College of Pharmacy
In this section
Pharmacy News
October 27, 2022 – COP Students to Compete at ASHP Midyear
Congratulations to Class of 2023 students Anna Sandler and Monica Yanni! They won the 2022 ASHP Local Clinical Skills Competition at RFU College Of Pharmacy. They will represent the COP at the National Competition held during the 2022 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December in Las Vegas. Good luck!
October 4, 2022 – COP Summer Research Poster Session Winners
The RFUMS Summer Research Poster Session was held on October 4, 2022. Congratulations to the following students for their excellent work and presentations:
First Place Poster: An Evaluation of Outpatient Pediatric Asthma Prescribing Patterns in the United States. Presenter: Elizabeth Sutherland. Mentor: Dr. Rahman.
Second Place Poster (Tied): Synthesis and profiling of novel derivatives of SS4, a highly selective and potent small molecule inhibitor of STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation that suppresses GBM tumorigenesis. Presenter: Dimitri Nwankwo. Mentor: Dr. Buolamwini.
Impact of COVID-19 on the Academic Performance of Graduate Healthcare Students. Presenter: Aya Alwan. Mentor: Dr. Rahman.
Third Place: Health Care Disparities in Emergency Room Visits for Mental Health Disorders. Presenter: Maikha Toutche. Mentor: Dr. Rahman.
September 27, 2022 -
Congratulations to Clifton Eboweme, Class of 2024, who was recognized with the Alan Granat Memorial Scholarship. This award was established as a memorial tribute to Alan Granat, who served as Executive Director of Illinois Pharmacist Association from 1979 until his death in 1989. The award is presented annually by the IPhA Foundation to a pharmacist and/or pharmacy student who has exhibited a commitment to pharmacy and community, as evidenced by membership and participation in pharmacy organizations and community involvement.
September 27, 2022 - COP Student Wins Best Poster Award
Congratulations to Class of 2023 student Dagmara Zajac, who was accepted to the Phi Lambda Sigma Collegiate Leader Academy for the 2022-23 year! Information about the Academy: https://philambdasigma.
August 10, 2022 -
Dr. Khyati Patel presented 2022 Updates in the Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations at an IPhA Town Hall Meeting on July 6, 2022.
August 8, 2022 - COP Students Advance in AACP CPD Section Mock Trial Competition
Six COP students advanced to the semifinal founds at the AACP CPD Section Mock Trial competition. Congratulations to Jordan Stellflue, Jessica Schwartzwald, Kirstin Krzyzewski, Lejla Cukovic, Rayan Salih, Dagmara Zajac, who did an outstanding job in both the competition and in representing COP!
August 8, 2022 - COP Professor Receives NIH Grant
John K. Buolamwini, Professor and Chair of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, received a two-year NIH grant for $429,000.00 for “Studies on Probenecid Prodrugs that Protect against Mitochondrial Toxicity of Tenofovir." Congratulations!
July 6, 2022 - RFUMS Tutor of the Month
Congratulations to P3 student Ken Horner, who was named tutor of the month for July by the Division of Student Success and Wellness!
July 01, 2022 - COP Associate Professor Selected for ADCES Fellowship
Congratulations to Associate Professor Sneha Srivastava for being named a Fellow of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (FADCES)! In this role Dr. Srivastava will be a spokesperson for the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) and will share her experience and expertise with media outlets across the nation. Her fellowship term begins on August 12, 2022, and ends on July 31, 2025.
June 15, 2022 – Class of 2022 Graduation
May 18, 2022 - COP Students Shine on Licensure Exams
The COP is ranked #1 in 2021 NAPLEX and MPJE Pass Rates among the 5 Chicagoland PharmD Programs.
May 2, 2022 - RFUMS Tutor of the Month
Congratulations to COP Class of 2023 student Anna Sandler, who was named RFUMS Tutor of the Month for May by the Division of Student Success and Wellness!
April 28, 2022 - COP Student Research Wins Editor’s Choice Award for Mental Health Journal
COP alumni Athena Chukwu, Nathan Van Vehldhuizen, and Steven Miller had a manuscript they worked on as COP Summer Research students selected as the Editor’s Choice Award by Mental Health Clinician. The title of the manuscript is Relationship between mirtazapine dose and incidence of adrenergic side effects: An exploratory analysis. Their supervisor was former faculty member Michael Schuman, PharmD, BCPP. Congratulations!
