DiscoveRx Magazine – Winter 2023

Masthead for the Winter 2023 issue of DiscoveRx, featuring alumni Ian Miller, Art Schuna, and Prachi Arora.

Alums to Watch

The School of Pharmacy's 2023 Five of the Future: Morgan Walcheck, Jerame Hill, Prachi Arora, Ian Miller, and Jing Wu
2023 Five of the Future

This third-annual feature celebrates rising stars from each of the School of Pharmacy’s degree programs. From international outreach about toxicology, to an app to improve recycling, to consulting with the World Health Organization, these five are shaking up their fields.

Photo Gallery

Two School of Pharmacy alumni holding up a Badgers Pharmacy pennant flag.

Alumni Tailgate and Viewing Party

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Alumni Association’s most popular annual alumni event once again brought generations of Pharmacy Badgers together. See who made it and what transpired for the Badgers v. Hawkeyes game.

See the gallery >

From the Dean

Dean Steve Swanson

Dean’s Corner

As pressures on pharmacists grow, School of Pharmacy Dean Steve Swanson discusses the evolution of the profession over the years and what’s on the horizon, both for the field of pharmacy and for the School.

Learn more >

Alumni Change-Makers

Citation of Merit awardees with Dean Steve Swanson: Bob Breslow, Tom McCourt, Kathy Skibinski, and Dave Zgarrick.
4 Alumni Celebrated with Citations of Merit

The Citation of Merit is the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s highest annual honor. This year’s honorees include alumni who have improved pharmacy practice and education, medication therapies, hospital waste management, and more. Meet the honorees and learn about their careers.

Enabling New Therapies

How Traumatic Stress Changes the Brain

New research by School of Pharmacy Professor Lingjun Li uncovers the role of neuropeptides in post-traumatic stress disorder, which could unlock more effective treatments.

portrait of Lingjun Li

International Education to Boost HIV Therapies

Through an international partnership with USAID funding, the School of Pharmacy launches online drug development courses in Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Eric Buxton and others sitting at a table during a meeting

Stress and Psilocybin

Assistant Professor Cody Wenthur explores the link between psilocybin and stress to shed light on how the drug produces anxiety-reducing effects.

Cody Wenthur

New Antibiotic Targets

Armed with two new grants and new approaches, School of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Jason Peters continues his quest to find new targets for the hardest-to-treat bacterial infections.

portrait of Jason Peters

Photo Gallery

Professor Barry Gidal placing a white coat on a student

White Coat Ceremony

Our PharmD Class of 2027 met their first major milestone in pharmacy school: receiving their white coats. The ceremony also featured several School of Pharmacy alumni, including Heather Spatchek (PharmD ’18), Hannet Tibagwa Ambord (MS ’00), and more.

See the ceremony in photos >

Involved Alums

Pharmacy Forward

“I would do anything for this school that has given me everything,” says Nancy Gilbride (BS ’90, MS ’93). That's why she's helped the School of Pharmacy launch a new campaign aimed toward lowering the financial barriers for top future pharmacists.

Nancy Gilbride speaks with two PharmD students

Grandparents University

Designed for UW–Madison alumni, the School of Pharmacy hosts a two-day "major" to give kids and their grandparents a hands-on peek into a career in pharmacy.

Attendees in the pharmacy major during the 2023 Grandparents University

'Worth Every Penny'

The scholarships created by alumni and friends of the School open doors for student pharmacists to immerse themselves in their future career.

PharmD student Clara Nickel (c) poses with Donor Mary Rice (BS '75) and Mary's husband Jay during the PharmD Student Scholarship Brunch on Sunday, November 12, 2023, at the Pyle Center. (Freelance Photographer Paul L. Newby, II )

Alumni Events

Virtual Alumni and Friends Trivia Night
Tuesday, February 6

Come test your Badgers, Pharmacy, and general trivia knowledge in our fourth annual trivia fundraiser for student scholarships, hosted by the School of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Alumni Association.

Rural Health Program Reunion
Thursday, February 8

Join School of Pharmacy faculty, alumni and students for a virtual event to give Rural Health participants the chance to reunite, reconnect, and hear from instructors and peers.

APhA 2024: Alumni and Friends Reception
Date TBD

Join fellow Badger pharmacists at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., March 22-25. Time and location of reception TBD. Check back for more details.

Class Notes

Collage of alumni who have submitted class notes for Winter 2023, including Natasha Virrueta on a mountain, Lisa Holle, Mark Putzi, Amanda Borleske, and Jeffrey Swanson.

Winter 2023 Class Notes

Our Pharmacy Badgers are always busy, meeting professional and personal milestones, getting national recognition, or just checking in to say how life has been. Keep in touch with your School of Pharmacy alumni peers through class notes.

Read what’s new >
Submit your class note >

Professional Development

CMC Project Team Leadership

Thursdays April 18-May 23 | Webinars

This course covers effective leadership skills in the context of CMC development. In addition to leadership skills, the course also covers regulatory compliance and quality assurance.

Find more information and register >

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

June 11, 12, 18 & 19 | Webinars

This course helps pharmaceutical scientists get well versed in the details of PK-PD. Pharmacokinetics (PK) describes what a body does to a drug. Pharmacodynamics (PD) describes what the drug does to the body.

Find more information and register >

Fundamentals of Solid Dosage Form Development

June 3–6 | Pyle Center, UW–Madison campus

This course covers the “A to Z” of solid dosage forms from screening and selection to manufacturing.

Find more information and register >

Connect with us

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DISCOVERX Staff

Editor-in-Chief  |  Katie Gerhards
Photographer  |  Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Photographers | Todd Brown, Andy Manis, Beau Gustafson, Carla Osberg, Jon Fleming, Matt Yeoman, Zachry Bolinger
Contributing Writers  |  Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Jessica Steinhoff
Editorial Interns |  Maren Stewart, Logan Underwood
Editorial Advisors  |  Alyson KimDavid Mott

DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.

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