Alumni Spotlight: Donna Keissami, PharmD ’08
When Donna Keissami, PharmD ’08, published “Maddie Visits the Pharmacist,” she fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing a children’s book. Here, she talks about how the book helps children understand prescribed medications and encourages students to use their pharmacy knowledge to “branch out” within the field.
Student Spotlight: Jafar Essayli
Meet third-year PharmD student Jafar Essayli, whose experience working with elementary school students with special needs inspired him to pursue pharmacy. Here, the Cypress, Calif. native shares why he chose to attend USC Mann and how his past experiences with mentorship and teaching encouraged him to pursue an area of concentration in education.
Student Spotlight: Zade Hikmat
Meet Zade Hikmat, a third-year PharmD student who co-founded a platform to support healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, he shares about an impactful summer fellowship and where he hopes his career in pharmacy will take him.
Student Spotlight: Michelle Kalu
Michelle Kalu is pursuing a PharmD and a PhD in Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics. Here, the Northridge, Calif. native reflects on what sparked her interest in pharmacy and how COVID-19 solidified her desire to go into infectious disease research.
Student Spotlight: Nikitha Kolapalli
Meet MS in Healthcare Decision Analysis student Nikitha Kolapalli, PharmD. Here, she shares how her personal experience with illness motivated her to pursue a career in health care, why she moved across the world to attend the USC School of Pharmacy and what she’s working on at a company pioneering AI in health care.
Student Spotlight: Doreen Nilo
Meet Doreen Nilo, a third-year PharmD student and cofounder of Parmasya, the Filipino affinity group at USC Mann. Here, the Lakewood, Calif. native shares how a medical volunteer trip to Mexico solidified her desire to pursue a pharmacy career and how she hopes Parmasya will be an inclusive and educational platform.
Student Spotlight: Filmon Haile
Where is your hometown and where did you attend undergrad? What did you major in? I was born and raised in San Jose, California. I attended San Jose City College for two years, where I was a track and field athlete, then transferred to UCLA and majored in biology with a minor in African American […]
Student Spotlight: Nadia Masroor
You already have your master of public health degree. What made you want to pursue a PharmD as your next step? Prior to pursuing a PharmD, I worked at a large academic medical center as an infection prevention analyst. I had the opportunity to collaborate with various disciplines including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and hospital administrators. […]
SURF Fellow Spotlight: Azuah Gonzalez
Meet Azuah Gonzalez, a class of 2020 biochemistry and molecular biology major at the University of California, Santa Cruz and a 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Program participant at USC Mann. The Boyle Heights, Calif. native shares about her experience working on Parkinson’s disease research, why she believes diversity in science is critical and how the SURF Program has impacted her career trajectory.
SURF Fellow Spotlight: Michael Bloomfield
Meet Michael (Mikey) Bloomfield, a class of 2020 biology major at the University of La Verne and a 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Program participant at USC Mann. Here, the Norco, Calif. native talks about his experience working on alcohol research, what he has learned from his graduate student and faculty mentors and how the SURF Program has impacted his career outlook.
Student Spotlight: Diana Garnica
What attracted you to the field of pharmacy? Any particular moment(s) that made you stop and think, “This is the path I want to take?” The funny thing is that I actually started out my undergraduate career at UCLA with an aversion to choosing to major in a science-related field. I was more interested in […]
Student Spotlight: Yen Luu
Tell us a little about yourself and where you grew up. Where’s your hometown? I was born in Vietnam where I lived for the first 11 years of my life. In 2009, I immigrated to America several days before 9/11 happened and my family settled down in San Diego, California. It was hard learning […]
Student Spotlight: Noam Morningstar-Kywi
Meet Noam Morningstar-Kywi, a third-year PharmD student who has leveraged 10 years of experience as a veterinary technician to excel in pharmacy school.
Commencement Spotlight: Marisa Jones
Meet Marisa Jones, PharmD ’19. The president of the PharmD class of 2019 and a student ambassador of the Margaret and John Biles Leadership Center, she will deliver the doctor of pharmacy address at the 112th Commencement of the USC School of Pharmacy on Friday, May 10.
Graduate Spotlight: Laura Henkhaus
Meet Laura Henkhaus, PhD ’19, Health Economics. The 2019 recipient of the USC School of Pharmacy’s Outcomes Outstanding Doctoral Scholar Award, she will deliver the doctor of philosophy address at the 112th Commencement of the USC School of Pharmacy on Friday, May 10.