Through memorial scholarships, the generosity, passion, and commitment of pharmacy students live on — helping to support and inspire the next generation

By Katie Gerhards

Cindy and Ben Nickel always knew their son Adam would change lives. The middle of five brothers, Adam was their “Switzerland” during family disagreements.

“Everybody listened to Adam — he was the one who would reason and think through,” Cindy says.

He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy because he wanted to be able to support his community, with an interest in clinical pharmacy. He grew up close to his grandparents, which gave him a personal motivation to help patients in need.

“He was interested in the people themselves; he wanted to help them,” she says. “There’s one incident when he was working at the pharmacy, and an older lady who reminded him of his grandma didn’t have enough money for a prescription. He stayed late, and he kept working, working, working trying to figure out some program. But I think it ended up that his wallet got a lot lighter. He didn’t go out for a few weeks, but the lady got her drugs.”

When Adam passed away in his third year of pharmacy school in 2008, his parents knew that his legacy couldn’t be over. They were grateful to see the Adam Nickel Memorial Scholarship Fund established in his honor. The scholarship is a way to keep their son’s memory alive, Ben says.

“When he left this world, he wanted to be remembered for doing goodness and greatness,” Cindy says.

“When he left this world, he wanted to be remembered for doing goodness and greatness.”
—Cindy Nickel

The fund has since supported 14 “Nickel Scholars” on their journey toward a pharmacy career, as one of four funds at the School of Pharmacy created in memory of scholars whose time at the School ended too soon.

Carrying the torch

Each year, PharmD students continue to organize the Remembering Adam Nickel (RAN) Ball, a nod to the fact that Adam was a passionate runner. The event raises funds for the scholarship as well as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society — a cause that was dear to Adam, whose grandmother died from lymphoma.

Terri Fehlhaber (PharmD ’10), a classmate of Adam’s and also an avid runner, was one of the first to receive the scholarship, which helped pave her way to a career in managed care pharmacy, where she’s able to improve the lives of thousands of patients each year.

“This funding allowed me to focus my efforts more solely on studying and becoming as proficient as possible in pharmacy,” she says. “That allowed me to pursue a residency in managed care, followed by a career with multiple pharmacy benefit managers. It was important that I was able to focus on pursuing my preferred pharmacy setting instead of having to work other jobs to manage pharmacy school debt.”

Sydney McKersie, a fourth-year PharmD student, feels similarly about the Class of 2015 Erika Grace Nelson Liebert Memorial Fund’s impact on her educational journey. Nelson Liebert passed away in 2014 in her fourth year of pharmacy school.

“This scholarship is a very meaningful one. I tried to learn as much about Erika as I could,” says McKersie. “It truly does mean a lot to have any sort of support and to have it come in memory of somebody at the School of Pharmacy who’s been through the same things that I have. To be able to honor her in that way and use that money for my education means more than I feel I’m able to express.”

That scholarship has so far supported six student pharmacists, alleviating the financial burdens of exceptional future pharmacists, who are now advancing care for patients across the state and beyond.

PharmD students and their future patients are not the only ones touched by funds that establish a scholar’s legacy. The Razia Zaman and Shahanara Zaman-Saroya Memorial Fund for Excellence in Toxicology Research supports pharmaceutical sciences graduate students, like Connor Blankenship (PhD ’23).

Now a senior scientist at Nabla Bio, Inc., he focuses on mammalian synthetic biology and cell biology, where he’s using artificial intelligence to design antibody drugs against difficult or intractable targets. He’s grateful that the funding helped him along in his career that could impact the lives of many patients.

“I received the Zaman-Saroya award in my final year as I was writing my dissertation,” says Blankenship. “My wife and I had a newborn daughter and were preparing to move our family to Boston for my first post-grad job. The additional financial support from the award really helped us during this big transition.”

Razia and Shahanara were both young scientists, born in India before moving to the UK and ultimately the U.S. pursuing their research. Shahanara was working as a postdoctoral scholar at the School of Pharmacy in 1992 when she passed. This fund keeps their memory and pursuit of science alive.

“Having an interest in and studying science, especially relating to health, seems to run in our genes,” says Samina Cassam, their sister. “My sisters come from a family of doctors — my late father, my husband, and I are also physicians. This fund perpetuates that tradition.”

Joe Su (PhD ’08), now an associate professor at West Coast University, is proud to carry that forward.

“This memorial scholarship was critical in allowing me to focus on my graduate work and I am forever grateful to be a part of their legacy,” he says. “In my role as a pharmacy educator at West Coast University, I aim to push forward their standards of excellence and fraternity.”

Sustaining a legacy

Supporting a scholarship helped to give Julie and Gary Van Cuyk purpose after losing their son, Ethan, who passed away in 2016 in his first year at the School of Pharmacy.

“People were very generous toward his memorial, and we knew we wanted it to go towards something like education,” says Julie. “When the opportunity came up to have a scholarship in his name, we didn’t even hesitate for a second to make sure it was perpetuated, so that it would continue for future pharmacy students.”

The Class of 2020 Ethan Scott Van Cuyk Memorial Scholarship Fund has already benefited five students who share Ethan’s goal of using science to improve the lives of others.

“I don’t know where his interest in chemistry came from, but it was always there,” says Gary. With a biochemistry degree and four years of work in pharmaceutical development under his belt, Ethan decided he wanted to take the next step toward a career in the pharmaceutical industry, so he joined the School of Pharmacy.

“He was a Renaissance man,” says Julie. Alongside his passion for chemistry and pharmacy, Ethan also blended a deep interest in music with a love of sports. “When he got to Madison, I think he really found himself and found his group,” she says.

A proud UW–Madison alum and loyal Badger fan, Ethan, who had a quiet, gentle demeanor, was known for his penchant for helping.

“One of the things we often heard at the funeral from his pharmacy friends was that he was always the person who was there to help when they weren’t understanding something,” says Julie. “As he got older, he understood what a gift he had to see chemistry and math the way he did, and he liked to share that gift.”

“I think he would look at this scholarship and be really glad that he can continue being so helpful to others.”
—Gary Van Cuyk

Now, with a scholarship in his name in place to continue to help future pharmacists gain their footing in the field, his parents say he would be grateful to see this legacy.

“I don’t think we realized what an impact he had on the people he was spending time with,” says Gary. “I think he would look at this scholarship and be really glad that he can continue being so helpful to others.”