ACPHS is thrilled to announce that it has received an additional $3.25 million from two Board of Trustee members and an anonymous donor to bring its donations to date for the Discovery for Life Campaign to nearly $11 million. The goal of this fundraising campaign, which began in July 2018, is to raise $11 million to support the education and development of students pursuing careers in pharmacy and the health sciences.
To date, the Discovery for Life Campaign has raised nearly $4.5 million to support Bridges to Industry, nearly $2.8 million for endowed Scholarships, and $3.7 million to improve the Student Experience which includes renovating gathering spaces and laboratories, and expanding access to internships, residencies, and fellowships.
ACPHS sought feedback from alumni, students, board members, employees, and friends of the College on what strategic initiatives to support with this fundraising campaign. Based on this collective input, the campaign’s priorities fall into three main areas: Scholarships, Student Experience and Bridges to Industry. The centerpiece of the Bridges to Industry initiative is the Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), which opened in January 2021 at the Albany NanoTech Complex on Fuller Road and welcomed its first Professional Science Master’s degree students. For more information, go to https://cbet.acphs.edu/.
David and Christine Stack donated $1.5 million to CBET to further advance this flagship initiative for ACPHS. To honor this incredibly generous donation, the new center will be renamed The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training. David Stack is an ACPHS alumnus, Chair of the Discovery for Life Steering Committee, and Chairman and CEO of Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading provider of non-opioid pain management and regenerative health solutions. He is also the Founding Partner of Stack Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercialization, marketing, and strategy firm, and Managing Director at MPM Capital, a venture capital firm focused on life sciences companies.
“We are committed to supporting initiatives that enhance educational opportunities and provide a broad path for career advancement for our students following their time at ACPHS. The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training is designed to do both,” said David Stack on behalf of his family.
Walter and Michelle Borisenok also made a significant donation of $750,000 to support ACPHS’ new education and training center and the students who enroll in our Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program. The Borisenoks donated $500,000 to the upstream bioprocessing lab which will be named the Borisenok Family Foundation Upstream Laboratory in honor of their very generous donation. In addition, they donated $250,000 to establish the Borisenok Family Foundation Biomanufacturing Scholarship to support students who enroll in our PSM program. This Master’s in Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing is a one-year program with a strong emphasis on industrial applications and an internship in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Walter Borisenok co-founded Fortitech, Inc., in 1986, a company that develops and manufactures nutritional products for the fortification of food and pharmaceuticals. As CEO, Walter grew Fortitech into a global supplier with four business units and seven manufacturing plants worldwide. He sold the company in November 2012 to the Dutch-based life science company DSM. Michelle Borisenok, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who oversees the Borisenok Family Foundation, is known throughout the Capital Region for her steadfast support of women’s leadership and education.
“We look for opportunities to propel education and industry forward because it is critical that future biopharmaceutical leaders have access to the latest equipment and expertise,” said Walt Borisenok on behalf of his family.
“The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training will educate a workforce with the knowledge and hands-on experience to advance the biopharmaceutical industry and ensure these innovative therapeutics reach patients. We are very fortunate to have donors like the Stacks and Borisenoks who are so committed to innovation and education,” said ACPHS President Greg Dewey.
ACPHS also received a $1 million anonymous donation to support The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training.
“These donations will have a direct and immediate impact on our new biopharmaceutical education and training center, the first in the nation to be created by a pharmacy college, as we help advance the biopharmaceutical industry,” said CBET’s Founding Director Dr. Kamal Rashid.
“We are tremendously grateful to our donors. They are helping us build the College’s future. Without their vision and generosity, we would not be able to accomplish the strategic initiatives currently underway at ACPHS,” said Vicki DiLorenzo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement.
About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) is a private, independent college dedicated to educating the next generation of leaders to improve the health of society. ACPHS offers 17 undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programs including online Master of Biomedical Sciences and Master of Biotechnology programs. Students have myriad opportunities to extend what they are learning in the classroom at The Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), at student-supported pharmacies in underserved communities, and at The Collaboratory, a public health resource designed to alleviate community health disparities in Albany’s South End neighborhood. ACPHS ranks #1 in New York State for best return on investment by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce and was graded an A+ for value by Niche.