Reception marks 50 Anniversary Graduate Alumni Reunion
Fine food, drinks on the porch (Indian summer!), mixing, mingling and memories were featured at an Oct. 16 reunion reception celebrating the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program.
The graduate program, directed by Susanna Wu-Pong since 2004, celebrated its 50th anniversary (and second formal reunion) in conjunction with the School of Pharmacy’s 11th annual Research and Career Day.
Also featured at the Scott House event were brief presentations by Wu-Pong; Bill Barr, Department of Pharmacy professor; and Victor Yanchick, School of Pharmacy dean. Other faculty and alumni, when called upon, shared stories of their days in the graduate program. And a black-and-white, circa 1975-76 photo of the faculty — supplied by Richard Glennon, Department of Medicinal Chemistry chairman — triggered quite a few memories.
Current graduate students were on hand, including Priyanka Kakad (second year M.S. in geriatric pharmacotherapy), Mallika Lala (third year Ph.D. in pharmacogenetics) and Parinaz Ghaswalla (second year Ph.D. in geriatric pharmacotherapy).
Patty Slattum, vice chairman for graduate studies and associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics, waxed nostalgic over her days as a student. “I tried to leave twice!” she said with a laugh. “I actually packed, and I remember thinking, ’I’ve got to get out of here.’”
Obviously, she changed her mind: In addition to a B.S. in pharmacy in 1985, she earned a Certificate in Aging Studies in 1991 and a Pharm.D./Ph.D. in 1992.
“I had to learn that there was something creative that could be done here,” Slattum said. “I tell my students because they’re either like [I was] … or so focused that can’t see anything else.”
Wu-Pong’s recent history of the graduate program concluded with the fact that enrollment has doubled in the last decade. One of the purposes of the reunion reception, she said, was “to share with graduate students how fantastic our alumni are.”
She thanked alums who attending “for coming back and completing that circle.” Among the alumni attendees were Marijke Adams, Frank Blondino, Tom Prisinzano, Kellie Reynolds, Mohamadi Sarkar (who is also an affiliate associate professor for the school) and Denise Walters.
Though he suffered some good-natured teasing about the length of his presentation, all eyes and ears were on Barr as he described having been invited by John Wood to leave Buffalo, N.Y., for Richmond, Va. “I was happy there,” Barr said, “but I never got used to the snow. … John said, ’We have the makings here of a fine graduate program.’”
That was 36 years ago.
Yanchick, who joined the school as dean in 1996, said, “There’s a lot of history here. I consider it an honor to carry on this fine tradition.”
He was pleased to see so many emeriti faculty, he said. “These are the pioneers, the people who took risks. … And it was difficult to do the research. They didn’t have the computers!”
In addition to a graduate program that has trained so many national and international leaders in the industry and academe, Yanchick said, “Our Pharm.D. program is exceptional and continues to get better and better.”
While looking to recruit the best and brightest graduate students, he suggested, don’t forget the school’s Pharm.D. students.
Among the emeriti faculty attending the 50th Anniversary Graduate Alumni Reunion were Marvin Boots, Bill Soine and Jim Stubbins (medicinal chemistry); John Ruggiero and Harold Smith (pharmaceutics) and Norman Hilliard (pharmacy). Ruggiero also was dean of the school from 1982 to 1996.
Asked if she or her husband had any current news, Lola Hilliard laughed. “No, we’re just growing old!” she said. But, like other current and former professors and their families, the Hilliards shared stories of children, grandchildren and lives that aren’t slowing a bit.
Phyllis Soine noted that her husband now is director of pharmacy for Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent County. So much for retirement!
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