A decade of dynamic growth

Dr. Gozzo chats with an '05 grad

The new millennium has been a time of exceptional strategic growth for ACPHS under the leadership of President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D.

In 2000, the College expanded for the first time into a second building - the Classroom Building and attached gymnasium in the former Christian Brothers Academy facilities. Also new this decade: the cutting-edge Pharmaceutical Research Institute, two on-campus residence halls, a state-of-the-art Pharmacy Practice Lab and, in the fall of 2006, the Research Institute for Health Outcomes and spectacular ACPHS Student Center.

The 2000s have seen a tremendous expansion in academic offerings as well as the College enters a new era in health care with a focus not only on pharmacy, but also on pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical technology and research. In 1881, the College began with a faculty of three teaching only four courses. Now, more than a century and a quarter later, there are more than 80 full-time faculty teaching more than 110 courses!

A pharmacy lab session, 2005

The Pharmacy degree has gone from the two-year Ph.G. (Graduate in Pharmacy) offered in 1881 to the current six-year Pharm.D. The last Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degrees at ACPHS were granted in 2004 following the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education decree that it would grant accreditation to Pharm.D. programs only.

ACPHS developed new programs at the start of the decade to complement the Pharm.D. and diversify the academic environment. New additions were Bachelor of Science degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Technology (the latter with concentrations in Cytotechnology and Clinical Laboratory Sciences), and a one-year certificate program in Cytotechnology.

In conjunction with Albany Medical College, a new Physician Assistant Studies option was added for the fall of 2006, allowing combined acceptance into ACPHS's B.S. in Biomedical Technology and Albany Med's Master's-level PA program.

Other degrees new this decade include the joint B.S./J.D. 3+3 program with Albany Law School, in which students spend three years at ACPHS and three years at the neighboring law school to earn a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a law degree, and the Early Assurance program for medical school with Albany Med, again a joint program through ACPHS's B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The College also offers MBA and M.S. programs in conjunction with Union College .

Maruzen students, 2004

ACPHS also has expanded the cultural horizons for students, adding international experiences for students going into their sixth year in the Pharm.D. program.

In 2001, the first two students headed to Hiroshima , Japan , for an internship at Maruzen Research and Development Center , a pharmaceutical company that focuses on natural product extraction, purification, analysis and identification. A new clerkship rotation in Basel , Switzerland - a city sometimes referred to as the Pharmacy Capital of the World - was added in 2005.

ACPHS's phenomenal physical growth during this decade kicked off with the $4 million renovation of the former Christian Brothers Academy main building in 2000 to create the Classroom Building . This facility provides academic offices and classroom space, with the bottom floor housing a fitness center. That same year, the attached gymnasium opened as well. It was rechristened the Albert M. White Gymnasium in October 2005 in honor of the beloved former associate dean of student affairs. Sadly, Dean White died in July 2006 at age 80.

The newest addition to ACPHS's flagship 1927 O'Brien Building, the east addition housing the administrative and library facilities, got a new identity in November 2000 when it was named in honor of Rudolph H. Blythe '31, who pioneered the technology for time-release capsules during a superlative career in pharmaceutical research.

Inside the
Throop Pharmacy Museum

Also that year, the College doubled the size of its library thanks to a generous gift from the foundation of the late George '28 and Leona Lewis; the expanded library now bears the Lewis' name. That project also allowed the College to move the historic Throop Pharmacy Museum to a more prominent location at the top of the stairs at the main entrance to the O'Brien Building.

A new state-of-the-art Pharmacy Practice Lab debuted in 2003 in the building's former gym, one floor below the relocated Throop. The multi-purpose facility, which added the historically minded James J. Morrissey '65 Gallery in 2006 thanks in large part to the efforts of members of the Class of 1965, prepares students for innovative pharmacy practice and features a fully equipped pharmacy and private rooms to train students in counseling services.

Dr. Mousa and students at PRI
2003

Also in 2003, ACPHS opened its cutting-edge Pharmaceutical Research Institute in the former Bender Hygienic Laboratories on Samaritan Road , on the south edge of campus. Under the direction of Shaker A. Mousa, Ph.D., PRI focuses on research and development in drug discovery and delivery.

The Institute grew dramatically, from two employees at the end of 2004 to more than 20 and growing at the end of 2006, when it expanded into the new Center for Nanopharmaceutical Technology in the University at Albany 's East Campus across the Hudson River in Rensselaer.

