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College Connections
An electronic newsletter from the College of Pharmacy
October 20, 2023
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Dear Alumni, Colleagues and Friends,
On September 5th, Senior Associate Dean Don Klepser and myself witnessed a historic event that will impact the healthcare workforce in outstate Nebraska for decades to come. The Health Science Education Center II (HSEC II) groundbreaking occurred on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus with the intent to address the workforce needs for pharmacists and other health professionals in smaller communities throughout Nebraska. The College of Pharmacy (COP) expressed our interest to the chancellor several years ago to be a part of the newly proposed facility now under construction. We are extremely excited to be a part of this innovative program. The college projects having 3 to 4 faculty in the Kearney area in 2024 with pharmacy students admitted to the program in fall of 2025. Although the building will not be fully operational until late 2025 or early 2026, the COP wanted to begin addressing the pharmacist needs in rural communities as soon as possible.
We anticipate a strong demand by our students who prefer to attend classes on the UNK campus. The College has already begun exploring partnerships and clinical sites in the Kearney area, and I encourage you to reach out if you are interested in partnering with the College. What a great opportunity for students to attend pharmacy school and still have a reasonable drive home in central and western parts of the state. All students will enjoy the same excellent education, both in person and live stream back to the main campus. Students in Kearney will be mentored and supervised by on-sight faculty.
Students considering a career in pharmacy will now have the opportunity to pursue their education and develop clinical skills in the patient populations they will serve. Please pass this message along to prospective high school students and anyone starting their college career.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to me at keith.olsen@unmc.edu or 402.836.9273.
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College Welcomes Class of 2027 | |
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The UNMC College of Pharmacy Annual White Coat Ceremony took place on August 18 at the Michael F. Sorrell Center.
Forty-nine students took the pledge of professionalism and received their professional white laboratory jackets, provided by friends of the College of Pharmacy through contributions to the Innovations Fund.
Dean Keith Olsen, PharmD opened the ceremony and welcomed the Class of 2027. Drew Prescott, PharmD, Clinical Assistant Professor delivered the keynote speech “Don’t Stop at Why". P4 class president, Skyler Maclean, provided advice to the incoming students in his speech "Reflections From a P4".
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Kylie Adams, Lincoln
Maiya Ballesteros, Omaha
Aubrey Bando, Nebraska City
David Berger, Bellevue
Lauren Beringer, Lenexa, KS
Emmitt Broberg, Columbus
David Bruce, Norman, OK
Carissa Caraway, Mankato, MN
Tristan Colford, Columbus
Hazim Dahar , Khanasor, Iraq
Alexandra Danson, Waverly
Kalynn Doehling, Omaha
Tristin Duff, Albuquerque, NM
Alexandra Duminy, Omaha
McKenzie Elliott, Omaha
Morgan Elvin, Lucas, Tx
Kane Fiala, Aurora
Anders Freeland, Edina, MN
Haley Gates, Redlands, CA
Makayla Gill, Omaha
Kasim Hamo, Lincoln
Sophie Hassenstab, Omaha
Kelsey Heggemeyer, Wayne
Amal Hskan, Shingal, Iraq
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Mikayla Jaggers, Rushville
Tatum Jorgensen, Papillion
Joseph Kimminau, Omaha
Dallon Lemon, Omaha
Andrea López Mercado, Lares, PR
Tanner Maddox, St. Paul
Madelyn Madsen, Bellevue
Mariah Marisch, Spalding
Justin Martin, Los Alamos, NM
Caitlyn McGarvie, Valparaiso
Alexis Monteleone, Papillion
Madelyn Moore, Holdrege
Draven Ray, Plattsmouth
Alexa Rea, Lincoln
Brook Ringsdorf, Elkhorn
Kamal Saydo, Lincoln
Mary Steffeck, Phoenix, AZ
Callie Stewart, Fremont
Johanna Sughroue, Indianola
Destiny Umbarger, Albion
Hilary Vaughn, Gretna
Shadie Vu, Portland, OR
Morgan Wohl, Crete
Sunshine Xiong, Omaha
Benjamin Yanovich, Papillion
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Millie Williams Thank You Celebration | |
The inaugural class of Williams Scholars | |
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UNMC, the College of Pharmacy and the University of Nebraska Foundation were privileged to host a thank-you celebration honoring one of pharmacy’s greatest friends and supporters, Millie Williams.
