The inaugural class graduates!
Dear Students, Faculty, Colleagues and Friends,
It is with great admiration that I congratulate the first graduating class of the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences! These students have forged the path for all classes to follow, setting high standards for PharmD students at our school and proving successful in meeting them. I look forward to following the continued successes of the members of our inaugural class in their professional and educational endeavors as well as their service to their communities! I also look forward to inviting them — our first alumni — back as preceptors in the future.
Our school welcomed this inaugural class in August 2017; however, the story of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences began in 2014 when the state of New York announced its plan to invest in our education system and allocated funding for a new pharmacy school building in Johnson City, N.Y.
In January 2015, I joined Binghamton University and started forming a team to begin the process of founding a new pharmacy school, with the goal of reinventing pharmacy education for the next generations. Since its start, the school has grown tremendously, recruiting extraordinary faculty, staff and students; developing a program to offer a top-quality education with an emphasis on interprofessional education and teamwork; and carrying out transdisciplinary, cutting-edge research. The school has grown from six to over 50 faculty/staff, has a robust 25-member Dean’s Advisory Council, has partnered with over 400 preceptors, and has developed strong relationships throughout the Binghamton University, SUNY and healthcare communities.
Our team is very proud of the milestones we have reached so far, especially the graduation of our first class of students. These accomplishments were possible due to the support of many people, partners and organizations, and I thank all of our supporters for their contributions to our school’s successes.
We continue to refine our educational program, expand our research and strengthen our partnerships. With the foundational blocks firmly in place and our first class graduated, we are moving from a development stage to an established school. With that comes more challenges and opportunities to reach even new heights in our educational and research programs.
As we have grown our school, a Founders Society was created to honor those donors who supported the school with gifts of $1,000 or more from the school’s inception through June 2021. Donations have been used to help fund many student activities, events and research opportunities such as paying for student expenses while they worked in the community giving COVID vaccinations, student scholarships and awards, our White Coat Ceremony and summer research fellowships. I welcome you to consider donating to our school to be a part of this exciting time as we continue to grow and provide exceptional educational experiences for Binghamton University pharmacy students.
To become a Founders Society member and be included as a contributor to the initial founding of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, your donation must be received by June 30, 2021.
We hope you enjoy this edition of our e-newsletter, where you will learn more about the accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff, who join me in thanking you for your support.
Sincerely,
