni base, which we are fortunate to have, is crucial to the health of any school, and is especially important for schools with professional degree programs. The most important element of this message, though, is as a final effort to encourage and support the emotional well-being of our students.

Recently, the Center for Inclusion and Belonging (CIB) at the American Immigration Council published “The Belonging Barometer – The State of Belonging in America”. The CIB attempted to determine the degree to which individuals felt “emotionally connected, welcomed, included and satisfied” in their relationships across a variety of domains. The positive aspects of a sense of belonging (and, of course, the detrimental effects of its inverse, loneliness) are clear. Individuals who feel that they “belong” generally have better physical and mental health, higher job satisfaction, and more trust in their communities than those who report feeling disconnected. The high-level conclusions of this report were concerning, with a majority of Americans indicating a sense of “non-belonging” in their place of employment (nearly two out of three) and in their communities (three out of four).  

So, to all of you new alumni, continue to invest in the relationships you have forged during the pursuit of your degree. They will pay enormous dividends over the course of your lives. And to those of us charged with caring for students, it is helpful to remember that we, at least for a time, are an important part of our students’ extended families. In the end, that is why we celebrate this time of year.

I hope you all enjoyed last week’s commencement events. Enjoy the many new journeys ahead of you and remember, you will always have a place here within your UB SPPS community.

We are pleased to welcome the following new faculty members to UB SPPS!

UB Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences (CIGBS) selected to host Zimbabwe Emerging Faculty Development Program
UB CIGBS has been selected to be the United States host this summer for the Zimbabwe Emerging Faculty Development Program (ZEFDP). The program will bring nine faculty members from Zimbabwe universities to UB for six weeks beginning in June to learn about biomedical research, pharmacy, university administration, public health and sustainable development

Woodruff elected Chair-elect AACP Technology in Pharmacy Education and Learning Special Interest Group
Ashley Woodruff, PharmD, director of Interprofessional Education and clinical associate professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, has been elected Chair-elect of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Technology in Pharmacy Education and Learning Special Interest Group (TIPEL SIG) where she will serve a three-year term.

SPPS students awarded UB Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity Awards
The following SPPS students are recipients of this year's UB Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity Award. They were recognized at the UB Celebration of Student Academic Excellence on April 26.

Graduate honorees:

• Min Seon Chung, PharmD/MPH'24
• Jeanine Day, PharmD/MS'23
• Jason Dey, PharmD/MS'24

Undergraduate honoree:

• Bao Ly, BS'23, pharmaceutical sciences

PharmD students inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society (PLS)
Twelve students were welcomed into the national student society at the PLS induction ceremony on April 27 held at Pearl Street's Romanesque room in downtown Buffalo. The following awards were also presented at the event:

• Chapter Alumni Member of the Year: William Prescott, PharmD, chair and clinical professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
• Chapter Member of the Year: Caroline Jensen, PharmD/MPH'23
  

UB alumni, family and friends are invited to join UB's first collaborated free community bike ride!

Join our pharmaceutical sciences faculty to discuss contemporary approaches, challenges and opportunities for advancing the science and practice of QSP.

Join our pharmaceutical sciences faculty at this celebrated quadrennial event as we invite our alumni back to the school to reconnect and learn about their advances in pharmaceutical research.

Celebrating our 5th year classes from 1972 – 2013 with special recognition to the Classes of 1972/73 (50 years), 1997/98 (25 years) and 2012/2013 (10 years).

Featuring our new UB Compounding Pharmacy Continuing Education Activity, which meets the new three hour NYS pharmacy CE requirement.

View our upcoming SPPS events!

Join UB alumni experts from across the globe as they share professional insights and advice during Webinar Wednesdays. Engage in upcoming webinars along with past sessions.

View upcoming events on the UB Events Calendar!

Thank you for reading our May 2023 edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin. Please stay in touch! Send us updates on your own personal and professional accomplishments by filling out our alumni update form. 

Regards,
Gary Pollack, PhD '84
Dean and Professor