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PRESS RELEASES
CONGRATULATIONS TO TEACHERS AND PRECEPTORS OF THE YEAR
Each year the College of Pharmacy recognizes outstanding Teachers and Preceptors. The process begins by soliciting nominations of exceptional teachers and supporting comments from each of the class of pharmacy students. Selected finalists who are asked to supply documentation describing their approach to teaching and their teaching philosophy. This year's teachers of the year are:
P1 Class:
Jeffrey Reist, '82 PharmD, Pharmacy Practice and Science assistant professor |
P2 Class:
Michael Ernst, '97 PharmD, Pharmacy Practice
and Science associate professor |
P3 Class:
Michelle Fravel, '06 PharmD, Pharmacy
Practice and Science assistant professor
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Collegiate Teacher of the Year:
John Swegle, '96 PharmD, Pharmacy Practice
and Science associate professor |
Preceptors are an integral part of the College of Pharmacy's program by providing a vast selection of advanced practice experiences. Criteria for Preceptor of the Year selection includes nominations from students, written comments, scores and past service as a preceptor.
Community/Ambulatory Pharmacy:
Tony Pals, '01 PharmD
Timothy Becker, '79 BSPh
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Faculty:
Sarah Johnson,'97 PharmD, Pharmacy Practice and Science assistant professor
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Hospital:
Amy Taylor, '00 PharmD
Linsey Schuldt, '03 PharmD
Elizabeth Nichols, PharmD
Christopher Clayton, '09 MBA, '00 PharmD
(not pictured: Barry Westbrook, BSPh)
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KCRG SPECIAL REPORT ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA
 Should Iowa endorse medical marijuana? Claire Kellett, KCRG anchor/reporter, created a special report on the issue which aired November 12th. Although marijuana is Iowa's most used illegal drug, medical marijuana helps treat pain, lack of appetite, and nausea. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy believes the benefits outweigh the drug's negative impacts, and plans to make a recommendation on medical marijuana to state lawmakers in the upcoming weeks. Ronald Herman, Pharmacy Practice and Science associate professor, was interviewed for the feature and said, "If we can refine and identify the appropriate chemical substances in there that would give us the desired effect, I think there is good potential." The entire news article, including a video, can be accessed at http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/69931732.html.
PHARMACY CAREER FAIR AND PLACEMENT DAY
 The Pharmacy Career Fair and Placement Day were held this month at the Sheraton Hotel in Iowa City. All pharmacy students were encouraged to attend the career fair to exchange establish on-going relationships with the companies.
The goal of the event was to provide and exchange information regarding career opportunities, mentoring, tuition assistance, and/or available internship positions.
The following day, graduating seniors attended Placement Day, which consists of 30-minute scheduled interviews allowing the recruiters to get to know the students on a more personal level.
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR FEATURED IN UI NEWSLETTER
 Aliasger Salem, associate professor of Pharmaceutics and Translational Therapeutics, was featured in the November 2009 UI monthly newsletter, Spectator. The article was titled "Driven to Discover" and discussed the inspiration, innovation, and collaboration of scientists at the University of Iowa. It debunks the stereotype that science is straightforward and highlights the time, struggle, and reward that comes with research. The article featured scientists throughout the UI colleges to gain perspective on why they love their field, what motivates them, and their daily activities. Salem, whose research involves developing vaccines that stimulate an immune response against cancer cells, said, "I love teaching students and helping them understand the inquisitive nature of the profession. We’re trying to answer questions that have an impact on our society.”
The entire article can be viewed at http://spectator.uiowa.edu/2009/november/scienceintro.html.
STUDENTS SHOWCASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AT CLINICAL SKILLS COMPETITION
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) held the Clinical Skills Competition October 24th at the College of Pharmacy. Each team, a self-selected group of two, was given a patient case that reflected potential scenarios in a patient-care venue. Teams were given two hours to identify acute and chronic medical problems and accordingly develop a pharmacist's care plan. Each team then gave a ten minute oral presentation to justify their therapy recommendations. The goals of the competition were to foster the development of clinical practice skills, to reinforce the pharmacist's responsibility for optimal drug therapy outcomes, to facilitate the use of a systematic approach to clinical problem solving, and to enhance oral and written communication skills.
