Following an inspirational invocation from Touro College and University System (TCUS) Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe D. Krupka, TCOP Dean Henry Cohen, PharmD enthusiastically welcomed the graduates and thanked them for “making the College of Pharmacy the very special place it has become…Always remember your highest obligation is to use your gifts and the education and training you have received to live out the mission of the school and your responsibilities as a healer and patient advocate: to make life better for others.”

TCUS Provost for the Graduate and Professional Divisions Patricia E. Salkin, J.D. added her warm congratulations. “You are dedicated and compassionate individuals who are going to [be] serving the underserved and making a difference in the lives of people in our community, whether you work in a hospital, retail, or research setting.”

^{Touro Pharmacy Dean Dr. Henry Cohen; Provost, Division of Graduate Studies, Patricia Salkin; Keynote Dr. Henri Manasse Jr.; and Touro Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Krupka}

“Embrace the Biological Revolution”

Keynote speaker Henri Manasse Jr., Ph.D., Sc.D., FFIP, was awarded an honorary doctorate of science. Currently dean and professor emeritus of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, Dr. Manasse formerly served as executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the national organization representing pharmacists who work in acute and ambulatory care settings.

Dr. Manasse urged the graduates to “embrace the biological and genetic revolution” taking place in the understanding and treatment of disease and drug action, safety and effectiveness. “We will likely get to a point where an individual’s genetic map will dictate the drug to be used and the dose…There will be ethical [and] financial challenges regarding access, affordability and sustainability,” he said, adding it will be important for the graduates to “work towards greater autonomy of scientific and professional decision-making” and be accountable for their work.

“Practice at the level of your education and training, not only to the level of your license. Creatively use the tension at the interface of law and practice as a catalyst for change. Society needs you to do this,” said Dr. Manasse.

^{Sana Shafi}

In addressing their classmates, two graduates of the Class of 2019, Athena Moustakas and Megan Loper, echoed the theme of advocating for patients and making a difference. “A career in pharmacy challenges you to use your intellect in combination with your humanity to do meaningful work that feeds your soul,” said Ms. Moustakas. “Be change makers and leaders. With our degree we have been entrusted a great power to help patients and with great power comes great responsibility.”

The Class of 2019 will be spreading out across the country in pursuit of a variety of careers, including retail or hospital pharmacies, clinics, pharmaceutical companies, public health organizations and government agencies. Students have also accepted prestigious postgraduate residencies or fellowships at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerville, NJ; in Brooklyn at The Brooklyn hospital Center, New York Harbor Healthcare System, and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center; in the Bronx at SBH Health System and Bronx Health Care System; and at Long Island University; MCPHS/Pfizer in Groton, CT; and Celgene Corporation in Summit, NJ.

“I’m very excited,” said Sana Shafi, at the close of the event. Dr. Shafi will be working at a CVS pharmacy in Stamford, CT. “It was definitely a tough journey but it was worthwhile. I’m excited to start this new chapter of my life where I can give back to the community.”

About Touro College of Pharmacy

Since opening the doors to its Harlem campus in 2008, the Touro College of Pharmacy has offered a truly unique educational experience. Touro’s exceptional curriculum sets it apart, providing students with nine rotations and other opportunities to put learning into practice, and offers an extraordinary focus on public health, cultural awareness, and community outreach. Small classes maximize personalized instruction, where students’ futures come first, providing outstanding opportunities to work closely with knowledgeable and skilled faculty and network with a variety of health care providers. For further information on Touro College of Pharmacy, please go to: tcop.touro.edu/

About the Touro College and University System

Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 19,200 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has 30 campuses and locations in New York, California, Nevada, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and Touro University Nevada; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Ill. are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System. For further information on Touro College, please go to: www.touro.edu/news

Media Contact:

Barbara Franklin 
Director of Communications 
646-565-6531
barbara.franklin@touro.edu