Fall 2011 marks the beginning of a new dual degree for pharmacy students interested in doing research. The new doctor of pharmacy/master’s in pharmaceutical sciences dual degree allows pharmacy students in Butler’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) to complete requirements for a thesis-based master of science degree in pharmaceutical sciences in the same time-frame as the solitary Pharm.D. degree – six years.

Bruce Clayton, associate dean for COPHS, said the new program will be attractive to students. “When the Pharm. D. degree program increased from 5 years to 6 years in 2000, more and more students nationwide became less interested in pursuing graduate degrees in research because of the additional 2-3 years it would take to complete it,” he said. “Our program provides students with an efficient way – financially and in terms of time – to meet their educational goals.”

The idea for the new dual degree came about two years ago when the College added an alternative pathway to the Pharm.D. degree called a Research Track. With high student interest in this track, it was a natural fit to combine the Pharm.D. with the master’s in pharmaceutical sciences –a program that has been a part of COPHS for over 20 years.

“The program really evolved out of a genuine interest from faculty wanting to do more research with students who have a pharmacy background, and students wanting to do more research in general,” said Clayton.

One of those students is Levi Smith ’13. Smith is the first student to enroll in the new dual-degree program.

Smith began doing cancer-related research with Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alexandre Erkine and other COPHS faculty two years ago. They are designing a high throughput screen that will be used to identify chemical compounds which inhibit the expression of a particular gene that is over-expressed in cancer cells.

Smith said the new degree program is an excellent opportunity to showcase the quality programs of the College. “Creating this type of program shows the forward-thinking nature of Butler University and COPHS faculty,” he said. “Butler recognizes the unique skills that are obtained in the Pharm.D. curriculum and has chosen to optimize those skills and knowledge by coupling the curriculum with a research-intensive program.”

The doctor of pharmacy/master’s in pharmaceutical sciences degree is the second dual-degree program to be introduced by COPHS. They launched the doctor of pharmacy/master’s in business administration (MBA) with Butler’s College of Business in 2003.

Media contact: Courtney Tuell

(317) 940-9807

ctuell@butler.edu

Professors Jennifer Snyder and Samuel Gurevitz decided in August 2010 that they wanted to write articles with their students in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, so they sent out an e-mail asking for collaborators.

Katie Peterson and Kristin Kelly, both studying to be physician assistants, responded.

And now, a little more than a year later, they’ve been published.

The first result of their work together, “Hypothyroidism and Subclinical Hypothyroidism in the Older Patient,” appears in the latest edition of The Consultant Pharmacist, the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists.

“We wanted to get the students involved, let them have an opportunity to see what’s involved in publishing,” said Gurevitz, a longtime pharmacist who joined the Butler faculty three years ago.

“We view this as a different way to collaborate with the students so they understand it’s not above them, it’s something they’re capable of doing,” added Snyder, who’s taught at Butler for 12 years. “They just need to carve out time to do it.”

They culled information from 51 separate sources to provide pharmacists with the best, most complete documentation of all the research that has been done on hypothyroidism – an under-diagnosed condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Since the thyroid is the body’s “thermostat,” when it’s not working properly, the result can be a range of symptoms: malaise, fatigue, weight gain, memory loss, hair loss, constipation and more.

Their article shares information on the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism and how to diagnose and treat the condition based on what researchers have discovered. They also provide a list of tips for how pharmacists can assist patients who suffer with hypothyroidism.

Their article concludes that hypothyroidism is most common in females and individuals 60 and older.

“It’s only going to increase in the United States based on our aging population,” Snyder said. “And it’s under-diagnosed.”

Gurevitz said the experience gave the students the opportunity to do research, analyze the quality of that work and pull together disparate bits of information to write a coherent story about where the research now stands.

Peterson said getting to work with her professors was rewarding.

“It not only allowed me a chance to better understand their worlds as professors and healthcare providers but also gave me a broader sense of the potential we, as students, have as future clinicians,” she said. “I truly enjoyed gaining a more in depth understanding of hypothyroidism as well.”

And the professors appreciated having another opportunity to engage with students.

“We play a lot of sports with the students; that’s one way we collaborate,” Snyder said, referring to the “PA Olympics” competition within the PA program. “We want to do scholarly activity with them too. Each student comes with a different background and a different desire. We both highly value that relationship.”