The winning team was Kelly Ungs and Christina Balmer, Class of 2012 PharmD candidates. Each received a complimentary registration (a $265 value) for the 44th ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Eric Paulus and Katie Gannon, Class of 2012 PharmD candidates, received second place and a $25 gift card to Hy-Vee. Samm Anderegg and Candy Sturges, Class of 2013 PharmD candidates, received third place and a $15 gift card to Hy-Vee. Twenty College of Pharmacy PharmD candidates participated in the competition.
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY PARTICIPATES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HEALTH FAIR
 University of Iowa faculty and staff were invited to the University of Iowa Health Fair on November 4th at the main deck of the UI Field House. The theme was "Live Healthy University of Iowa". The College of Pharmacy participated in the event, and provided cholesterol and glucose screenings, blood pressure checks, bone density, and heartburn awareness. The fair provided an opportunity for UI faculty and staff to learn about health and wellness, UI health plans, and receive health-related services.
IOWA WOMEN OF INNOVATION
Two College of Pharmacy graduate students and a faculty member have been named finalists for Iowa Women of Innovation Awards. Jennifer Fiegel, Assistant Professor, Division of Pharmaceutics and Translational Therapeutics, is a finalist in Academic Innovation and Leadership (Post-Secondary). Erin Allen and Laurie Eckert, both graduate students in Jonathan Doorn's lab, are finalists for the Collegian Innovation and Leadership Award. The Technology Association of Iowa presents the Iowa Women of Innovation Awards to elevate and celebrate extraordinary women. This second annual event is dedicated to recognizing women in the workforce who are leaders in technology, science and engineering. Finalists will be recognized and the winners announced at the 2009 Iowa Women of Innovation award dinner on November 10th in Altoona, Iowa.
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Erin Allen,
graduate student |
Laurie Eckert,
graduate student |
Jennifer Fiegel,
assistant professor |
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY GRADUATE NAMED AAPS FELLOW
The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) named Yihong Qiu, '92 Ph.D., an AAPS Fellow. He was awarded at AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition in Los Angeles, California on November 8th. Ron Schoenwald and Keith Guillory were his co-major professors at the College of Pharmacy. Only five other Iowa graduates have been designated Fellows in previous years: Michael Akers, James McGinity, David Nichols, David Pope, and Satyam Upadrashta. Qiu is currently a Research Fellow at Abbott Laboratories in Chicago, Illinois.
AAPS recognizes Fellows to recognize individuals for outstanding contributions that improve pharmaceutical sciences and for professional excellence. The primary criterion for selection as an AAPS Fellow is professional competence reflected through scholarly and research contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences.
HEARTBURN AWARENESS RECEIVES DIVERSITY STIMULUS AWARD
 The College of Pharmacy Diversity Committee selected the Heartburn Awareness Challenge patient care program to receive the 2009-2010 Diversity Stimulus Award. The Heartburn Awareness Challenge is part of the student organization American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP).
The Diversity Stimulus Award recognizes individuals, programs, departments, or student organizations within the UI College of Pharmacy that actively promote and develop diversity-related, community-building initiatives. Projects like the APhA-ASP Heartburn Awareness Challenge are an important strategy for achieving sustained community engagement by pharmacy students. Heartburn Awareness Challenge participants Angela Yee, Colleen Kann, and Kjersha Wanlass are invited to accept the award on behalf of the Heartburn Awareness Challenge team at the College of Pharmacy's 2009 Scholarship Reception on November 13.
PHARMACY STUDENTS AND FACULTY DONATE BLOOD
American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) held a blood drive in Banker Student Activity Center for all pharmacy students and faculty on October 21. Twenty-seven volunteers registered for the event, and 21 units of blood were collected. “The overall event went great,” said Austin Philipp, APhA-ASP Vice President of Public Relations, said. “We had a lot of participation from the students and faculty.” Philipp plans to organize another blood drive next March.
