Category: News
Former dean Bill Campbell returns to UNC for seminar
October 21, 2019William “Bill” Campbell, Ph.D., former dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, still remembered when a professor at Oregon State University encouraged him to go to graduate school. “That single, small act changed my life,” he said during his Oct. 21 seminar talk to faculty and staff at the School. Since then, Campbell has had a decades-long career in academic leadership. He served as the School’s dean from 1993 to 2003. He was previously the dean of the Auburn School of Pharmacy and president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Campbell’s talk focused on the importance of … Read more
For new faculty member, ‘being back home at UNC is such an honor’
October 18, 2019Deborah Sturpe, Pharm.D., MA, a UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy alumna, recently joined the School’s Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics as a faculty member. Sturpe’s research is based upon investigating ways in which curriculum, teaching methods, student assessment, and other educational programs. We asked her about her experience in academia: Q: What is your hometown? That’s actually hard to answer. I technically grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, but my family bought property on Lake Norman just north of Charlotte, N.C., when I was young. I spent all my summers there, and that was officially “home” by the … Read more
2019 Device and Diagnostics Summit looks at new possibilities for medical devices
October 16, 2019The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Eshelman Institute for Innovation and UNC’s Innovate Carolina, a university-wide initiative to promote entrepreneurship, came together to host the Device and Diagnostics Summit on Oct. 10, at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill. The summit brought together people from UNC and the pharmaceutical industry to share and learn about new research in medical devices and diagnostics, and to talk about bottlenecks facing industry. The schedule also included breaks for group networking. Additionally, the summit introduced John Bamforth, Ph.D., new director of the Eshelman Institute for Innovation. “The summit provided a great forum for faculty … Read more
Two UNC Ph.D. students are making cancer research accessible through blogging
October 11, 2019For Sara Musetti and Manisit Das, Ph.D. students in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, their commitment to research doesn’t stop in the lab. Das and Musetti founded OncoBites, a blog that posts summaries of new developments in cancer research. Das said part of the motivation for the blog came from a question he always received – “When will there be a cure for cancer?” OncoBites is meant to explain scientific research in an accessible way and includes information about the complexity of the research process and how long it takes to implement new treatments. Blog posts are crafted by … Read more
Alum celebrates 99th birthday, thinks back on time at UNC
October 10, 2019On her 99th birthday in late September, Blanche Clark answered 17 phone calls from friends and family, enjoyed visits from her daughters and had pizza, beer and her favorite yellow cake with caramel icing. “It was exhausting,” she said, with a big smile. Near the bouquets of birthday flowers that dotted her home in Chapel Hill, N.C., sat a 1941 Yackety Yak – the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s yearbook. And beside the yearbook, Blanche had placed a print edition of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s alumni magazine that featured, on its cover, a picture of the … Read more
Assistant professor receives grant to propel Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis research forward
October 10, 2019Each year, approximately 2 million people in the United States are affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, said Aaron Anselmo, assistant professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Currently, approved medications and treatment options for those suffering from these diseases focus on treatments that block the immune response throughout the body, which can have adverse side effects. So, Anselmo, Ph.D., is on a mission to find the cause of inflammation in the intestines with a goal of preventing and curing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. To support his work, Anselmo recently received an R21 grant from the National … Read more
PharmAlliance students speak with former Interim Dean Thakker
October 7, 2019The PharmAlliance communications committee for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had the privilege of interviewing Interim Dean Dhiren Thakker last spring. In our lively discussion, we talked about the creation and vision of PharmAlliance, discussed trips and interactions with our international colleagues, and remarked upon the future of having a global reach for pharmacy. 1. We heard that you visited Monash University recently. How was your trip to Melbourne? Dean Thakker: “It was good! This meeting was a very special meeting, it was the first time all domains of PharmAlliance gathered together for a PharmAlliance conference. It was … Read more
Scholarship luncheon recognizes generous donors, student recipients
October 4, 2019The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy attracts top students from all across the nation every year. However, the cost of education is a concern for many students not only during school, but upon graduation as well. Through the generous support of alumni and friends, this year 201 distinguished students were awarded scholarships totaling $1.1 million. The average amount of a single scholarship was $5,400. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Scholarship Luncheon was held on Sept. 24 at the Carolina Club to honor the achievements of student scholarship recipients and recognize loyal scholarship donors. UNC Pharmacy Foundation Vice Chair Neal … Read more
Gail Moriarty celebrates 50 years of service at UNC
October 3, 2019The Office of Human Resources is honored to celebrate over 250 UNC-Chapel Hill employees who recently completed 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 60 years of service with the state of North Carolina at the Service Recognition Breakfast on Oct. 2 at The Carolina Club. Among those honored included UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Gail Moriarty, who has completed 50 years of service. Get to know Gail: Q: What is your position at UNC? A: Business Services Coordinator at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Q: What is your favorite part of working in your role at UNC? A: The … Read more
Grabenstein seminar explores role of pharmacists as vaccinators
October 3, 2019Since the 1890s, pharmacists have played a role in delivering vaccinations to patients, said John Grabenstein, Ph.D., global director of medical affairs for Merck Vaccines. Grabenstein spoke about this topic at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy on Oct. 2. The seminar, titled “Pharmacists as Vaccinators: When the Phone Rang at Beard Hall,” explored his work and the role of pharmacists as vaccinators today. Grabenstein earned his pharmacy degree at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh under an ROTC scholarship, then worked at the Military Vaccine Agency. While completing his Ph.D. in immunology at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Grabenstein got … Read more