ACPHS In The News

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences recently celebrated its inaugural Employee Recognition and Appreciation Ceremony. The two and a half hour event featured new employee recognition, promotion & tenure announcements, Blythe Award recommendations, retirement announcements and milestone celebrations, capped off with lunch, group photos and an ice cream truck campus visit

Among a group of high-achieving standouts, it is no small feat to rise to the top of the pack. The Awards and Recognition Ceremony on May 15, 2025 paid special recognition to those who did just that. They are acknowledged below.  In addition, we asked some graduates in attendance to share their biggest takeaway from their ACPHS experience

For our pre-Commencement Panther Profile, we chose one of the students to receive the Leaving a Legacy Award from his classmates, in recognition of the contributions he has made on campus. He has some advice for the next generation of students.&n

SeHan Jeong is graduating this week, earning a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. She has served in a multitude of campus leadership roles, including as vice president of Student Government Association, president of the local chapter of American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists, president of Phi Lambda Sigma and as a resident assistant

ACPHS’ event manager, Patty Tompkins, is the force behind the scenes making sure Commencement goes off without a hitch – or, as she says, without a hitch that anyone can notice. This year’s ceremony  will be the 16th Commencement she has pulled together

The 145th Commencement ceremony will feature all kinds of symbols of students’ academic and professional success during their time at ACPHS. While all caps and gowns are black, uniting the class and graduates of the past, different aspects of gowns, caps, and cords hold specific meaning to everyone crossing the stage

Among the students leaders on campus are the Peer Mentors, Peer Tutors and Writing Center Tutors who support their classmates in succeeding at ACPHS. The Center for Student Success celebrated them at its annual Recognition Banquet last month.  Students recognized for their exemplary efforts included those below

Associate Professor Dr. Kelly Hallstrom has taught biology at ACPHS since August 2024, when the program was acquired from the College of Saint Rose, which closed last year. Less than a full year at ACPHS, Dr. Hallstrom was named Teacher of the year by students

ACPHS pharmacy students Christina Jung (pictured above, second from left) and Ty Rheaume (above, far right) both dreamed of participating in a medical mission to a developing country since their very young days. For Rheaume, the desire grew out of his wish to contribute in some area of health care

There is a year at ACPHS that Diandre (Dida) Slusarek (pictured above, left) credits for the growth she needed as a scientist to reach for a prestigious doctoral program. Her research project seemed beyond her capacities, and her trusted mentor was available only through Zoom