PHARMACY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH FAIR
 The College of Pharmacy teamed up with the College of Dentistry, Carver College of Medicine, and Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic to provide free health screenings and medical information to the community. The four University of Iowa health science colleges hosted the first annual interdisciplinary health fair on October 30th at Coralridge Mall. College of Pharmacy students performed screen ings, including blood sugar, cholesterol, bone density, and blood pressure. The students interpreted the results and discussed the implications with the community members. A pharmacy student dressed up as a kangaroo and taught kids medication safety tips and the dangers of misuse with Katy's Kids. Other services included hearing screenings, dental hygiene, smoking cessation advice, and body mass index calculations. The interdisciplinary health fair allows students to interact with other students in the health sciences and provides the public with a more comprehensive health fair.
UI HEALTH CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON GLOBALIZATION OF DRUG THERAPIES
 Scholars and students from the University of Iowa and across the world discussed access to essential drug therapies that are safe and affordable during the 2009 Global Health Studies Conference. The conference, sponsored by UI International Programs, was October 16 through October 18, at the Iowa Memorial Union. Hazel Seaba, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Pharmacy Practice & Science, organized this year’s event.
The 2009 Global Health Studies Conference focused on access to medication therapies from several different perspectives including the reasons behind the costs of drugs, global drug development, appropriate and safe medication therapy as a human right, and counterfeit drugs. The conference concluded with several student global projects that have improved access to medications. The ability to get the right drugs to individual patients when they need them and at an affordable price is a significant hurdle in many countries and is particularly problematic in the poorest countries in Africa and Asia.
In addition to Seaba, faculty and students from the College of Pharmacy presented at the conference. Bernard Sorofman, Executive Associate Dean and Professor and Chair of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS), gave a presentation about "Creating Medicines". He also held a forum about "Clinical Drug Studies in Developing Countries". William Doucette, PPS Professor, and Erika Ernst, PPS Associate Professor, each held a forum about "Generic/Branded Drugs and Direct to Consumer Advertising" and "Over use of Antibiotics in Developed and Less Developed Countries", respectively. Kristi Dimke, pharmacy student, discussed "From Iowa with Love: Serving the Global Underserved" on a panel with two other local speakers.
illinois pharmacists association awards ui pharmacy graduates
 Two College of Pharmacy graduates were awarded at the Illinois Pharmacists Annual Conference in Peoria, Illinois in October. Timothy Lehan, '76 BSPh, received the 2009 Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award, a national award that honors a practicing pharmacist who has developed an innovative patient care program. As this year’s award recipient, Mr. Lehan has developed and implemented an innovative patient care program in his pharmacy. Besides providing a very extensive durable medical supply service, he has a progressive immunization program that immunizes the largest number of people in DeKalb County. Mr. Lehan has demonstrated both the entrepreneurial and patient focused aspects that should be exemplified in the innovative pharmacy practice award.
 Nicole Gattas, '02 PharmD, was awarded the Distinguished Young Pharmacists Award. The national award honors an up-and-coming pharmacist who shows profession and community commitment, leadership potential, professional aspirations, and community service involvement. After graduating from the UI College of Pharmacy in 2002, Dr. Gattas completed a community pharmacy residency with University of Illinois at Chicago and Dominick’s Pharmacy. Dr. Gattas is now the Coordinator of Community Pharmaceutical Care Programs and an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at St. Louis College of Pharmacy in St. Louis, MO. She also practices pharmacy for Schnucks Pharmacy in Missouri and Illinois.
student pharmacists help to immunize local community and fellow students
 With the impending flu season College of Pharmacy students have done their part in volunteering to help immunize Eastern Iowa citizens. Student organizations have paired with local pharmacies to set up immunization clinics in numerous places to administer flu shots. Locations around campus include sorority houses, dormitories, Carver Hawkeye Arena, the Field House, College of Dentistry, the Medical Education and Biomedical Research Facility, and the College of Pharmacy itself.
