Community Engagement

Lukas provides thought leadership at the national level as she helps refine and develop best practices for global health education through her work with the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.

Since the addition of Jordan Watson, LPC, director for career services and employer relations, the Center for Career Services and Education has expanded its programming and its approach to career support and education for students and alumni.

UHSP faculty members Michelle Jeon, Pharm.D., BCACP, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and Roxane Took, Pharm.D., BCACP, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, lobbied on a nationwide stage for key issues facing the pharmacy profession during the recent APhA Virtual Congressional Conference.

Each fall, the UHSP community celebrates the anniversary of our founding through events focused on education and philanthropy. The Founders Day Giving Challenge brings the University community together in the spirit of giving back and supporting the next generation of health care leaders and innovators, helping to ensure that every student has access to support as they pursue their dreams.

Since COVID-19 vaccine availability ramped up this spring, UHSP faculty have been working hard to create and host vaccine clinics to help members of the St. Louis community get vaccinated.

Renee Moore, B.S. ’97, staff pharmacist at Walmart in Carlyle, Illinois, shares her experience working with her local government to bring a COVID-19 vaccination clinic to Bartelso, Illinois.

Ensuring underserved communities receive the health care and support they need has long been a passion for Kendra Holmes, B.S. '99, Pharm.D. '00, CHCEM.

Jason Medows, Pharm.D. ’08, is using his experience as a pharmacist and farmer to reduce negative perceptions surrounding mental health in rural Missouri.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Board of Trustees marked an important moment in the University’s history with the announcement of its fifth president. David D. Allen, RPh., Ph.D., FASHP, FNAP, FAPhA, will serve as the University’s next president, with his tenure beginning on July 1, 2021.

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Missouri and Illinois and quickly became a statewide emergency, pharmacists rose once again to the challenge of serving their communities in new and expanded ways.

John A. Pieper, Pharm.D., FCCP, FAPhA, FFIP, president of University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, recently participated in BJC HealthCare’s Diversity Week as a featured panelist.

P3 student Steven Kramer is using his passion for American Sign Language and pharmacy as a way to raise awareness about ways to support the Deaf community and empower individuals with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allison Braden, B.S. ’04, Pharm.D. ’05, director of pharmacy services at Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois, created the first mobile chemotherapy unit in Illinois to bring therapeutics closer to the patients who need them.

When P2 student Nicole Gasparovic isn’t playing midfield for the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Eutectics, she is making moves off the field. As a three-year captain of the women’s soccer team and student leader, Gasparovic is demonstrating her talents at a local and national level.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy students received the 2020 Health Disparities Focused Award for their work during the National Consumers League Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a nationwide initiative to promote the importance of medication adherence.

On June 17, the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Board of Trustees held its final meeting of the 2019-20 academic year. During the meeting, retiring members were thanked for their dedicated service and five new members were welcomed to the Board.

When it comes to Tom Wightman's, B.S. '59, long history with community pharmacy, he continues to hold the belief that what makes pharmacy great is the feeling of joy that comes with helping people.

First-year undergraduate student Daniella Underwood has always had a passion for service. With a passion for giving back and a love of science, Underwood found pharmacy to be the path for her.

Brooke (Lawrence) Aldrich, Pharm.D. ’12, and Nathan Aldrich, Pharm.D. ’12, pharmacists and owners of Lawrence Drug and Compounding Lab, are compounding hand sanitizer for first responders in Ozark and Springfield, Missouri.

A group of St. Louis College of Pharmacy alumnae were selected to spearhead rapid COVID-19 testing at a Walgreens location in the St. Louis metro east area, bringing free COVID-19 testing to the community.

With his trumpet in hand, Walter Beckham, admissions representative at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, and his six bandmates, set out on a mission to raise the spirits of St. Louis residents through music during the stay-at-home orders that were in place over the past two months.

P4 student Meghin Moynihan spends weekends working as a student pharmacist at a local hospital. As she continues her work through the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience has expanded her education in pharmacy and reaffirmed her passion for serving patients.

