During commencement weekend, the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy celebrated the outstanding achievements of the Class of 2025. Graduates from across our academic programs — including Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, the Health System Pharmacy Administration master’s program, and the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Services Research in Pharmacy graduate programs — gathered with family, friends, faculty, and staff to mark this important milestone.

Explore a photo tour of the School of Pharmacy’s commencement events and share in the pride and excitement of the weekend.

PharmD Graduation Awards Breakfast

Photos by Sharon Vanorny

Commencement weekend kicked off on Friday, May 9, at the Pyle Center with a celebration of PharmD students who went above and beyond during their time at the School of Pharmacy. Students were recognized for exceptional achievements in clinical communication, mentoring, public health, and more.

Awards were presented by faculty, staff, pharmacy leaders, and proud alumni, including Sharon Faust (BS ’07, PharmD ’11) and Kate Hartkopf (PharmD ’08). See the full list of awardees here. 

PharmD & Health System Pharmacy Administration MS Hooding Ceremony

Photos by Todd Brown

On Friday, May 9, the School of Pharmacy celebrated its PharmD and Health System Pharmacy Administration master’s graduates with a special recognition ceremony at the Memorial Union.

The event featured a keynote address by distinguished alumnus David Zilz (BS ’62, MS ’64), former director of pharmacy services at UW Health, and remarks from Pharmacy Alumni Association President Julie Bartell (PharmD ’06), Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin President Ryan Miller (PharmD ’07), and graduating students Jessica Fairbanks (PharmD ’25) and Brandon Munoz (MS ’25).

The School also recognized Aaron Steffenhagen (PharmD ’01) with the Larry Boh Clinical Instructor Excellence Award, honoring his outstanding contributions as a preceptor.

Graduate Studies Hooding and Recognition Ceremony

Photos by UedaPhotography.com

For the second year, the School of Pharmacy held a dedicated Hooding and Recognition Ceremony for graduates of the Health Services Research in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences programs, including the Applied Drug Development and Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation master’s programs.

The ceremony took place on Friday, May 9, at the Pyle Center and featured keynote speaker Abhijit Gadkari (MS ’06, PhD ’09), executive director and head of immunology and neuroscience for health economics and outcomes research at Novartis. Pharmacy Alumni Association President Julie Bartell (PharmD ’06) also delivered remarks, along with graduate speakers Kelsey Taylor (MS ’25) and Meng-Jung Wen (PhD ’25).

Pharmacology-Toxicology Graduation Breakfast

Photos by UedaPhotography.com

Ahead of the UW–Madison Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 10, the School of Pharmacy’s Pharmacology and Toxicology program hosted a celebratory breakfast at Carson Gulley Center to honor the accomplishments of its graduating seniors.

The event featured keynote remarks from 2025 PharmTox Alum of the Year Ben White (BS ’00), director of the Innovation Center of Excellence at SC Johnson, as well as Assistant Professor Ting Fu, recipient of the PharmTox Teacher of the Year Award, and graduate speaker Samira Pal (BS ’25).