For a century, UConn's School of Pharmacy has welcomed generations of families to its community: mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and siblings. Within the classroom and beyond, these families have etched their names and dedication into the legacy of UConn Pharmacy. Read on to hear some of these families' remarkable stories.
UConn Pharmacy's Class of 1938
From New Haven to Storrs: Amelia Ardizzone and Joyce B. Comer
Graduating from UConn with her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1975, and before completing her Pharm.D. at Creighton University in 1977, Joyce Comer had pharmacy in her blood. Originally from North Haven, Joyce's parents were both pharmacists and inspired her to pick a practical major like teaching or nursing, where she could change lives. Naturally, growing up with parents in the pharmacy industry influenced Joyce to choose pharmacy!
While Joyce is thankful for her time in the School, she is most thankful for what her UConn School of Pharmacy education allowed her to do. After receiving her Pharm.D. from Creighton, Joyce completed a fellowship at Hartford Hospital and continued to work there after her training. After working in pharmacy for years, Joyce decided to pivot her career and taught pharmacology at UConn's School of Nursing for a couple of years before teaching and working in hospitals in Connecticut.
Joyce has worked in a number of Connecticut hospitals, including Saint Francis, Waterbury, Bristol, and the VA, facilitating staff development and clinical coordinator activities. Amidst working in hospitals and at colleges, Joyce has also worked in home care and as a consultant with Bristol-Myers Squibb.
"My education has given me many options, and I've never gotten bored because there's always been something different to do." – Joyce
Joyce's mother, Amelia Ardizzone, graduated from UConn in 1938 with her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. Living in New Haven, the Connecticut College of Pharmacy (the original name and location of UConn Pharmacy) was within walking distance of her house. In a graduating class of less than twenty students, Amelia was only one of two women.
After graduating, Amelia went to work for Eudowe Pharmacy in New Haven, also within walking distance from her home. After the Depression, when jobs were far and few between, Amelia took a job at Meriden Hospital, where she lived in a nurse's dorm. During her time there, Amelia met Joyce's father, Ben Comer, who worked at Merck after graduating from Rutgers College of Pharmacy. As a pharmacist working as a wholesale salesman, Joyce's father went to Meriden Hospital, where he met Amelia.
Amelia and Ben married and started a family after WWII. Amelia took a break from the pharmacy industry to raise her children with the intention of going back to work. However, by the time her children were grown, pharmacy had changed so dramatically that she decided to make the career break permanent.
Since Joyce and her mother both attended the School, they shared some memories of their experiences studying pharmacy. However, these memories also differed since many years separated their UConn experiences. For example, Joyce remembers the difficulty she faced while taking a pharmacognosy course, which her mother didn't seem to understand. Her mother would say: "You just memorize the plants, berries, and roots, it's not that difficult." But when Joyce completed this course, 30 years later, it involved biochemistry and was more than just memorizing plants, berries, and roots.
Although both buildings Joyce and her mother studied in are long gone, Joyce is excited for current students to enjoy new classrooms, labs, and opportunities. Joyce is also excited to return to UConn, looking forward to seeing how much UConn School of Pharmacy has grown!
After Amelia passed away in 1982, Joyce's father endowed a scholarship in her name at the School, the Amelia Ardizzone Comer Memorial Pharmacy Scholarship, to carry on her legacy.
When asked about the future of UConn Pharmacy, Joyce emphasizes how strong the School has become. She's also interested in seeing how advancements in technology, including the rise of artificial intelligence, will impact the practice of pharmacy.
Like Father, Like Son: Dan and Ryan Shan
A 4th year Pharm.D. student, Ryan Shan grew up in a Husky family. Born and raised in Chesire, Ryan spent his youth cheering on UConn basketball and helping his older brother, now a UConn alum, move back to UConn each fall.
