Class Notes 2021
1950’s
Dr. William Fizette ’51, B.S. Pharmacy
It is a long time since our class of 1951 graduated from ACP! A lot has happened to me in the meantime...after a year in retail pharmacy working as a licensed pharmacist, I elected for a career change and moved to Knoxville TN to study for an MS in microbiology. In the meantime, I met and married a young lady. And we are still together after 67 years, along with two sons. The oldest is also an ACP graduate, working for a chain, and the youngest lives with us in NE PA on our old homestead. He is a retired USAFR colonel with two EE degrees.
We have one granddaughter who is currently studying for a law degree. As for myself I picked up a PhD from Ohio State. In the earlier years I became an FCC licensed amateur radio operator, and I still play with it after 71 years. A wonderful hobby!
When I graduated from Albany High School in 1945, I enlisted in the US Army. I am a WW II vet, with service in the far east. As for my 1951 ACP class, as far as I know most of them have passed on. Although I still remain in touch with Herb Savage and Hal Seitz. I ended up returning to retail pharmacy, owning my own store in Stroudsburg, PA for 30 some years.
Best wishes to everyone!
Joseph Wynn MacFarland ‘56, B.S. Pharmacy*
I was self-employed at an independent pharmacy in Saratoga Springs, NY. Retired 1995. I'm still married to wife Barbara with 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. I hope to continue to enjoy retirement, family, and friends.
*Joseph passed away on August 18, 2021.
Ann Parillo ‘57, B.S. Pharmacy
Wow, what a ride we’ve been on over the last year and a half. I had been doing a weekly TV show ever week since 1998 and that came to an abrupt stop when COVID raised its ugly little head. So, it gave me time to start writing short stories. All of them have been published in the New Author’s Journal edited by Mario Farina. In addition, in March 2020, I started posting a different pun every day on Facebook to the delight of my many followers. Years ago, when I was an instructor at ACPHS, Walt Singer was the President/Dean. He was a great punster and we always tried to out-pun each other. Today, I am still posting a pun every day on my personal FB page. This has inspired me to write a book on language and the different types of wordplays that have existed since “way back when”. Research has shown that they may go back as far as the ancient Egyptians. Research will prove that right or wrong. We’ll see. For now, I’ve started up my TV show in April 2021 and it’s going strong. It’s called Capital Region Today and can be found on YouTube on demand. This is my 23rd year of producing and hosting this informative show (Show #1137 coming up). So, after a career in Pharmacy, I’ve found a whole new niche and I’m lovin’ it. I forgot to mention I’m on a few Boards and am passionate about theater, even performing at times. Cheers to all my classmates! Onward and Upward!
1960’s
John Bottiroli ‘61, B.S. Pharmacy
Over the last few years my wife and I have enjoyed travels in the USA.-We have made it to ALL 50 STATES- and am awestruck at the beauty we find everywhere, and the friendliness in all states-I urge all alumni to take advantage of travel, I find it opens new points of view-.
This past October I was driving thru San Antonio Texas, and took a chance to stop at the last address I had for my roommate during my years at ACP, Les Felpel. He still lived there, and I had a great visit with Les and his wife Vivian. Then my granddaughter and I left, as we were driving from Thousand Oaks, CA to Jacksonville FL and were on a timetable for motels and travel time, as October being the height of Covid precautions.
Other than that, I am still doing some part-time work at the UVM Elizabethtown Community Hospital. My wife Elaine and I have 3 daughters and 8 grandkids and 4 great-grandkids, all of which help keep us active. Working with younger pharmacists has shown me the great strides the profession has made since my graduation in 1961. We all should be very happy with the patient care roles the profession now encompasses, and a community hospital is a place all the training the college provides its students can be used to the fullest. Wishing all alumni, the very best-ENJOY OUR PROFESSION- find the niche that works best for you and make the most of the education ACPHS has provided.
1970's
William Adsit, Jr. ‘72-B.S. Pharmacy
2021- This year I finally decided to retire after 48 years. To keep me busy i play golf, swim and spend time with my 2 grandchildren. I still reside in Cooperstown, NY (remember my speech) but we do get away in the winter to Florida and Arizona. Again this year my 3 best friends from college came to Cooperstown for golf and fun.
