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ACPHS leverages strengths and expands beyond boundaries with local partners.鈥�听
Some things听in higher education听are better together:听research听and funding, online technology and human guidance, liberal听arts听and STEM.鈥赌�The individual items may in some cases hold their own; others require a partner to continue to thrive. Either way, these pairings create depth, well-roundedness and, ideally, improved outcomes.鈥赌�听
As a private institution with a longstanding history in Albany, ACPHS has for years听benefited听from extending its reach through听well-chosen partnerships. These collaborations are increasingly important as students鈥� needs become more diverse, the industries听for听which they are educated become more complex, and our communities adapt to social change.鈥赌�听
鈥淭he right听collaborations leverage the strengths of the partners to everyone鈥檚 benefit,鈥� said ACPHS President Toyin Tofade. 鈥淭hey听empower our students,听solidify our institutions and strengthen our communities.鈥�听
Herein are a few important ways ACPHS is stretching beyond its boundaries through regional relationships.
Co-Creating a Future
ACPHS鈥� largest听collaborative effort听is听its intended merger with Russell Sage College, announced in April 2025.听Pending regulatory approvals and an expected completion date of Fall 2027, the two nationally recognized colleges will merge to form a new, comprehensive institution鈥� leading in health professions,听pharmacy听and health sciences, and firmly rooted in interdisciplinary strength.听听
The combined institution will serve some 4,000 students and have combined assets of $246 million, including $115 million in endowment funds.鈥赌�Within the new institution, 糖心vlog at Russell Sage will have two schools: a School of Pharmacy and a School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, which will join four existing schools at Russell Sage: The Esteves School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Management, and School of Arts and Sciences.听
The merger will create the third largest private institution of higher education in the Capital Region, with the broadest catalogue of programs in the health professions. Added to听ACPHS鈥� storied pharmacy program, new nursing bachelor鈥檚 degree听and a multitude of health sciences courses that offer paths to medical school,听physican听assistant programs, dentistry and others, will be Russell Sage鈥檚 programs in nursing,听occupational therapy, physical therapy, nutrition, mental health counseling, and speech-language pathology, including several at the doctoral level.听听听
While the merged institution will听benefit听from听their听shared听excellence in health-professions education,听benefits for students听will also听be seen in the ways the schools complement each other.鈥赌�As in the merging of Russell Sage鈥檚 exceptional liberal-arts curricula with ACPHS鈥� dominance in pharmacy and biomedical sciences. Together, these disciplines create well-rounded, innovative thinkers.鈥赌�听
鈥淥ur merger with ACPHS is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a comprehensive university that offers both transformative access and exceptional career outcomes,鈥� said Russell Sage President Matthew听Shaftel. 鈥淩ussell Sage鈥攔anked among the top national universities by U.S. News & World Report for social mobility鈥攂rings a century-long legacy in the fields of nursing and education and a 50/50 mix of graduate and undergraduate students. Combined with ACPHS鈥檚 top ranking in return on investment,听we鈥檙e听opening the door to bold, interdisciplinary opportunities in the health sciences, arts, business, education, and beyond 鈥� preparing graduates to lead and innovate.鈥�听
From an academic perspective, Russell Sage students may听benefit听from the opportunity to engage in research with ACPHS faculty. Likewise, ACPHS students might stretch their talents with classes in graphic design听or take on business or education classes to set themselves up as entrepreneurs or academics in their future careers.鈥赌�听
Joining听will create a stronger whole, leaders from both institutions agree.听The听increased prominence听of being听among听the area鈥檚 largest private institutions听will听undoubtedly听attract more students听and talented faculty听from a broader area.鈥赌�听
That helps both听institutions,听their students,听faculty听and neighborhoods. It may also serve as a blueprint for other institutions of higher education looking to thrive in a changing environment.听听
