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College Connections
An electronic newsletter from the College of Pharmacy
December 20, 2024
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Dear Alumni, Colleagues and Friends,
The end of every journey summons reflection on its adventures, challenges, results and the individuals that made it possible. As I conclude my journey as the eighth dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy and look forward to retirement, I often reflect on my career.
Our college has become an elite pharmacy program reflecting the hard work of past and present faculty, staff and students. The outcomes we have achieved in education, research and service rank at the top of pharmacy schools and considering our size, make the achievements even more remarkable.
My association with every one of you helped me succeed in pharmacy education and research. It is my immense privilege to have served as the dean of the college which I received my PharmD. As I pass the mantle of leadership to Dr. Donald Klepser as Interim dean along with the executive team, I am forever grateful to be a servant leader in the college. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the coming new year.
My Best,
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Keith Olsen, PharmD, to Retire as Pharmacy Dean | |
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Keith Olsen, PharmD, Joseph D. Williams Endowed Dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy, has announced his decision to step aside as dean, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Dr. Olsen will then phase into full retirement the following January 2026, after 25 years at UNMC.
“We are very grateful to Dr. Olsen for his many years of service to the medical center,” said UNMC Interim Chancellor Dele Davies, MD. “Especially these last several years as Dean, which saw our college of pharmacy rise to unprecedented heights under his leadership.”
Dr. Davies has appointed Donald Klepser, PhD, senior associate dean for academic affairs and professor of pharmacy practice and science, to serve as interim dean.
Dr. Davies stated that after working with Dr. Klepser, and consulting with faculty members within the college, it was clear that Dr. Klepser’s experience in leading multiple initiatives over the past few years and his strong knowledge of the NU system, having graduated from the Nebraska University Developing Excellence in Academic Leaders (NU DEAL) Program make him ideally suited to lead the college at the present time.
Dr. Klepser has served in a key role on the college’s leadership team. In addition to his on-campus duties, Dr. Klepser has helped boost the UNMC College of Pharmacy’s national leadership in point-of-care testing and diseases management service in community pharmacies, the expanded role for pharmacists in the changing health care environment, rural pharmacy access, cost containment and managed care benefit design.
Dr. Klepser said he is excited to serve in this new role.
“I’m grateful to have earned your trust, and I look forward to all of the things we as the UNMC College of Pharmacy will continue to do together to serve Nebraska and beyond,” he said.
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New Chair Named for the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science | |
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The UNMC College of Pharmacy has appointed Kim Scarsi, PharmD, currently professor and vice chair of pharmacy practice and science, to chair the department, effective in the new year. Dr. Scarsi will replace Daren Knoell, PharmD, an alumnus of the college who has served as department chair since 2016.
Dr. Scarsi coordinates of the Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy section and the Advanced Concepts in HIV elective. Clinically, she serves as a consultant at UNMC's HIV clinic. Nationally, she has served on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council, and on the Board of Directors for the HIV Medical Association (HIVMA).
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Student Poster Recognized by ACCP
Eight UNMC College of Pharmacy students participated in the scientific poster session at the ACCP Annual Meeting, which took place October 12-15 in Phoenix, AZ.
Emily Evans, P4, was a member of the poster team that won First Place Trainee Poster for their submission titled "Evaluation of Nebraska Medicine's Monitoring Protocol for Continuous Intravenous (IV) Heparin in Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), or Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)". Fellow poster contributors included Sara Kjerengtroen PharmD, BCPS, Rebecca Sedlak PharmD, BCCCP, and Kaitlyn Squires PharmD.
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Student Honored with new College Award | |
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Shelby Butts, P3, has become the inaugural recipient of the College of Pharmacy Ellie Award.
The award is named for Ellie the black labrador and UNMC mascot, whose loyalty, curiosity, and compassion reflect the qualities this honor seeks to recognize.
Shelby was nominated for her leadership in the SPEAK program, a peer-to-peer mentoring initiative within the College of Pharmacy.