Media Contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822

Pharmacy student Kristina Niehoff ’12 was recently chosen as the Outstanding Pharmacy Student of the Year by the Indiana Pharmacists Alliance (IPA) for her exemplary leadership and service. Butler Professor of Pharmacy Practice Bruce Clayton accepted the award on Niehoff’s behalf at the IPA’s annual meeting in September.

Niehoff holds several leadership positions including: president of the Pharmacy Class of 2012;

volunteer director for the Butler University Community Outreach Pharmacy; and volunteer coordinator for Phi Lambda Sigma, a pharmacy leadership society. She is the recipient of the 2011 Leadership Award from Phi Lambda Sigma and was named a Top 100 student in 2009.

“I’m honored that the IPA committee selected me for this award among the many deserving candidates,” said Niehoff. “I’m involved on campus and in the community just because I enjoy using my knowledge and skills to help others, so this unexpected nomination and award was tangible recognition for my dedication to pharmacy.”

Upon graduation in May 2012, Niehoff plans on pursuing a pharmacy residency so she can be directly involved with patient-focused care and work with physicians and nurses to ensure the practice of evidence-based medicine.

“I’ve had a wonderful experience with the Butler pharmacy program and have gained valuable knowledge and experiences to make me a well-rounded pharmacist,” said Niehoff. “I look forward to what my future holds knowing that I feel very prepared to start a career that has been grounded in the education I received at Butler.”

Niehoff was nominated for the award by College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice Bonnie Brown.

“Kristina has shown great leadership and service to the college, university, and to the profession during her college years,” said Brown. “She has a bright future and will make an outstanding resident for any program, as she has shown a strong ability to multi-task and a deep dedication to the profession of pharmacy.”

Media contact: Lexie Beach
(317) 940-6561
lbeach@butler.edu

Butler made it to the Final Fouragain. This time it was in the Clinical Pharmacy Challenge held at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh Oct. 15 – 17.

Representing Butler in this year’s competition was pharmacy class of 2012 students Katie Cich, Carly D’Agostino and Nicole Dores, advised by Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Kena Lanham.

The ACCP Clinical Pharmacy Challenge is a team-based competition where teams of three students compete against teams from other colleges of pharmacy in a “quiz bowl”–type format. Each round consists of multiple choice trivia questions, clinical cases and Jeopardy style questions.

The competition began earlier this fall with 84 teams competing in online rounds. The top eight teams advanced to the live quarterfinal competition at the ACCP Annual Meeting. Butler’s team advanced all the way to the semifinals, where they were edged out by the University of Tennessee team.

D’Agostino said that one of the most challenging aspects of the competition was the preparation that went into it.

“I do have to say it was definitely a challenge not being in the same location as Nicole and Katie,” said D’Agostino. “I’m in Chicago on rotations and they were both Indy, so we worked together by having Skype dates in the evenings, going through study materials together and taking the tests.”

Cich said the questions, which were written by clinical pharmacists, were also challenging.

“While the questions were really hard, I was pleasantly surprised by how well we worked together as a team and were able to decide on an answer on the spot,” said Cich. “I think this reflects the pharmacy department’s emphasis on teamwork and communication.”

Outside of the competition, the Butler students had a chance to mingle with pharmacists from a variety of fields as well as other pharmacy students from different schools.

“I would say my favorite part of the experience was actually getting to attend the ACCP Meeting,” said Dores. “I never would’ve had the means to go if it wasn’t for the competition.”

COPHS Dean Mary Andritz was very pleased with the team’s performance.

“We’re so proud of our team for demonstrating the ‘Butler Way’ with their performance, professionalism and wonderful demeanor,” said Andritz. “They deserve a big congratulation for the countless hours of hard work and dedication they put in to the competition.”

Media Contact: Lexie Beach
317-940-6561
lbeach@butler.edu

Butler University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program has earned an eight-year accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy.

Butler’s Pharm.D. program is one of the first in the country to earn the “full” eight-year accreditation, which was implemented by ACPE in January. Previous “full” accreditations were for a term of six years.

Butler’s pharmacy program has been accredited by ACPE since its founding in the 1930′s.

“It’s exciting to earn the re-accreditation and to get the full eight years,” said College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dean Mary Andritz. “It validates that we are doing a lot of things very well.”