In closing, I'm looking forward to attending our 50th reunion.
Charles Sharkey ‘72, B.S. Pharmacy
Well, the past year I have been enjoying myself with family at a reunion we had in July that has been going on for over 50 years started by my deceased father. I have been retired since 2010 and spend time coaching a 60 and over senior softball team that travels to tourneys along the East Coast. As pictured, I have a new fan now looking on, my 6-year-old granddaughter Nora. I have another granddaughter, Annalise, who is 4 years old. During the winter I spend time in Marco Island with my girlfriend to escape the Central NY cold.
Christine Wood ‘78 B.S. Medical Technology
My BS in Medical Technology opened doors and provided me with many opportunities throughout my career. I progressed from a Hematology Laboratory Technologist to Supervisor with the Department of Veterans Affairs. After I received by MBA from SUNYA I accepted the position of Administrative Officer for their successful Medical Research Program. I also ended my career when I retired from the VA from the Office of Health Information. Throughout my 33 years at the VA my ACP degree served me well. I just love science and am always happy to support current students who feel the same way.
1980's
Dr. Michael Kane ‘84, B.S. Pharmacy
Dr. Michael Kane was a guest speaker back in March 2021 to the AASP Club on Research and was able to speak with the students on his area of expertise.
Cynthia Young Belmore ‘88, B.S. Pharmacy
I started at Kinney Drugs, Inc. in May 1984 after beginning college at Canton ATC. I transferred to ACP my third year and graduated in 1988.I had a fabulous education from ACP and learned a lot from my mentors at Kinney Drugs. I’m proud to say that I worked for Kinney Drugs for 37 years and retired on June 29th, 2021.The past year has been both rough and triumphant for pharmacists and I discovered that it was time to hang up my white coat and let the next generation take over.
I had a fabulous career at Kinney Drugs, and I wouldn’t trade a minute. I loved having students come into the pharmacy and learn under my supervision. There is no better reward than having your former students contact you and want to get together and have them thank you for being a tough mentor, throwing them in the fire, and having high expectations.
I am truly blessed to have such a long career with an employee-owned company.
On to the next chapter!
1990's
Dr. Rebecca Blanchard ‘90, B.S. Pharmacy
Dr. Blanchard was a guest speaker back in April and spoke with the students in Dr. Ray's Health Care and Human Values class.
Dave Jones, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP ’98 ‘01
As we all have struggled personally and professionally this during this pandemic, I have learned more than ever how important it is to function as a team. In my role as Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator at St. Elizabeth, I function as “the pharmacist” at multidisciplinary critical care rounds. My advice is sought out and my recommendations taken seriously. During the pandemic, I had to learn and educate the staff about COVID-19 therapeutics in addition to my normal responsibilities. I became involved in helping to procure convalescent plasma and ensured that each COVID patient had access to Emergency-use-authorization therapeutics, in addition to routine surveillance of all of their other medications. Antibiotics stewardship and glycemic management are a big part of my surveillance. I am very grateful for the nurses, respiratory therapists, intensivists, hospitalists, and other specialists that I work with, and very fortunate that they entrust the pharmaceutical care and oversight to me and my team. It has taken many years to build trust, but I feel that I am welcomed and revered to be a part of this team. I continue to grow and learn from the professionals that surround me and do my best to keep current in my role. In addition to all of this, I am working with administration to launch a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency program for 2022 as we move toward the new downtown hospital in 2023.
2000's
Neal Smoller ‘04, PharmD
This was a landmark year for me, my practice, and pharmacists nationally.
People were desperate for leadership and direction during the pandemic. Looking left, then right, and realizing no one locally was stepping up, I gladly did. Through social media, webinars, and regular blogging, I helped people near a far "cope with COVID," becoming a trusted source of daily fact-based, fear-free information.
Also, we launched an aggressive (even for my standards!) immunization and outreach program. In all, we delivered over 36,000 doses and fully immunized over 20,000 people, supported by our local governments, our community, and a "COVID Busting Volunteer Army."
This year, I got to remind my "world" how valuable pharmacists can be.