For decades, Millie and her husband, the late Joe Williams, strove to give back to UNMC’s College of Pharmacy. The Williams name is found throughout the new and former pharmacy buildings. Joe was a driving force behind the college’s first endowed faculty chair, the Parke-Davis Chair in Pharmaceutics, currently held by David Oupicky, PhD.
Last year, the Williams gave the College a truly transformational gift, an estimated $20 million dollars. This visit was an opportunity for the College to give an in-person thank you.
Millie and Joe’s granddaughter, Kelly Gillis, had the opportunity to tour the college and several campus highlights. One notable event of the visit was a luncheon with the recent recipients of the Joseph D. and Millie E. Williams Pharmacy Excellence Award Scholarship. Millie was emotional in meeting several of the newly named and newly funded Williams Scholars. “Oh, my gosh, I was overwhelmed,” Millie Williams said. “It was such a great experience. I wish Joe could have experienced it.”
The visit concluded with a reception that featured remarks by Williams Scholar Andrea Lopez Mercado, Dean Olsen and Millie herself among others. To learn more about the gift Joe and Millie Williams gave the college, please visit this article.
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Sarah Slayton wins Silver U
Sarah Slayton, student services associate, has won the College of Pharmacy Silver U award for Summer 2023.
Sarah was nominated for her willingness to take on extra projects including planning the Big 10 Colleges of Pharmacy meeting in Chicago last spring and the College’s Research Day in May.
Congratulations Sarah!
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Now Hiring! Faculty Position in OEP Office
The College is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to join the faculty. We are actively recruiting for the Experiential Education Coordinator/Assistant Director position. This is a non-tenure leading clinical faculty position that will work closely with the Associate Dean for Experiential Education and the Office of Experiential Programs, with responsibilities related to IPPE and APPE education and preceptor development. For more information, please see the job posting!
Job Posting
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ASHP Midyear Reception
If you are planning to attend the ASHP Midyear meeting in Anaheim, CA, please mark your calendar to join us for a special reception hosted by UNMC Collège of Pharmacy and Nebraska Medicine.
December 4th
5:30-7:30pm
Hilton Anaheim Convention Center
More details to come!
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ACCP 2023 Outstanding Student Chapter Award | |
The UNMC College of Pharmacy has received the 2023 ACCP Outstanding Student Chapter Award. The award recognizes a student chapter that has exemplified strength in leadership, dedication in patient care, and passion for professional development through its activities and membership. Student representatives will be presented with a plaque during a special ceremony at the ACCP Student Chapter Forum which takes place at the ACCP Annual Meeting this November in Dallas, Texas. | |
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2023 AACP Aspiring Academics
P3 student, Theo Blum, has been selected as one of 20 students nationwide to participate in the inaugural AACP Aspiring Academics Program.
The program is designed to inform and inspire students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing an academic pharmacy career. Through asynchronous learning modules, mentorship, networking, a group project, involvement with AACP, and attendance at the AACP Annual Meeting and Teachers’ Seminar, the program aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of career paths in academic pharmacy.
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Three faculty members were honored with 2022-2023 College of Pharmacy faculty awards at the August 15th faculty meeting.
The Scholar of the Year Award recognizes and encourages excellence in scholarly activities. This year’s recipients are Dr. DJ Murry– Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science Scholar of the Year, and Dr. Dong Wang– Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Scholar of the Year.
The College Impact Award is presented to a faculty member who has made impactful improvements to programs related to the education, research, patient care, service and community outreach goals of the College of Pharmacy at the UNMC. This year’s recipient of the award is Dr. Linda Sobeski.
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Dr. Bianco Receives Research Article Award | |
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Dr. Piero Bianco, research associate professor, recently presented at the SPIE-CLP Conference on Advanced Photonics 2023 in San Diego, CA.
Dr. Bianco accepted an award for Research Article of the Year in the journal Advanced Photonics for 2022 on behalf of all who contributed to the article.
Article details: High-speed image reconstruction for optically sectioned, super-resolution structured illumination microscopy
Wang Z., Zhao, T., Hao, H., Cai, Y., Feng, K., Yun, X., Liang, Y., Sun, Y., Bianco, P.R., Oh, K., and Lei, M.
Journal: Advanced Photonics Vol. 4 Issue 2 Pages 026003 (2022).