Community immunizations have occurred at numerous businesses, including Walgreens in Coralville, Waterloo, and Cedar Rapids, Integrated DNA Technologies and Geico in Coralville, and Heartland Express and JM Swank in North Liberty. A student pharmacist greets the patients at the on-site clinic, goes through the consent form with them, shows them the required documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collects money, and manages the flow of patient to the vaccinators. If certified, the student may also have the opportunity to vaccinate.
So far this season, student pharmacists have helped administer 1980 flu shots. Hillary Charmichael, Operation Immunization chair, organizes the immunization events.
assistant professor invited lecturer at keio university
Deanna McDanel, Pharmacy Practice & Science Assistant Professor (Clinical), was invited to lecture at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan this fall. McDanel lectured to a class of seven to twelve first year and second year Masters of Pharmacy students from October 5-9. In her lectures, she focused on Anticoagulation, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment (specifically Dyslipidemia). One to two students from Keio University spend four to eight weeks in Iowa each summer, and they customarily invite a UI College of Pharmacy faculty member to lecture on their campus. McDanel said, "It was amazing experience and a trip of a lifetime. Everyone was so hospitable and I was honored to have been given this opportunity."
student pharmacists empathize with diabetic patient population
 American Pharmacists Associaton-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) initiated a new project this year, called The Diabetes Challenge. Eight students were randomly selected from all class years to participate and experience what it would be like to live with diabetes. From October 12th through October 17th, the student participants came to the pharmacy practice lab twice a day to give themselves injections and tested their blood glucose levels both at class and at home four times daily. They learned how to manage hypoglycemia, a serious condition associated with the disease. In short, they had to adjust their lives around the disease, similar to actual diabetic patients. The participants documented their experience and thoughts through journal writings and videos.
The project was a large time commitment for the participants, but allowed them to empathize with the diabetic patient population. Joel Van Heukelom, APhA-ASP Vice President of Patient Care, had a similar experience and said, "It was a pain to check my blood glucose levels and give myself injections multiple times per day, but what I gained from it was much greater than the effort I had to put into it. I now feel that I am more capable of empathizing with patients and also feel that I have more credibility with them as well.”
october is american pharmacists month!
| Saturday, October 17th |
American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Health Fair at St. Joseph's Church in Hills, Iowa from 9:00am-12:00pm |
| Wednesday, October 21st |
APhA-ASP Blood Drive at the UI College of Pharmacy from 10:30am-3:00pm |
| Wednesday, October 21st |
Hartig Health Fair at Hartig Pharmacy from 1:00pm-7:00pm |
| Wednesday, October 21st |
CV/Resume Night at the UI College of Pharmacy from 7:00pm-9:00pm |
| Saturday, October 24th |
ASHP Clinical Skills Competition at the UI College of Pharmacy from 8:00am-1:00pm. |
| Monday, October 26th |
Healthcare Reform Seminar at the UI College of Pharmacy from 11:30am-1:20pm |
| Friday, October 30th |
College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry, Carver College of Medicine, and Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic Interdisciplinary Health Fair at Coralridge Mall from 5:30pm-8:30pm. Services offered include, but not limited to, bone density testing, dental exams, hearing tests, blood pressure checks, and free samples. |
| Friday, October 30th |
APhA-ASP Heartburn Awareness at Walgreens in Iowa City from 1:00pm-5:00pm |
students host health fairs to recognize american pharmacists month
 Student pharmacists from the UI's College of Pharmacy actively participated in health fairs throughout October. The American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) held a health fair at St. Joseph's Church in Hills, Iowa on Octob er 17th. The student pharmacists provided bone density screenings, blood glucose screenings, heartburn awareness challenge, and blood pressure screenings. Katy's Kids, which informs young children about the dangers and purposes of medications, entertained children in attendance. On October 21st, APhA-ASP held a health fair with Hartig Pharmacy in Iowa City. The students performed bone density screenings and discussed the significance of the results. All of the services were provided free of charge to the public.