The accreditation process includes a self-study report that provides demographic information about the program and evidence proving that the program operates in compliance with 30 standards. Butler’s self-study was more than 1,100 pages in length and took roughly two years to complete.

“We wanted the self study to be a very open process,” said Andritz. “While we had a re-accreditation committee leading the effort, our faculty, students, alumni, preceptors, and Board of Visitors, were encouraged to provide input.”

Along with the self-study report, an ACPE Evaluation Team conducts an onsite visit to verify the evidence presented in the report through interviews with the dean, faculty members and students. The team visiting Butler consisted of two faculty members and a dean from other pharmacy schools, a clinical practitioner, and ACPE staff member.

The team uses information gained from the visit to write a report which notes strengths and areas of improvement. Among the many strengths noted in Butler’s report was the recent (2009) 42,000 sq. ft. addition to the Pharmacy and Health Sciences Building. As stated in the report, “It is a very student friendly environment, conducive to teaching, learning, and professional growth and development.”

The Pharm. D. program was also commended for its requirement that all students complete an experiential rotation in the provision of care to medically-underserved populations, and for the breadth of elective courses available to students.

Still fresh off receiving the news, “the College will take some time to celebrate,” according to Andritz. “You celebrate but then you work on the information the self study brought out. There are always areas to improve.”

Media contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu

What was once a nondescript black roof on the Pharmacy Building is now the latest instance of Butler’s campus turning green.

About a dozen volunteers spent the morning and early afternoon of Thursday, March 22, turning a 1,300-square-foot section atop the building into an environmentally friendly green, or “living,” roof covered in growing plants.

The idea came from Sarah Strobl (pictured), a senior biology major from Rushville, Ind., who grew up loving nature and being outdoors. Last spring, she started looking into green roofs as part of her honors thesis, and that research led her to wonder whether a green roof was feasible at Butler.

By fall, she had secured about $25,000 from the Student Government Association to pay for the project and located a campus building with a roof that could withstand the additional weight. The University contracted Eco-Roofs,a company that specializes in green roofs. It brought in a crane to hoist 650 trays — each 2-square-feet and filled with soil and sedum ground cover — from the Pharmacy parking lot to the fourth-floor roof.

Volunteers laid the trays side by side over the roughly 90-foot-by-15-foot area, maneuvering around an air-conditioning unit.
Campus engineer Rich Michal said the plant cover will prolong the life of the roof by protecting it from the sun. The cover also provides insulation for the building, which should lower heating and cooling costs.

In addition, the plants will improve local biodiversity, attracting bugs, birds and other life forms that can be studied by biology students.

Strobl would like to do that, but she’ll be graduating in May. After graduation, she’ll be doing a six-month internship with Bayer CropScience in Germany, then perhaps go to graduate school.

But on March 22, she was savoring the sight of the project she helped complete.

“It’s awesome,” she said, smiling. “I’m amazed how green it is already, and it’s going to brighten up with color.”

Media contact:
Marc Allan
<a href=”mailto:mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822

Three students and Associate Professor Jennifer Snyder from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences participated in the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ 2012 Capitol Connection March 25-27 in Washington D.C.

Second-year physician assistant (PA) students Julianne Frey, Sara Zirnheld and Tara Thornburg joined other Indiana PA students in meetings with legislators and staff on Capitol Hill. The conference also provided interactive learning sessions, leadership building and networking.

Conference participants advocated for lawmakers to allow PAs to provide hospice care to Medicare beneficiaries, to make PAs eligible for Medicaid electronic health record incentives, enable reimbursement for PAs taking care for federal workers injured on the job, and to ensure continued federal support of PA educational programs through Title VII.

The trip wrapped up a two-semester, one-credit hour elective course on healthcare legislation offered by Butler’s PA program

“As healthcare providers, our timing to visit the Capitol could not have been better,” Snyder said, referring to the fact that, that same week, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

“With healthcare reform going before the Supreme Court, all of the buzz about it, and those rallying on both sides of the issue, it was a great reminder of how blessed we are to live with the freedom [of speech] provided by our country,” said Frey.

Thornburg said, “If you are passionate enough to become a professional in any setting, you should also be passionate about advocating for your profession. We have a voice and we also have the choice to utilize it or not. This week we were allowed to utilize our voice.”

Pictured left to right: Richard Ombrembowski of Yale University, Snyder, Thornburg, Zirnheld, Christina Brown of Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine , and Frey.

