Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences proudly announces the 2026 Preceptor Recognition in Mentorship Excellence (PRIME) awards.
Preceptors play an integral role by helping to shape a student’s professional identity and launch their careers. There are more than 500 ACPHS preceptors supporting our experiential rotation sites, modeling professional and decision-making skills, and evaluating students in their settings.
The PRIME award recipients not only serve as professional role models, but also show leadership and service to the profession, excellent knowledge and subject matter expertise, dedication to patient care, exemplary dedication to the student learning environment and highly positive comments in student evaluations.
This year’s honorees include:
Monica (Bean) Campbell ’96, RPh
The PRIME award winner for Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE), Monica Campbell ’96 RPh, currently serves as the supervising pharmacist at Market 32 in Guilderland, New York. In her role, she ensures compliance with all laws and regulations, hires and trains technicians, monitors inventory, dispenses medications, and maintains accurate records.
“But most importantly, I build relationships with patients, counsel and listen,” Campbell said.
Student nominations noted that Monica is “an incredible mentor and a brilliant pharmacist” who “invested in my learning” making students feel “encouraged and supported” with open communication creating an environment that was easy to work in. One student noted, “I left each day fulfilled and excited for the next.”
Monica spends time explaining her thought process to students as she goes through her day.
“I want them to think like pharmacists. I want to help them understand the responsibility that comes with the job as well as the rewards. That we are human, and so are our patients, and we can make a difference,” she explained.
She has found working with students as a preceptor rewarding. She utilizes their knowledge to review drug interactions, research disease states, and counsel patients. They are as much a resource for her as she is for them.
“It is an honor to be recognized and to know my daily efforts positively impact the students who come through my pharmacy,” Monica said. “I have worked with many students over the years, and they all have one thing in common: they care and that is a great foundation to build on.”
Kara Candee ’19, PharmD, BCACP
PRIME award winner for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE), Kara Candee ’19, PharmD, BCACP is a clinical embedded pharmacist for St. Peter’s Health Partners.
Following graduation, Dr. Kandee completed a PGY1 community-based pharmacy residency with Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions and followed up with a PGY2 ambulatory care residency at ACPHS.
As a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist, she supports the primary care practices and Anticoagulation clinics in the SPHP network.
She works with primary care providers and patients to improve patient outcomes, prevent disease progression, and minimize costs by making recommendations for gaps in care and addressing adherence barriers faced by patients. She also assists providers with medication-related questions on complex patients. In addition, she manages warfarin dosing and monitoring while providing patient education.
As a preceptor, Dr. Candee provides support and encouragement so that students are comfortable and confident when approaching new experiences.
“I like to discuss disease states and med mechanisms through topic discussions and patient case reviews to show how everything connects,” she said. “I think it’s important to enjoy what you do and who you work with. Our office is great at creating this environment and we love having students feel this enjoyment too.”
Students commented that she consistently takes the time for one-on-one topic discussions while always checking in to see if you need support. “She never made me feel bad about mistakes, instead, she encouraged me to learn and grow from them. She gently pushed me outside of my comfort zone every day, helping build confidence in ways I never thought they could. I left this rotation feeling valued as a student, with an entirely new career path opened before me,” a student shared.
Dr. Candee is immediate past president of the Northeastern chapter of NYSCHP, co-chair of the NYSCHP New Practitioner Committee, involved in pharmacy advocacy through NYSCHP (Standard of Care task force), and mentors for ACPHS APhA-ASP Operation Heart.
“Precepting is like stewardship for our profession,” said Dr. Candee. “I enjoy mentorship and teaching and feel that I’ve grown so much as a pharmacist because of the support I received from others and the curiosity I’ve had in learning new things and from new experiences.”
Paris Dade ’23, PharmD
The ACPHS faculty PRIME award winner, Paris Dade ’23, PharmD, currently serves as assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice at ACPHS.
Following graduation, Dr. Dade completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Albany Medical Center and a PGY2 ambulatory care residency at ACPHS.
In her faculty role, she co-coordinates Skills Lab V, a P3 year course that provides students with hands-on experience developing skills applicable to community and ambulatory care practice. She also co-coordinates Self-Care, a P1 year course focused on helping students develop the knowledge and skills needed to make safe and effective over-the-counter medication recommendations.
In her clinical practice, she provides pharmacy services in a primary care setting, including medication consultations, chronic disease state management, medication reconciliation, and patient education. She collaborates with physicians, residents, advanced practice providers, and other members of the healthcare team to support medication-related decision-making and improve patient care. Dr. Dade also precepts pharmacy students in this setting, helping them apply their clinical knowledge, strengthen their communication skills, and develop confidence in an interdisciplinary practice environment.
Student nominations noted Dr. Dade was consistently kind, supportive, and genuinely invested in their growth.
“She created a learning environment where I felt comfortable asking questions and was encouraged to think critically and apply my knowledge. I learned an immense amount during this rotation, both clinically and professionally, and her mentorship played a huge role in that,” one student reported.
“I strive to tailor each student’s rotation to their individual strengths, learning needs, and career interests. While my practice is rooted in primary care, I recognize that students pursue many different paths within pharmacy,” Dr. Dade explains. “I make an effort to help each student identify how the skills and experiences gained during the rotation can apply to their own professional goals, whether they are interested in community pharmacy, managed care, long-term care, industry, or another area of practice. My goal is for every student to leave the rotation with greater confidence in their abilities and a clearer understanding of how they can contribute as a pharmacist.”
Dr. Dade is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists (NYSCHP).
Her community engagement efforts have focused on expanding access to cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health screenings for patients in underserved communities in Albany. She hopes to help reduce barriers to preventive care, promote health education, and connect patients with resources that support their long-term health.
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