The Center was made possible by a $2 million grant from the New York State Legislature. It allowed ACPHS to take a leading role in the development of nanopharmaceuticals, which fuses biotechnology and nanotechnology into an emerging discipline that significantly will expand the medical community's ability to treat and cure a broad range of disease states. In addition to the research and development conducted there under the leadership of Dr. Mousa, the Center allows ACPHS students expanded opportunities to be involved on the front lines of pharmaceutical R&D.

Though in the beginning of the decade the residence facilities on Holland Avenue still were operating for freshmen, the first-ever on-campus residence hall, Notre Dame, opened in 2000, making way for housing for upperclassmen in the Holland Avenue faculty, Alumni Hall. By 2004, a second on-campus residence hall was added when the College purchased a facility on Samaritan Road from the Episcopal Diocese of Albany and established South Hall as a dorm for freshmen, eliminating the need for the off-campus facilities.

Alumni Hall subsequently was sold as the College consolidated its residence facilities on campus. Today, more than 800 students live in the two on-campus dorms and in the University Heights College Suites adjacent to ACPHS.

ACPHS also underwent significant administrative changes in the '00s, beginning when President Gozzo separated the roles of president and dean for the first time in the history of the College. Mary H. Andritz, Pharm.D., originally a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, returned to the College in 1999 as assistant dean for professional affairs. She was named dean in December of that year, just in time for the first semester of the new century.

Longtime faculty member John Denio was named associate dean of academic and student affairs upon the retirement of Al White in 2000. Additional administrative and academic realignment came in 2006 as the College prepared for still more programmatic and research growth in the future.

A new dean, Mehdi Boroujerdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D., revamped the academic structure to include four academic departments instead of the previous three: Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy Practice. Other prominent appointments included the creation of two new associate dean positions: Associate Professor Angela Dominelli '78, Ph.D., to oversee academic and professional affairs, and Professor George Bailie, Pharm.D., Ph.D., to oversee research and graduate education.

The College's fraternal organizations continue to be a strong presence at the school. In 2000, a fifth fraternity was added when Kappa Epsilon, which originally had been formed in the '90s but had become inactive, was re-chartered. The Alpha Epsilon chapter of this co-ed professional pharmacy society kicked off its activities with, among other activities, service projects at nearby Parson's Child and Family Center, a diabetes walk and the organization's official cause, breast cancer awareness.

The Interfraternity Council remains active and includes members of KE as well as Kappa Psi, Lambda Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Chi and Rho Pi Phi. All fraternities participate in IFC events such as Greek Weekend and all have a busy schedule of both service and social activities.

The College's two professional pharmacy societies, Rho Chi Honor Society and Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society, have large memberships as well. Inductions to both take place during Family Weekend in the fall.

Clubs and organizations have mushroomed this decade, with old favorites such as the Student Government Association, APHA-ASP, Mortar and Pestle , Alembic Pharmakon , Quilt and Craft Club and Multicultural Club (formerly International Cultural Awareness Club) joined by many newcomers. The Cytotechnology Club, Cross Country Club, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Equestrian Club, Singers Group, Dance Team, Orthodox Christian Student Association and Service Club are all products of the "aughts."

More informal opportunities for relaxation for students have included the Halfway Party, Countdown Party, All the Way Party, Champagne Breakfast, Springfest and Halloween.

The two big sports at ACPHS during this decade have been basketball and soccer for both men and women. The women's soccer team brought home Northern Independence Conference championships in soccer for 2000 and '06 while the men's soccer team had back-to-back championship seasons in '05 and '06. The women's basketball team won three straight NIC titles in 2004-06.

ACPHS students also can participate in varsity sports, including football and lacrosse, at Union College . All sports at Union are NCAA Division III, except the Division I hockey program.

While students began the decade hanging out in the Panthers' Den in the O'Brien Building for games of pool, darts and ping pong, a major addition to campus life, in fall 2006, has been the ACPHS Student Center . At the heart of the expanding campus, the architecturally striking 54,000-square-foot facility is the crowning achievement in ACPHS's transformation from a one-building commuter college to a vibrant, residential institution with an inviting, full-service campus.

Also new in the fall of 2006 was the Research Institute for Health Outcomes to complement PRI's focus on research and development in drug discovery and delivery. Under the direction of Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty member Leon E. Cosler, Ph.D., RIHO is focused on generating cutting-edge data on the full spectrum of medication research, development, management and efficacy.

With forward-looking facilities and a revitalized curriculum, the Rx for the next 125 years looks very bright for ACPHS!