Butler University’s employee wellness program, Healthy Horizons, has acquired the Wellness Council of Indiana’s Five Star AchieveWELL certification. This is the highest level of the program that is focused on providing a set of standards necessary to achieving successful worksite wellness. Standards are progressive from Three Star through Five Star.

“We are proud to certify Butler University as a Five Star AchieveWELL employer,” said Chuck Gillespie, program director for the Wellness Council of Indiana. “Butler’s achievement in worksite wellness translates not only into healthier employees, but a healthier community.”

Healthy Horizons, which is run by the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ (COPHS) pharmacy faculty, offers ongoing health screenings, health-risk assessments, health education resources, and health improvement and disease management programs.

“This certification is a wonderful recognition of Butler’s ongoing commitment to improve the health of all employees,” said Carrie Maffeo, Healthy Horizons program director and associate professor of pharmacy practice.

To receive the Five Star Award, Healthy Horizons had to show an expansion in its programming and community involvement. Some new programs include the popular Manage My Medications program, which provides employees the opportunity to review their medications with a pharmacist and develop a medication action plan to achieve health-related goals. Also new is the Healthy Butler Family Program, which allows employees and their family unit to engage in healthy behaviors together through goal setting and health coaching.

In terms of community involvement, Healthy Horizons continued their participation in the Dick Lugar Run Health Fair and COPHS’ annual Health Screening Fair, as well as on-campus H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Clinics in 2010 and 2011 and participation in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in 2010.

Since launching in 2005, Healthy Horizons has had over 4,700 appointments with Butler faculty and staff members.

Media Contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu

Did you know that a heart stimulant (digoxin) is found in the popular purple flowering plant Digitalis Ianata (Woolly Foxglove), and that the widely used over-the-counter antidepressant, St. John’s Wort, comes from a perennial bearing that same name? These plants are among 100+ plants in Butler’s newly revitalized Apothecary Garden.

“One purpose of the garden is education; to provide a historical record of where medicine started,” said Kimberly Beck, part-time assistant professor for medicinal chemistry. “It’s also about preserving a piece of Butler’s history.”

Originated in 1996 by Landscape Architect Ron Howe, Landscape Designer Barbara Wilde and longtime College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) Professor Waqar Bhatti (now deceased), the Apothecary Garden was planted between Robertson Hall and the Pharmacy and Health Sciences building to honor COPHS and its commitment to a tradition of academic excellence.

With little maintenance over the years, plants died and signs faded, so faculty within COPHS came up with an idea to revitalize the garden. With a background in medicinal chemistry, Beck agreed to spearhead the project.

“I really liked the idea,” she said. “It was something I thought would really add to the campus.”

With consultation from Butler biology faculty members Rebecca Dolan and Phil Vallani, Beck was able to identify some plants from the original apothecary garden, like forsythia and peony, which are herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as new plants including the Madagascar periwinkle, a source of potent anticancer compounds which are pharmaceutical agents used around the world.

The garden also includes some non-medicinal plants, like the beautyberry which produces vibrant purple berries.

A campus-wide ceremony that included a performance by Butler Chorale led by Professor Eric Stark and art installation by Assistant Professor of Art Leah Gauthier, took place on April 10 to officially dedicate the new garden. Prior to the ceremony, Beck and Vallani gave a talk on medicinal plants.

Beck said that while the garden is much improved, there is more to do. “This is the first step and it’s a nice first step,” she said. “We hope to get pharmacy student honor society Rho Chi to maintain the garden for us and, of course, hopefully we can add more medicinal plants in the future.”

Media contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has awarded Michael Roscoe, assistant dean, chair and associate professor of Butler University’s Physician Assistant (PA) program, with the Distinguished Hoosier Award. Roscoe was nominated by some of his PA students. Indiana State Representative Peggy Welch wrote a letter supporting his nomination.

The Distinguished Hoosier Award is one of the highest honors given out by the State of Indiana to its citizens. It is granted solely at the discretion of the Governor to Hoosiers who uniquely have brought admiration and respect to the state through their character and accomplishments.

“Dr. Roscoe has accomplished many great and many small deeds in a relatively short time,” said PA student Julie Frey. “He is a role model for us as future professionals, and his dedication to the continued improvement and success of all of his students is greatly appreciated.”