After joining the faculty at St. Louis College of Pharmacy last fall, Giovanni Pauletti, M.Pharm., Ph.D., Gustavus and Henry Pfeiffer Endowed Chair in Pharmacy and professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, has begun work to build global health offerings at the College.

Misty Farr, Pharm.D. ’10, pharmacy manager at Walmart in Florissant, Missouri, recently received a Black Tie Community Award from Made Moguls Youth Program.

With New York City now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Faith Byland, Pharm.D. ’16, staff pharmacist at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, has been working under increasing pressure and time restraints to provide the best care possible to her patients.

After raising nearly $10,000 during her Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year campaign, P4 student Sarah Noble knew she wanted to do more, and she set her sights on becoming Woman of the Year.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Louis College of Pharmacy is again working with its partners to support the local community and neighboring health care institutions.

Representatives of St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion officially unveiled the College’s new Spirituality Center to members of the campus community during a grand opening event on Jan. 28.

During vaccination season, pharmacists are on the front lines addressing misinformation about vaccine safety and effectiveness.

The innovative work of P3 student Sai Dodda received grand prize accolades during the Infectious Diseases Society of America's (IDSA) second annual IDEA Incubator, a competition hosted by IDSA to showcase inventions, products and devices designed to improve patient care for infectious diseases during ID Week.

Changes to the higher education enrollment landscape and trends in federal aid availability over recent years have prompted St. Louis College of Pharmacy to examine new approaches to attract prospective students.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy recently hosted 40 music students from Cardinal Ritter College Prep, who had the opportunity to enjoy a performance by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

When P3 student Nicole Savant first enrolled in St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s international service learning course bound for Poland, she couldn’t imagine the lasting impact the trip would have on her.

JoAnne Levy, vice president of Mercy Research with Mercy and St. Louis College of Pharmacy Board of Trustees member, has been recognized as a 2019 Leader of Distinction by YWCA Metro St. Louis.

Each October, St. Louis College of Pharmacy celebrates American Pharmacists Month, a time dedicated to recognizing pharmacists’ contributions to health care and the role they play in their communities. With American Pharmacists Month upon us, we’re featuring two College alumnae who have established themselves as regional leaders in the pharmacy profession.

Kendra Holmes, B.S. '99, Pharm.D. '00, CHCEM, vice president and chief operating officer of Affinia Healthcare, was recently named to the St. Louis Business Journal's Most Influential Business Women class of 2019.

A sea of costumed kids converged on the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Quad on Oct. 20, as the College and JDRF partnered to host the 13th annual Boo Fest event.

On Sept. 11, leaders from the Washington University Medical Campus and BJC HealthCare gathered at St. Louis College of Pharmacy for a panel discussion where they shared their perspectives on the meaning of inclusion and the organizational journey to reaching inclusion at its highest peak.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy's vice president of diversity and inclusion was one of 14 local health care leaders chosen to serve as FOCUS St. Louis Impact Fellows for 2018-19.

Labor Day is a time to celebrate the American labor movement with parades, sunshine and barbeques. And while outdoor cooking and dining are great ways to commemorate the unofficial end of summer, they bring with them the risk of salmonella contamination which can crash your party.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy will partner with the UMKC School of Pharmacy and the Missouri Pharmacy Association to help improve prescribing practices for pain management in Missouri as part of a $120,000 grant from the Cardinal Health Foundation.

The Missouri Opioid State Targeted Response Grant was implemented in May 2017. Two faculty from St. Louis College of Pharmacy were assigned to one of the grant objectives to increase access to naloxone in community pharmacies.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy was recognized by Dance St. Louis with a 2019 Swan Award for years of collaboration and a dedication to supporting arts and culture in St. Louis city and the region.

In advance of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27, faculty and students from St. Louis College of Pharmacy and DEA representatives visited senior living communities across the city of St. Louis to help residents clear out their medicine cabinets.

From LEED-certified buildings to safe medication disposal initiatives, St. Louis College of Pharmacy is cultivating a more sustainability-minded campus community.

Student pharmacists filed into the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri, to advocate for the profession of pharmacy and encourage a bipartisan discussion centered around health care legislation.

