UMKC School of Pharmacy

We were proud to help host the 56th Pharmaceutical Graduate Student Research Meeting in Kansas City this year, bringing together outstanding graduate researchers, faculty and industry leaders.

It was an honor to welcome Janelle Sabo (Pharm.D. ’00), senior vice president for clinical capabilities at Eli Lilly and Company, back as a keynote speaker. Her leadership and insight were a highlight of the meeting and an inspiration to our students and attendees.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year’s event a success!

The UMKC School of Pharmacy had a great time at School Day at Kauffman Stadium, connecting with students from across the region and sharing the many paths a career in pharmacy can take. From games like plinko to “medication vs. candy,” our booth was full of energy, curiosity and plenty of learning! We’re proud to partner with the Kansas City Royals to spark interest in healthcare and inspire the next generation.

UMKC and Children’s Mercy have taken a significant step forward in their longstanding relationship, formalizing a new agreement that creates a clearer, faster pathway for Ph.D. students in the natural sciences and the School of Science and Engineering to collaborate directly with hospital researchers. Under the new agreement, the need for individual, project-by-project administrative approvals has been removed, eliminating a key barrier that often slowed the start of collaborative work.

Gerald Wyckoff, Ph.D., chair of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, worked closely with two individuals from the Children’s Mercy Research Institute, Mark Hoffman, Ph.D., chief research information officer and Laura Ramsey, Ph.D., section chief of individualized therapeutics, clinical pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutic innovation to build a new framework designed to build on existing collaboration in a more intentional, structured way, ensuring that opportunities are easier to access and scale.

“Science is a team sport,” Wyckoff said. “This is a really effective team because we’ve got people who are motivated on both ends of the spectrum.”

Learn more about the streamlined research agreement: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/may/umkc-and-childrens-mercy-launch-streamlined-research-agreement.html

Ahead of commencement, UMKC School of Pharmacy graduates took part in their hooding ceremony in recognition of their achievements and next steps. Hooded by faculty and surrounded by family and friends, students marked an important milestone in their journey.

Congratulations, pharmacists — excited to see what’s ahead!

Congratulations to all of our School of Pharmacy graduates! Here are just a few of them who will be walking across the stage today! 🎓

Congratulations to Sophia Kovalenko on receiving the Dean of Students Honor! Every semester, exceptional graduating students across all academic units are honored with this award recognizing excellent academic achievement, leadership and service to our community. We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished while at UMKC.

Read more about the 2026 Dean of Students Honor Recipients: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/may/graduating-students-named-dean-of-students-honor-recipients.html

Congratulations to these students taking an exciting step straight into the pharmacy workforce! From community settings to health systems and beyond, they’re ready to put their Pharm.D. into practice and begin serving patients and communities after graduation.

We’re incredibly proud of each of these future pharmacists and can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make. 💙💊

We are excited to host the 56th Pharmaceutical Graduate Student Research Meeting in Kansas City this summer! This two-day meeting will include poster presentations, networking opportunities, career development with leading companies and a chance to learn from the leaders shaping the future of pharmaceutical science.

🎤 Keynote speakers include:
• Dr. Janelle Sabo (Pharm.D. '00) – senior vice president for clinical capabilities at Eli Lilly and Company, with extensive leadership experience in pharmaceutical R&D
• Dr. Liangfang Zhang – professor at the University of California-San Diego, a recognized pioneer in biomimetic nanotechnology and drug delivery systems
• Dr. Paramjit Arora – professor at New York University, whose research focuses on protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions inhibitors, as well as catalysts for peptide synthesis

📅 It's not too late to register! Take note of these important dates:
• May 8: Abstract submission deadline
• May 25: Final registration deadline
• June 4–5: Conference at the National WWI Museum and Memorial

👉 Register and submit your abstract here: https://umkc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4Vg6gJR7dorKwNU

We are thrilled to announce that after Phase II of the ASHP Residency Match, our students from the UMKC School of Pharmacy have achieved a 100% match rate!

Congratulations to all 45 of our students seeking residencies who are now matched, and thank you to all the faculty and staff members who helped each of these students along their academic journeys.