UB SPPS Learning and Engagement Communities announce official houses

LECs and their respective houses are supportive communities where students, faculty and staff partner to explore the profession of pharmacy, develop shared connections outside the classroom and serve as a home base for resources, advice and social activities. Each house is dedicated to building relationships, supporting student belonging, improving student wellbeing and enhancing personal and professional development.

SPPS LECs were first introduced in fall 2023 in response to feedback requesting increased support for interactions among students and faculty outside the classroom. The six new houses are guided by house leaders and are distinguished by unique colors and with names derived from a tenet of the Oath of a Pharmacist, the pledge of professionalism that serves as an ethical compass for pharmacists over the course of their careers.

Anourine Pullano, PharmD ’25 leads Legacy House 1. “We chose ‘Legacy’ as the name for House 1 because as future pharmacists, we hope to leave a lasting impression on our community. The way to do that is by following the Oath of a Pharmacist including embracing diversity, advocating for justice, optimizing outcomes for patients, and preparing the next generation of pharmacists.”

Pullano adds, “The goal is to come together and create a sense of belonging within our house and our community.  There is a mix between fun and business, so students are not only building relationships but are also achieving professional development.”

House 2 is named ‘Advocacy’ and is led by Kevin Pham, PharmD ’25. Pham says Advocacy was chosen because “In the Oath of Pharmacist, it mentions advocacy twice. It states a pharmacist will ‘advocate for justice to advance health equity,' allowing pharmacists to support the distribution of healthcare equally.”

“The oath also mentions pharmacists will ‘advocate for changes that improve patient care' — pharmacists will do anything within their power to be a voice and supporter of the patient in order to obtain the best quality of care.”

Pham adds, “As Advocacy House, I believe our mission is to be a voice for student pharmacists. We advocate for our profession as student pharmacists in order to improve and maximize our abilities in this profession.”

Katie Dollinger, PharmD ’25 leads Virtue House 3 and she played an integral role in the process of naming many of the houses. She wanted to establish a legacy that instilled pride, so she advocated naming all of the houses after the Oath of a Pharmacist.

“Virtue was chosen as it is a quality of having high moral standards. Virtue applies to the entirety of the Oath of a Pharmacist, but we extracted it specifically from the line, ‘I will accept the responsibility to improve my professional knowledge, expertise, and self-awareness.’”

Dollinger hopes their house encourages student friendships and interest in joining student organizations. She adds, “My personal goal is to make sure every student knows they have people around them who care about their success and wellbeing.”

House 4 named ‘Humanity’ is led by Ehson Raoufi Zadeh, PharmD ’26. Zadeh says ‘Humanity’ was chosen because, “The Oath of a Pharmacist states, ‘I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns.’ Our entire career as pharmacists is to serve humanity including our communities, families, friends and neighbors to ultimately try to help everyone lead a healthy and comfortable life.”

Zadeh adds, “I think the biggest responsibility we have as student leaders is to ensure student success throughout pharmacy school and to provide chances for students to network with staff and faculty to build crucial relationships.”

Nicole Siwarski, PharmD ’25, leads Integrity House 5 and says, “the name ‘Integrity’ was chosen because of the duality of the word’s definition. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, which we swore to uphold when taking the Oath of a Pharmacist, but it is also the state of being whole and undivided.”

Siwarski says the focus of their house is to foster community and support student success through mentorship. “The hope for the LEC houses is to establish connections now to expand our professional networks in the future. While we hope to have fun in the process, our goal is to develop interpersonal skills that will help our members excel as professionals.”

Equity House 6 is led by Tony (Donglin) Huang, PharmD ’25. “The essence of our work in Equity House 6 is deeply intertwined with principles found in the Oath of the Pharmacist, particularly the commitment to equality. This entails providing equitable treatment, respecting all individuals, and ensuring care and attention are uniformly distributed, irrespective of a person's background, beliefs, or socio-economic status. This is vital in fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment.”

Donglin adds, “Our vision centers on cultivating a strong community ethos. We aim to create an environment where each member feels valued and supported, promoting a sense of belonging and mutual support.”

Our new LEC houses and student leaders will continue to partner with faculty and staff to develop strategic programing that fosters a sense of community throughout the student journey.