At tomorrow鈥檚 virtual ceremony, 蓝莓视频 Pharmacy will welcome new alumni from the PhD and MSc graduate programs and the PharmD bridging program.
鈥淲hile we regret that we cannot celebrate our graduates鈥 achievements in person, we are so proud of all that they have accomplished,鈥 says Andrea Edginton, Hallman Director. 鈥淥ur newest graduates demonstrated passion and perseverance completing their programs through a pandemic, and we can鈥檛 wait to see what comes next.鈥
Congratulations to the following PharmD bridging graduates:
- Niki Bajic
- Eveline Chiu
- Jackie Diebold
- Vicky Sun
- Bhumi Trivedi
- Brittany Weber
2021 marks ten years since the launch of the Master of Science in Pharmacy program, the first graduate program at 蓝莓视频 Pharmacy. In honour of this milestone, the MSc and PhD graduates shared reflections on their experiences as graduate students and their plans as alumni:
Shannon Callender 鈥 PhD in Pharmacy
鈥淭he
graduate
program
here,
although
comprehensive
and
highly
engaging,
is
so
much
more
than
that.
The
ability
to
think
critically,
innovatively,
and
with
compassion,
is
as
much
a
focus
of
the
program
as
is
the
rigour
of
scientific
research.
To
do
this
in
a
community
that
feels
like
family
is
beyond
what
I
could
ever
have
imagined
when
I
first
entered
graduate
school
鈥
and
I
do
think
that
there鈥檚
something
to
be
said
about
a
program
where
students
evolve
into
the
best
versions
of
themselves
before
graduating.听
听Aside
from
persistence
and
resilience
which
are
arguably
the
greatest
lessons
anyone
can
learn
in
graduate
school,
one
of
the
biggest
lessons
I鈥檝e
personally
learned
is
that
you鈥檙e
capable
of
more
than
you
think.
Never
let
self-doubt
get
in
the
way
and
never
lose
sight
of
the
bigger
picture.
听
I鈥檝e always had a passion for scientific communication and am currently working in the Learning and Development field where I get to think critically and apply those research and development skills every day. I鈥檓 enjoying the ride and looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me!鈥澨
Samantha Shortall 鈥 PhD in Pharmacy
鈥淭he culture and space (open-lab concept) at the School of Pharmacy allow for many opportunities to share, learn and collaborate with other research groups that have different interests and strengths from your own, which can听lead to a more diverse research experience. I advise others to allow yourself to be creative 鈥 it鈥檚 okay to take a path or approach that deviates from current paradigms.听
I hope to apply my knowledge and skills to tackle formulation challenges within the pharmaceutical industry,听with a particular interest in gene therapies. Currently, I am a formulation scientist at Avro Life Science where I am involved in designing a platform to passively deliver small molecules and RNA to the skin.鈥
Derek Chen 鈥 MSc in Pharmacy
鈥My favourite part of the graduate program were the wonderful people I met. The journey would have not been possible without their support, help, and encouragement. Going through the program, I鈥檝e learned that you need to have something in your life that can help you escape from the stress of grad school. Whether that be exercise, family, friends, or whatever, you need to find something that can divert your focus. I鈥檝e also learned that you can never be too organized or too prepared, for anything and everything. Going forward, I want to improve my knowledge and skill in computer science, and eventually in the future find a job where I can combine my health science experience with science.鈥
Congratulations to all spring 2021 graduates!