Growing up, Ryan's dad, a School of Pharmacy alum, would tell him and his brother stories from his challenging yet rewarding days working at CVS Pharmacy. Although Ryan likes to joke that these stories were part of his dad's strategy to get him interested in pharmacy, he found a passion for pharmacy all on his own. Enjoying science while curating an interest in the healthcare field during high school, Ryan chose pharmacy as an intersection between his academic interests and desire to help others.
Now that Ryan is in his 4th year, doing rotations and living off campus, he misses late nights in the library with friends and participating in UConn's annual ooze ball tradition. Because of the closeness of UConn's pharmacy students, Ryan also cherishes his memories of celebrating milestones with friends, like completing another finals season.
In addition to making memories, Ryan has given back to the School through his dedicated involvement. Looking back, one of his most proud moments as a Husky was being chosen as a finalist alongside his team in the Academy of Managed Care (AMCP) Annual National Student Pharmacist Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Competition. Attending a conference in person and presenting their work led Ryan and his team to win this prestigious annual competition.
Aside from his time in the AMCP, Ryan helped lead the industry pharmacist organization club and was an active member of the Dean Student Liaison Committee. He has even looked elsewhere to give back to the pharmacy industry outside of UConn, volunteering at immunization and migrant farmworker clinics and helping to provide homeless patients with resources through the South Park clinic in Hartford.
"I went into healthcare to do something meaningful." – Ryan
Aside from leadership, Ryan works with Adrian Hernandez (Ph.D.) in the School to conduct research using meta-analysis and systematic reviews. Exploring comparative effectiveness and outcomes of cardiovascular medications with Hernandez has helped Ryan gain exposure to research in the cardiovascular space.
As a final-year student in the School, Ryan is now working on completing his rotations and has gained experience in various settings, including the ER department at UConn Health, Pfizer, Aetna, IPD Analytics, and more. He also worked as a pharmacy technician at John Dempsey Hospital and completed an internship with Cigna Healthcare last summer. Looking forward to the future, Ryan hopes to explore his interest in managed care while being flexible to other career paths.
Ryan remains grateful for the strong clinical foundation UConn has provided him with and the professionalism he has gained through working with classmates and juggling a busy schedule. Developing perseverance and resiliency in a safe environment like UConn has allowed Ryan to see all that he's capable of.
When asked if he has any current advice for students just starting out in pharmacy, Ryan emphasizes the importance of getting involved as early as possible and staying open-minded to any learning opportunity. And, at a welcoming environment like UConn, Ryan urges students to be curious and ask questions to build a strong network of 'Huskies Helping Huskies.'
Ryan's dad, Dan Shan, clearly has a lot to be proud of with both of his sons as current or past Huskies. Before Ryan and his older brother were born, Dan and Ryan's mother came to the United States from China for college. Dan attended UConn's School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1989 with his Bachelor of Science, and continued his education at the University of Florida in 2009, where his preceptor was a UConn Pharmacy faculty member.
Dan is currently working in the pharmaceutical industry, helping sales representatives understand the medical and scientific side of drugs and diseases. Talking to healthcare providers, he facilitates non-biased discussions with other professionals in the pharmaceutical industry to improve healthcare.
Although the curriculum has evolved since Dan has been at UConn, Ryan and his father have bonded over their shared UConn experience. Talking about classes, professors, faculty members, and rotations, Ryan and Dan are proud to be Huskies. Spending time together while attending pharmaceutical conferences or talking about classes at the dinner table, Ryan and his dad have become a father-son duo.
When asked about the future of UConn Pharmacy, Ryan and his dad are excited for the bright direction the School is heading. Introducing more experiences related to industry and managed care, Ryan is excited to see more students pursue these paths and continue the success of past and present students.
Being proud of UConn Pharmacy is an understatement for Ryan and his dad. Their involvement in creating the School's legacy is bigger than a father-son duo, a true testament to Dan's resiliency and Ryan's admiration to carry on the pharmacist title!
From Car Rides to Labs: Mike and Ana Andriyashko
Moving from Ukraine at four and six, second-year student Ana and third-year student Mike Andriyashko grew up in Wethersfield with their parents before moving to Glastonbury for high school. Both interested in STEM from a young age, but still wanting to be close to their family and hometown, Ana and Mike both chose UConn Pharmacy and are proud commuter students.