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Dr. Cook Named 2024 College of Pharmacy Distinguished Teacher | | |
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Kristen Cook, PharmD, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice and science, was named the UNMC College of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year at the college’s recent fall honors celebration. Dr. Cook teaches pharmacotherapy courses and precepts at the UNMC Midtown Clinic. She also helps coordinate a teaching certificate program for pharmacy practice residents.
The UNMC College of Pharmacy honor is chosen by the P2-P4 students. Nominators described Dr. Cook as “determined,” “compassionate” and “sharply focused on student success.” She “creates an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere that inspires students to ask questions and actively engage in learning,”
P4 class president Theo Blum presented the award at the Fall Honors Celebration on November 6.
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Faculty Members Recognized at UNMC Distinguished Scientist Awards | |
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Two College of Pharmacy faculty members have been recognized for their research achievements as part of a ceremony held on November 14, to honor UNMC’s Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator Award recipients.
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Corey Hopkins, PhD was honored with the Research Leadership Award. This award honors scientists previously recognized as Distinguished Scientists who have a longstanding research funding history and also serve as research leaders and mentors on campus.
Dr. Hopkins research focuses on drug discovery, and he currently serves as director of the Center for Drug Design and Innovation.
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Sean Avedissian, PharmD was honored with the New Investigator award. This award is given to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the NIH, the DOD or other national sources. New investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity, such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
Dr. Avedissian’s research focuses on central nervous system translational pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.
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Corey Hopkins, PhD Elected to Leadership Committee | |
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Corey Hopkins, PhD is one of three newly elected officers of the 2025 American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Medicinal Chemistry (MEDI) leadership committee. Dr. Hopkins was elected as Academic Vice Chair and in 2026, he will move into the Chair role.
Dr. Hopkins joins fellow UNMC College of Pharmacy faculty member, Paul Trippier, PhD, who currently serves as Secretary and Public Relations for the MEDI division.
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College of Pharmacy Researchers Ranked Among Most Cited | |
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Twelve College of Pharmacy faculty members were identified as among the top 2% of all researchers in the world in their fields, according to a Stanford University study that uses standardized citation metrics to rank researchers worldwide.
In academic papers, citations are used to reference earlier published research. The frequency of a researcher’s work being cited in other publications is often a strong indicator of their impact and reputation.
UNMC overall, performed very well in the rankings with more than 100 researchers on the list.
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College of Pharmacy Spotlight | |
Highlighting college alumni, students, and/or faculty members! | | |
Today, we highlight one of our newest preceptors and a current P4. | |
Haley Pertzborn, PharmD, RP | |
Where did you get your degree?
Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Please describe your path to becoming a preceptor for the College of Pharmacy. You may list as much detail or as little as you choose.
After I graduated pharmacy school, I moved to Lincoln Nebraska to complete a Fellowship in Association Management and Leadership at the Nebraska Pharmacists Association (NPA). During my fellowship year, I helped the CEO, Marcia Mueting, precept the students. I didn’t think I would be able to precept that soon after graduation, but it was a pleasant surprise at how much I value being a preceptor. At the end of my fellowship year, I began the position as the next CEO of the NPA and have been so excited to continue to precept students in this role.
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How many years have you served as a preceptor for UNMC?
A little over 1 year
Please describe your practice site, including the location. What special things do the students get to learn from you?
The Nebraska Pharmacists Association (NPA) is a state pharmacy association that advocates, educates, and connects ALL pharmacy professionals in Nebraska. Students who do a rotation with the NPA will learn all about advocacy (pharmacy-related and non-pharmacy-related), write a clinical article that will be published in the NPA’s Mortar & Pestle Journal, engage in professional development discussions and exercises, learn about association management, and MUCH more. Every rotation block at the NPA is different as every day in association management is different! Students should approach this rotation with an open-mind.
What is the most rewarding part of being a preceptor for the College of Pharmacy?