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College Welcomes Two New Faculty Members | |
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Jingjing Sun, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Before joining UNMC, she served as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Sun's research mainly focuses on the utilization of interdisciplinary approaches including chemistry, bioinformatics, cancer biology and immunology to develop new nanoformulations for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
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Shawnalyn Sunagawa, PharmD is a clinical instructor and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science.
Dr. Sunagawa is a clinical pharmacist who practices at the UNMC Specialty Care Center, HIV Program. She earned her PharmD from Creighton University and completed a pharmacy practice and infectious diseases pharmacy residency at Nebraska Medicine.
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College of Pharmacy Spotlight | |
Highlighting a college alumni, student, and/or faculty member! | | |
Today we hear from class of 2024, P4 Anh Tran! | |
Where were you born and where did you go to high school?
I was born in Vietnam, Chi Minh City. I went to Calvary Baptist Academy, Midland, Michigan.
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Where did you complete your undergraduate requirements for pharmacy school?
University of Nebraska Lincoln
What is your favorite part of pharmacy school?
My favorite part would be the opportunity to build relationships with peers, faculty, and professionals in the field.
Have you decided where you might like to practice when you graduate?
When I graduate, I am considering exploring the business aspect of pharmacy, specifically in either retail pharmacy or pursuing a fellowship.
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 would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to all of you for your generosity. By donating to our college, you have played a pivotal role in shaping the future of pharmacy education and health care innovation. You have enabled the UNMC College of Pharmacy to train the next generation of professionals who will make an impact on public health and patient care. Once again, thank you for your invaluable contributions.
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Recent Faculty Publications | |
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The Inherited Intestinal Microbiota from Myeloid-Specific ZIP8KO Mice Impairs Pulmonary Host Defense against Pneumococcal Pneumonia
Samuelson D.R., Smith D.R., Cunningham K.C., Haq S., Villageliú D.N., Ellis C.M., Chowdhury N.B., Ramer-Tait A.E., Price J.D., Knoell D.L.
Pathogens 2023 12:5
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
Patient perspectives of antiretroviral pharmacy services: A cross-sectional cohort study
Liu Y., Lyden E., Furl R., Havens J.P.
PLoS ONE 2023 18:5 MAY
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
Evaluation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase inhibition as a novel strategy for the treatment of osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma
Haney S.L., Feng D., Chhonker Y.S., Varney M.L., Williams J.T., Smith L.M., Ford J.B., Murry D.J., Holstein S.A.
Drug Dev. Res. 2023 84:1 (62-74)
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
Aldo-Keto Reductase 1C3 Inhibitor Prodrug Improves Pharmacokinetic Profile and Demonstrates In Vivo Efficacy in a Prostate Cancer Xenograft Model
Maddeboina K., Jonnalagadda S.K., Morsy A., Duan L., Chhonker Y.S., Murry D.J., Penning T.M., Trippier P.C.
[Article in Press] J Med Chem 2023 :
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
In-Person and Telehealth Provider Access and Glycemic Control for People With Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Eiland L., Datta P., Samson K., Anzalone J., Donovan A., McAdam-Marx C.
J. Diabetes Sci. Technol. 2023 17:4 (895-900)
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
Quantification of nine antiretroviral drugs in cerebrospinal fluid: An approach to overcome sample collection tube adsorption
Mykris T.M., Weinhold J., Winchester L.C., Scarsi K.K., Fletcher C.V., Podany A.T., Avedissian S.N.
[In Process] J. Chromatogr. B Anal. Technol. Biomed. Life Sci. 2023 1227:
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
Synthesis and biological evaluation of sulfonylpyridine derivatives as potential anti-chlamydia agents
Feng J., Janaína de Campos L., Seleem M.A., Conda-Sheridan M.
Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2023 91:
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
Mycobacterium tuberculosis CitA activity is modulated by cysteine oxidation and pyruvate binding
Pathirage R., Favrot L., Petit C., Yamsek M., Singh S., Mallareddy J.R., Rana S., Natarajan A., Ronning D.R.
RSC. Med. Chem. 2023 14:5 (921-933)
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
COVID-19 host genetic risk study conducted at community pharmacies: Implications for public health, research and pharmacists' scope of practice
Beam T.A., Klepser D.G., Klepser M.E., Bright D.R., Klepser N., Schuring H., Wheeler S., Langerveld A.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2023 19:10 (1360-1364)
Go to publisher for the full text [dx.doi.org]
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Interested in becoming a Preceptor? Contact the OEP office for more information! | | | | |