Students learn about the moral responsibilities that accompany a career in health care and how to help mitigate disparities in St. Louis.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy has positioned itself as a leader in the fight against opioid abuse. From prescription medication collection to research into the addictive nature of opioids, our students, faculty, staff and research centers have passionately invested themselves in combating this epidemic.

Jason Wang, Pharm.D. '11, is dedicated to making the world a better place one project and person at a time. Through his commitment to community service, he impacts the lives of patients and students with each interaction.

Laura Challen, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS, BCACP, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacist at the Mercy JFK Clinic at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, was recently named Preceptor of the Year by the Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

According to the World Health Organization, 5 percent of the world’s population has disabling hearing loss. At St. Louis College of Pharmacy, this population has not gone unnoticed by the Student National Pharmaceutical Association.

Each year at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, advanced pharmacy practice experiences give students hands-on learning opportunities in a variety of practice settings locally and around the world.

As today’s health care leaders strive to provide the highest quality care possible, much work is being done to increase health literacy among patients. At St. Louis College of Pharmacy, P2 and P3 students are getting a first-hand opportunity to educate underserved populations about the importance of health literacy as part of the College’s Health Literacy in the Community course.

Faculty and students from St. Louis College of Pharmacy and DEA representatives visited the Winter Garden Apartments senior living community in St. Louis City on April 24 to help residents clear out their medicine cabinets

St. Louis College of Pharmacy wrapped up its inaugural “STLCOP Talks” faculty speaker series on April 3 in Chicago.

More than 290 St. Louis College of Pharmacy students and faculty members traveled to the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on March 28, to advocate on behalf of the pharmacy profession during Legislative Day 2018.

Members of St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s Pharmaceutical Cosmetic Club participated in the Diva for a Day pre-prom event with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBSEMO) on Friday, March 23.

The BESt Pharmacy Summer Institute was selected as a “What’s Right with the Region” honoree for 2018. The program is included among 20 individuals, organizations and initiatives that are being recognized for their impact and service to the St. Louis community.

For the third consecutive year, St. Louis College of Pharmacy has been recognized at the Leader Level in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge.

The class of 2017 has graduated and residents have moved out of the Residence Hall for the summer. To commemorate this past semester, here’s a look back at some of our favorite memories in spring 2017.

Alexandra Bixby ’17, Pharm.D., first got involved with Health Resource Center Diabetes Clinic when she reached out to the Saint Louis University residents running the clinic to find a collaborative way for student pharmacists to support their health care team.

In the week leading up to National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, St. Louis College of Pharmacy students participated in door-to-door drug take-back events at several senior living facilities around the city of St. Louis.

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 outlines new provisions to help pharmacists and other health care providers continue the fight against opioid abuse.

The College has named Danny Brown as head coach of the men's basketball program.

P2 student Mathew Koebel recently traveled to Portugal along with six other St. Louis College of Pharmacy students to serve others in need through Habitat for Humanity.

In an effort to expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs to serve high school students in St. Louis City and north St. Louis County, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals has generously supported St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s STEM Health Science Academy.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy was named as a finalist for the sixth annual “Script Your Future” Medication Adherence Team Challenge.

Local anti-drug coalition leaders met at the College as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “360 Strategy.”

Finals are complete and winter break is underway at the College. To celebrate the changing of seasons, here’s a look back at some of our favorite memories in fall 2016.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, alumni, students and friends of the College gathered to celebrate the launch of the public phase of the Preparing Leaders. Leading Change. campaign.

P3 student Benjamin Jolley is one of 19 students selected from across the country for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance-CVS Health Foundation Scholars program.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy and NCADA to distribute 50,000 medication deactivation pouches to promote safe disposal of prescription medications.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy plans extensive public health campaign to educate families about important health issue.

Christopher Smith ’08 doesn’t remember a transformative moment when God called him closer. There were no bolts of lightning or a definitive sign from above or the sort of epiphany that can lead to a life of prayer and reflection. He was a young man, already a graduate of St. Louis College of Pharmacy when, little by little, life—and the pull of something bigger than himself—seemed to be nudging him in a different direction.

