The Pulse
How Digital Health is Revolutionizing Pharmacy
As health care goes digital, School of Pharmacy alumni are at the forefront, exploring how wearables, AI, remote monitoring, and more can enhance pharmacy practice and patient care. Learn how pharmacists can get involved today and where the tech is headed tomorrow.
National Excellence
Top NAPLEX Pass Rate
With a 97% first-time NAPLEX pass rate, the School of Pharmacy earned the third-highest first-time pass in the U.S. But they didn't just pass — learn how and why they outperformed.
Dean Swanson Earns Top Science Honor
Steve Swanson, dean of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, is being named a fellow of a prestigious scientific society. Learn about his drug discovery research and leadership in pharmacy education that led to the honor.
Inspiring the Future
Careers in the Spotlight
From industry leaders to frontline care providers, the School of Pharmacy’s new career guide for future pharmacists features 25 alumni shaping healthcare.
See who’s featured >
Elevating Practice
Research Meets Practice
PearlRx — a pharmacy practice-based research network launched by the School of Pharmacy — is now the largest of its kind in the country. Learn about its statewide partnerships and impact on Wisconsin pharmacy.
Pharmacist Provider Status
As provider status continues to gain steam among pharmacists, we’re tracking the trend. Let us know how you’re implementing provider status (or planning to) for a future DiscoveRx feature.
Pharmacy Leadership Award
Alum Andrew Wilcox (PharmD '01) receives the VA's highest pharmacy leadership award. See how he's redefined pharmacy's role in healthcare in Wisconsin and is improving veterans' care nationwide.
Test and Treat
“This was our chance to be the pioneers in a sense," says Maya Boguslawski (PharmD '23). She launched a service to get patients from diagnosis to treatment in one stop at the pharmacy.
From the Dean
Dean’s Column
As the Trump administration works to advance their America First administrative priorities, Steve Swanson, dean of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, discusses two policies impacting operations at the School of Pharmacy: diversity, equity, and inclusion, and federal research funding.
Learn more from the dean >
Photo Flashback
A Look Back: Class of 2010
Now 15 years out from graduation, see the Class of 2010 as they were in pharmacy school, from days in the pharmacotherapy lab to their hooding ceremony.
Quick Takes
Fighting Pediatric Brain Cancer
Less than 15% of children with pediatric glioblastoma multiforme live longer than five years. Through a new grant, Assistant Professor Quanyin Hu aims to improve outcomes with a cancer-killing hydrogel.
Pharmacy's Past, Digitized
From vintage ads to rare artifacts, explore nearly 1,800 pieces of pharmacy history through a newly launched digital archive created by the School of Pharmacy and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy.
One-Two Punch
Through a new grant, Assistant Professor Quanyin Hu is developing a two-step system to stop triple-negative breast cancer tumors in their tracks.
Watch: Research Shout-Out
In a "Three Questions with the Chancellor" video, UW Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin shares the School of Pharmacy research that has caught her eye.
Improving Lives
Breathwork and Breakthroughs
Alumni Pallavi Patwardhan (PhD '09) and Abhijit Gadkari (MS ’06, PhD ’09) bridge the worlds of health outcomes research, meditation, and philanthropy — advancing care and mindfulness.
Two Professions, One Goal
“The human touch reverberates with people in law and pharmacy." From the courtroom to the pharmacy, Jacob Blazkovec (BS ’82) pursues one goal — improving lives through advocacy, care, and compassion.
Industry Paths
Illustrating Scientific Impact
“I want everyone to be able to see themselves as scientists," says Kelly Montgomery (MS '16). Through comics and a career in science communication, she's making science accessible.
R&D to HR
“People ask me how I went from doing regulatory affairs to doing HR for the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world — and it’s actually not as different as you might think,” says Rob Kowalski (BS ’91, PharmD ‘93). See how.
Inside Look
Behind the Scenes in a Nanotech Lab
From developing an inhalable nanomedicine to creating a liquid biopsy system to track cancerous circulating tumor cells, Professor Seungpyo Hong’s lab is a bustling center of research activity. Get a peek at what this impactful work at the interface of materials science, biology, and nanotechnology looks like.
Enduring Influence
20 Years Abroad
“I could not speak any of the language, and I couldn’t read it, either,” says Katie Hanke (PharmD '13). But she says her clinical rotation in Thailand made her a better pharmacist — and she's not alone. As the School celebrates 20 years of international experiences, learn how they transform practice at home and abroad.
In Their Footsteps
Four scholarships at the School of Pharmacy pay tribute to students who left the School too soon, each inspiring excellence and compassion. Learn about the lives and legacies of Adam Nickel, Ethan Van Cuyk, Erika Grace Nelson Liebert, and Shahanara Zaman-Saroya.
Research Impact
Senator Baldwin at WOORC
"She has a grasp on the issues we face, and she’s willing to listen," says alum Matt Mabie (BS ’98). He joined a visit by Senator Tammy Baldwin to the School's Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center (WOORC) to learn about the center's early work.
Empowering Patients
Med Wise Rx, developed by School of Pharmacy faculty, is empowering older adults in 14 Wisconsin counties — and counting — to advocate for themselves to better understand their medications.
The Brain on Cocaine
Why is cocaine so addictive, and why are treatments so ineffective? A new study by Professor Lingjun Li finds that cocaine’s impact on the brain goes far beyond dopamine.
Decades of Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy can be challenging to treat. What resolves one patient’s symptoms might do nothing for another patient. That's what motivates Professor Barry Gidal in his research and clinical practice.
Making Headlines
Alumni Events
Milwaukee Innovators
Wednesday, April 23
Reconnect, celebrate, and be inspired at an exclusive evening reception for Milwaukee-area alumni and friends featuring Pharmacy Badgers who are leading innovation in pharmacy. Enjoy a buffet dinner with a complimentary drink, and a taste of Madison with Babcock ice cream and fudge-bottom pie.
Madison Innovators
Tuesday, May 20
The School of Pharmacy will host an evening reception for Madison-area alumni and friends, featuring a program of alumni and faculty who are innovating in their fields. Enjoy a complimentary drink and buffet meal. Registration will open in April.
Class Notes
Spring 2025 Class Notes
Our Pharmacy Badgers are always busy, landing new professional roles, getting national recognition, expanding their families, enjoying their retirements, and more. Keep in touch with your School of Pharmacy alumni peers through class notes.
Read what’s new >
Submit your class note >
Professional Development
Save the Date
Fifth-Annual UW–Madison Psychedelic Symposium
November 13-14, 2025 | Madison
Pharmacy Invitational Conference on Antithrombotic Therapy (PICAT)
November 7, 2025 | Virtual
CMC Project Team Leadership: The Science, Principles, and Practices for Successful Technical Teams
Webinars Thursdays April 18-May 22
In Person October 6-9
CMC Essentials for Team Leaders in Biologics Product Development
In Person May 19-22
Fundamentals of Solid Dosage Form Development
In Person June 2-5
Stay Connected
DISCOVERX Staff
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Photographer | Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Photographers | Paulius Musteikis, Sharon Vanorny, Andy Manis, Sirtaj Grewal, Todd Brown, Deanne Fitzmaurice, Patti Raine, Irina Ovchinnikov
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Archer Parquette, Susan Smith
Editorial Interns | Logan Underwood
Editorial Advisors | Alyson Kim, David Mott
DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.
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