A Season of Connection

There are certain times of year when I am reminded just how special this college community really is, and fall is one of them.

During the past few weeks, I've found myself appreciating the simple things: cooler temperatures, the beauty of campus as the leaves begin to change, and the energy that comes with a new academic year finding its rhythm. Students are settling into classes and experiences that will shape their future careers, faculty and staff are immersed in the work they love, and there is a sense of momentum and possibility everywhere I look.

This season also brings opportunities to reconnect with those who helped shape the College of Pharmacy long before our current students arrived. Homecoming is more than a football game or a weekend of events. It is a chance to come home to a place that helped define who we are. Every visit from an alum, every story shared, and every conversation between generations reminds me of the enduring strength of our pharmacy family.

Later this month, we will also celebrate the presentation of the Osterhaus Medal, our college's most distinguished honor. Recognizing individuals whose work has transformed science, health care, and society is a powerful reminder of what is possible when talent, curiosity, and dedication are combined with a commitment to serving others.

As dean, one of the things I am most grateful for is the opportunity to witness the many ways people stay connected to this college. Some mentor students. Some welcome learners into their practice sites. Some support our mission philanthropically. Others simply remain enthusiastic ambassadors for pharmacy and for Iowa wherever they live and work. Each contribution matters.

Whether you are a current student, alum, faculty member, staff member, preceptor, or friend of the college, thank you for being part of this community. I hope to see many of you during our Homecoming and Osterhaus Medal events, and I hope you will take a moment to reconnect with what brought you to Iowa in the first place.

The Petersen/Linder Scholarship: A Legacy of Learning, Service, and Opportunity

The Petersen/Linder Scholarship reflects the values of Mary Louise Petersen, her late husband Rand Petersen, and her daughter, Katherine Linder, ’81 BSPh. Their legacy continues to open doors for pharmacy students pursuing careers dedicated to improving the lives of others.

At the heart of the scholarship is Mary Louise's conviction that higher education benefits not only individual students but also society as a whole. She understands that many students enter health care professions with a desire to help others, yet financial challenges can make pursuing that dream difficult.

“Higher education is very important in our society today,” Mary Louise said. “Scholarship support helps students concentrate on the learning process instead of trying to earn money to go to college at the same time. They can give their full attention to learning and practicing.”

Mary Louise believes students must learn through experience, develop critical thinking skills, and prepare for the responsibility of caring for others. She and Rand saw supporting students as one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen communities and improve lives.

That commitment to helping others was passed on to her daughter, Katherine, who remains grateful for the financial assistance that helped make her own pharmacy education possible. “I was so fortunate to have help paying for my higher education some 50 years ago,” Katherine said. “Now it is my turn to help others.”

For scholarship recipient Bailey Baccam, the impact of that generosity is already being felt.

“When I learned I received the Petersen/Linder Scholarship, I felt incredibly grateful and encouraged,” Baccam said. “This scholarship will help relieve some of the financial burdens I will have throughout the school year. It will allow me to focus more on my academics while also growing in my leadership roles within the College of Pharmacy and my community.”

Enzyme Explorer

Professor Michael Ashley Spies received a $2 million, five-year NIH R35 grant to explore how hidden “allosteric” pockets in proteins can improve drug design.

Spies’ research combines two long-standing projects to better understand how molecules binding at distant sites on enzymes can influence disease-related processes. His work could lead to new treatments for conditions such as gastric cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and neuroinflammatory disorders. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a new framework for allosteric drug design that researchers can broadly apply to drug discovery.

Celebrating American Pharmacists Month

This month, we’re shining a spotlight on our faculty, students, and alumni for their remarkable impact on health care. From patient care and community outreach to education, their dedication demonstrates the many ways pharmacists make a difference.

🌟 Healthy Hawks: One Team, One Goal

The UI College of Pharmacy continues to make influenza vaccinations available this fall through its Healthy Hawks: One Team, One Goal collaboration with UI Athletics. Launched as a successful pilot last November at an Iowa women’s basketball game, this year’s expansion offers influenza vaccines to ticket holders at several Hawkeye sporting events, in partnership with Towncrest Pharmacy. 

Doctor of Pharmacy students administered flu vaccines in September to fans before a UI volleyball match and gained more hands-on experience this month during three new clinics for student-athletes, in partnership with UI Health Care. Flu vaccination events at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be open to ticket holders at the Nov. 2 UI women’s basketball and Nov. 6 men’s basketball games. The initiative is supported by a grant from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation and offers another way to meet patients where they are for immunization services.

🌟 Transforming Pharmacy Practice

The Iowa Pharmacy Practice Act, signed into law in April 2024, modernized pharmacy practice by allowing pharmacists to provide services that meet the accepted standard of care and align with their education, training, and competence.

UI-trained pharmacists are opening new doors to care, redesigning community pharmacy, expanding clinical services, and helping health systems recognize pharmacists as essential providers. Their work shows how practice transformation can move from policy to patient care. 

Osterhaus Medal for Lifetime Achievement Award:

Terry Dahl, '83 PhD

Distinguished Alumni Award:

Laura Borgelt, '95 BSPh, PharmD, MBA

Lisa Gersema, '84 BSPh, '86 PharmD, MHA

Youlin Lin, '72 PhD

Randy McDonough, '87 BSPh, '97 MS, '00 PharmD

Honorary Alumni Award:

Jean Eisenbart, BS, MS

Genesis Alumni Award:

Christian Fernandez, '10 PhD

Wes Pilkington, '11 PharmD

Professorship Reappointment:

Korey Kennelty, PharmD, MS, PhD

Patrick E. Keefe Professorship 

Chair Reappointment:

Aliasger Salem, PhD

Lyle and Sharon Bighley Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences

New UIP Director Targets Growth, Workforce Development

For Bill Vincent, the new executive director of UI Pharmaceuticals (UIP), the path is straightforward: build on the organization’s long-standing expertise, strengthen its connections across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and bring its capabilities to a wider audience.

Vincent brings extensive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including a track record of expanding organizations, developing strategic partnerships, advancing business development, and building high-performing teams.

Alumni and Friends Reception at AAPS

You're invited!

Join us for a reception hosted by the UI College of Pharmacy and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics at AAPS PharmSci 360.

📝 RSVP

S5G Therapeutics Receives NIH Funding to Bring Iowa Research to Patients

A team of UI researchers has received a Small Business Innovation Research funding award from the National Institutes of Health for their startup company S5G Therapeutics Inc. The funding will support their goal of advancing an antioxidant-based technology that may lead to new eye drop treatments for dry eye disease, Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, and other conditions involving oxidative stress. 

The company brings together Mark Greiner, professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and fellow College of Pharmacy faculty member Aliasger Salem, Bighley chair and professor and UI senior associate vice president for research. 

Thanks for Joining Us!

What a fun time we had at the Ohio State Tailgate Oct. 3! Thank you to all who attended—stay tuned for future tailgate information next fall.

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