Binghamton University Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commencement 2026

After its ninth successful year, the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences celebrated its sixth graduating cohort of doctoral students and fourth cohort of master’s students on Thursday morning at the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Theater. 

Sixty-two students received either a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree or a Doctor of Pharmacy degree to roaring applause during the opening ceremonies for Commencement 2026.

Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor Kanneboyina Nagaraju began the special day by welcoming the guests, graduates, faculty, and staff who helped establish the school as a nationally recognized pharmacy college to the event. 

He noted the quickly changing field of healthcare and the impact of artificial intelligence on today’s learners, focusing on the strength and perseverance of Binghamton’s students despite the rapidly evolving landscape.

“Pharmacy, meanwhile, is changing under our feet, and you have each learned how to navigate clinical decision-making, lead teams, and use innovative technology in your education and research,” Nagaraju said. “Yet amid that change, you never lost sight of the value of human connection — communicating with patients, faculty, collaborating with peers, and learning from your preceptors.”

Nagaraju also outlined several of the exceptional landmarks of the Class of 2026.

“In a short time, we’ve earned national recognition. This year, we moved up 21 spots in the U.S. News & World Report rankings; our 2025 first-time NAPLEX pass rates of 90.2% are above the national average, and our 2026 postgraduate residency match rate ranks among the highest in the country,” he said.

Other historic accomplishments included: 

• A record 100% match rate in PGY1 and PGY2 residencies,
• More than 20 research posters presented at professional conferences, including at national venues like ASHP Midyear in Las Vegas,
• Several national, regional, and University-level awards recognizing excellence in training and research, from organizations such as the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS),
• And the first graduates of the partnership with Nirma University in India

Nagaraju left the graduates with a word of advice: “Keep the patient at the center of every decision and move forward with confidence and purpose, and I have no doubt that you will each achieve extraordinary things.”

President Anne D’Alleva, in her first Commencement at Binghamton University, spoke next of the exceptional faculty and family support that enable today’s graduates to succeed. She continued with a note of thanks for the welcome she has received as she transitioned onto campus, and her appreciation for the Binghamton Bond, which connects each member of the University community.

“It’s the respect you show others, the acts of kindness, and the care you display for everyone on this campus,” she said. “The Binghamton Bond is one of this University’s great traditions, and I’m grateful that you’ve strengthened it during your time here.”

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Donald Hall then took the stage, praising the graduates for bringing their curiosity, work ethic, and critical thinking to campus, and urged them to take those same skills into their future careers.

“As you make your way forward, remember to define your value to prospective employers,” Hall said. “Show them that you know how to solve problems, that you know how to ‘play well with others’ on teams, that you learned to be a leader at Binghamton — and that you are a good communicator. These are all skills that come from your foundation in the liberal arts, and I can’t say enough about them. These skills will serve you well in whatever endeavors you undertake.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Sara Roszak, DRPH, MPH, a healthcare and public health executive with more than 15 years of experience advising boards, shaping policy, and driving strategy at the intersection of healthcare delivery and public health, most recently as senior vice president of health and wellness strategy and policy at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).

She celebrated Nagaraju’s relentless work cultivating students as pharmacists and discussed the many potential futures of this year’s graduates, from community pharmacies to clinical practice, policy, research, and global health.

“Your degree is not a prescription for what your life must look like. It is a foundation — one of the most rigorous, multidimensional scientific and clinical foundations one person can hold,” she said. “What you build on top of that foundation is limited only by your imagination and your willingness to say yes to the unexpected.”

Roszak continued by pointing out the inflection point in pharmacy from the “dispensing” era to the era of the “provider.” It is no longer a “one-size-fits-all” field, as genomic science and AI change the landscape of what is possible.

“As pharmacists, you will be the interpreters of this data,” she added. “Pharmacists are increasingly recognized as providers — prescribing, testing, and treating. This isn’t just a shift in tasks; it’s a change in your identity. You are clinical experts whose judgment shapes outcomes in ways other clinicians cannot replicate. You are the final check, the safety net, and the primary counselor. With this new authority comes responsibility.”

Her final advice for the graduates was to invest in the community around them — to stay connected and curious as they move into their professional lives.

Alumni Association President Felicia Moreira '01, MA '02, welcomed the graduates as new alumni while celebrating a university-wide milestone of eight decades providing affordable, quality education. She noted that these graduates join a network of more than 160,000 alumni in over 100 countries.

Then, Associate Professor Leon Cosler, RPh, PhD, introduced this year’s student speaker, Jason Oppong ’23. Oppong served the University as an Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) blue bus driver, a Residential Life graduate hall director, a peer mentor, and a teaching assistant, and has held internships at New York Presbyterian and Rite Aid. 

Reflecting on his own journey along with his classmates, he noted the difficult — but worthwhile — journey to becoming a pharmacist, and the moments of connection that taught him what being a provider means.

“I know many of you had your own defining moment,” Oppong said. “Maybe it was your first patient counseling session. Maybe it was catching a medication error. Maybe it was during interprofessional rounds when your recommendation made a difference. Or maybe simply the day you realized, ‘I can actually do this.’ That’s when pharmacy stopped being a subject and became a responsibility.”

He reflected on the “village” — parents, siblings, partners, and friends — who made the journey possible, and urged graduates to continue to grow and evolve as healthcare becomes increasingly complex.

“We must embrace digital health and innovation, not to replace human connection, but to strengthen it and improve patient outcomes,” he said. “But above all, we must remain human. Empathetic when others are afraid. Patient when others are confused. Steady when others are uncertain. We stand at the intersection of science and humanity. This is not a small responsibility. 

“But if pharmacy school taught us anything, it’s that we are capable of much more than we once believed. We came in as students, unsure of ourselves. We leave as professionals who have handled real patients, made real recommendations, and grown through real challenges. There were moments we doubted whether we belonged here. But today proves that we did.”

After degrees were conferred, Anna Fink, PharmD ’23, wrapped up the ceremony by reciting the Oath of a Pharmacist with the 2026 cohort. The ceremony concluded with Nagaraju leading the audience and 2026 graduates singing the Binghamton University alma mater.

Watch the complete ceremony here.