The Collaboratory at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has received the 2026 Civic Engagement and Community Service Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, the largest and oldest publication defining and advancing best practices in higher education. 
The Civic Engagement and Community Service Award recognizes institutions’ innovative service and deep community collaboration in volunteerism, fundraising efforts for community causes, advocacy and public education, civic participation, voter engagement, and more.
The Collaboratory is a community health resource center operated by Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in partnership with Trinity Alliance’s Capital Region community health worker (CHW) team.
“The mission of the Collaboratory is to leverage the talents of ACPHS students, faculty members, and partner organizations to narrow health disparities in Albany, New York’s South End community,” said ACPHS President, Toyin Tofade. “We’re proud of their efforts in our communities and grateful to see them recognized for this important work.”
The Collaboratory’s programs blend ACPHS’ Public Health Pharmacy Team (PHPT) and health sciences students with Trinity Alliance’s CHW team to address health inequities by filling gaps in primary medical care and social services. Wrap-around services assist clients with food, housing, transportation, obtaining identification, and insurance and healthcare navigation.
Beginning this month, The Collaboratory, in partnership with Trinity Alliance’s Food Pantries, has also launched an expanded Food Farmacy food as medicine program which will provide 50 families ≈ 150 individuals experiencing food insecurity and chronic disease with weekly nutritional food packages for six months while monitoring disease states and providing nutrition education. The program will provide interventions, medication reviews and medication adherence counseling.
Additional programs offered include:
Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Empowerment: Screening, education and maintenance
Opioid Harm Reduction: Naloxone kits and fentanyl and xylazine testing strips – training and distribution
“Food insecurity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes are major public health issues in Albany’s South End communities which endure disproportionate poverty rates, chronic disease burdens and social determinant of health needs,” said Executive Director of The Collaboratory, Stacy Pettigrew, PhD. “The Collaboratory’s health programs are designed to educate and empower community members to take control of their health and well-being.”
The team seeks to improve health outcomes for individuals by holding face-to-face visits, providing patient education, managing medications and access, monitoring patient well-being, and following up with the patient’s primary care physician. The programs target individuals not engaging in the current system, including those that are homebound, disabled, or lack adequate transportation. Many clients experience a range of psychosocial issues as determined by their social determinants of health responses that can impede successful health care outcomes.
“The Collaboratory shows our students that improving health begins not only in the clinic or laboratory, but in the community. Working with partners like Trinity Alliance, our students address food insecurity, chronic disease, and barriers to care in Albany’s South End,” said Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Meenakshi Malik. “These experiences prepare our graduates to become not only skilled health professionals, but leaders advancing health equity.”
“Higher education has always been a driving force in societal progress.” says Holly Mendelson, owner and publisher of Insight Into Academia magazine. “These institutions remind us that the true measure of higher education lies not only in the degrees awarded, but in the lives they uplift. Their leadership strengthens communities, inspires students, and sets a standard of excellence for all.”
A call for nominations for this award was announced in October 2025. The Collaboratory at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will be featured, along with 51 other programs, in the April 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine. For more information about the 2026 Civic Engagement and Community Service Award, visit insightintoacademia.com.
About Insight Into Academia
For more than 50 years, Insight Into Academia has empowered higher education leaders by defining and advancing the best practices that shape the future of the academy. Through thought-provoking articles, expert advice, valuable resources, and in-depth profiles of top programs at colleges and universities, and much more, Insight Into Academia spotlights the institutional exemplars driving academia and what comes next. When an institution appears in Insight Into Academia, it signals exceptional leadership and evidence-based excellence. To learn more visit www.Insightintoacademia.com.
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