Mike chose UConn pharmacy because of the accessibility and the prestige of the program, excited to explore more career options after working as a pharmacy technician during high school. Ana chose pharmacy because of the career stability and her personal experiences in the healthcare field after volunteering with her mom, who works in a dialysis clinic. Not necessarily wanting to go into the nursing field but not wanting to spend years in medical school, Ana was excited to follow in her brother's footsteps and become a Husky!
Between classes, weekend jobs, and their car rides, Ana and Mike have become involved community members, both within and outside the School. As students wanting to take care of their minds and bodies, Mike and Ana have played on club volleyball teams at UConn. Mike even got to captain the team, leading them to Nationals in Kansas City! He's also involved in the Ukrainian Student Association, a general assembly for Ukrainian students on campus.
A past member of the women's club volleyball team and where she traveled to Kansas City, Ana also loves getting active and meeting new friends outside of her classes. Ana and Mike are proud members of the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), a new organization on campus this semester. Running NORD's Instagram account, Ana plays an integral role in marketing the organization to students within the School and beyond, raising awareness for rare diseases.
Once home for the weekend after a busy week in Storrs, Ana and Mike continue learning through their jobs. Starting out as techs before obtaining their licenses and becoming interns, Mike works at New Britain General and Manchester Memorial, while Ana works at Yale and CVS. Aside from their current jobs, Mike has completed summer rotations at Big Y as a community pharmacy intern and at Yale Hospital in New Haven and Ana completed one rotation working in community pharmacy. Having recently started a job in operating room pharmacy, Ana is looking forward to more professional experiences in the future, including a hospital rotation next summer.
When asked about his future, Mike is leaning toward working in a hospital setting as a clinical pharmacist. However, networking with UConn alumni has allowed Mike to keep an open mind with future opportunities by learning about the many career options within pharmacy. As he continues his academic and professional careers, Mike is learning more about places where pharmacists are needed.
Both Mike and Ana encourage any student interested in STEM and passionate about the healthcare field to consider going into pharmacy. Involved in the advising program, Mike and Ana also emphasize the importance of creating a school-life balance. Creating a weekly schedule, and scheduling breaks in-between classes, work, and studying to have fun is vital to being a happy and healthy student in the School. They also emphasize networking and making connections with UConn alumni and current students, as this can create small connections that lead to big opportunities. Because professionalism is emphasized in every aspect of the School, Mike and Ana feel comfortable and prepared to interact with patients at their jobs.
"Professionalism at the School of Pharmacy is definitely one of its top qualities." – Mike
When asked about his favorite memories at UConn so far, Mike credits the basketball games for their contagious energy and electric student section. Watching UConn's back-to-back championships was also a highlight for Mike. Ana, on the other hand, appreciates her day-to-day routine of hanging out with friends after class, going on walks, and getting coffee while studying. She's especially thankful for the wellness events the School has, where she can play games with her friends and recharge her mind.
Upon reflection, Mike and Ana are happy they both chose UConn Pharmacy, especially because of their shared Husky experience. Knowing the struggle of an 8 a.m. class, quizzing each other during car rides, or yelling across the house to help with homework, Mike and Ana have remained close with each other, their family, and their love for pharmacy.
"I'm very happy and I love going here. It's awesome. I have no regrets." – Ana
Looking forward, Ana and Mike are thrilled to see the future of UConn pharmacy. As the curriculum keeps on advancing to match the needs of current and future credits, Ana can't wait for new students to dive into more involvement, programs, clubs, and lab opportunities and find their own success at the School. Mike hopes to become a preceptor upon graduation, excited to mentor other future pharmacy students with their rotations and clinical knowledge.
As current students of the School, Mike and Ana embody the Husky spirit!
Though generations of dedication and passion, UConn Pharmacy families have made their mark on the School, shaping the legacy celebrated in this Centennial year.