April 13, 2022 - Postgraduate Residency Matches
Congratulations to our Class of 2022 students who matched to post graduate residencies! Institutions where they will complete yearlong residencies include:
- Clement J Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- NorthShore University HealthSystem
- Mayo Clinic in Florida
- Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center
- AMITA Health Resurrection Medical Ctr. - Chicago
- Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin
- NorthShore University HealthSystem
- UCHealth Memorial Hospital
- Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital St. Joseph Campus
- Huntsville Hospital
- Augusta Health Care
- The Centers for Families & Children Advocate Condell Medical Center
April 12, 2022 - Distinction for Excellence
Congratulations to Kaleia Collins, COP Class of 2022, who completed her Distinction for Excellence in Interprofessional Healthcare!
March 3-4, 2022 - COP Student Presents Opioid Research at Central Society of Clinical & Translational Research Meeting
Noopur Walia, a P3 student at the College of Pharmacy, presented a research project titled “Pharmacy Students’ Attitude Towards Opioid Abuse” at the Central Society of Clinical & Translational Research (CSCTR) meeting held in downtown Chicago on March 3-4, 2022. This research was conducted under the mentorship of COP Professor Dr. Ateequr Rahman. Lejla Cukovic, a P3 student, and Dr. Yelena Sahakian of the University of Chicago Medicine were co-authors of this study. Noopur won a trainee researcher award for this project presentation and was awarded a certificate of achievement and $500 by the president of CSCTR. Congratulations!
October 27, 2021 - Summer Research Poster Session Winners
The RFUMS Summer Research Poster Session was held on October 26, 2021. Congratulations to the following students for their excellent work and presentations:
First Place Poster: Trends of Emergency Department Visits for Gunshot Victims in the United States. Presenter: Lejla Cukovic. Co-authors: Bushra Mapara, Kirstin Krzyzewski, Liam Herrebout, Monica Yanni, Bushra Mapara, Dr. Yelena Sakakian. Mentor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
Second Place (tie) Poster: Teaching and Reinforcing Pharmaceutical Calculations Through an Interactive Immediate Response Learning Program. Presenter: Zachary Weinstein. Mentors: Dr. Kristin Ahlschwede, Dr. Danielle Candelario.
Second Place (tie) Poster: Health Care Disparities in the Utilization of Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Services Among Ambulatory Care Patients in the United States. Presenter: Liam Herrebout. Co-authors: Bushra Mapara, Kirstin Krzyzewski, Lejla Cukovic, Monica Yanni, Druti Shukla, Tehreem Khaliq, Dr. Yelena Sahakian. Mentor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
Third Place Poster: Pharmacy Students Attitude Towards Opioid Abuse Crisis. Presenter: Noopur Walia. Co-authors: Tehreem Khaliq, Lejla Cukovic, Dr. Yelena Sahakian. Mentors: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
Poster: Evaluation of IPEC Competencies During ICC Telehealth Medicine Clinic Visits: A Pilot Study. Presenter: Veda Mehta. Co-author: Irene Harutyunyan (CMS). Mentors: Dr. Danielle Candelario, Dr. Khyati Patel, Dr. Melissa Chen.
Poster: Critical Discourse Analysis of Interprofessional Simulation. Presenters: Kaleia Collins and Rayan Salih. Mentors: Dr. Sarah Garber, Dr. Tamzin Batteson, Dr. Danielle Candelario.
Poster: Herbicide Atrazine Disturbs Steroidogenesis in Leydig Cell In Vitro Model. Presenter: Kenneth Horner. Mentor: Dr. James O’Donnell.
Poster: Herbicide Atrazine Disturbs Steroidogenesis in Leydig Cell In Vitro Model. Presenter: Haily Patel. Mentors: Dr. Pengli Bu, Dr. John Buolamwini.
Poster: Prevalence of Advance Directives in the Geriatric Population Within Long Term Care Facilities in the United States. Presenter: Druti Chukla. Co-authors: Lejla Cukovic, Kirstin Krzyzewski, Noopur Walia, Tehreem Khaliq. Mentor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
Poster: The Relationship Between Fraction of Drug Metabolized and Drug Hydrophobicity. Presenter: David Zimulinda. Co-author: Dr. Eric Walters. Mentor: Dr. James O’Donnell.
October 24, 2021 - COP Student Places 3rd in State Competition
Zabrina Abolarin, Class of 2024, placed 3rd in the state counseling competition held at the IPhA Annual meeting.
