The future looks bright for incoming students at the University of Iowa (UI) College of Pharmacy as the 2026-27 school year begins. Ninety-nine first-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students and nine graduate students pursuing their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) received warm welcomes from faculty and staff as they took the first steps of their journey to becoming pharmacists and researchers.
PharmD students settled into the college during Engagement Week during which they got to know fellow classmates and faculty. Through information sessions and interactive activities, they learned what it means to be a Hawkeye and how to get the most out of their time at the College of Pharmacy.
Opening Doors
The class of 2030 concluded the week with the long-awaited Welcome to the Profession White Coat ceremony at UI’s Hancher Auditorium. Representatives from the college and Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA) were present to watch students don their coats for the first time.
“The White Coat Ceremony is more than a tradition—it is a rite of passage. It symbolizes your entry into the health care profession and the responsibilities that come with it,” said Dean, Jean M. Schmidt Chair, and Professor Jill Kolesar. “You are embracing a commitment to your patients, your community, and your future self as a pharmacist.”
Keynote speaker and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer for the University of Colorado Anschutz Laura Borgelt, ’95 BSPh, PharmD, MBA, reminisced on her unexpected journey into academia. She reminded students that their futures might look very different than they imagined. “That is one of the wonderful truths about a pharmacy education: it opens doors you cannot yet see.”
Clinical Associate Professor and IPA President-Elect Laura Knockel emphasized the importance of building relationships with the people around you. Fellow students and current professors may become future colleagues, collaborators, and lifelong friends. Or, in Knockel’s case, former students become future supervisors.
“Pharmacy needs your ideas, your talent, and your energy,” she said. “Don’t wait until graduation.
Get involved now.”
Ready for Research
Nine graduate students had their own introduction to the College of Pharmacy. During orientation week prior to classes beginning, they become acquainted with one another, faculty, and the building in a low-stakes environment.
Hansel Alexander, Gauri Rajendra Chavarkar, Ahmed Gharaibeh, Tyler Holmes, Naranj H. Ram, Azhou Wang, and Zeyu Xia began their pharmaceutics degree. The Drug Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics (DDET) program welcomed Aisling Dolan, while Eugene Boafo joined the Health Services Research program. Six different countries are represented among the students: Ghana, Indonesia, India, Qatar, China, and the United States.
Dolan chose the UI to pursue her PhD due to the diversity of research within the college. “I feel suited to the DDET program because I want to participate in the drug development process from a creative angle. I’m excited about the range of research topics and methods among the faculty and the culture of collaboration and care.”