Research presentations at national conferences and articles in peer-reviewed publications.
Work that set the foundation to improve Albany鈥檚 schools, as well as health access on the ACPHS campus.
Acceptance into a coveted, competitive eight-year, expenses-paid MD-PhD program.
Those were among the impressive student 鈥� yes, student 鈥� accomplishments recited at the 2024 ACPHS Graduation Celebration and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 9. The event honors all students slated to earn their bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees on Saturday, May 11, and recognizes those who have risen to great heights even among peers with perfect GPAs and lofty post-graduation plans.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to be huge superstars out there,鈥� College President Toyin Tofade told the graduates at the outset of the event, which over the next couple of hours offered plenty of evidence to support her theory.
In her faculty send-off speech, Dr. Daniele Leonard, a medicinal chemistry instructor who taught most of the graduate candidates in their early years, captured the combination of the event鈥檚 serious and fun aspects by quoting both Marie Curie and Dr. Seuss. And a representative of each degree category 鈥� bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctorate 鈥� gave student send-offs on behalf of their classes.
Students spoke about the lessons of being part of a tight-knit, supportive campus and of overcoming the shared experience no one really wanted to dwell on (it had something to do with a pandemic). Bachelor鈥檚 candidate Jonathan Braithwaite gave a shout out to the Collaboratory public health resource in speaking of the power of collaboration. Pharmacy doctoral candidate Britney Mbeng implored her classmates to remember the 鈥渕ountain of people鈥� who supported them, from faculty to family, and the value of working together across disciplines.
鈥淎s one big health-care team, we are greater than the sum of our parts,鈥� Mbeng reminded the students of pharmacy and health sciences programs.
Master鈥檚 Candidate Adrian Belrad, as well as Dean Anuja Ghorpade, who gave closing remarks, spoke about the future 鈥� short-term and long.
鈥淭hat small step that you take off the stage is a very large leap into the real world,鈥� Dr. Ghorpade said, speaking of the Commencement ceremony that would take place two days later.
鈥淩emember the journey doesn鈥檛 end here,鈥� Belrad said of the students鈥� lives. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the beginning of an extraordinary adventure of growth and change.鈥�
Students received the following awards:
William Mansfield Award聽鈥� Charles Middleton
American Chemical Society Award聽鈥� Rachel Leffler
Dr. Joseph Lapetina Award聽鈥� Natalie Hart
Merck & Company, Inc. Award (Pharmaceutics) 鈥� Yue Hu
Merck & Company, Inc. Award (PTPM Cardio and聽PTPM Psych) 鈥� Karol Wroblewski
APhA-ASP Make Your Mark Award聽鈥� Elizabeth Gambacorta
Merck Award for Experiential Education聽鈥� Leah Debboli
Viatris Excellence in Pharmacy Award聽鈥� Megan Szenat
Dr. Jeffrey Fudin 鈥�81 鈥�98 Interdisciplinary Award 鈥� Victoria Rathwell
Excellence in Applied Science Research Award聽鈥� Kaylee Stewart
Excellence in Basic Science Research Award聽鈥撀燗ngeleigh Knapp
BS Community Service Award聽鈥� Hope Walker
BS Cultural Awareness Award聽鈥� Ritanshi Verma
BS Leadership Award聽鈥� Jonathan Braithwaite
MS Excellence in Clinical Practice Award聽鈥� Virginia Dantis
MS Excellence in Research Award聽鈥� Landon Thompson
Delta Omega Honorary Society聽鈥� Sophia Braithwaite and Kaylee Stewart
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