The most rewarding part of being a preceptor for UNMC pharmacy students is being able to get to know the students' passions. As the association, we represent all pharmacy professionals in ALL settings, so one of my favorite parts of precepting is getting to know the students and their passions in pharmacy and outside of pharmacy.
If you could give one message to our current students, what would you say?
You are doing great! Pharmacy school is meant to pressure you into questioning yourself. You can’t grow and learn without this, but I promise you are doing great.
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Gabe Codling
PharmD Candidate- Class of 2025
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Where were you born and where did you go to high school?
- Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Attended Elkhorn South High School in Omaha
Where did you complete your undergraduate requirements for pharmacy school?
Creighton University
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What is your favorite part of pharmacy school?
I love how pharmacy school isn’t just about going to class and taking exams. I appreciate the wide variety of extracurricular activities and patient care opportunities offered to master my pharmacy skills. These experiences have allowed me to feel confident and prepared to begin rotations this upcoming Summer.
Have you decided where you might like to practice when you graduate?
I am interested in practicing at a large academic health center somewhere in the United States that provides care to underserved populations.
If you could send a brief message to all of the people who donate to the UNMC College of Pharmacy, what would you say?
I appreciate all the things that the College of Pharmacy has done to ensure that I am set up for success in my future. I understand that donors play a vital role in the University’s success, and I am thankful for all of those who are generous enough to contribute.
*In October, Gabe presented a poster at IDWeek 2024 in Los Angeles, CA and participated in a social media piece for the event. You can view it here!
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Recent Faculty Publications | |
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Recent advances in targeted drug delivery systems for multiple myeloma
Pant A., Laliwala A., Holstein S.A., Mohs A.M.
J. Control. Release 2024 376: (215-230)
Inulin-based nanoparticles for targeted siRNA delivery in acute kidney injury
Jogdeo C.M., Panja S., Kumari N., Tang W., Kapoor E., Siddhanta K., Das A., Boesen E.I., Foster K.W., Oupický D.
J. Control. Release 2024 376: (577-592)
Intradermal Injection of a Thermoresponsive Polymeric Dexamethasone Prodrug (ProGel-Dex) Ameliorate Dermatitis in an Imiquimod (IMQ)-Induced Psoriasis-like Mouse Model
Jiang H., Fu X., Zhao G., Du X., Georgesen C., Thiele G.M., Goldring S.R., Wang D.
Mol. Pharm. 2024 21:10 (4995-5004)
Comparison of etonogestrel bioanalytical assay results in plasma and serum within and across laboratories
Sunagawa S.W., Winchester L.C., Wichman C.S., Avedissian S.N., Erikson D.W., Kernan M., Marzinke M.A., Mykris T.M., Nandakumar R., Nolin T.D., Podany A.T., West R.E., Chen B.A., Chappell C.A., Scarsi K.K.
[Article in Press] Contraception 2024 : (110720)
Medium-Ring Keto Bislactams with Antischistosomal Activity
Ren R., Leas D.A., Häberli C., Cal M., Chen G., Katneni K., Dong Y., Kaiser M., Keiser J., Charman S.A., Vennerstrom J.L.
[Article in Press] J. Med. Chem. 2024 :
Anti-CLL1 liposome loaded with miR-497-5p and venetoclax as a novel therapeutic strategy in acute myeloid leukemia
Pan Q., Xin X., Mahto S., Dong Y., Kumar V., Hyde R.K., Gupta N., Bhatt V.R., Mahato R.I.
[Article in Press] Mol. Ther. 2024 :
Damage of the Phospholipid Bilayer by Aβ42 at Physiologically Relevant Peptide Concentrations
van Deventer R. [embase.com], Lyubchenko Y.L.
[Article in Press] ACS Chemical Neuroscience 2024
Charting a course: Use of Electronic Health Records in skills-based pharmacy education
Ives A.L., Maes M.L., Sawyer K., Bergbaken J.M., Van Hooser J., Fravel M., Cook K.
JACCP Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy 2024 7:11 (1099-1106)
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Interested in becoming a Preceptor? Contact the OEP office for more information! | | | | |
