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Inside the Spring 2026 issue
A New Age
The Tech-Driven Future of Pharmacy
“Pharmacy as a profession is going to have to decide if we’re going to take a back seat or a front seat,” says Steve Rough (BS ’91, MS ’94). As AI, automation, and machine learning are transforming what pharmacists can do, alumni and faculty weigh in on what the future of the profession looks like.
Q&A: The AI Optimist
Joel Jones (PharmD '07) has a front-row seat to how AI is reshaping pharmacy as vice president of clinical therapeutics and chief safety officer at Epic. He shares what's coming, and what pharmacists need to know.
Getting Ahead of AI
The School of Pharmacy has launched a new faculty workgroup to explore AI's place in pharmacy — from curriculum and clinical practice to research and academic policy — to ensure students are prepared.
What is your experience with tech and AI implementation in pharmacy? Share your insight with your peers in DiscoveRx.
Inside Look
Behind the Scenes in a Vaccine Research Lab
About 10 million Americans are immunosuppressed, yet they’re routinely excluded from vaccine studies. Get an inside look at the lab of Professor Mary Hayney as it explores vaccine response to help ensure even vulnerable populations are protected.
Badger Pride
THE DAY OF THE BADGER IS COMING
APRIL 14–15
Prepare for 1,848 minutes of Badger Pride in April! To get you started, snag a sustainable Swedish dishcloth designed by PharmD student Jenna Vande Hey — perfect for bringing Badger spirit to your kitchen. Get yours by signing up at go.wisc.edu/dotb26. Don’t wait — the offer ends March 22!
Elevating Pharmacy
Closing the IBD Care Gap
A team of Badger pharmacists at UW Health spent five years developing and validating a new IBD monitoring tool, proving that pharmacists can be clinical partners in care.
The 'Good Pharmacist'
What makes a good pharmacist? That question guided alum Elliott Sogol's (BS '78, MS '81, PhD '84) career through practice, industry, and academia.
From Madison to Medi-Cal
From building hospital pharmacies from the ground up to shaping California's Medicaid policy for 13 million patients, Pauline Chan (BS '74) spent 50 years expanding what pharmacists can do.
Alumni Impact
New Alumni-Supported Professorship Propels Psychedelic Science
Professor Paul Hutson — who led the nation’s first Phase 1 clinical trial for psilocybin — has been named the inaugural Thora M. Vervoren (BS ’53) Professor for Research in Psychoactive Substances, the first pharmacy professorship of its kind in the U.S. Learn why Vervoren hopes the professorship will “position UW–Madison at the very forefront.”
Connecting Pharmacy Badgers
Meet the team that helps School of Pharmacy alumni leave a lasting mark on students, the School, and the profession. Here's why they love what they do.
National APhA Honors
Three Pharmacy Badgers are celebrated by a national organization for their decades of service, research, and innovation. Meet the awardees.
Family Balance
Flexibility in Practice
From independent pharmacy and ambulatory care to the pharmaceutical industry, Badger pharmacists prove that pharmacy careers and family life can go hand in hand. See how these families have found balance.
Exceptional Education
Specialized PharmD
From rural health to industry to antimicrobial stewardship, the School's specialized PharmD paths give future pharmacists a head start on their careers. See how that's fueling the School's top graduate outcomes.
The Art of the Ask
In a tightening federal funding landscape, knowing how to write a winning grant proposal is essential. A new, award-winning course at the School is helping graduate students be competitive.
Fast-Tracking Careers
Alumni Chinh Kieu (PharmD '23), Noah Kaitz (PharmD '23), and Jake Yandre (PharmD '22) each chose a different specialization for their PharmD at the School — and each credits it with helping them land exactly where they wanted to be.
Global Reach
Setting the GOLD Standard
Associate Professor Ed Portillo (PharmD '14) serves as the sole U.S. representative on an international assembly geared toward improving COPD outcomes. See why he was selected for this globally impactful position.
Two Countries, One Mission
Sirada Jones (PharmD '00, MS '02) traveled from Thailand to Madison to earn her pharmacy degrees, then spent the next two decades bridging the two countries' health systems to enhance pharmacy practice at home and abroad.
Leading Research
Understanding Impairment
Drivers might feel fine, while their performance behind the wheel is anything but. Associate Professor Heather Barkholtz's research into THC and alcohol reveals a dangerous gap between how impaired drivers are and how impaired they think they are.
From the PAA
PAA Corner
From a summer golf outing to a student ice cream social, the Pharmacy Alumni Association has a full spring lineup — plus a call for your best old photos and memories to share with the pharmily.
See what they have planned >
Making Headlines
Mark Your Calendar
Milwaukee Innovators Reception
Connect with fellow Milwaukee-area alumni over dinner and hear from School of Pharmacy graduates making waves in the field, including Tom Dilworth (PharmD ’10), Nick Olson (PharmD ’03), and Erika Smith (PharmD ’06).
April 28, 6 pm
Madison Innovators Reception
An evening of food, drinks, and inspiration awaits Madison-area alumni. Hear from alumni innovators shaping the future of pharmacy.
May 19, 5:30 pm
26th Annual PAA & WSPS Golf Outing
Enjoy a round of golf with alumni, students, and friends, all to benefit the Pharmacy Alumni Association’s student scholarship fund.
July 27, 9 am
Class Notes
Spring 2026 Class Notes
From hiking the entire Ice Age Trail to landing dream careers and pursuing new adventures abroad, Pharmacy Badgers are living fully. Catch the latest updates in Class Notes, and then share your own news with peers.
Read what’s new >
Submit your class note >
Professional Development
CMC Project Team Leadership: The Science, Principles, and Practices for Successful Technical Teams
Webinars Thursdays April 16-May 21
In Person October 5-8
Fundamentals of Solid Dosage Form Development
In Person June 1-4
Stay Connected
DISCOVERX Staff
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Contributing Photographers | Paulius Musteikis, Sharon Vanorny, Ira Wilder, Hallie Funk, Todd Brown, Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Archer Parquette, Jennifer LW Fink, Kristin Rattini
Editorial Interns | Logan Underwood
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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