August 30, 2021 – COP Students Participate and Win at the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting
COP students and faculty presented seven posters at the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting (Great Lakes Chapter), on August 27, 2021, at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Student Monica Yanni presented the poster that took first place:
Yanni M, Cukovic L, Herrebout L, Krzyzewski K, Mapara B, Sahakian Y, Rahman A. Trends of Emergency Department Visits for Gunshot Victims in the United States. Poster Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman
Student Ken Horner presented the posted that took third place:
Horner KF, O'Donnell JJ. A Novel Pharmacokinetic Model of Ethanol Absorption for Forensic Use. Poster Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Faculty Advisor: Dr. James O’ Donnell.
Other RFUMS-COP presentations at this meeting:
Shukla D, Cukovic L, Krzyzewski K, Khaliq T, Walia N, Rahman A. Prevalence of Advance Directives in the Geriatric Population Within Long Term Care Facilities in the United States. Poster Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Presenter: Druti Shukla Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman
Krzyzewski K, Herrebout L, Cukovic L, Yanni M, Mapara B, Shukla D, Khaliq T, Sahakian Y, Rahman A. Health Care Disparities in the Utilization of Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Services Among Ambulatory Care Patients in the United States. Poster Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Presenter: Kirstin Krzyzewski. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
Zimulinda D, O’Donnell JJ. The Relationship Between Fraction of Drug metabolized and Drug Hydrophobicity. Poster Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Presenter: David Zimulinda. Faculty Advisor: Dr. James O’ Donnell.
Walia N, Khaliq T, Sahakian Y, Cukovic L, Rahman A. Pharmacy Students Attitude Towards Opioid Abuse Crisis. Poster Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Presenter: Noopur Walia. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
Khaliq T, Sahakian Y, Walia N, Mehmood S, Rahman A. Impact of Retrospective Face Mask Usage on COVID-19 Infections and Deaths in the United States. Presented at: The Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Scientific Meeting; August 27, 2021; Chicago, IL. Presenter: Tehreem Khaliq. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ateequr Rahman.
August 9, 2021 – COP Professors Receive University Awards
Congratulations to our professors who received awards at the 2021 University Faculty Awards! Associate Professor Khyati Patel, PharmD, received the Excellence in Service to the University Award in recognition for meritorious service to the university. Assistant Professor James O’Donnell, PhD, received the Excellence in Teaching to the University Award in recognition for meritorious teaching in the health sciences.
July 22, 2021 – COP Alum Highlighted in Pharmacy Today
Class of 2020 alum Allison Waldvogel, PharmD, was featured in “A minute with…” in the June 1, 2021 edition of PharmacyToday. The article can be found at https://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991(21)00397-2/fulltext.
Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Ziny, Class of 2021, and her mentor Associate Professor Dr. Danielle Candelario on being selected to participate in the AACP Walmart Scholars Program this summer! More information on this program can be found at https://www.aacp.org/resource/
The PGY1 residency match rate for the Class of 2021 was 83.3%. The PGY2 residency match rate for Class of 2020 graduates was 83.3%
March 24, 2021 – All School Research Consortium COP Winners
P2 student Lejla Cukovic won Best Research Talk at the All School Research Consortium. Her project was "Assessment of Antibiotic Prescribing for Influenza in the US Outpatient Care Setting". Dr. Ateequr Rahman was her research mentor.
P2 student Karina Luna (student co-author Jerry Jacob) won Best Poser for "Remediation Efforts and the Effect of NAPLEX First-Time Pass Rates". Her research mentors were Dr. Danielle Candelario and Dr. Sean Kane.
March 19, 2021 – Student Receives USPHS Award
Shujie Lin, Class of 2022, received a U. S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award. This award is given to students who demonstrate excellence and dedication in public health initiatives.
February 3, 2021 – COP Professor Presents at IPhA Event
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Christie Bertram, PharmD, BCIDP, gave a presentation titled “Bam...bam...what? Understanding the Role of Monoclonal Antibodies and Convalescent Plasma in COVID-19” at the IPhA Town Hall Meeting on February 3, 2021.