鈥淲e have an opportunity to co-create a future that will be sustainable and a model for others to consider as they see what kinds of things work for us,鈥� said ACPHS President听Toyin Tofade. 鈥�听
听A Laboratory for Collaboration鈥�鈥�听
The Collaboratory鈥檚 name says it all.鈥赌� 
ACPHS鈥� public-health resource in Albany鈥檚 South End was so named as a 鈥渓aboratory for collaboration,鈥� a place where human-services providers could join forces in social experiments to听benefit听the health of a medically underserved community just two miles from campus, providing real-world experience to students in the process.鈥�听Signature services are delivered by ACPHS鈥� Public Health Pharmacy Team (PHPT) and Trinity Alliance鈥檚 Wellness Advocates Linking Communities (WALC) team.鈥�听
The Collaboratory鈥檚 mission is to听leverage听the talents of ACPHS students,听faculty听and partner organizations to help narrow health disparities.鈥赌�听
Under the direction of Dr. Stacy Pettigrew since early 2024, The Collaboratory鈥檚 partnerships and reach have grown. Indeed, Dr. Pettigrew听was named ACPHS鈥� Researcher of the Year in 2024-25 after bringing in听nearly $400,000听through five competitive awards for projects tackling urgent public-health priorities like opioid harm reduction, chronic-disease听management听and food insecurity. Its partners include听AVillage, Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Home Care Association of New York State, Eddy Visiting Nurse and Rehab Association, Albany Visiting Nurse Association, South End Community Collaborative (SECC) and the Food Pantries of the Capital District.鈥赌��听
The听community feels the impact of the multiple partnerships,听said听Eva Bass, who heads two neighborhood nonprofits,听AVillage听and Bridge听Tha听Gap. In addition to its service partners, The Collaboratory is a unifier, lending its听expertise听and administrative support to SECC, Bass said, which brings together multiple non-profits to combine strengths, streamline service provision and hold city leaders accountable to the neighborhood.鈥赌��听
Students feel the impact too, Dr. Pettigrew said.鈥赌�听
鈥淭hey get out of the confines of campus and feel like they鈥檙e doing something that improves somebody鈥檚 life,鈥� she said.鈥赌�听
Ayo Momoh and Matthew听Shakow听were student interns at The Collaboratory in Summer 2025, working with Food Pantries of the Capital Region to provide point-of-care testing for its Food as Medicine program. The pair visited residents to test their A1C and lipid levels before and after they听participated听in the food program.鈥赌��听
Momoh, a student pursuing dual bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in microbiology and molecular biosciences, was spending her second summer at The Collaboratory to stretch outside of a controlled lab environment, she said.鈥赌��听
鈥淚鈥檓 looking for ways I can expand the horizons in which I could apply myself,鈥� Momoh said.鈥赌��听
Among other practical ways students听participate听in The Collaboratory鈥檚 programs is by training residents to administer the opioid antidote naloxone, funded by a grant from Albany County. The training includes weekly drop-ins at The Collaboratory鈥檚 South Pearl Street office, as well as outreach to libraries,听restaurants听and other community sites.鈥� Between July 2024 and July 2025, Public Health Pharmacist Jacquelyn Dwyer along with听pharmacy students on their clinical rotations trained 366 residents and gave away almost 394 free naloxone kits.鈥赌�听
鈥淭he feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,鈥� Dr. Dwyer said.鈥赌�听
In July 2025, Dr. Dwyer and pharmacy student Kathryn Eglinton 鈥�26 spent an afternoon at Albany鈥檚 Honest Weight Food Co-op. Shoppers stopped by their table between picking up bread or nutrition bars. One was a lawyer who represented children; a current client had a parent听who鈥檇听died from overdose, she said. She was surprised to learn how easy the antidote was to administer.鈥赌�听
鈥淭his is a need, and it鈥檚 real,鈥� she told Dwyer and Eglinton.鈥赌�听
Growing an Innovation Ecosystem鈥�听
In Spring 2023, the Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training听relocated听to the Life Sciences Innovation Building at 150 New Scotland Ave. CBET Executive Director Michelle Lewis was charged with helping听to听reinvigorate the 154,000-square-foot facility that 糖心vlog had听acquired听the year before.鈥赌�In just over two years, the LSIB has progressed significantly toward the goal of听developing听an听鈥渋nnovation ecosystem.鈥澨� 