Sister Mary Louise Degenhart ’60 receives top honor for her dedicated service to the profession of pharmacy.

Skydiver, Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA)national president, licensed insurance agent, and student pharmacist are just a few ways to describe P3 student Jessie Nia Hwang.

For 46 years, Evelyn Becker-Meyer has been inspiring her biology students to do their best in the classroom with a unique combination of humor,encouragement, and hands-on learning.

Incredible amount of unwanted medication safely removed from St. Louis-area homes during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

To commemorate the spring 2016 semester, here's a look back at some of our favorite memories!

Faculty and Students Promote National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Junior Sarah Noble has been nominated for the inaugural Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Gateway Student of the Year Award.

Several therapy pets from Love on a Leash® (LOAL) visited with students on campus Tuesday, April 19, to help relieve stress before final exams.

On St. Patrick’s Day, students, faculty, and staff came together to raise money for pediatric cancer research during the annual head-shaving event benefiting the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Deadline fast approaching to be part of exciting learning and growth opportunity.

As a PGY2 ambulatory care resident at the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, April Huang consults with patients about the health conditions they are working through — as well as other challenges they face.

In 2014, a group of alumnae and friends of the College interested in making a difference at St. Louis College of Pharmacy created the Women’s Giving Initiative (WGI).

As a PGY2 resident, Shane Austin ’14 cares for a variety of patients through his internal medicine residency program at St. Louis VA Health Care System – John Cochran.

Meet the woman behind one of this year’s most popular activities.

Events at St. Louis College of Pharmacy focusing on professional development.

Varun Chakravarthy, P1 student, has ridden more than 300 miles to help raise funds for multiple sclerosis (MS) research. On Sept. 12-13, Chakravarthy participated in his third Bike MS event where he traveled 150 miles across the St. Louis metropolitan area.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy has been named to the 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This year marks the third consecutive year the College has been recognized for its commitment to promoting health initiatives throughout the region.

For STLCOP students, community service and outreach are a way of life.

Accepting a position at STLCOP was a coming home of sorts for Kilinyaa Cothran, who graduated from the College in 2001.

Eric Knoll’s path to STLCOP was a long one.

This summer the campus of St. Louis College of Pharmacy was teeming with activity. Students as young as 12 were being introduced to campus and the wide range of pharmacy careers.

Student commended on first patient immunization.

Middle school students enrolled in the IMSA Fusion program learn about careers in pharmacy.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy students were showing love to the planet on Earth Day.

Fifth-year student Dainielle Fox was named president-elect of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) at their annual meeting in New Orleans on July 27

Freshman Steven Kramer introduces himself by signing his introduction. His passion for American Sign Language (ASL) is evident from the moment you meet him.

In a recent ranking of cities across the country, St. Louis stood out as a great place for students offering high quality of education and low cost of living.

Script Your Future STL was honored with a proclamation from the City of St. Louis, declaring Feb. 28, 2014 “Script Your Future: Medication Adherence Day” for conducting 28 events in 28 days.

Their membership growth chart looks more like a hockey stick than a gentle rise, and that’s just fine with the members of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association chapter at St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

April 9, 2014, marked one of the biggest student outreach days in the College’s history.

In just four hours, medication equal in weight to two small school buses was turned in for proper disposal as part of the St. Louis Medication Disposal Initiative and National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

A four-foot-tall fiberglass birthday cake will soon arrive on the campus of St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

Sixth-year student Bethanne Carpenter was perusing the pharmacy shelves of Walgreens on Lindell Blvd. when she noticed a man picking up one medication bottle before placing it back down and picking up another. Carpenter approached the man and asked if she could help.

Several alumni were recognized for their leadership in the pharmacy profession, health care environment, and business community. The College is proud to honor our graduates:

Fifth-year students Callie Stoner and Lauren Owens have developed an AIDS drug treatment and prevention training program that they hope will have a lasting impact on the people of Swaziland, Africa.

