College Connections- The latest news for you

College Connections

An electronic newsletter from the College of Pharmacy

December 21, 2023

Greetings from the Dean

Dear Alumni, Colleagues and Friends,

As 2023 draws to a close, I extend warm holiday wishes to you and your family on behalf of the faculty, staff, and students of the UNMC College of Pharmacy. This is a opportune moment to reflect on the past year and consider the significance of our individual roles and responsibilities.

Every day, we strive to fulfill our mission by delivering the highest quality education to our students and engaging in groundbreaking research that positively impacts the lives of Nebraskans and beyond.

A heartfelt thank you to all our alumni, preceptors, and friends who generously contribute their time and financial support, helping to elevate the College to an elite program. Your dedication plays a crucial role in our success. Wishing each and every one of you a joyous holiday season.

College News

New Leadership in Student Services Office

Chris Shaffer, PharmD, PhD

Drew Prescott, PharmD

On November 1, Dr. Drew Prescott assumed the role of Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, succeeding Chris Shaffer, PharmD, PhD.

Dr. Prescott is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science. Recent honors include 2022 faculty preceptor of the year, 2021 TOAST award, and 2020 Pharmacists Mutual Distinguished Young Pharmacist by the NPA.

Dr. Shaffer stepped aside after 10 years in the position to devote more time to his charge as director of the Child Health Research Institute’s pediatric pharmacology program.

College Appoints New Director of Equity and Inclusion

Dr. Kristen Cook, clinical associate professor in the College's Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, has been named as the College's Director of Equity and Inclusion. She will officially begin her new role on January 1, 2024.

As the Director of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Cook will lead initiatives aimed at enhancing learning and working experiences across all facets of the College, fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates differences, and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone within the academic community.

She will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students to develop and implement strategies that promote a sense of belonging and equity for all.

ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting

Faculty, students, and alumni came together in Anaheim, CA, for the 2023 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting from December 2 to 4. During this year's event, four students and three faculty members showcased their research through poster presentations. P4s Adam Roskam and Cora Svoboda represented UNMC in the Clinical Skills Competition.

A reception, jointly hosted by the College, UNMC Alumni Association, and Nebraska Medicine, warmly welcomed over 50 guests, providing an opportunity for networking and socializing.

Now Hiring! Clinical Faculty Position

The College is actively recruiting for a clinical non-tenure track faculty position in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science. Ideal candidates will have a passion for ambulatory/primary care. In addition to teaching duties, this position will require the establishment of a practice within Nebraska Medicine Clinics For more information, please see the job description and official posting to apply.

Student News

Kappa Psi Pie in the Face Coin Race

Once more, the Kappa Psi fraternity held a spirited fundraising coin race to benefit the Reach Out and Read charity. This year, the four faculty contenders who graciously stepped up for the cause and risked a pie in the face were; Drs. Don Klepser, Drew Prescott, Chris Shaffer, and Nate Sutera.

Drs. Prescott and Sutera emerged as co-honorees, sharing the privilege of receiving a pie in the face. Overall more than $100 was raised for the charity.

Students Elected KY Province Officers

At the recent Kappa Psi Northern Plains Province Fall Assembly, two UNMC students were elected to executive council offices. P2 Shelby Butts was elected secretary and P3 Carissa Wilson was elected Chaplain.

Seven students and two faculty members from UNMC were in attendance at this year’s event which was held at Drake University in Des Moines, IA.

Faculty News

New Leadership in Student Services Office

Dr. Joe Vetro is the 2023 recipient of the UNMC College of Pharmacy Distinguished Teaching Award. The award, which is voted on annually by the P2, P3, and P4 classes, was presented to Dr. Vetro during the Fall Honors Celebration on October 23.

The award was presented by P4 class president, Skyler Maclean. During Mr. Maclean’s speech, Dr. Vetro was praised for going above and beyond for his students, and being “determined to make sure each and every student understands the material and is set up for success”.

Dr. Vetro teaches several components in the Pharmaceutical Sciences course series.

2023 UNMC Distinguished Scientist

Daren Knoell, PharmD, FCCP, was one of eight scientists honored as a UNMC Distinguished Scientist during an award ceremony held on November 9, 2023. Dr. Knoell’s research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of lung disease that in turn will reveal new biological insight to prevent or mitigate disease. His laboratory first revealed that dietary zinc and its distribution in the body, through a family of zinc transporter proteins, is essential for immune development and host defense in the lung against infection.

The award recognizes faculty at UNMC who hold the title of Associate Professor or above, have worked for the University for at least two years, and have a portfolio of extramurally funded research, collaborators, and impactful publications.

College of Pharmacy Spotlight

Highlighting a college alumni, student, and/or faculty member!

Today, we feature Steven T. Boyd, a Class of 2000 alumni. In a noteworthy gesture of philanthropy, Steven, along with his wife LeAnn, made a lasting impact late last year with the establishment of a dedicated scholarship fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation. This fund aims to provide valuable scholarship support to deserving students at the UNMC College of Pharmacy.