This is me with many of my "volunteer army," which at one point was up to 600 people.
Joy Lee ‘05, PharmD
As I reflect on the past year, although it has been a challenging season, I am grateful for the importance of public health measures, slowing down the pace of life, and appreciating good health. Wearing a mask, physical distancing, and quarantine have become everyday actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and those around us. With the quarantine, it has allowed time for reflection and appreciation to not take health and the ability to gather for granted. I am looking forward to being able to freely move around without fear and to reconnect with those I have not seen in a long time. Thank you and be well.
Nick Redmann ‘08
Professionally, my role has recently changed to Chief Operating Officer at Hudson Headwaters Health Network in Queensbury, New York, in November 2019. In real-time and with close collaboration and direction from the New York State Department of Health, we successfully continued to care for our nearly 100,000 patients throughout the year across our 22 locations. In addition to providing primary care, we also tested 37,000 patients for Covid-19 throughout the year.
Once the vaccines became available, we were considered a primary delivery site for vaccines across the North Country, delivering 40,000 vaccine doses through June 2021. My wife, Rosa Azadian PharmD class of 2008, was also on the front lines delivering vaccines to hundreds of patients throughout the Capital District this past spring while also remaining focused on our three children Eloise, Oliver, and Vivienne.
2010's
Erica Stevenson ‘11 PharmD
I am currently the pharmacy manager at Glenmont Walmart and am loving it! During the pandemic, I was able to volunteer as an immunizer and medical evaluator at the Albany County DOH clinic at the Times Union Center. Standing in that large auditorium filled with vaccination supplies is something I’ll never forget. It felt historic, and it was. I’m so proud that I could impact real change on a global event like this, and it all started with my time at ACPHS!
Last year I kept a “pandemic journal” documenting some of the wild details and describing what I did to help, and I look forward to someday sharing it with my kids so they can understand the true gravity of the situation. When they read it, I hope they’re proud that their mother was a positive force in a perilous time.
Zach Hecox ‘16, PharmD
This past year has taught me innovation. I had to be innovative in order to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when it came to managing my anticoagulation clinic patients. I could not let the virus manage my patients. Rather, I had to manage the virus. The way that I did this was by establishing drive-up fingerstick INR monitoring so that my patients didn’t need to enter my clinic.
In the coming months, I look forward to not having to use face masks and not having to abide by social distancing guidelines. I miss seeing what my established patients’ faces look like and hope for the day I can see my new patients’ faces for the first time. Nothing beats showing hospitality and greeting with a smile when it comes to patient-centered care!
Chiara Evans ‘18, MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences
After finishing my MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences with Dr. Karen Glass at the Vermont campus in 2018, I joined the PhD in Pharmacology program at Weill Cornell in New York City. I joined Dr. Michael Kharas’ lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and my research is now focused on how regulation of RNA-binding proteins maintains stem cell activity in normal and malignant hematopoietic contexts like leukemias and lymphomas. The goal of this research is the development of more targeted cancer therapies.
My main ‘essential’ function at the height of the pandemic was taking care of leukemic mice that were part of ongoing experiments for my lab. I wanted to do more, so I took up some volunteer shifts at the hospitals. I also headed the Drug Development and Structural Biology study section of the SARS-CoV-2 scientific literature review group of Weill Cornell graduate students that came together during the pandemic to combat the rampant misinformation running around social media. While many fled the city, my fiancé, Dexter T. Thomas, PharmD, RPh ’18, and I stayed to lend help to our respective workplaces.
Ryan Guilaran ‘18, PharmD
As we zoom through 2021, we may be quick to forget the struggles faced in 2020. We would be remiss to ignore the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many communities around the country the public health crisis reinforced the importance of trusting medical professionals and therefore underscored our need to be focused and patient centered. We, as pharmacists, continue to play a major role in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. I was blessed with the opportunity to lead the first long-term care clinic in my district in December and then later in February led the first in-store clinic in the same district. In April I transitioned from the private sector to the public sector to focus on another public health crisis that has been plaguing us for years—the opioid epidemic. As we look to the future, I would like to thank you for your steadfast dedication to our profession and to the health and well-being of our communities.