This year St. Louis College of Pharmacy and the BJC Accountable Care Organization (ACO) entered into an agreement to help find ways for older adults to better manage their medications. Terry Seaton, Pharm.D., professor of pharmacy practice, is working with ACO medical director Douglas Pogue, M.D., on the hospital’s most complex cases.

To better prepare our future pharmacy innovators for diverse roles in the profession, St. Louis College of Pharmacy has partnered with University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) to create a collaborative program that will allow student pharmacists the ability to work toward a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration or an MBA degree at UMSL while still enrolled at the College.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s hard work and dedication to the St. Louis community has been recognized by the federal government. Thanks to the efforts of students, faculty, and staff the College was just named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The program is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

A team of students at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine was chosen as one of three winners of the national Script Your Future Award, a campaign to raise awareness about medication adherence.

Donated blood helped save Samantha Bryant’s brother. Now she is working on saving more lives.

Second-year student Salia Richardt stands at the door of her room in Residence Hall saying hello to some nervous looking teenagers and their equally nervous parents.

Using paper bag puppets and a little creativity, the College’s Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) chapter won a $2,500 grant from Walmart.

“If we’ve saved one person, that’s enough.” It’s a short, simple sentiment by his wife, Peggy, that has served as Patrick Tharp’s mantra since he founded Pharmacists Preventing Suicides (PPS©) more than 10 years ago.

October is American Pharmacists Month and St. Louis College of Pharmacy is celebrating with more than a dozen events to highlight the importance of pharmacists in health care.

Two faculty members from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in South Africa visited STLCOP this past week as part of the College’s ongoing twinning partnership with NMMU. The purpose of the partnership is to combat the AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy is sponsoring St. Louis Symphony’s first-ever SymphonyCares-Music Therapy Showcase.

The College was recently named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

Rain didn’t deter anyone in St. Louis looking to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medication at this year’s St. Louis Medication Disposal Initiative on April 27. A record 16,311 pounds of medication from the metropolitan area was discarded as part of the effort.

On April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents of the St. Louis region can take unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medication to a designated disposal site as part of the St. Louis Medication Disposal Initiative.

Student pharmacists joined their colleagues from schools of pharmacy in Illinois at the seventh annual Illinois Pharmacy Legislative Day on March 13 at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.

From the moment students begin classes at the College until the time they receive their diplomas, they are constantly encouraged to engage patients, build relationships, and advance health care.

Former President and Health Minister of Ecuador Alfredo Palacio visited St. Louis College of Pharmacy to talk about ways the College can make an impact in South America.

Since finals ended, St. Louis College of Pharmacy has had one thing on its mind: cake, specifically a four-foot-tall fiberglass cake

For the first time, graduates of the BESt Pharmacy Summer Institute have been conditionally accepted to attend St. Louis College of Pharmacy. The 12 BESt graduates are entering their senior year of high school, and they will be invited to attend the College in fall 2014 provided they meet College admissions standards.

Students at the College have teamed up with Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (WUSTL) students to participate in Script Your Future’s second-annual Student Pharmacist Adherence Challenge. The month-long outreach project was created to engage student pharmacists in raising awareness about medication adherence.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s location in one of the country’s most distinguished medical communities affords our students the opportunity to learn, work and volunteer in unique settings.

Leadership—it’s a word synonymous with St. Louis College of Pharmacy, where students are prepared to become the pharmacy leaders of tomorrow on a daily basis.

International partnerships with nations like South Africa, China, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia position St. Louis College of Pharmacy to be at the forefront of impacting health care worldwide.

A new partnership between St. Louis College of Pharmacy and the St. Louis Symphony will focus on exposing students to the world-renowned orchestra and its musicians. It will also broaden STLCOP’s experience in the arts for faculty, staff, and alumni.

Interprofessional patient-centered care continues to become more and more important, and St. Louis College of Pharmacy is committed to educating our future pharmacists in this area.

To educate students to address global health issues, STLCOP recently created the Office of International Programs and named Ken Schafermeyer, Ph.D., professor of pharmacy administration, as its director.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s community pharmacy residency program gives residents the opportunity to provide patient care services in the community, where pharmacists’ roles continue to expand.