Steven T. Boyd

Class of 2000

Where were you born and where did you go to high school?

I was born in Omaha, NE and attended Creighton Preparatory graduating in the class of 1993.

Where did you complete your undergraduate requirements for pharmacy school?

University of Nebraska Omaha.

What is your favorite memory from pharmacy school?

Our senior class trip to Ann Arbor, MI to visit the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company.

Describe your career path since you graduated.

Following graduation, I completed an Ambulatory Pharmacy Residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

After the residency, I took a position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska and operated an NIH Grant focused on Diabetes Management at Siouxland Community Health Center in Sioux City, IA.

My professional career then transitioned to Creighton University and eventually Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana in which I was promoted to Associated Professor. I was fortunate enough to marry a pharmacist, LeAnn, and we decided to take over the operations of her father’s family retail community pharmacy, in Natchitoches, LA. In addition, we also created a Long-Term Care Pharmacy, Drug Screen Company and a Medication Therapy Management service. Although this was very fulfilling, we recognized community pharmacy was changing. In 2011 we founded a Pharmacy Benefit Management company named Southern Scripts which has recently rebranded to Liviniti, LLC.

In my current role, I serve as Executive Vice President of Business Development, and we have the pleasure of serving over 2,000 self-insured clients and 750K member across the country.

Please list any honors or recognitions you have received during your career.

Louisiana Innovative Pharmacist of the Year - 2009
Louisiana Pharmacist of the Year - 2011

If you could give one message to future pharmacists, what would it be?

Pharmacy is an amazing career with numerous opportunities. The profession is alive, thriving, and full of endless career paths. But the most important thing to always remember is the patient comes first! Always!

Throughout your career you will be faced with difficult choices and decisions, and it is my belief if you always focus on the patient, you will naturally make a good decision.

Remaining a lifelong learner is challenging but vital to ensure you stay relevant within your career. Finally, also look for opportunities to enhance your career. This way you will keep the fire in your belly and the light in your eyes your entire career.

Recent Faculty Publications

Oestradiol concentrations in trans women with HIV suppressed on unboosted integrase inhibitor regimens versus trans women without HIV taking oral oestradiol: A pilot study

Loutfy M., Lacombe-Duncan A., Tseng A., Persad Y., Underhill A., Kennedy V.L., Armstrong I., Fung R., Bourns A., Nguyen Q., Hranilovic S., Weisdorf T., Chan L.Y.L., Kia H., Halpenny R., Iyer H., Jeyarajah N., Kovchazov G., McCully J., Scarsi K.K.

[In Process] J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 2023 78:11 (2653-2659)

Evaluation of serial monitoring of donor-specific antibodies in pediatric and adult intestinal/multivisceral transplant recipients

Klein K., Keck M., Langewisch E., Merani S., Hitchman K., Leick M.

[Article in Press] Pediatr. Transplant. 2023 :

Designing peptide amphiphiles as novel antibacterials and antibiotic adjuvants against gram-negative bacteria

Xing H., Loya-Perez V., Franzen J., Denton P.W., Conda-Sheridan M., Rodrigues de Almeida N.

Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2023 94:

Simultaneous LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of Azithromycin, Hydroxychloroquine and its metabolites in SARS-CoV-2(-/ +) populations using dried blood spots

Chhonker Y.S., Aldhafiri W.N., Soni D., Trivedi N., Steinbronn C., Johnson C., Karita H.C.S., Paasche-Orlow M.K., Barnabas R., Arnold S.L., Murry D.J.

[In Process] Sci Rep 2023 13:1 (16428)

Discovery, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of N-(phenylcarbamothioyl)-2-napthamides as inhibitors of Claudin-1

Mashinson V., Webster T.M., Vadukoot A.K., Tolentino K.T., Simeon P., Fatima I., Dhawan P., Hopkins C.R.

Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2023 92:

Antimalarial Dibenzannulated Medium-Ring Keto Lactams

Ren R., Wang X., Leas D.A., Scheurer C., Hoevel S., Cal M., Chen G., Zhong L., Katneni K., Pham T., Patil R., Sil D., Walters M.J., Schulze T.T., Neville A.J., Dong Y., Wittlin S., Kaiser M., Davis P.H., Charman S.A., Vennerstrom J.L.

[Article in Press] ACS Infect. Dis. 2023 :

The Development of Thermoresponsive Polymeric Simvastatin Prodrug for the Treatment of Experimental Periodontitis in Rats

Xu X., Jia Z., Chen N., Lele S.M., Reinhardt R.A., Killeen A.C., Wang D.

[Article in Press] Mol. Pharm. 2023 :

Influence of Prior Authorization Requirements on Provider Clinical Decision-Making

Salzbrenner S.G., Lydiatt M., Helding B., Scheier L.M., Greene H., Hill P.W., McAdam-Marx C.

Am. J. Managed Care 2023 29:7 (331-337)

Interested in becoming a Preceptor? Contact the OEP office for more information!

UNMC College of Pharmacy