Roscoe, a Bronze Star Medal recipient, is a major in the Indiana Army National Guard and has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He received international notoriety when he coordinated the effort to bring a 16-month-old child from Afghanistan to Riley Children’s Hospital for a complex heart surgery.

In addition to the Bronze Star, Roscoe holds the Combat Medic Badge, Combat Patch for War-Time Service, Meritorious Service Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.

Roscoe has been the recipient of several academic and professional awards including the Paragon Award for publishing and was named the Physician Assistant of the Year by the Indiana Association of Physician Assistants in 2005. Additionally, he was chosen by the Butler student body to serve as the 2012 faculty commencement speaker.

Media contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu

In addition to working their summer jobs and spending time with family and friends, Butler pharmacy students Maria Jansen and Sarah Luigs will bike across the state of Iowa. Impressive? Very. Crazy? Perhaps.

Jansen and Luigs are participating in the seven-day RAGBRAI (The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). Now in its 40th year, RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.

Unlike the 10,000-plus riders who participate in RAGBRAI solely for the camaraderie, Jansen and Luigs are riding for a cause — the Butler University Community Outreach Pharmacy, an entirely student-run pharmacy located in a low-income neighborhood on Indianapolis’ near eastside.

“Funds are essential to keeping the pharmacy operational and to providing essential medications to the community members,” said Jansen. “We’re really happy to assist.”

As of early May, the two had raised more than $300.

“The money also serves as encouragement for both of us to finish the ride,” said Luigs.

The ride, which totals around 470 miles and covers more than 50 cities, begins July 22 in Sioux Center and ends in Clinton. Each night, the riders stop in a host city — some as small as 1,000 residents — where they are greeted with Iowa hospitality by hundreds of residents and vendors.

To donate to Jansen’s and Luigs’ effort, visit the Butler University Community Outreach Pharmacy donation page.

Helping young children understand what a pharmacist does can be a challenge. So nine Butler students put their heads together and decided the best way would be to use verse.

The doctor gave me a prescription and said,“This will do the trick!Take it to your pharmacist andyou’ll feel better quick!”So we drove across town, and walked into the store.I had never been inside a pharmacy before.

That Seussian rhyme is contained in Pharmacy and Me ($14.95, Mascot Books), a new children’s book that’s a joint effort of students and faculty advisors from Butler’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, College of Education and Jordan College of Fine Arts.

The book, designed for 5- to 8-year-olds, shows a little girl with a sore throat journeying from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy, where she gets the medicine that cures her. The characters in the book are illustrated, but the drawings are set into photos of an actual pharmacy.

“We have a lot of younger women faculty who have small children, and they can’t really explain or articulate what it is that they do all day,” said Erin Albert, assistant professor of pharmacy practice. “We decided, after looking at the market, that there weren’t any great books out there for children about what a pharmacist is.”

So in April 2011, three students from each of the three colleges pooled their strengths — knowledge of pharmacy, language, graphic design and other skills — to create the book, which is now available in print at the Butler bookstore and electronically via amazon.com. Albert, elementary education instructor and Assistant Dean Angela Lupton and Associate Professor of Art Gautam Rao served as advisors for the students’ senior project, which they hoped would not only result in a book but would serve as an interdisciplinary experience.

That turned out to be exactly what happened. Laura Kramer, a strategic communication/art + design double major, said the collaboration “was somewhat of a challenge, learning that we all had different ways of thinking and processing ideas. It is the kind of challenge that we learn from and prepares us for real world situations.”

Pharmacy major Stacey Scheidler said some participants didn’t know what a pharmacist did on a daily basis. Some were unsure how best to communicate with children. Some had no background in design.

“But once everyone was on the same page,” she said, “working with the other students went much smoother because everyone was able to use their skills to help transform the ideas and thoughts into the final product.”

Pharmacy and Me is a first, but not a last. This spring, the College of Business joined in, and two students from four colleges will be putting together a 2013 senior project that teaches children about dealing with asthma.

Their work may take a different form, though — perhaps as a game, smartphone app, ebook or something else. The College of Business students will be doing a market analysis to figure out the best way to present the asthma information. Proceeds from Pharmacy and Me will go toward the new project, and the business students will look at the possibility of crowd-funding future work.

