Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences holds second-ever Commencement

Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) held its second-ever Commencement ceremony in the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater on Friday, May 13, with plenty of hooting and hollering in support of the 73 Doctor of Pharmacy graduates as they crossed the stage to be hooded.

The graduates were lauded for their dedication and perseverance in earning their degrees, and will now follow their individual paths in the pharmacy profession.

“We know that you will be in demand and contribute to the health and well-being of our society,” said Donald Nieman, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, who also served as interim dean of SOPPS for the past semester.

“Individually and collectively, the expertise you have developed will allow you to do amazing things,” he said. “It will open opportunities for new career paths in pharmacy, help you provide exceptional patient care and enable you to expand possibilities for the future of healthcare.”

“You have proven yourselves to be a remarkably resilient group — able to succeed, even flourish — during a historic pandemic that has made learning and teaching extremely challenging,” said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger.

“I am incredibly proud of all of you and all that you have accomplished,” he said. “But we should expect nothing less from our graduates. The men and women we recognize today have already distinguished themselves in their coursework, clinical rotations and research.

“They have shown the world that they are committed to outstanding patient care and are already working to develop new drugs that address some of the greatest healthcare challenges we face,” Stenger added. “But more importantly, they have shown that they have the empathy and understanding that will make them leaders in our communities.

“I am confident that you will use the knowledge you have gained at Binghamton to make the world a better place,” he said.

Kanneboyina Nagaraju, known as Raju, who assumed the role of dean of SOPPS only the day before, also addressed the graduates.

“You have embraced all that we have asked of you, even during the pandemic when the challenges it has posed made everything more difficult, both inside and outside our classrooms and labs,” he said. “You have shown amazing resilience as you adapted to changes in the delivery of instruction, and to changes at clinical rotation sites. You have grasped the many ways technology is used for skills education, research and capstone projects, but also to simply communicate with your faculty, fellow students and preceptors.”

Nagaraju also spoke of the leadership skills the graduates developed through participation in student organizations, advocacy for the pharmacy profession, experiences in skills and other competitions, and when stepping up to test for COVID-19 and to immunize others against it.

“You have shown that you are willing and able to respond to help others through the pandemic, while balancing your coursework and rotations,” he said. “You are truly ready to play a critical role as members of healthcare teams working to improve patient outcomes.”

A familiar face provided the keynote address for the ceremony — Rear Admiral Pamela Schweitzer, now retired) spoke to the Class of 2022 at the White Coat Ceremony as the students began their pharmacy journey.

“The pandemic was a total disruption to the healthcare system when we were dealing with so many unknowns, but change doesn’t happen without a step into the unknown and it is an exciting time to be a Doctor of Pharmacy,” she told the graduates.

“You’re coming into the pharmacy and the healthcare profession at a time when healthcare delivery is rapidly changing — with new models of delivering care, new ways to access care, new technology, payment reform,” she said. “And, without realizing it, each of you will play a major role in this transformation.”

Building a culture of prevention will be key, she said. “Preventing disease before it starts is critical to helping people live longer, healthier lives. We need to build a culture of prevention, so we are a nation that is as good at preventing illness as it is at treating illness.”

A seasoned hiker who has summited Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney and Mt. Kilamanjaro (twice), Schweitzer related a story about a hike from rim to rim in the Grand Canyon that turned nasty weather-wise. There were several fairly inexperienced hikers in the group, but all were able to complete it.

“The group came together, supported each other, made sure people were not collapsing and made sure no one was left behind,” Schweitzer said. “We spoke about it afterward and came to the conclusion that what got us all through this challenging time was our persistence, resilience and togetherness. The secret sauce. Going through this experience pushed us to the limits and bonded our group forever.

“The same thing has happened to you,” she said. “Your class, the Class of 2022, first getting through pharmacy school, but also through COVID-19. It has bonded your class forever.”

In her remarks at the White Coat Ceremony four years ago, Schweitzer shared Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss. But, for Commencement she chose “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, in which the traveler took the road less traveled by, “and that has made all the difference.”

Reflecting on her own career path, Schweitzer said it was filled with serendipitous events that created her personal story.

“Each of you have a different path and story of how you got here today — and you will have many more,” she said. “There is no wrong path — it is the path you take.”

Schweitzer also presented each graduate with a gift — a challenge coin (a small medallion) that is a service tradition and is a first for her to share with a graduating class.

“I give them out to honor an individual for a special achievement, to instill unit pride, improve esprit de corps and reward hard work and excellence,” she said.

Schweitzer’s remarks touched on professionalism at many levels. Representing her fellow PharmD graduates, student speaker Julia Napoli focused her speech on the many ways she learned the true meaning of professionalism as she worked toward her Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

When she first arrived at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, she thought she knew what professionalism was, she said.

“I was reliable, always on time and dressed appropriately,” she said. “I believed that those things marked a professional, and so I felt that I had the whole ‘professionalism’ thing figured out.

“However, my remarkable classmates have shown me that, although those are important components of being a professional, they only scratch the surface of what professionalism truly is,” she said.

Here is what Napoli learned:

• “I have learned that when you utilize your ‘why’ as a catalyst for your career, your passion will turn into your profession, and the impact that you will have on the patients you serve will be profound. Keeping your “why” at the forefront of your career and encouraging others to do the same — that is professionalism.”
• “The way that we were resilient, adapted to whatever was thrown our way, and truly did not miss a beat despite all of the uncertainty in the world — that is professionalism.”
• “Continuously showing up and being the best selves that we can be, despite whatever else is going on in our lives — that is professionalism.”
• “We have undoubtedly used our fire to ignite each other, and because of it we have shone together. Impacting those around you in a positive way and pushing one another toward success — that is professionalism.

“You, my fellow classmates, have taught me that professionalism is not only about how you dress or the format of your résumé. It’s about keeping your ‘why’ close to your heart and using it as fuel to have an exceptional influence on the patients that you serve,” she said.

“It’s about being resilient in the face of adversity and adapting to whatever life may throw your way. It’s about getting up, showing up and being the best self that you can be, even when it’s hard.

“Lastly, it’s about having a positive impact on the people around you and using your fire to not only push yourself toward success, but to also ignite others along the way. I am forever grateful to the Class of 2022 for teaching me such valuable lessons,” Napoli said.

Watch the complete ceremony on the Binghamton University YouTube channel.