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Inside the Fall 2026 issue
Badgers Give Back
Practice Meets Education
Two alumni bridge real-world pharmacy practice with education by serving as members of the School of Pharmacy’s PharmD Curriculum Committee, helping to shape coursework that prepares the next generation of Badger pharmacists to thrive in a fast-changing profession. Learn how their experience shows up.
Tech Tools
Using AI to Improve Digital Health
Assistant Professor Paula Voorheis is developing an AI-enabled platform to help researchers ensure their health tech actually works for the clinicians and patients who need it. Learn how it works.
How Accurate is AI?
A new study by faculty instructor Jessica Bergsbaken tested what an AI-powered clinical tool gets wrong about medications, from miscarriage management to heart medication dosing. Read her advice to clinicians.
Better Caregiver Coordination
In older-adult caregiving, communication is key. Assistant Professor Paula Voorheis is refining a caregiving coordination app with human-centered design to help families stay connected. See how.
Photo Galleries
Alumni and Friends Tailgate
Every year, Pharmacy Badgers and friends get together to cheer on the home team while enjoying food, raffles, and connection.
Return to Campus
Grandparents University brings Badgers back to campus each year to explore with fresh eyes and a younger family member.
From the Dean
Dean’s Column
Ranked 6th in the nation, buoyed by a highly collaborative research community, and powered by the Badger network, the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy is at the top of its field. Steve Swanson, dean of the School of Pharmacy, shares how the School’s community is the recipe to its success.
Learn more >
Award-Winning Alums
Alum of the Year
Not many people can say that they helped establish their own specialty. For Jim Koeller (BS ‘77, MS ‘80), it’s just one highlight of his decades-long career in oncology.
Preceptor Excellence
Matt McGowan (PharmD '10) has been a preceptor for the School's students since day one of his career, showing PharmD students what independent pharmacy can be.
Young Alum of the Year
From an unmatched residency to leading a 350-bed hospital's COVID-19 response, Nick Ladell's (PharmD '11) path proves that persistence pays off.
Research Boost
Historic Funding for Psychedelic Research
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is investing $7 million in the development and clinical application of psychoactive medicines for mental health disorders. “We want to offer knowledge that can be accessed by patients, providers, policymakers, and members of the public throughout Wisconsin, across the country, and around the world,” says Associate Professor Cody Wenthur, director of the UW Center for Psychoactive Research and Education. Learn what the funding will enable.
Lasting Impact
Psychedelic Research Pioneer Retires
After nearly 40 years as an educator and trailblazing researcher at the School of Pharmacy, Professor Paul Hutson is retiring. See how his career transitioned from oncology to psychoactive therapies and what he's planning next.
The Zografi Lab Lives On
This year, former Dean George Zografi celebrated his 90th birthday. And his former lab members gathered to commemorate his broad impact on the industry and how his influence continues at the School of Pharmacy. See how.
Seeking New Therapies
Cleaner Cancer Chemistry
A new technique by Professor Weiping Tang and collaborators for creating antibody-drug conjugates has already led to a startup company aimed at advancing the technology.
Nature-Inspired Chemistry
A discovery in Associate Professor Jennifer Golden's lab is now the basis for a $3.8 million NIH-funded effort to find better treatments for a rare, often-fatal brain infection.
Reversing Fibrosis
Professor Seungpyo Hong's inhalable nanoparticle platform aims to reverse, not just slow, lung scarring caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Pharmacy History
The Rise of ‘Big Pharmacy’
Through a prestigious Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry fellowship, Professor Lucas Richert is delving into how the rise of capitalism and evolution of pharmacy are entwined for a forthcoming book. “One of the things that I’m connecting in this book for the first time is that social and cultural history combine with health and business history to create a new synthesis, a new understanding of both the pharmacy and the drugstore,” Richert says. See what he’s uncovered so far.
Student Spotlight
Watch: A Day in the Life
From sterile compounding labs to international rotations, current PharmD students take you inside life as a School of Pharmacy student through a series of short videos.
International Service
Every year, PharmD students head to Guatemala and Belize to hone interprofessional skills while bringing care to remote communities. Learn how they're helping patients.
Power of Collaboration
Backbone of Discovery
Inside Rennebohm Hall, the Analytical Instrumentation Center's mass spectrometry and NMR facilities are powering breakthroughs across campus and beyond, from drug discovery to disease biology.
Expertise That Elevates
From engineering to biology and public health to education, School of Pharmacy faculty are teaming up with researchers across campus, extending their expertise to move research — and Wisconsin — forward.
From the PAA
PAA Corner
From a scholarship golf outing that raised over $2,000 to celebrating this year’s Alumnus and Young Alumnus of the Year, new Pharmacy Alumni Association (PAA) President Josh Nachreiner reflects on the PAA’s impact.
Read what’s planned >
Making Headlines
Mark Your Calendar
Scholarship Brunch
Join donors and scholarship recipients for a free brunch to hear about the true impact of giving.
October 25 >
ASHP Midyear Wisconsin Reception
Gather with your Wisconsin pharmacy colleagues during the ASHP Midyear Conference in a reception hosted by the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, UW Health, and Wisconsin pharmacy schools.
Date and time TBD
Class Notes
Fall 2026 Class Notes
Between new titles, national honors, publications, and leadership positions with pharmacy organizations, Pharmacy Badgers have had a busy summer. Stay connected with your alumni peers and share your updates in class notes.
Read what’s new >
Submit your class note >
Professional Development
UW–Madison Psychedelic Symposium
Oct. 29 – 30, 2026 | BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute, Promega Campus, Madison
Hosted by the UW Center for Psychoactive Research and Education and the Division of Pharmacy Professional Development, this sixth-annual symposium is intended for researchers and clinicians in the areas of clinical psychology, psychiatry, pharmacy, nursing, and social work.
Find more information and register >
CMC Project Team Leadership Course
October 5 – 8, 2026 | Pyle Center, Madison
Learn more and register >
Pharmacy Innovations Conference on Antithrombotic Therapy Conference
Oct. 2, 2026 | Virtual
Learn more and register >
Stay Connected
DISCOVERX Staff
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Contributing Photographers | Paulius Musteikis, Sharon Vanorny, Sirtaj Grewal, Breanna Schmitt, Stephanie Shanks, Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Archer Parquette, Darcy Lewis, Susan Smith
Editorial Interns | Sarah Zyskowski
Editorial Advisors | Alyson Kim, Ed Portillo
DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.
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