PharmD Program Connects Alums, Students

Annual Event Includes Pharmacy Preceptors, CE Credits for Participants

March 05, 2026
A photo shows College of Pharmacy alumnae Dr. Maya Yoder, PharmD 2015, and Dr. Brigitte Ouabo, PharmD 2016, as they mentor Student Pharmacist David Djan during the “Back to Campus” event on campus, Feb. 1, 2026.
College of Pharmacy alumnae Dr. Maya Yoder, PharmD 2015, left, and Dr. Brigitte Ouabo, PharmD 2016, center, mentor Student Pharmacist David Djan during the “Back to Campus” event on campus, Feb. 1, 2026.

College of Pharmacy alumni, preceptors, and students came together Feb. 1 for the second installment of what’s envisioned as an annual event that brings key elements of the pharmacy community to campus for shared learning and mentorship.

What started as a COP “Reconnect” event in 2025 transitioned this year to a COP “Back-to-Campus” event that saw more than 70 people in attendance in person or online, to include two dozen alums and another two dozen preceptors.

Sessions Aim to Advance Pharmacy Profession

Three continuing education sessions were offered:

  • Dr. Sandy Li discussed health disparities through inclusive pharmacy care.
  • Dr. Kelan Thomas addressed psychedelic psychopharmacology and safety considerations.
  • Dr. Karl Meszaros discussed his research on dietary sugar and pharmacists’ evolving roles in nutrition counseling.

Dr. Shane Desselle said the topics were selected to foster the pharmacy profession’s as well as the College’s focus on public health, along with an embrace of a future “that sees pharmacy professionals increasingly counted on for remedying issues related to patient access, therapeutic outcomes, and unmet needs for basic health care.”

Desselle is Associate Dean for Research and Professional Affairs within the College of Pharmacy, as well as a Professor in the Department of Clinical and Social Pharmaceutical Sciences, for which he serves as Chair.

Alumni Come Together on Campus

Dr. Megan Handel and Dr. Navjot “Navee” Samra were best friends when they attended the PharmD program and graduated in 2020 shortly after the pandemic lockdown. They let the CE event on campus double as an opportunity to get together.

Students who attended were able to engage in speed mentoring with program alumni and preceptors.

Two other alumnae in attendance, Dr. Ashley Rogers, Dual PharmD/MPH Class of 2016, and Dr. Sam Pournezhad, PharmD Class of 2021, expressed interest in learning more about TUC’s Alumni Mentorship Program, now in its second year.

“Our alumni left the event knowing that the future is in good hands and ever-so proud of their alma mater, and our students left excited to see the extraordinary practitioners and leaders that have come from our program,” Desselle said.

Time to Celebrate College Anniversary

The College of Pharmacy is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. A gala to mark the anniversary is scheduled April 23 on campus.