This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Inside the Summer 2026 issue
Future-Makers
2026 Five of the Future
Meet five early-career Pharmacy Badgers from each of the School of Pharmacy’s major degree programs who are building a better future, from revolutionizing face transplant surgery and expanding pharmacy’s role in HIV and addiction treatment to readying investigational medicines for clinical trials.
Class of 2026
Congratulations to our newest University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy alumni! See the ceremonies and celebrations commemorating our PharmD, Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership, Health Services Research in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and PharmTox Class of 2026 graduates.
Exceptional Outcomes
Elite Match Rate
“A residency match rate of 97% is an elite milestone that places the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy at the absolute forefront of pharmacy education nationwide," says Vice Dean Mel de Villiers. See how the School maintains residency success.
Prepared for Industry
As industry opportunities grow for pharmacists, the School of Pharmacy creates new resources to help student pharmacists land fellowships to advance their careers. See how they're already benefiting students and graduates.
PharmTox Opens Doors
PharmTox graduates are heading to medical school, doctoral programs, and research roles at top companies — and 100% say the program prepared them for their next step. Here's how the program makes it happen.
A Note from Advancement
Alumni Column
Associate Dean for Advancement Ed Portillo (PharmD ’14) reflects on the steps that defined the Class of 2026’s graduation season, an inspiring BADGERS acronym, the milestones of pharmacy school, and the enduring spirit that connects every Pharmacy Badger.
Read his message >
Leading Alumni
Q&A: Evolution in Biosimilars
Mehran Yazdanian (MS '88, PhD '90) breaks down the science, business, and regulatory changes reshaping the biosimilars landscape, and what that means for patients and scientists.
Cutting-Edge Cardiology
Scott Haugen (BS '95) has spent two decades shaping cardiology care, and more than 15 years giving back to the PharmTox program. This year, he's honored as the PharmTox Alum of the Year. Learn about his lifesaving work.
Three Generations Deep
Defying his father's advice, Steve Marcus (BS '80) followed his grandfather and dad into pharmacy, spending four decades building and leading long-term care pharmacy businesses. Read his story.
Alumni Authors
Summer Reads
Check out eight reads by School of Pharmacy alumni and faculty, from Tudor court intrigue and psychedelics to comics and guides for aspiring researchers and entrepreneurs.
Student Milestone
Pinning Ceremony
A milestone moment, the Pinning Ceremony marks the transition from classroom courses to clinic experience and patient care. See the celebration for our PharmD Class of 2027.
Instructional Excellence
Award-Winning Preceptors
Trisha Ludwig (BS '94, PharmD '97) and Jenny Moran (BS '88) have each made a lasting mark on hundreds of student pharmacists. This year, the School of Pharmacy honors them for their impact.
Vilas Honors
Professors Tim Bugni and Lian Yu have earned one of UW–Madison's most prestigious faculty honors. The research behind their awards spans a potential breakthrough antibiotic discovered in marine bacteria to new frontiers in materials science.
Teachers of the Year
Five School of Pharmacy instructors are honored by students for their exceptional impact, empathy, and expertise.
Alumni Online
Pharming Content
Three School of Pharmacy alumni are taking their expertise to social media, fighting misinformation, demystifying industry fellowships, and shining a light on managed care careers for the next generation of pharmacists. See why they do it and what they’ve learned.
Wisconsin Idea at Work
Lost in Translation
Professor Betty Chewning and a UW nursing colleague are developing culturally sensitive tools to help Hmong caregivers communicate their loved ones' pain to health providers. Now, new funding is expanding their reach.
Billion-Dollar Badger Effect
UW–Madison's latest Economic Impact Report shows the power of healthcare, with a $2.4 billion impact generated by the Health Sciences campus, including the School of Pharmacy. See how it adds up.
Badger Innovators
Badgers Transforming Care
Three Milwaukee-area alumni are pushing pharmacy forward, from revolutionizing heart failure care across a major health system to advancing HIV treatment at Gilead Sciences.
Emerging Entrepreneurs
From a real-time color-coded bracelet for kids with diabetes to a specimen collector that filters antibiotics from hospital wastewater, PharmD students brought game-changing ideas to the School's annual ShaRx Tank.
Expanding Pharmacist Roles
From a pharmacist-led primary care clinic to a VA specialty pharmacy model now expanding nationwide, three Madison-area alumni show what's possible when pharmacists push boundaries.
Student Success
Leading the Way
The School of Pharmacy's Phi Lambda Sigma chapter is receiving its third national honor for leadership.
Competitive Campus Research Awards
Four PharmTox students earn top campus honors for original research, spanning tuberculosis in the brain, DNA repair, cancer imaging, and neurodegenerative disease detection.
Badgers Supporting Students
More than 100 donors came together on this year's Day of the Badger to raise $17,000 for pharmacy students, funding conference trips, community outreach, and students' milestone moments.
Top 3 Nationally
The Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students earns a national honor for Operation Heart, acknowledging a year of blood pressure screenings, blood drives, and events that reached veterans, women, seniors, and more.
From the PAA
PAA Corner
Pharmacy Alumni Association Board Member Nicholas Olson (PharmD ’03) reflects on nine months of alumni events, student questions, and a question he’s often asked: Why give back?
Find his answer and opportunities to get involved >
Making Headlines
Mark Your Calendar
26th Annual PAA/WSPS Golf Outing
Alumni, faculty, and current students unite for a day of golf and catching up with good friends and colleagues. Proceeds from this event benefit student scholarships.
July 27, 9 am-4:30 pm
PAA Luncheon at PSW Annual Meeting
Join the Pharmacy Alumni Association to hear updates on alumni activities and celebrate the Alumni of the Year, who will be announced at the luncheon.
August 29, 12 pm
Alumni & Friends Tailgate & Viewing Party
Cheer on the Badgers for the Wisconsin vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks game alongside old classmates and new friends. Enjoy a raffle, silent auction, and buffet.
September 12, time TBD
Class Notes
Summer 2026 Class Notes
From earning pharmacy awards and landing new residencies, to a new baby and a novel on the way, Pharmacy Badgers are always on the move. Catch up and share your news in class notes.
Read what’s new >
Submit your class note >
Professional Development
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 >
6th Annual UW–Madison Psychedelic Symposium: On Your Mark
Oct. 29–30, 2026 | BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute, Promega Campus, Madison
As FDA approval of psilocybin and MDMA approaches, the 2026 UW-Madison Psychedelic Symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians, and trainees from across the country to share knowledge and facilitate collaboration. As in past offerings of the UW Psychedelic Symposia, the program will include basic, translational, and clinical findings regarding the therapeutic applications of psychedelics and entheogens.
Find more information >
Stay Connected
DISCOVERX Staff
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Contributing Photographers | Paulius Musteikis, Sharon Vanorny, Romulo Ueda, Jason Smith, Brian Smith, Kate Dearman, Alicia Schoberg, Harold Shapiro, Sirtaj Grewal, Jerry Alt, Deanne Fitzmaurice, Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Archer Parquette, Jessica Steinhoff
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.
Have an alumni update or story idea?
Get in touch with us to share your class notes, thoughts, or story ideas.