Though its halls only recently echoed with the unrealized potential of shiny, empty lab space, the building has filled with visionary thinkers eager to bounce ideas off each other. CBET operates on the fourth floor. Just below, the Neural Stem Cell Institute, with听more than 40听researchers and听support听staff, has settled into its听8,000-square-foot space following its relocation听in Fall 2024. Just around the corner is the Accelerator for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (AMPS), a state-funded business incubator that听launched听in 2024.听鈥�听
Academic relationships are also听developing听at the LSIB. In Fall 2025, Albany Medical College moved two academic programs onto the second floor. 鈥�Area students have increased opportunities to learn about biotechnology at CBET through internships and joint biotech educational programs with Hudson Valley Community College, supported by funders like the National Science Foundation.听Faculty from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy have access to research equipment there through a mutual arrangement that听also听allows ACPHS researchers to use core facilities at RPI.听鈥�听
鈥淚t deepens our institutional relationships and fuels innovation,鈥� said听Dr.听Michelle Lewis, speaking about the growing number of scientists,听researchers听and educators at LSIB. 鈥淭ogether, we鈥檙e cultivating a vibrant, collaborative community where ideas and discovery thrive.鈥澨�鈥�听
The Neural Stem Cell Institute鈥檚 founders, Dr. Sally Temple and Dr. Jeffrey Stern,听said they听are already reaping听collaborative听benefits听from听their relocation.听For example,听CBET听has begun听making听a protein,听interleukin 34,听used to keep alive microglia, a type of brain cell that NSCI cultures in the lab from stem cells.听听
鈥淲e use a lot,听and it鈥檚 incredibly expensive,鈥� Dr. Temple said. 鈥淚f we can have it made in a partnership like this, and it鈥檚 high quality and well-QC’d, which is what CBET does, that will be听a boon.鈥澨�听
NCSI researchers also enjoy interactions with students who train at CBET, Dr. Temple听said.听The company has听participated听in the听NIIMBL听eXperience,听an introduction to biopharma for听underrepresented minority students that has been hosted by CBET for several years.听HVCC students like Helen Zan also get involved in NCSI鈥檚 work; as an intern at CBET听working toward an HVCC certificate in biotechnology, Zan helped听validate听a less expensive method for creating interleukin 34.听 
Early in 2025, Skyler Newberry decided听the LSIB听was the right location for Bella Biologics, a gene-editing company听that is听pioneering a technology to train the immune system to听eliminate听toxic proteins;听it听has the potential听ultimately听to听improve the lives of听people with听long-term debilitating听conditions like Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.鈥赌�听
The 31-year-old entrepreneur moved to Albany in 2023 when his wife took a job at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. 鈥�He鈥檇听been looking听at听New York City and Boston for an incubator to听locate听his startup when he learned about AMPS from Dr. Lewis 鈥� ironically at a conference in Boston 鈥� in October 2024.听鈥�听
Access to CBET鈥檚听state-of-the-art听equipment and听expertise听has transformed Bella Biologic鈥檚 work, providing the resources and guidance needed to thrive.听听
鈥淚t feels like the people who work at CBET are co-workers,鈥� Newberry said.鈥赌�听
Albany Med鈥檚 Physician Assistant and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist programs moved into the building in Fall 2025. The PA and CRNA programs were previously housed over a CVS Pharmacy at 16 New Scotland Ave., less than a mile from the LSIB.
Neurosurgeon and Albany Medical College Dean Alan Boulos believes moving that short distance will make听a huge difference听for students, who left an urban block of abutting buildings and joined a听full-fledged听campus, with outdoor gathering spaces, a dining hall, and ACPHS students interested in health care and research.鈥赌�听
Even 鈥� or听perhaps especially听鈥� in the 21st听century world of听digital听communications听and videoconferencing, in-person interactions matter, Dr. Boulos said.鈥赌�听
鈥淲hat I have learned from my years is the closer the proximity of different disciplines, the greater possibility of unexpected research, of new ways of thinking about old problems,鈥� he said.鈥赌�听
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