college of pharmacy Faculty collaborates in internal medicine conference
Faculty from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy along with ambulatory care pharmacy residents from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics collaborated with faculty from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine to provide continuing education at the Annual Progress in Internal Medicine Conference on October 9th. The pharmacy group developed informational handouts regarding disease state management and new drug therapies which they provided to conference participants. They also attended the conference to answer questions and facilitate discussion regarding the information provided. In addition, college of pharmacy faculty member Dr. Michael Ernst presented during the second day of the conference. His talk was titled: Resistant Hypertension: Identifying Causes and Optimizing Treatment Regimens.
college of pharmacy students participate in cedar rapids health fair
 College of Pharmacy students collaborated with Hy-Vee to participate in the "Food, Fitness and Fun" event at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on October 10th. Seven College of Pharmacy student pharmacists helped perform screenings, such as cholesterol, bone d ensity, blood pressure, and overall health risk assessment. Additionally, pharmacy students administered 72 flu shots.
The pharmacy booth was one of
fifty booths at the event. Iowa native and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson attended the event and spoke at noon about the importance of healthy living. The day emphasized how healthy habits can be fun with fitness demonstrations, cooking presentations, and food samples.
homecoming 2009: "black and gold never gets old"
Two hundred College of Pharmacy graduates returned to Iowa City October 9th and 10th for the University of Iowa's Homecoming weekend. The 2009 theme was "Black and Gold Never Gets Old". The weekend included a Continuing Education presentation, class receptions, building tours, brunch, tailgating and a 30-28 victory over Michigan's football team.
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Alumni from the Class of 1959 at the College of Pharmacy tailgate before the Hawkeye football team beat Michigan |
2009 Distinguished Alumni James McGinity, '72 PhD, and Dean Letendre at the Homecoming Brunch |
Ryan Cullinan, '99 PharmD, and wife Olenka at the Homecoming Brunch |
college of pharmacy students participate in homecoming
College of Pharmacy students actively participated in Homecoming events throughout the week of October 4th to the 9th. Seven P3 students started off Homecoming Week on Sunday in the United Way 5K race. On Tuesday, the College of Pharmacy competed against other student organizations in recreational games. The College of Pharmacy had five teams participate, winning first place in the dodgeball tournament and second place in the bags tournament.
At the end of the week, a group of students prepared decorations for the float in the annual Homecoming parade on Friday. Twenty students were on the float, which represented pharmacists "fighting old age" through health promotion and disease prevention. The float also promoted and demonstrated some of the services pharmacists provide such as blood pressure checks, bone density screenings, and flu immunizations. In addition to the mock services on the float, we passed out fliers emphasizing the importance of talking to your pharmacist about these services and knowing what your health numbers are and what they mean. Jenny Bongartz and Chris Arp were in charge of the College of Pharmacy's participation in Homecoming.
After Friday's parade, the Homecoming Council awarded the College of Pharmacy "Most Participation for a Student Organization". The award was based on points gained from participation. Bongartz said, "It was a pleasant surprise, which only added to the excitement of Homecoming week. Winning this award not only showed the school spirit of the College and dedication of its students, but it also represented all professional students who are proud to be Hawkeyes."
graduate student receives best poster award
Jon Doorn, Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry Assistant Professor, and his research group attended the Central States Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting held October 1 and 2, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. Erin Allen, graduate student, won the Best Poster Award, ranking first out of 35 graduate students. Her research involved Parkinson's disease and pesticide neurotoxicology. The award was based on the quality of the data included in the poster, an oral presentation given to a judge, and the poster format. The award comes with a plaque and cash prize to be provided at the national 2010 Society of Toxicology Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
president mason visits college of pharmacy
University of Iowa President Sally Mason visited the College of Pharmacy on October 8th. She began her visit with an Executive Committee luncheon. The rest of the afternoon was focused on College of Pharmacy students which included touring the Pharmacy Practice Lab, observing students perform mock patient assessments, and discussing global opportunities. The individual college meetings allow President Mason to share personal stories highlighting campus activities as she travels across the state. President Mason concluded her day with an open forum with faculty, staff, and students.
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