100 Years of Excellence

As I planned and prepared for our centennial activities, I had the opportunity to reflect on not only our history and our future, but how the two go hand in hand.  This reflection took the shape of meetings with friends, calls to former students, and cross-country reunions.  I had the privilege to hear the memories that changed you and the experiences that shaped your futures.

Last spring, I spoke with, who I am officially dubbing, a “UConn School of Pharmacy Legend”, Dan Leone (PHARM ’53).  He recounted the transition of his 1953 class from the original building in New Haven to the Storrs campus, marking the first of many changes the School would see.  He spoke of the many challenges brought by the move: classes were spread all over campus and laboratories weren’t in ideal condition.  The move and its accompanying challenges led the 1953 class to be informally named “the transition class,” creating a unique bond among its members.

I also caught up with William Hait (PHARM ‘65) and his son Adam Hait (PHARM ‘93), both alumni and both in classes that experienced significant changes at the School. William was a member of the first class to enter into the School’s five-year professional program and Adam was a member of the last class in the five-year program before our shift into a six-year program. As the pair recounted their memories it was a joy to see how their experiences parallel despite being of two different generations.
More recently, I reminisced with our Master Gardener, Dr. Kate Wheeler, about the replanting of the Medicinal Garden in 2018.  The School’s move to its current building in 2005 left behind the beloved medicinal garden.  With its replanting, many alumni from the 70’s classes were reminiscent of the bond they shared during the garden’s earlier years, some citing that they remembered the garden more than the building they attended classes in.

Throughout these conversations, a common theme emerged: family. Everyone I spoke with this past year mentioned a deep sense of camaraderie and the genuine connections they made during their time at the School. Hearing these sentiments from former students across generations was profoundly moving. How many schools can say they have not only consistently produced students who excel in their field but have also nurtured a deep and memorable sense of community for 100 years? As I look toward the future, we will need to continue to welcome change, some brought by artificial intelligence, some by policy shifts within the field, and some by factors not yet foreseen. But despite the need for inevitable change, I am committed to honoring a century-long School of Pharmacy tradition: fostering an environment so supportive it feels like family.

Dean Philip Hritcko

Your Memories