Recognizing Excellence
Citations of Merit
The Citation of Merit is the School of Pharmacy’s highest annual honor. This year, the honorees include alumni and friends of the School who have impacted pharmacy practice, education, and research. Learn about their laudable careers and contributions.
Higher Ed Excellence
For the second consecutive year, the School of Pharmacy earns a prestigious national award for its work in inclusive hiring and education that prepares pharmacists to serve all populations.
Expanding Expertise
The School of Pharmacy is growing the expert perspectives on its Board of Visitors by adding hospital and chain pharmacy leaders Steve Rough (BS '91, MS '94) and Greg Primuth (BS '88).
Student Impact
Rx for Service
The School's PharmD students pour hundreds of hours of service and volunteerism into their communities, from cleaning parks to screening for disease.
Five APhA-ASP Awards
The Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students has a long history of earning recognition for their outreach and education initiatives. This year, they're bringing home five regional awards, including one for a student wellness program.
Alumni Pioneers
The Future of Pharmacy Automation
Zero errors, zero drug waste, zero human touches on medication, and 100% pharmacist time spent on clinical activities. That's alumna Lani Bertrand's (BS '97) vision for the future of pharmacy. Learn how she's making it happen.
The 'Wild, Wild West'
Some people swear by dietary supplements, while others remain suspicious. Alum Joe Su (PhD '08) aims to shed light on what really works, studying how traditional medicine and natural products are formulated and how they can help people.
The Power of Data
“There are billions of data points being collected, but the question is how do you use all that data to help you do your job better?” Alumni Jesse and Jessica Schaetzel (PharmD '06) founded a company to answer that question.
From the Dean
Dean’s Column
“This is how we stay at the vanguard of research and education,” says Steve Swanson, dean of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy. He shares new initiatives to keep the School and UW–Madison campus on the cutting edge, including leading faculty research.
Learn more >
Fighting Cancer
Tagged for Destruction
Professor Weiping Tang creates a new type of molecule to target proteins on the outside of cancer cells that direct them through the body's own protein disposal system.
Bile Acid-Cancer Connection
Microbes living in our guts help us digest food by reshaping bile acids. Assistant Professor Ting Fu discovers that two of these microbially-modified bile acids may affect our risk — in opposite directions — for developing colon cancer.
Tale of Two Pathways
A cutting-edge platform developed by Assistant Professor Quanyin Hu uses protein-degrading platelets to suppress tumor regrowth and bolster immune response after surgery through two pathways.
Pharmacy Flashback
50-Year Anniversary: 1974 Revisited
As the School of Pharmacy Class of 1974 celebrates their 50-year reunion, members of the class share photos, memories, and reflections from their time in pharmacy school, the evolution of the profession, and more.
Photo Gallery
White Coat Ceremony
Our PharmD Class of 2028 met their first major milestone in pharmacy school: receiving their white coats, marking their official welcome into the profession. The ceremony also featured several School of Pharmacy alumni, including Julie Bartell (PharmD ’06), Janet Fritsch (BS ’87), Jason Bergsbaken (PharmD ’12, and more.
See the ceremony in photos >
Thank You
Funding Freedom
“I am incredibly grateful for that initial scholarship, because it gave me the freedom to chase my dream of becoming a pharmacist," says PharmD student Joey Jimenez. Learn how scholarships have transformed our students' journey and meet the donors behind them.
Fabric of Pharmacy
When first-year PharmD students receive their white coat, they know that with it comes the support of the Badger Pharmacy network. See what students find in their coat pocket and how it leaves an indelible mark on their educational journey.
Innovative Research
Bridging Disciplines
“The value of interdepartmental, interprofessional collaboration can’t be underestimated," says Professor Betty Chewning. The School is cultivating interdisciplinary partnerships locally and abroad to improve care, from the opioid crisis to HIV.
Forward Research
Three School of Pharmacy faculty have received funding to get their innovative multidisciplinary projects off the ground, aiming to develop a new paradigm for infectious disease treatments, harnessing AI to help design molecules, and more.
Making Seniors Safer
A groundbreaking study by School of Pharmacy researchers found that 4 out of 5 older adults demonstrated misuse of over-the-counter medications — the first study to characterize this significant misuse among older adults.
Photo Gallery
Alumni Tailgate and Viewing Party
The School of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Alumni Association’s most anticipated alumni event brought together generations of Pharmacy Badgers for a day of connection and celebration. Catch the highlights and see who turned out for the Badgers’ matchup against the Boilermakers.
See the gallery >
Passion Projects
Murder, They Planted
“In some cases, the villains are a necessary foundation for building up heroes." That's the basis for a short film created by Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation students that uses history, science, and storytelling to highlight poisonous plants and the infamous murders to which they're connected.
Olympian Today, Pharmacist Tomorrow
PharmD student Sophia Vitas spent her summer competing in the 2024 Olympics. This fall, she started her journey at the School of Pharmacy toward becoming a pharmacist. Learn where she sees overlap between practicing pharmacy and competing as an elite athlete.
Making Headlines
Mark Your Calendar
Virtual Alumni and Friends Trivia Night
Thursday, February 11
Come test your Badgers, Pharmacy, and general trivia knowledge in our sixth annual trivia fundraiser for student scholarships, hosted by the School of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Alumni Association.
Register here >
APhA 2025: Alumni and Friends Reception
Saturday, March 22
Join fellow Badger pharmacists at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.
More details here >
Milwaukee Innovators
Wednesday, April 23
Join your Badger Pharmacy peers at the Hubbard Park Lodge and Shorewood River Club in Milwaukee to hear from alums on the cutting edge of their fields. This free event includes a buffet and complimentary drink.
More details here >
Class Notes
Winter 2024 Class Notes
Our Pharmacy Badgers are always busy, landing new professional roles, participating in national organizations, meeting personal milestones, and more. 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 17-May 22, 2025 | Webinars
October 6-9, 2025 | Pyle Center, UW–Madison Campus
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.
Webinar registration >
In-person registration >
NEW IN 2025: CMC Essentials for Team Leaders in Biologics Product Development
May 19-22, 2025 | Pyle Center, UW–Madison Campus
This course covers practical CMC aspects for large molecule development programs and associated regulatory filings, including technical activities leading to the initial IND and BLA/CTD.
Find more information and register >
Fundamentals of Solid Dosage Form Development
June 2–5 | Pyle Center, UW–Madison campus
Find more information and register >
Updates in Biologics
Online, Asynchronous
Find more information and register >
Stay Connected
DISCOVERX Staff
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Photographer | Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Photographers | Paulius Musteikis, Sharon Vanorny, Andy Manis, Sirtaj Grewal, Paul L. Newby II
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Archer Parquette, Andrea Mongler, Eric Butterman
Editorial Interns | Logan Underwood
Editorial Advisors | Alyson Kim, David Mott
DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.
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