Pharmacy Alums Take A Trip Down Memory Lane at Homecoming 2024
On October 18, faculty, alumni, the national advisory board, and friends of the college gathered to celebrate Homecoming 2024. Over 160 guests attended the evening reception to reconnect with old friends, reminisce about their time as students, and witness the exciting advancements and achievements of other PharmCATS. In addition to the festivities, another special milestone was commemorated, the Class of 1974's 50th anniversary.
For over 30 years, the Coit College of Pharmacy has honored alumni and community supporters for their professional achievements, service to the college or health care, and leadership in the pharmacy profession. Recognizing the impact, both in the community and in shaping the future of pharmacy, is something to pay tribute to. Alumni Council co-chairs, Bill Jones ’72, and Al Scorsatto ’70, led the awards portion of the evening, announcing the recipients of the Jack R. Cole Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Danny and Rae Jacob Award for Pharmacy Practice, and the University of Arizona Alumni Professional Achievement Awards.
Dean Rick Schnellmann delivered the final award of the evening, the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy 2024 Alumni of the Year, to John Musil. Every year, the university salutes a group of alumni for their achievements, public service, advocacy for education, volunteerism and service to students, the colleges and the university. “Although this award was presented in February at the University of Arizona Alumni Awards ceremony, we’d still like to take this opportunity to share our appreciation for John and his dedication to the college,” stated Schnellmann.
Homecoming is a time to celebrate our shared history and the strong bonds that unite us as Wildcats. “We love throwing an event that not only celebrates alumni coming back to campus but also creates a space where alumni can connect with students, faculty, staff, and their fellow PharmCATS. It’s really special to have them share their memories of their time as pharmacy students,” says Christiana Lederman, Director of Development.
A moment no one will soon forget is when attendees broke out in song to wish Charles Kendrick ’55 a happy birthday. Kendrick, the first Black in-state graduate of the College of Pharmacy, chose to celebrate his 93rd birthday with his fellow PharmCATS.
Memory lane was a frequent destination of the night - Chris Edwards, PharmD, Associate Clinical Professor and PharmCAST Podcast creator, took full advantage of this with an impromptu podcast recording session to capture the merriment. He and Ali Qasemi, a P3 PharmD student, interviewed alums about their favorite memories and advice for pharmacy students.
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2024 Alumni Award Recipients
The Jack R. Cole Distinguished Alumnus Award - Thomas Reed, R.Ph., FACA
Thomas Reed, R.Ph., FACA, graduated from the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy in 1969 with a BS in Pharmacy. He began his career as a pharmacist in the United States Army, serving as the Staff Pharmacist at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and between 1970-71 his rank advanced from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant. He was Honorably Discharged in 1971. Returning to Tucson, Tom joined the Prescription Shop and was promoted to manager within a year. In 1979, he bought the Jones United Drug Company, and shortly after established Reed’s Compounding Pharmacy on Speedway Boulevard. A second location was opened in 1996, operated by Tom’s daughter, Dr. Dana Reed-Kane (PharmD 1996).
Tom worked full-time with Dana at Reed’s Compounding Pharmacy from 1996 to 2013, working with patients whose unique needs could not be fulfilled by commercial or community pharmacies. Generations of pharmacy students have done their clinical rotations and attended compounding classes at the store. A third-generation pharmacist, Tom retired in 2013 from full-time work to focus on giving back to his community. Tom has supported the college in a variety of ways over the years including establishing the Reed Family Scholarship to support PharmD students and serving as a docent for the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy History Museum. He has also participated on numerous boards, including the United Drug Stores Board of Directors, the Arizona Pharmacy Association, and as a Fellow of the American College of Apothecaries. He has been recognized locally and nationally for his positive community impact and innovative pharmacy practice by the AzPA and Jones United Drug.
The Danny and Rae Jacob Award for Pharmacy Practice - Kim Birmingham, R.Ph.
