Alumni Awards

A veteran of the pharmaceutical industry, Harvey Arbit ’70, RPh, PharmD, MBA, has devoted more than 40 years to regulatory affairs, clinical research, quality assurance, and product development.

He is the founder of, and a consulting partner for, Arbit Consulting, LLC, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy; a PharmD from Duquesne University; and an MBA from Northern Illinois University. He completed a residency in clinical hospital pharmacy at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Philip Hritcko ’83, RPh, PharmD, is currently dean and clinical professor of Pharmacy Practice at the UConn School of Pharmacy, where he has been on faculty since 2003. He was appointed to dean in 2020 after serving as interim dean for one year.

Dr. Hritcko is also an active member and past president of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association (CPA). He was the 2019 recipient of the CPA’s American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Bowl of Hygeia Award. In addition, he was recognized in 2021 as one of the Hartford Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes for his work in the category of community service, advocacy and policy.

He earned his B.S. in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy cum laude from Albany College of Pharmacy. 

Rose Zobel Lang ’69 RPh, has served in the pharmacy field for 43 years encompassing retail, independent, hospital, and the managed career arena. Her career has been punctuated with integrity, respect, collaboration, and community.

Lang serves as a Parkinson Foundation Volunteer and Regional Advisor for SE Florida, promoting Hospital Care Initiatives, community outreach, and the rollout of CE/online learning for healthcare professionals.  She continues to leverage her professional expertise and leadership to elevate the awareness of Parkinson’s by publishing a weekly newsletter and providing seminars to local support groups, home care facilities, and hospital healthcare personnel.

She earned her B.S. in Pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy and served as the valedictorian for the Class of 1969.

Tasmina Hydery ’11, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, currently serves as associate director of Digital Solutions at AmerisourceBergen, she is a team lead with FormularyDecisions®, a digital platform that facilitates the exchange of information between biopharma companies and healthcare decision makers.

Dr. Hydery currently holds a faculty appointment at MCPHS (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences) University in Boston and previously at Boston College Connell School of Nursing and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She also contributes to consulting engagements in value and access strategy to help biopharma companies demonstrate product clinical and economic value and improve market and patient access.

Dr. Hydery earned her PharmD at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and an MBA from Boston College Carroll School of Management in 2013. 

Zachary Hecox ’16, PharmD, currently serves as a pharmacist at Samaritan Hospital-Albany Memorial Campus Anticoagulation Management Clinic, an Anticoagulation Center of Excellence. Dr. Hecox is also a per diem pharmacist at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital.

He precepts for the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience student pharmacists at ACPHS, University of Connecticut, University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Binghamton University, and Creighton University. Dr. Hecox is a volunteer for the Capital City Rescue Mission Free Clinic and Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine.

He earned his PharmD at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) and holds a Certified Anticoagulation Care Provider degree from the National Certification Board for Anticoagulation.

Vincent “Chuck” DiTrapano ’69, RPh, is a pharmacist, seasoned healthcare executive, military veteran, and the founder of RxToolKit.

His passion for medication safety, clinical competency, and process improvement was deepened when he nearly approved a patient’s infusion therapy that contained a critical calculation error in 2007. His near miss led him to befriend Eric Cropp and Chris Jerry, and he later became a board member and Treasurer of the Emily Jerry Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to creating awareness about preventable medication errors and pursuing legislation promoting the proper education of clinicians.

He earned his B.S. in Pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy. 

Bob Kern came to Albany College of Pharmacy in November of 1997, and quickly earned the nickname "Bookstore Bob" by Tom Weaver, a former ACPHS employer.

During his 25-year tenure at ACPHS, he helped to move the bookstore three separate times, served as captain of the faculty basketball intramural team for two decades, worked on the merger between Albany Law School and Russell Sage College in 2006, and estimates to have served more than 55,000 ACPHS, Albany Law School and Russell Sage College students.

In 2006, he received the "PR Litzsinger Store Manager of the Year" award from Follett Higher Education Group.

Gary D. Hall ’57, RPh, holds state pharmacist registrations in Vermont, New York and Florida practicing in both community and hospital pharmacies.

He has served as a research pharmacist specializing in inhalation aerosols, injectable products, and packaging problems at Sterling Winthrop Research Institute and also served as lecturer at Albany College of Pharmacy, advancing in rank to full professor. He was elected Chair of the Faculty for over 10 years and chosen by the student body as Teacher of the Year in the first year of its inception. He was also part of the refurbishing efforts for the Throop Pharmacy Museum with curator, Lee Anna Obos.

He earned his RPh in pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy. During his time at ACPHS, he was editor-in-chief of yearbook Alembic Pharmakon, became a member of the pharmaceutical fraternity, Kappa Psi, and was elected to RhoChi, the national pharmacy honor society. Hall then earned a master's degree in pharmacy education and drug development from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.

Major Stephen J. Sullivan ’16, PharmD, is the Flight Commander of Diagnostics and Therapeutics, assigned to the 412th Medical Group, Edwards Air Force Base, California. In this role, he is responsible for 17 personnel and manages a $4.5 million budget, dispensing 70,000 prescriptions, 115,000 laboratory tests, and 2,400 radiology scans for 7,100 patients annually.

He earned a PharmD from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Following graduation, Dr. Sullivan was commissioned into the Air Force and completed his Commissioned Officer Training at Maxwell Air Force Base. After training, he arrived at Holloman Air Force Base and served as the Pharmacy Element Chief until 2019. Dr. Sullivan was then stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska, serving in various positions including outpatient, clinical, and inpatient pharmacy chief from 2019-22.

Steven Bellantoni ’84, RPh, is the owner of Hopewell Drugstore in Hopewell Junction, New York. Founded with his wife in 2017, the community pharmacy has experienced yearly growth despite the proliferation of chain pharmacies. They work closely with Hospice to care for patients countywide.

Prior to that, Bellantoni served as pharmacy manager at Rite Aid Pharmacy for 35 years.

Bellantoni earned his RPh from Albany College of Pharmacy in 1984 and has been very fortunate to have mentored several pharmacy students over the years, including a 2023 ACPHS graduate and an anticipated 2024 doctoral candidate.