SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 150 Years of Pharmacy Excellence

Current Position: Dean Emeritus, Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

"I strongly advise any pharmacist to keep on learning. I don’t think anything is more important. If you don’t continue learning, the work you do is going to go stale. If you are just using the same information you came out of school with, you aren’t going to have the same kind of satisfaction anymore. There’s ample opportunity to continue learning. To get real satisfaction, you have to go well beyond what the board is requiring you to do. Also, just look for opportunities to learn. If you want to be happy as a pharmacist, you have to be right at the forefront of pharmacy."

Current Position: Associate Clinical Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Science Department, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

"From working with the community and underserved populations, I want everyone to know that your pharmacist is not just the drug expert. We are so much more and beyond that because of our education and training. We learn and know so much more than just medicine in general. A lot of times patients don’t bring things up during a medical visits because the providers only have a few minutes with them, but they feel more comfortable asking us. We become an advocate and unpack the disease state more to help the patient with understanding why they need their medication. Since pharmacists are able to spend more time with patients and are more accessible in the community to see these things, we can provide more information and advocate for the patient to the healthcare team. Sometimes we are just a listening ear. You get to know patients and their lives. I cherish them trusting me in that manner. It gets heavy, but it lets me into their world better so I can better serve them."

Current Position:  Dean, Virginia Commonwealth University College of Pharmacy

Award: Hall of Distinguished Alumni - Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2017); Paul F. Parker Award Recipient (2001)

"The most beneficial part of receiving my degree from the UK College of Pharmacy has been the connectivity and networking opportunities. We learned how to be pharmacists and the enduring thing has been the connection to the residents."

Current Position: Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science; Director of External Studies; University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

"Some of the most meaningful interactions I have had have been with student pharmacists. I feel most accomplished when I see my former students in practice doing amazing things in pharmacy. I actually have a bulletin board behind my desk in my office that is filled with every thank you card, note, or letter I’ve ever received from students sharing their appreciation or gratitude for my role in their success. It’s a great encouragement to me on the days that feel difficult to navigate, for whatever reason, to take a glance at the “wall” and read a few of those notes. I’m so honored to have an opportunity to educate our future pharmacists and share my passion for pharmacy with them."

Current Position: Retired

Award: Hall of Distinguished Alumni - Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2018)

"I went to school almost before penicillin. I was one of two women in my pharmacy class of 80 students. Women weren’t accepted as pharmacists. There were only two or three women practicing as pharmacists in Lexington at the time. Hubbard and Curry Pharmacy in Lexington, Kentucky hired me and would have me work in the back office, and when it got busy in the pharmacy, I could help. Since I had a chemistry background, I was able to compound medications for them. I loved mixing things."

Current Position: Interim Dean, Duquesne University School of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

"I felt I was well prepared to go off to take a job in industry or academia. I think the experience at UKCOP was excellent, the faculty were fabulous, I was appropriately trained to do the kinds of things a pharmaceutical scientist would do. I made lots of good friends and professional contacts. I work now on different occasions with people I met at UK as a student. The respect that people have for UK is helpful. I began my studies with Harry Kostenbauder who was in the process of retiring; so, then I transferred to work with Robert Lodder, who was new at the time and very enthusiastic about his science. It was good timing for me. The analytical technologies that Rob worked with have become really standard in the industry for modernizing the product development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals."

Current Position: Endowed Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

"The most beneficial part of working at UKCOP has been the environment of the college. It's very supportive. That type of environment allowed me to be successful with my work and research and it fostered the career that I didn't anticipate. The environment at the college really helps people reach their potential. We do a great job making our students and staff successful."

Current Position: Professor Emerita; Emerita Distinguished University Professor

Award: Hall of Distinguished Alumni - Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2015); Paul F. Parker Award Recipient (2013)

"My work and experience as a clinician make a difference by helping patients and simultaneously helped me to be an effective teacher and mentor and identified important and relevant clinical questions that I could try to answer through my research program. My research program gave me the opportunity to mentor trainees and the results of my research can be translated immediately into practice to make a difference for even more patients!"

Current Position: Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Science Department; Director, Graduate Studies; University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

"My UKCOP experience has been unique because of the combination of different skill sets of clinical and scientific background. UKCOP's environment is so collaborative, supportive and friendly. It has built up a foundation of strong leadership over the years, which has really helped make it an open and supportive place. It is a rich, supportive, collaborative environment and that has been a big help in my career. I believe the residency program was critical to my development as well. I chose UK for a residency because no other place compares in amount."

Current Position: Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Science Department, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

"Pharmacy is a small world. Once you have been admitted to the College of Pharmacy as a student, you are joining our world. And that is the world you will be in for the next 40-50 years of your life. Pharmacy is big on networking. Keeping in touch with your classmates, your mentors, those are very important connections to maintain. Pharmacists do a good job of keeping the linkages alive"

Current Position: Senior Vice President, Astellas Pharma

Award: Hall of Distinguished Alumni - Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2009)

"The broad based education I received at UK was extremely beneficial. The good pharmaceutical sciences education that I got at Kentucky allowed me to go into the industry and be able to communicate with a wide variety of people that comprised the development teams within a drug company. Not only did I learn how to be a good pharmacist, but I also learned how to interact effectively with others in my field."

Current Position: President, Clinical and Pharmacy Solutions, Humana, Inc.

"To me, there's a pride in graduating from the University of Kentucky and the College of Pharmacy. There's a pride of being raised in Kentucky, going to the University of Kentucky, and making a name for myself and Humana, which is a Kentucky company. Having that background makes me have tremendous pride for being Kentucky grown and educated. I get to influence care across the country from Kentucky at Humana."

Previous Position: Professor, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy

Award: Paul F. Parker Award Recipient (1992)

Dr. Tom Foster was a professor and dedicated almost 40 years of service to UKCOP. He was heavily involved in UKCOP through teaching, service roles, research and bettering the overall UKCOP experience right up until he passed away. Dr. Foster also worked multiple positions a faculty member in the UK College of Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology and the UK College of Public Health's Department of Health Services Management. Dr. Foster also spent many years serving both the United States Pharmacopeial Convention and the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board.

Previous Position: Associate Dean, University of Georgia (currently retired)

Award: Paul F. Parker Award Recipient (2006)

"I would advise future pharmacists not to look at the short term for anything. There are always going to be frustrations and difficulties in dealing with people, but you can’t let those things change your course. Always keep your long-term goal in mind and work to improve situations on your way to the goal, but don’t bail."

Current Position: Venture Partner, BioPharma, New Enterprise Associates

In 2014, Dr. Gallagher joined New Enterprise Associates, fulfilling a position to increase biopharma investments in healthcare. Dr. Gallagher specializes in commercial drug and business development and has had over 30 years of experience in these fields. She also works in operations and entrepreneurship. Dr. Gallagher previously worked with Frazier Healthcare as a Venture Partner and was the president and CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals from 2008-2011. Calistoga Pharmaceuticals developed the first-in-class therapeutic drug Zydelig.