Athlete Alum
Pharmacist, Olympian, Badger
As a student pharmacist, Ed Lebler (BS ’81) balanced schoolwork with weekend flights for Wisconsin Badgers Hockey games, which evolved into balancing pharmacy practice with global travel with the Austrian Olympic hockey team. Learn how he’s woven his two passions together, in the rink and in the pharmacy.
Improving Outcomes
Stewardship Award
A team of alumni and faculty of the School created a pioneering antimicrobial stewardship program leveraging telehealth to improve care at a small rural hospital. Now, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is honoring the team with a national award.
Spreading HOPE
Professor Eva Vivian launches a study to help African American grandmothers initiate generational change in diabetes prevention. Learn how HOPE (Healthy Outcomes through Peer Education) is helping families build healthier lifestyles.
Best Paper Award
For a pioneering study exploring the influence of e-prescribing tool CancelRx on pharmacist and physician workflow, Professor Michelle Chui, alum Taylor Watterson (MS '18, PhD '22), and collaborators receive national recognition.
Student Support
Rural Health Legacy
PharmD student Kara Graves is the inaugural recipient of a new, interprofessional scholarship created in honor of an alum who spent his career improving health in rural Wisconsin: Lyle Vandenberg (BS '59). Learn about Vandenberg's legacy.
Increasing Access to Pharmacy School
An upcoming first-of-its-kind campaign at the School is designed to increase access to pharmacy education. "Through this campaign, we want to empower all high-performing students to achieve their dreams to come here and support our ongoing mission of excellence.” Learn more.
Impactful Research
Preventing the Next Pandemic
“We don’t know when a mutation is going to come up that allows a problematic virus to become more lethal or transmissible in humans,” says Associate Professor Jennifer Golden. With NIH support, she's working to develop ways to stop emerging viruses.
Pulmonary Treatments for Preemies
After having two family members impacted by respiratory diseases, alum Russ Lehrman (PhD '81) dove into research to develop better therapeutics. His first target: bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants.
A Checklist for C. Diff
Since 2015, Laurel Legenza (PharmD '13) has been working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of Clostridioides difficile in South Africa. Her work has not only been a success, but it's influenced the country's treatment guidelines.
From the Advancement Team
Dave’s Corner
More than 300 alumni and friends gave their time in 2022 to help our School and students thrive. Associate Dean for Advancement Dave Mott shares his gratitude, information about an exciting upcoming campaign, and how to get involved in the 2023 Day of the Badger.
Read his message >
Photo Tour
Behind the Scenes in an Internationally Renowned Lab
Professor Lingjun Li has been named one of the world’s top analytical scientists three times, with her lab leading breakthroughs in detecting Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. So what does this work look like? Take a look behind the scenes.
Healthcare Leaders
Global Digital Therapeutics Alliance
Alumna Megan Coder (PharmD '09) helped found an international organization to help advance digital therapeutics.
Alumni Experts Enhance the School's Vision
Brent Eberle (BS ’98) and Mehran Yazdanian (MS ’88, PhD ’90) bring rich experience in industry and managed care pharmacy to the School's Board of Visitors.
Alums in Leadership
Three years after graduation, the School's first grads of the leadership-focused PharmD option are impacting patient care on multiple levels.
Student Spotlight
Building a Stewardship Tool
During a clinical rotation, PharmD student Kendra Isberner took the initiative to build a tool to transform antimicrobial stewardship tracking in a critical access hospital. Learn what she did and how it will help the hospital meet requirements.
Outstanding Professional Development Award
A video series created by the School's PharmD students has earned a national award from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Learn about the series and how it helps to advance the profession of pharmacy.
Educational Excellence
Top Teacher
Associate Professor Charles Lauhon is honored by UW–Madison with a Distinguished Teaching Award. Read his reflections on some of his favorite memories and how he developed his teaching style.
Interprofessional Commendation
UW–Madison's interprofessional partnership for continuing education in healthcare exceeds reaccreditation standards. Learn where the campus' interprofessional education shines.
Tiny Earth, Global Impact
A new course developed by Associate Professor Jason Kwan aims to encourage undergraduates to explore STEM careers. Soon, the course may be offered around the world.
Back in Time
Frontier Pharmacy
Designed to look like a frontier pharmacy from the 1800s, the Ouray Alchemist, run by alumna Nancy Losinski Haggar (BS ’81) and her husband, is a museum that includes a working soda fountain from 1893, the oldest prescription in Colorado, and over 700 hand-blown glass pharmacy bottles, many with the original drugs inside. Take a look at their unique collection, dating as far back as 200 B.C.
2023 Day of the Badger
On March 28 & 29, we’ll be celebrating our Pharmacy Badger pride and giving back to support students. Get ready to don your Badger gear and show your spirit on social media with #DayOfTheBadger!
Learn more at DayOfTheBadger.org.
Rising Alums
Five of the Future Returns
It’s nearly time again for our annual feature, Five of the Future, highlighting recent alumni, graduating within the last 15 years, from each of our programs who have already begun to influence and improve practice, research, or patient care.
Your network is invaluable in helping us identify rising recent alums, so if a name comes to mind, please share it for our consideration.
Share your alum suggestions >
Making Headlines
Class Notes
Spring 2023 Class Notes
Our Pharmacy Badgers are always busy, meeting professional and personal milestones, getting married, growing their families, and more. Keep in touch with your School of Pharmacy alumni peers through class notes.
READ WHAT’S NEW >
SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTE >
Alumni Events
APhA 2023: Alumni & Friends Reception
March 25, 5 pm | Sheraton Phoenix Downtown
Join fellow alumni, colleagues, and friends at a reception during the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting & Exposition. Meeting attendance not required to join the reception.
Learn more >
PharmD & PharmTox Research Symposium
April 18, 12 pm | Health Sciences Learning Center
Visit the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and view posters showcasing PharmD and PharmTox student-led research projects.
Learn more >
Alumni & Friends Tailgate & Viewing Party
October 14 | Varsity Hall, Union South
Join alumni and friends of the School to cheer on the Badgers as they face the Iowa Hawkeyes. Enjoy a buffet, auction, and cash bar. Begins 2.5 hours before kickoff. At the event, also find the Class of 1978 45-year reunion.
Learn more >
Please Note
DiscoveRx will be on hiatus for Summer 2023. Expect more School of Pharmacy alumni news in Fall 2023!
Professional Development
Third-Annual UW–Madison Psychedelic Symposium
The 2023 Psychedelic Symposium will be held November 2-3.
More information and registration coming soon!
Short courses for Pharmaceutical Scientists
- CMC Project Team Leadership: The Science, Principles, and Practices for Successful Technical Teams
– Webinars April 13, 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 2023
– In person October 16-19, 2023 - Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (PK-PD)
Webinars May 16, 17, 23, 24, 2023 - Fundamentals of Solid Dosage Form Development
In Person July 10-13, 2023
Connect With Us
DISCOVERX STAFF
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Photographer | Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Photographers | Todd Brown, Bryce Richter, Colin Cruickshank, Kaycee Joubert, Deanne Fitzmaurice, Ingrid Laas
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Jill Sakai, Nicole Etter
Editorial Interns | Brianna Foth, Aarti Gupta, Olivia Bouchard
Editorial Advisors | Alyson Kim, David Mott
DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.
HAVE AN ALUMNI UPDATE OR A STORY IDEA?
Get in touch with us to share your class notes, thoughts, or story ideas.