But that’s next year. For now, the nine students — Amber Anderson, Kelly Baumgartner, Julie Bickel, Mia Claretto, April Gauthier, Laura Kramer, Marissa Mahoney, Kelsey Sanders and Stacey Scheidler — and their advisors are basking in a job well done.

“I think we ended up with a fabulous children’s book that (hopefully) accurately portrays what community practice pharmacy involves,” Claretto said. “It is a book that is fun and engaging, with fabulous illustrations, and can also be used as a teaching tool.”

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822

Chapter Recognizes Work of James Shellhaas

Butler University’s Pi Alpha Chapter Council inducted new members into the Physician Assistant (PA) National Honor Society on May 11. The chapter council also inducted Professor of Biology James L. Shellhaas as an honorary member for providing exceptional service to the pre-professional physician assistant students.

All 2012 graduates of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, the new members include Michelle L. Davis of Centerville, Ohio; Laura C. McKeague of Indianapolis; Lindsey S. Rush of Greenwood, Ind.; and Meredith M. Freeman and Kristin L. Kelly, both of Fishers, Ind.

To be eligible for Pi Alpha, students must hold a minimum 3.5/4.0 grade point average and demonstrate excellence in research, publishing, community/professional service or leadership activities. Student membership is limited to no more than 15 percent of any graduating class.

Shellhaas is the first educator to receive honorary membership to the chapter. He has worked with the pre-professional physician assistant students in microbiology and immunology since 1995.

“Dr. Shellhaas is a committed and compassionate professor for the undergraduate PA students,” said PA program director and associate professor Mike Roscoe. “He is invested in our students and cares very deeply about them as people. We are fortunate that he has an influence on our pre-professional students.

“Students describe Shellhaas as dedicated to his work and having a great ability to effectively convey the microbiologic importance of material for clinical practice.”

Butler University is a charter member of the Pi Alpha National Honor Society for PAs, started in 2005.

Three Butler University professors have been awarded grants to fund their research projects.

-Alexandre Erkine, associate professor of molecular biology and pharmaceutical sciences in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, will receive $60,088 over two years from the National Institutes of Health to research “Selective Inhibitors of Human HSF2.”

Erkine said investigation of these compounds may promote new drug development as well as understanding of cellular processes on the molecular level.

He explains the research this way: “The word ‘chaperone’ took hold in molecular biology long time ago. Molecular chaperones are helping other molecules, primarily proteins, to maintain proper shape. Function or malfunction of molecular chaperones is implicated in multiple diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s and diabetes. Development of new drug leads, i.e. compounds affecting molecular chaperones, is a rapidly developing area of modern pharmacology. The compounds we are interested in, are those affecting (i.e. turning on or off) genes expressing molecular chaperones.”

-Priscilla Ryder, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, has received $14,435 from the Indiana Minority Health Coalition to exploration of how older (ages 50-plus) African American women living in medically underserved areas of Indianapolis think of health. The grant is a collaboration of Ryder, the Indiana Minority Health Coalition and the Black Nurses Association of Indianapolis.

The study has three aims: to determine how the women define “health,” how the women assess health – their own as well as the health statuses of family and friends – and how the women think about the determinants of health, such as what things in their lives and environment positively or negatively affect their health status and how their life experiences affect their own health.

The focus groups were conducted last month. Ryder said she will be analyzing the responses and sending the project report to the Indiana Minority Health Coalition by mid-June.

-Jeremy Johnson, assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has received a $2,381 from the Indiana Academy of Science to fund his project, “Determining the substrate specificity of ester hydrolases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.”

Johnson and his students will study the activity of enzymes essential to the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.

“Over one-third of the world’s population is estimated to be infected with tuberculosis,” Johnson said. “The bacterium can quietly survive within a patient’s lungs by using enzymes known as ester hydrolases to break down the host cell components for energy and to evade the host immune system. For this grant, we will be characterizing the unique chemical structures that each of these ester hydrolases recognizes with the goal of designing diagnostics and inhibitors based on these unique structures.”

Johnson said the work from this grant ties directly into recently received National Science Foundation support and expands the classroom work into new applied scientific directions.

Media contact:
Marc Allan
<a href=”mailto:mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822

Pharmacy majors Meagan Doolin, Laura Flynn and Rachel Pendry, and Physician Assistant (PA) major Megan Wesler, are the newest Indiana Schweitzer Fellows.