January 28, 2021 - COP Alum Publishes Article
COP alum Dr. Betty Derza (Class of 2020) had her article “Evaluating Amantadine as a Potential Treatment for COVID-19” published in the Pharmacy Times. The article can be found at https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/evaluating-amantadine-as-a-potential-treatment-for-covid-19
January 25, 2021 - COP Student Awarded Scholarship
COP student Daria (Dasha) Polyarskaya (Class of 2021) is one of the Dr. K. Michael Welch Legacy Scholarships for the academic year. This award is given to RFUMS students who have strong academics with a commitment to community service and interprofessionalism.
December 14, 2020 – COP Welcomes New Faculty Member
Welcome to new COP faculty member Rachel Neu, PharmD, MPharm, BCPS to the College. Dr. Neu is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and will have a practice in internal medicine.
December 14, 2020 - COP Summer Research Poster Winners
Congratulations to the following winners for best poster in the Summer Research Poster Session!
Third place: Ravyn Hickerson, Class of 2023 [Dr. Cannon, Dr. Michener]. The Examination of Entrustable Professional Activities in Pharmacy Students
Second place: Sara Mehmood, Class of 2023 [Tehreem Khaliq, Leyla Cukovic, Yelena Sahakian, Dr. Rahman] Affects of Practicing Social Distancing on COVID-19 Infections and Deaths: A Retrospective Study
First place: Tehreem Khaliq, Class of 2022 [Noopur Walia, Sara Mehmood, Yelena Sahakian, Dr. Rahman] Impact of Retrospective Face Mask Usage on COVID-19 Infections and Deaths
November 9, 2020 – COP Faculty and Student Participate in ICC Flu Clinic
The ICC sponsored a drive-through flu vaccine clinic for uninsured patients on October 17 and November 7. COP Pharmacy Practice faculty members, Khyati Patel, PharmD, Assistant Professor and Jessica Cottreau, PharmD, Chair and Associate Professor, provided vaccinations, Danielle Candelario, PharmD, Associate Professor provided leadership, and COP Class of 2023 student Karina Luna served as an interpreter, greeter, and coordinator of interpreters.
November 2, 2020 COP Student Has Article Published in ICHP Newsletter
David Courteau, COP Class of 2022, wrote an article for the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists newsletter titled “Rosalind Franklin University College of Pharmacy Making Mental Health a Priority.” View article.
November 2, 2020 - COP Student Named to ICI Executive Officers Board
COP Class of 2023 student Anna Sandler was named to the 2021 Interprofessional Clinic Initiative Executive Board of Officers as the Executive Officer of Care Coordination for the 2021 Interprofessional Community Clinic.
October 22, 2020 – COP Alum Wins Award
Angelina Raimonde, PharmD, Class of 2020, was awarded the NextGeneration Future Pharmacist Award, sponsored by Parata Systems and PharmacyTimes! She was nominated by COP Faculty member Eris Tollkuci, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice. The nomination was supported by Jamie Dillig, PharmD, Director of Outreach and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at RFU and Brian Hrad PharmD, Pharmacy Manager at Rush Oak Park Outpatient Pharmacy. Dr. Raimonde is currently a PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at Rush University Medical Center in the Inpatient Pharmacy.
October 22, 2020 – COP Students to Compete at ASHP Midyear
Class of 2021 students Mphamvu Kalengamaliro and Karolyn Mosbacher have won the 2020 ASHP Local Clinical Skills Competition at RFU College of Pharmacy. They will represent the RFU COP at the National Competition held during the 2020 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December. Good luck!
October 20, 2020 – COP Students in AACP Clinical Pharmacy Challenge
Congratulations to Class of 2021 students, Dasha Polyarskaya, Kat Lichtenwalter, and Alyshah Ismaili, for making it to Round 4 of the ACCP Clinical Pharmacy Challenge! This put them in the top 16 teams out of the 109 teams that competed. View a complete list of schools for each round. Congratulations to this team on their success!! Thanks for representing RFU COP!!
October 2020 – COP Faculty Holds AACP Forum
Brad Cannon, PharmD, Director of Experiential Education and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, in his role as the AACP Speaker of the House of Delegates, hosted “Speak Up with Speaker Cannon.” This was an open forum to discuss the Annual Meeting, actions the House took, and how information is being shared with schools in a virtual format.
October is American Pharmacists Month
October is American Pharmacists Month, and the COP is celebrating with events such as a Career Fair/Residency Showcase, Trivia Night, the 5th Annual Quest for the Best Pharmathon, and an awards ceremony. Click here to see Governor Pritzker’s proclamation declaring October 2020 American Pharmacists Month throughout Illinois.
