EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
September 2024
Welcome to the next edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin (BPB) where we will continue to explore and discuss 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.”
Largest Advanced Degree Cohort in History
Here we are, only a couple of weeks into the new academic year, and already many of our colleagues are hard at work recruiting the next cohort of students into our various degree programs. Recruiting efforts always focus, at least in part, on “why???”. Why would a group of potential students decide to pursue their education here as opposed to somewhere else?
When engaging student candidates, answering that fundamental question is easy for us. We are part of a great university in a state that clearly values, and invests in, higher education. We have invested in continuous improvement of our curricula and in developing new degree pathways, as well as in establishing robust student services and support mechanisms. Through the gracious support of our university and New York State, we have been able to hire new faculty and staff and to improve our overall academic infrastructure.
With apologies to W.P. Kinsella, we believed in the concept of “if you build it, they will come.” This fall we welcomed the largest entering cohorts in the history of our school in each of our advanced degree programs (MS, PharmD, and PhD). In the case of the MS degree, this reflects our strategy of expanding our reach through innovative on-line programming. For our PharmD program, our robust first-year enrollment runs counter to the ongoing enrollment challenges experienced by many schools and colleges of pharmacy in our region and around the country. For the PhD, our new cohort represents an approximate three-fold increase over the last three years and will provide the fuel to power our rapidly growing research portfolio.
The results we are experiencing are, of course, a credit to our faculty, staff and students who are deeply invested in the success of our recruitment and admissions activities. These resolute members of our SPPS community are also reflective of the positive health of our school and the vibrancy of our academic culture. This is truly a great place to be!
Donald Mager, PharmD, PhD: appointed FIP vice president
John Pieper, PharmD: appointed chair, FIP Education
International Pharmaceutical Federation appoints Mager and Pieper to leadership positions
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has appointed SPPS members and alumni Donald Mager, PharmD, PhD, chair and professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and John Pieper, PharmD, past president and professor emeritus at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, to leadership positions within the FIP Bureau. Mager will serve as FIP vice president and Pieper will serve as chair of FIP Education. In these leadership positions, they will play pivotal roles in steering FIP's strategic initiatives and driving the future of pharmacy on a global scale.
SPPS experts present entrepreneurial panel for UB Startup Week
As part of UB Startup Week, our SPPS experts hosted a panel discussion on September 11 in collaboration with the UB Startup and Innovation Collaboratory (CoLab) powered by Blackstone LaunchPad. CoLab is an experiential campus program that connects students to mentors, events, funding and experiences cultivating the skills and mindset to build successful companies or innovate across any career. The panel, "Entrepreneurial Opportunities with Your Pharmacy Degree," explored the many ways a pharmacy degree can lead to innovation and entrepreneurial ventures. Our panelists included esteemed SPPS alumni and industry experts Kathyrn Gentz, PharmD ’22, MBA ’22, Joseph Balthasar, BS ’91, PhD ’96, and Mark Stramaglia, BS ’81, MBA ‘86, who shared tips with students on leveraging their skills for success in the evolving world of pharmacy.
Remembering Mary Kruszynski
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Mary Kruszynski, Business Operations Coordinator, who passed away on September 4. She was a beloved colleague and friend and will be dearly missed by the UB SPPS community.
Mary joined SPPS in December of 2000 as an Administrative Assistant for the Non-Traditional PharmD Program and advanced through her career, supporting all aspects of residency and fellowship activities in the Office of Post Graduate Education.
In July 2022, Mary was promoted to Business Operations Coordinator, Office of Finance and Administration, where she supported school-wide business and operational areas including finance, procurement, human resources and research administration.
Mary was a passionate supporter and advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association and was also an active member of the University at Buffalo SEFA Campaign Steering Committee, recognized for her efforts with receipt of the prestigious William R. Greiner SEFA Award in 2023.
“I had the pleasure of knowing Mary for over 20 years,” says Kristin Gniazdowski, senior assistant dean, finance and administration. “She was a dedicated professional who consistently excelled and provided exceptional service in everything she did. Mary was warm and generous, and she will be deeply missed as both a friend and colleague.”
The entire SPPS community extends its deepest condolences to Mary's family, friends and colleagues. You may view Mary’s obituary here.
SPPS PhD scholars earn top level university recognition and support
As one of the most highly recognized pharmaceutical sciences PhD programs in the nation, SPPS is thrilled to celebrate our following incoming PhD students who have earned prestigious awards, fellowships and recognitions!
- Kyle Lu, recipient of a UB Presidential Fellowship, UB Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Award and the SPPS Fung Laboratory Graduate Fellowship
- Elizabeth Brown, recipient of a UB Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship
- Maxwell Ilnickis, recipient of a UB Graduate School Fellowship
- Haoyang Zhang, recipient of a UB Graduate School Fellowship
- Connor Hauff, recipient of a UB Graduate School Fellowship
These exceptional funding and support opportunities are part of a larger university-wide initiative: The PhD Excellence Initiative, which is committed to recruiting the very best PhD students, through strategic support and programming to expand and elevate educational and research opportunities for diverse PhD programs. The PhD Excellence Initiative, along with essential university funding opportunities, will continue to support and guide the next generation of SPPS graduate scholars.
SPPS hosts 2024 Welcome Week for incoming students
During 2024 Welcome Week, SPPS welcomed incoming students with a series of events including a multi-day orientation program, White Coat Ceremony for first-year PharmD students and our annual school-wide picnic.
We're excited to officially welcome our new students to our SPPS community!
UB Pharmacy Alumni Reunion, Oct. 17-19: RSVP by Oct. 10
We are excited to welcome SPPS reunion classes ending with a 4 or 9 back to campus next month to celebrate reunions and the accomplishments of our SPPS alumni award winners!
Our 2024 Pharmacy Reunion will take place October 17-19 and is part of a diverse line up of events held in conjunction with UB Alumni Achievement Awards and UB Homecoming & Family Weekend.
Special recognition will be given to those celebrating a 65th, 50th, 25th or 10th year milestone reunion along with our alumni award winners.
Read more about our alumni award winners:
Want to take your career to the next level?
See our new online/part-time degrees and micro-credential program offerings!
Online MS Degree Programs
Online Micro-credentials
SPPS Continuing Pharmacy Education Events
Featuring our new UB Compounding Pharmacy Continuing Education Activity, which meets the new three hour NYS pharmacy CE requirement.
SPPS Event Calendar
View our upcoming SPPS events!
UB Event Calendar
View upcoming events on the UB Events Calendar!
UB Alumni Webinars
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.
Share Your UB Pride
Show your #UBTrueBlue spirit by sharing UB Pride photos, videos and stories!
Thank you for reading our September 2024 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