Each year, the U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Program competitively selects approximately 250 exceptional students from the nation’s top health and human service schools to be a fellow for one of their 13 program sites.

These Schweitzer Fellows partner with community-based organizations to identify an unmet health need, design a year-long service project with a demonstrable impact on that need, and bring that project to fruition — all on top of their usual professional school responsibilities. These students are mentored by College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences faculty.

Here’s a little about what the Butler students will do during their fellowship.

Meagan Doolin will work with the New Life Worship Center to develop and implement a community-based health and wellness program that will target obesity, physical inactivity and diabetes among residents of Marion County. Doolin will be mentored by Butler assistant pharmacy professor Kristal Williams.

Laura Flynn will work with Community Hospital East to address the health literacy of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She will work to identify patients at risk for poor health literacy skills and make sure each patient knows how to properly use his/her medications. Flynn will be mentored by Butler assistant pharmacy professor Tracy Costello.

Rachel Pendry and Megan Wesler, the first two students to collaborate in an interprofessional capacity, will work in the Haughville community (west of downtown Indianapolis), to develop and implement programming that focuses on nutrition and exercise, utilizing the Indiana State Health Improvement Plan (I-SHIP). They plan to integrate the <5-2-1-0 Healthy Kids Countdown , a health promotion initiative built on evidence-based studies emphasizing healthy nutritional choices and behaviors. Pendry and Wesler will be mentored by Butler PA associate professor Jennifer Zorn.

Upon completion of their Fellowship year, the Butler students will become Schweitzer Fellows for Life and join a network of 2,500 individuals who are skilled in, and committed to, addressing the health needs of underserved populations.

Media Contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu

Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) is the recipient of the first annual “Bruce Hancock Award for Excellence in Pharmacy” by the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA).

Created in honor of the late Bruce Hancock — former director of COPHS Pharm.D. Experiential Programs — the award is given to a person or organization that demonstrates and supports the advancement of pharmacy practice in rural and underserved areas.

“We thank the Indiana Rural Health Association for naming the award in honor of Bruce and thank them, too, for honoring the college as the first recipient,” said Bruce Clayton, associate dean for COPHS.

Hancock had a long-standing affiliation with IRHA, extending back to 2001-2003 when he was director of the Rural Underserved Access to Health (RUAH) Program in collaboration with St. Vincent Hospital and COPHS.A major goal of the RUAH project was to improve medication access and ways to utilize pharmacy in underserved areas. Hancock also served on IRHA committees on health policy and on their board of directors for several years.He was president of the association in 2008-2009.

Butler University will welcome 1,111 freshmen on move-in day, Saturday, Aug. 18, the largest incoming class in Butler’s 157-year history. Classes begin Wednesday, Aug. 22.

Butler’s class of 2016 brings strong high school academic achievements, including an average GPA of 3.8 (compared with 3.76 last year). The average ACT of 27.45 and average SAT of 1742 are about the same as last year.

The students come from 32 states and 20 countries. Forty-four percent are from Indiana; 170 from greater Indianapolis. Of the 56 percent from out of state, 172 are from the Chicagoland area.

“During a time when many colleges are seeing applications drop, we have seen our applications increase by 43 percent over the past two years,” said Tom Weede, vice president for enrollment management. “The success of the men’s basketball team and the increase in our national reputation for academics has made Butler a first-choice school for students throughout the country.”

Some other notable statistics about this year’s class are:
•134 multicultural students (12.1 percent of class, up from 104 or 11.2 percent in 2011).
•16 Lilly Scholars.
•10 National Merit/National Achievement Scholars.
•683 students played a sport in high school; 330 received multiple varsity letters; 312 were elected team captain.
•328 students played in the band or orchestra, or sang in their school’s choir; 109 were cast in a school or community play or musical; 82 played first chair of their section.
•585 students were elected to the National Honor Society; 257 were student government members; 82 were elected class officers.
•733 students were involved in community service; 310 were members of a church youth group; 87 served on a mission trip.

As in years past, pre-pharmacy remains the most popular major for students who declared a major. Other areas of interest include business (marketing, accounting and finance), biology, chemistry, dance, education, psychology and strategic communication.

Butler’s largest area of study for new students is exploratory studies (or undecided).  In this program, students explore possible majors through a series of courses, job shadows, interviews and advising, and still go on to graduate in four years.

