In my opinion, the most important component of the work done by the advancement team at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy is thanking our alumni and friends for the generous contributions of time, talent, and treasure they provide to the School.
Gifts of time, talent, and treasure help us to meet many academic and research needs and provide numerous impactful opportunities for our students. As a School of Pharmacy alumnus, I find contributions from alumni and friends to be very inspiring and they make me very proud to be connected with the School.
First, I want to thank each of you who give your time and talent to the School of Pharmacy. In 2021 we documented over 300 people, in addition to our preceptor network, who volunteered to help with many activities such as admission interviews, serving as leadership mentors for our students, lecturing to or leading discussions with students in required and elective courses at the School, and providing practice experiences and research opportunities for pharmacy students at practice sites in Wisconsin, across the United States, and globally. I have experienced, first-hand, the impact that alumni have on our students in the classroom. The opportunities for our students to interact with, and learn from, alumni experts and to expand their professional networks with our alumni are priceless.
Second, I want to thank the alumni and friends who give gifts of treasure to the School of Pharmacy. We had strong alumni participation in the 2021 fundraising campaign and raised a significant amount to support the School of Pharmacy’s students, research, and programs. We participated in the Day of the Badger for the first time in April 2021 and raised over $29,000 for our Student Success and Support Fund last spring, where donations specifically go to enhance the student experience. The School of Pharmacy Board of Visitors offered a participation challenge for alumni, which we met, and unlocked an additional $13,000 for student support. The Pharmacy Alumni Association provided $2,500 to match gifts from young alumni (i.e., grads between 2010-2020). Our young alumni responded enthusiastically, as participation in the campaign from them was tremendous.
We plan to participate in the Day of the Badger again this spring on April 5-6, so please look for information and ways that you can show your Pharmacy Badger pride and contribute to the School of Pharmacy. We are excited to have a young alumni match and challenge opportunity again this year, so we hope you will contribute to the Student Success and Support Fund before June 30 to make your donation go further. You can also sign up, in advance, to receive a Pharmacy Bucky photo prop by mail to show your Badger pride.
Third, I want to thank alumni and friends who support scholarships for our students. Scholarship dollars reduce the burden of education costs for our students and help us attract new students to the School of Pharmacy. Scholarships to recognize a graduating class, honor family members, classmates, or significant people in our lives are a wonderful way to create a legacy at the School of Pharmacy. In 2021 we co-hosted, with the Pharmacy Alumni Association, the Second Annual Pharmacy Alumni & Friends Trivia Fundraiser to raise funds for the PAA Scholarship Fund. I thank the alumni and friends that played trivia and I encourage you to look for information about participating in future trivia nights.
Again, I thank alumni and friends for your donations of time, talent, and treasure that are so vital to the future success of the School of Pharmacy. Students in our PharmD program, the PharmTox program, and our graduate programs benefit from the experiences and opportunities that are made possible by gifts from alumni and friends. As we continue to identify needs at the School of Pharmacy, and strive to meet those needs in impactful ways, we appreciate the support of our alumni and friends. As the Associate Dean for Advancement, I enjoy connecting with you and look forward to working with you in the future.
Thank you for helping the School of Pharmacy and On, Wisconsin!
Dave Mott (BS ‘88, MS ‘92, PhD ’95)
Associate Dean for Advancement