11
December
Alumni Updates
University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy alumni are leading dynamic lives, gaining recognition, getting new jobs, or investing in their personal lives through family, friends, and hobbies. Stay in touch with your fellow UW–Madison School of Pharmacy alumni across the country by checking (and sharing) Class Notes in each DiscoveRx digital magazine issue.
- See our previous edition of Class Notes from the Fall 2024 issue.
- Submit your class note for the Spring 2025 issue.
New Jobs/Positions
Vincent Wartenweiler (PharmD ’21, MS ’23) accepted a position as a community float pharmacist with UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin.
Chris Unterberger (PhD ’22) has joined BioForward Wisconsin as lead project manager of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub that was recently awarded Phase 2 EDA (Economic Development Administration) Tech Hub funding as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program). The Tech Hub will support and expand Wisconsin’s role as a leader in the biohealth industry and personalized medicine.
Matt Karow (PharmD ’18) was selected as the residency program director for the PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency Program at the Denver VA and was also appointed as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy.
Brad Hobart (PharmD ’17): “I am celebrating five years of service at Door County Medical Center, a critical access hospital and clinic in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. In 2019, I was hired as a staff pharmacist and in December of 2023 I accepted the pharmacy manager position.”
Luke Beirl (PharmD ’11) has been appointed interim CEO of Ashland Medical Center in Ashland, Wisconsin.
Brent Eberle (BS ’98) has been named president of CivicaScript, a nonprofit company dedicated to bringing lower-cost generic medicines to consumers.
Neil MacKinnon (MS ’95) has been appointed as president of Central Michigan University.
Accomplishments and Awards
Jeremy Johnson (PharmD ’07) was elected as president of the American Council of Medicinally Active Plants and will serve from November 1, 2024 to October 30, 2025. He is professor and associate head of research in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Andrea Porter (PharmD ’06) has been elected as the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Faculties Secretary of Knowledge Management.
Heidi Mansour (BS ’96, PhD ’03) has been inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Retirements
Bobbi (Amundson) Freitag (BS ’79): “Most of my career in northwest Wisconsin focused on relief work (community pharmacy, small hospitals, long-term care consulting), bookended by stints at Lakeview Medical Center, now Marshfield Medical Center-Rice Lake. I’m now fully retired in Birchwood, Wisconsin, looking forward to enjoying our five grandchildren and NOT driving on winter roads.”
Personal Updates and Check-Ins
Katie Kuecker (PharmD ’17) tied the knot with her husband Kyle Arnoldussen on September 7, 2024. Maria Wopat (PharmD ’10) served as the officiant and official matchmaker, as she set the two up on a blind date back in 2020.
Bernie May (BS ’79): “Grant to the National Institutes of Health that we won paid off as we were acquired by Wolters Kluwer, and the office is in Madison, Wisconsin. I’m now about to retire.”
John Gloss (BS ’74): “Finally retired from serving 30 years on a St. Louis bank board. I’m still a member of the advisory board for SIUE (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville) School of Pharmacy SIUE and founding chairman.”
Charles Wearing (BS ’61): “Lost my wife of 61 years on March 23, 2024.”
Frederick Sundby (BS ’61): “Proud to have my grandaughter, Mickaela Lucey (PharmD ’24) and her husband, Scott Lucey (PharmD ’24) graduate this last May. That makes five pharmacists in the Sundby family. Go Badgers!”
In Memoriam
Robert Koch (BS ’81) passed away in September 2023. He discovered his love of pharmacy at UW–Madison and spent his career serving several communities as a pharmacist and pharmacy manager. He also enjoyed flying, playing the trumpet and tuba, and his family.
Gregory Kujawa (BS ’77) passed away in September 2024. He served the Wausau, Wisconsin, area for nearly forty years as a pharmacist known for going above and beyond. He was an avid fan of sports and enjoyed the outdoors in every season, as well as singing in his church choir.
Robert ‘Bud’ Gassett (BS ’69, MS ’71) passed away in October 2024. A Minnesota native, he studied pharmacy at UW–Madison and later practiced across seven states over 47 years, retiring as hospital pharmacy director at Davis Regional Hospital in Statesville, North Carolina. He loved running, golf, and time with his family.
David Craig (BS ’65) passed away in October 2024. He spent more than 55 years as a private pharmacist, then continuing to practice in chain pharmacies until the age of 78, when he retired. He loved to travel, reaching all seven continents, and also enjoyed puzzles, jazz, and sports.
Richard De Terville (BS ’54) passed away in October 2024. After earning his pharmacy degree, he served in the U.S Army as a medic, and later in the National Guard. When he returned to Wisconsin, he supported the Waupaca community for more than two decades as a pharmacist before relocating to King to serve veterans. He had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors.