Media Contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822

People often say “practice makes perfect.” For Physician Assistant (PA) students in Butler’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, “practice” has reached a whole new level thanks to the renovation of the History and Physical Assessment Laboratory into a SimCenter that is equipped with two computerized manikins that can simulate an array of health conditions — from a simple case of asthma to full cardiac arrest.

Also included in the SimCenter are two inpatient hospital rooms for the manikins and two enclosed examination rooms that will allow one or more students to interact with volunteer patients, as well as have their session videotaped for assessment purposes.

Mike Roscoe, assistant dean, chair and associate professor of Butler’s PA program said one of the reasons to convert the laboratory into a SimCenter was to allow the PA faculty to better assess a student’s patient knowledge.

“With the exception of a few opportunities to work at an off-campus simulation center, Butler PA students get most of their patient experience during their third-year rotation experience where a preceptor is responsible for assessing their knowledge,” Roscoe said. “Now, we can assess a student’s knowledge through both real people and simulated persons. It really takes our education to a whole new level.”

Roscoe, who wrote the proposal for the SimCenter, also saw it as an opportunity to advance Interprofessional Education, or IPE, which often is defined as students learning from other students who are representing different health professions.

Roscoe said he eventually wants Butler’s PA and pharmacy students to work on the manikins together and assess the patient as a team. “Our students need to be learning with, from and about each other, and develop plans together like they do in a hospital setting,” he said.

Further into the future, he would like to bring in medical students, physical therapy students, nursing students and students studying social work to learn from the manikins. And, one day, use the center for CPR training for Butler students and employees.

“This new center allows us to entertain collaborations and ideas we have never been able to before. It really sets the tone for the University that we are committed to innovation and experiential learning, and — more importantly — that we are invested in our students.”

Media contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu

 Cardinal Health has endowed a $125,000 scholarship fund for students of Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

James Danko, Chris Lanctot, and Mary Andritz sign Cardinal Health endowed scholarship agreement.

Given in recognition of the important role of the independent community pharmacy and to encourage careers in that field, the scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing a professional phase pharmacy degree in professional years P1-P4.

A Fortune 21 company, Cardinal Health provides pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 pharmacies, hospitals and ambulatory care sites each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, and supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation’s largestnetwork of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. With corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide.

 ”We look forward to working closely with Cardinal Health to introduce pharmacy students to the career options available in independent community pharmacy,” said Andritz. “Several Butler alumni have distinguished themselves in providing innovative pharmacy services in independent pharmacies and serve as excellent role models.”

Chris Lanctot, vice president of Cardinal Health’s Central Group, Independent Sales, signed the endowment agreement, along with Butler President James Danko and COPHS Dean Mary Andritz.

 Cardinal Health supports scholarship funding at various colleges of pharmacy, aimed at students who demonstrate a strong interest in retail independent pharmacy, Lanctot said. “We intend to invite the student recipients to the Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference, during which they will meet other pharmacy students and be recognized in front of 4,000-5,000 customers,” he said.

The scholarship was established through the Butler JC Miller Endowed Scholarship program, allowing the spendable portion generated by the endowment each year to be matched 1:1 by unfunded scholarship dollars.

The Indiana Pharmacists Alliance has honored Butler Pharm.D. candidate Tyler Hensley ’13 with its Outstanding Student of the Year award for 2012. The award recognizes a student who has been actively involved in association activities and has helped to promote the advancement of pharmacy. 

Hensley, from Versailles, Ind., came to Butler as a Lilly Scholar. He is a past-director of the Butler Community Health Screening Program, for which he helped organize a large-scale, student-run health fair for the Butler-Tarkington community.

He has served as treasurer and president for the Butler Student Association of Pharmacy, and alumni liaison and vice president for the Phi Delta Chi pharmaceutical fraternity chapter. He volunteers through Phi Delta Chi at the Ronald McDonald House of Indianapolis, working with the school visits committee to educate children about poison control and adolescents about careers in pharmacy. He served two terms as the student adviser to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) Curriculum Committee and was an inaugural student member of the Indiana Academy of Community Pharmacists Executive Board.

Hensley has received the American Pharmacists Association Chapter Student Leadership Award twice, as well as the Health Sciences Student Assembly award.

COPHS alumna Kristina Niehoff Pharm.D. ’12 received the IPA 2011 Outstanding Student of the Year award.