Kim Birmingham, R.Ph., graduated from the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy in 1986 with a BS in Pharmacy. From 1995 to 2024 she was employed at the UA Campus Health Service and served as the CHS Pharmacist- in-Charge for more than ten years. In her nearly three-decade long career with the University of Arizona, she has also served as a clinical clerkship supervisor and preceptor for the College of Pharmacy. During her time with CHS, Kim performed critical pharmacy practice duties, including filling prescriptions, patient counseling, consulting, precepting student pharmacists and pharmacy interns, and joining CHS committees on Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Quality Improvement, and Continuing Education. During the COVID-19 State Vaccination POD, Kim managed the inventory and storage of vaccines, directed and supervised teams of pharmacists, technicians, interns and volunteers tasked to properly reconstitute, label and store the vaccines; provided the nursing stations, with the ready to administer vaccines, monitored for vaccine related adverse reactions, and accurately reported the details to the local and state public health agencies. The university POD located on the UA Campus Mall administered more than 190,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine during its daily operation from January to June of 2021. Kim retired from CHS in 2024 but remains engaged with the university. She has served as a clinical pharmacy practice faculty appointee with the Coit College of Pharmacy and has volunteered at the Skin Cancer Institute since 2005. She was also a member of the University’s Campus Incident Response Team’s (CIRT) Medical Countermeasures (or Mass Clinic) workgroup, establishing procedures for a public health emergency that have been instrumental to providing care to the Tucson community.
The University of Arizona Alumni Professional Achievement Award - Matthew Bertsch, PharmD, 340B ACE, CPEL
Matthew Bertsch, PharmD, 340B ACE, CPEL, graduated from the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy in 2012 with his Doctor of Pharmacy. His pharmacy career began with technician and internship roles with Casa Grande Regional Medical Center and Sun Life Family Health Center, where he provided support to pharmacists dispensing medication and providing patient consultations. In 2013, he became a Clinical Pharmacist with Sun Life, focusing on patient care, population health, and workflow efficiencies. In 2015, Matthew became Sun Life’s Director of Pharmacy. Just seven years later, he was also named the Director of Education, overseeing all education initiatives at Sun Life. He has been involved in designing and implementing patient-centered and evidence-based programs, such as pharmacist-led chronic disease state management programs, an ASHP-accredited pharmacy residency program, and a full clinical pharmacy program in the areas that Sun Life serves. Additionally, under his leadership, Sun Life Health has opened 4 in-house pharmacies in rural communities in Pinal County. Matthew is a policy advocate who has contributed significantly to efforts to defend and strengthen the 340B program, which provides vital support to safety-net hospitals and Community Health Centers (CHCs) serving low-income and vulnerable populations. He has been recognized on local and state levels for his commitment to underserved communities, and has served as a preceptor at the college, where he has taught and supervised numerous students and residents in various courses and rotations.
The University of Arizona Alumni Professional Achievement Award - Amanda Klein, PharmD, CDCES
Amanda Klein, PharmD, CDCES, is honored for her achievements in clinical practice, regulatory science, and public health advocacy. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Arizona. She completed post-doctorate specialized residencies in ambulatory care and mental health at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Throughout her career, Dr. Klein has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing patient care at individual and population levels. Her improvements include streamlining drug delivery, establishing collaborative practice agreements, driving medication-related quality improvement projects, and developing standard operating procedures. In 2019, Dr. Klein transitioned to the Critical Path Institute (C-Path), where she became the Executive Director for several consortia dedicated to addressing unmet needs in rare diseases and drug development. A key achievement under her leadership was qualifying the first-ever composite endpoint for use in kidney transplant clinical trials, a major milestone for the field. Dr. Klein is preparing to step into a new role as Director of the Biomarkers Consortium at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), where she will oversee cross-sector collaborations to validate and qualify cutting-edge biomarkers and drug development tools. As a Clinical Instructor of Pharmacy Practice & Science at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, Dr. Klein has mentored countless students and residents, receiving a nomination for Preceptor of the Year, which reflects the value she places on nurturing the next generation of pharmacists.
Alumni of the Year Award - John Musil, PharmD
Through advocacy and innovation, John Musil has dedicated his career to advancing the field of pharmacy. Just two years after completing his University of Arizona Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1994, John founded Avella Specialty Pharmacy in Scottsdale to supply specialty drugs that treat rare health conditions. Under his leadership, Avella became one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. By the time it was purchased by a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group in 2018, it was filling 50,000 specialty prescriptions each month and generating more than $1.5 billion in revenue. John’s achievements have earned him recognition both within the state and nationwide. Among his accolades, he was named the Arizona Pharmacy Association’s Pharmacist of the Year in 2004 and the National Community Pharmacists Association’s Independent Pharmacist of the Year in 2003, and in 2021 he was inducted into the Arizona Pharmacy Association Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, John has remained a dedicated supporter of the university and the College of Pharmacy. He is a member and current treasurer of the University of Arizona Foundation Board of Directors and the pharmacy college’s national advisory board, where he provides valuable insights to both students and faculty. And he made a generous gift to the college to establish the Musil Family Endowed Chair in Drug Discovery to attract accomplished faculty members specializing in cutting-edge research.