12
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 2023 issue.
- Submit your class note for the Spring 2024 issue.
New Jobs/Positions
Amanda Borleske (BS ’01, PharmD ’08) accepted the position of director of pharmacy at GEHA.
Natasha Virrueta (PharmD ’22) completed her PGY1 with an ambulatory care focus at Froedtert in Milwaukee, Wis. She is now in Denver, Colo., at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy completing a PGY2 in ambulatory care. She is enjoying seeing pharmacy practice in another state and exploring the great outdoors of Colorado. She recently completed her first 14er with her golden retriever, Harper.
Accomplishments and Awards
Adati Tarfa (MS ’20, PhD ’23) is now a postdoctoral associate at the Yale University School of Medicine as part of the InSTRIDE (Integrating Substance Use Treatment Research with Infectious Disease for Everyone) team within the Section of Infectious Diseases.
Ian Miller (PhD ’18) has been selected as one of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s 2023 Five of the Future.
Ling Hao (PhD ’17) has been appointed as an editorial board member for the Royal Society Chemistry’s Molecular Omics journal.
Jing Wu (PharmD ’17) has been selected as one of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s 2023 Five of the Future.
Prachi Arora (PhD ’17) has been selected as one of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s 2023 Five of the Future.
Jerame Hill (MS ’16) has been selected as one of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s 2023 Five of the Future.
Morgan Walcheck (BS ’16) has been selected as one of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s 2023 Five of the Future.
Heidi Mansour (BS ’96, PhD ’03) was appointed editor of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) new journal RSC Pharmaceutics. RSC is an international leader in high-impact, high-readership scientific publications..
Tony Peterangelo (PharmD ’03) has been reconfirmed for a second four-year term on the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board.
Adeola Coker (PhD ’98) has been honored with the 2023 Young Alumni Award from McPherson College.
Lisa Holle (BS ’93, PharmD ’95) has been named an editor for the DiPiro’s Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach textbook. She will be responsible for editing the Immunology, Hematology, and Oncology chapters.
Kathy Skibinski (BS ’86, MS ’88) has been honored with a 2023 Citation of Merit from the UW—Madison School of Pharmacy.
Dave Zgarrick (BS ’88) has been honored with a 2023 Citation of Merit from the UW—Madison School of Pharmacy.
Tom McCourt (BS ’80) has been honored with a 2023 Citation of Merit from the UW—Madison School of Pharmacy.
Bob Breslow (BS ’75) has been honored with a 2023 Citation of Merit from the UW—Madison School of Pharmacy.
Personal Updates and Check-Ins
Timothy Clark (PharmD ’22) moved to Lebanon, NH, in June, working as a retail pharmacist at a local independent pharmacy.
Mark Putzi (PharmD ’11) has retired from the practice of pharmacy. He now works for Payne and Dolan, a paving company, in a materials lab. He has published 29 short stories since 2018 and is hoping to complete work on two novels by the end of this year.
Robert Jolly (BS ’87): “Gotta love science. On, Wisconsin! I’m now a senior advisor in risk assessment at Eli Lilly.”
Bruce Mueller (BS ’84) has retired from the University of Michigan, where he served as senior associate dean. He is now an emeritus professor of clinical pharmacy.
Lance Blanchette (BS ’80): “I just celebrated my 40th year, working at the same hospital in Palm Springs, Calif.”
Jeffrey Swanson (BS ’74): “Retired and enjoying the retired life.”
David Henning (BS ’67, MS ’69): “In June, I saw my granddaughter Kristin Vega receive her degree in Biology at the University of Washington. She is now enrolled in their school of pharmacy, and I watched her get her white coat via live streaming. She was also accepted into the School of Pharmacy at UW–Madison with a scholarship offer. However, in-state tuition and familiarity with Seattle won out. If she finishes her program, she will become the third-generation pharmacist — joining my niece Sarah (Henning) Rall.”
In Memoriam
Smruti Kothari (BS ’80) passed away in September 2023. Born in Mumbai, India, she enjoyed a 35-year career at Shoppers Drug Mart in Woodstock, Ontario. She was devoted to her community, serving as a literacy tutor through the Multi-Service Center. She enjoyed reading, nature, travel, cooking, and sharing time with her family.
James Haney (BS ’72) passed away in December 2023. After marrying his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and graduating from the School of Pharmacy, he served as a pharmacist in New Berlin and Waukesha for 40 years before retiring.
Roger Planton (BS ’56) passed away in December 2023. A Sheboygan, Wis., native, he served as the head pharmacist and store manager for the Roenitz Fessler Drug Store for nearly 40 years and was active in many pharmacy organizations. He and his wife enjoyed traveling, including annual winter trips to Florida, sailing, reading, card and board games, Wisconsin sports, and much more.
