UCSF School of Pharmacy

From inspiring words by UCSF School of Pharmacy graduates to wisdom shared by our leaders, these moments from commencement capture the excitement, purpose, and responsibility that lie ahead.

Swipe through to read powerful reflections from:

1: Balpreet Badhesha, PharmD ’26

2: Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS

3: Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm

4: Elizabeth Nguyen, PharmD ’26

5: J. Robert Powell, PharmD

We’re incredibly proud of the 118 new pharmacists in our Class of ‘26 and can’t wait to see the impact you will make in patient care, science, and health care.

The future of pharmacy is bright — and it’s in excellent hands.

As demand for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic continues to grow, researchers at the UCSF School of Pharmacy are examining how global regulations may affect access to lower-cost alternatives.

In a new study published in JAMA Health Forum, Watanabe, PharmD, MS, PhD, chair of UCSF's Department of Clinical Pharmacy, analyzed biosimilar approval policies across 19 countries and found significant differences that can slow development and limit patient access.

“Just 5% of prescriptions are for biologics like Ozempic, but they make up more than half of all drug spending,” said Watanabe, first author of the study. “Yet many countries aren’t equipped to quickly vet and approve of new biosimilars, limiting access for patients.”

The researchers say that greater alignment in biosimilar regulations could help speed access to these therapies, increase competition, and lower costs, much as generic drugs have done for decades.

Read more: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/06/global-rules-could-cut-costs-and-speed-access-to-glp-1-drugs

Not every future pharmacist starts their journey feeling fully ready.

In the case of Jay Samson, PharmD ‘26, Mariah Foley, PharmD ‘21, and Sara Shaikh, PharmD ‘21, the UCSF School of Pharmacy post-baccalaureate program was a game-changer.

From overcoming academic and professional setbacks to building careers in clinical care, leadership, and patient transitions, all three alums credit the program with helping them develop the confidence, discipline, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed.

Today, Samson is preparing to begin a health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residency at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Foley is a clinical pharmacist at Cottage Health, and Shaikh is a transitions of care pharmacist at UCSF Health.

Read more about how there is no single path into pharmacy: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/from-post-bacc-to-practice-where-are-they-now-0

As Samson put it: “An arrow can only be shot by being pulled back.”

On May 19, the UCSFUCSF School of Pharmacy celebrated 118 new pharmacists as the PharmD Class of 2026 crossed the stage at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. 🎓🎉💐

This year’s graduates represent the future of pharmacy: advocates, researchers, clinicians, and leaders committed to improving health for communities everywhere.

Among the class:

-42% are the first in their families to attend college
-93% are the first in their families to earn a doctoral degree
-More than 80% matched into postgraduate residency programs, fellowships, or advanced training opportunities

Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm, reminded graduates that pharmacists are often the most accessible health care providers — 89% of Americans living within 5 miles of a pharmacy — and challenged the class to “build bridges, close gaps in patient care, and innovate in ways that improve health for all.”

🔗 Read more about how our Class of 2026 is making us proud: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/class-of-2026-steps-into-future-of-pharmacy

Surrounded by cheering family, friends, faculty, and mentors, the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy celebrated the academic achievements of a new cohort of Doctor of Pharmacy graduates on May 19, 2026, at San Francisco's iconic Davies Symphony Hall.

We’re incredibly proud of our graduates, who now join a legacy of UCSF-trained leaders committed to advancing health and health care innovation through pharmacy.

Take a look at highlights from before, during, and after the ceremony, from being hooded by Dean Kathy Giacomini to handshakes with Chancellor Sam Hawgood. We welcome a new generation of PharmD professionals to the field.
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For more than six decades at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Professor Emeritus Leslie Benet, PhD ’65, has helped redefine the field of pharmacokinetics, changing how medications are dosed worldwide.

Honored as 2026 UCSF Pharmacy Alumni Association Alum of the Year, Benet, who has received nearly every major honor in pharmaceutical science and added an endowed professorship in 2024, remains focused on discovery.

His decades of research:

💊 established “clearance” as a practical framework for tailoring drug dosing to individual patients

💊 demonstrated the critical role of the intestine in drug metabolism

💊and helped confirm that generic drugs perform as effectively as brand-name medicines.

Yet he’s most excited about what he's doing today, applying Kirchhoff’s laws of physics to pharmacokinetics and challenging decades of conventional thinking.

Over his career, he has trained more than 150 doctoral and postdoctoral scholars. As Benet puts it: “It is a thrill to both make discoveries and to teach mentees who will carry them forward.”

🔗 Read more: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/leslie-benet-phd-65-named-2026-ucsf-pharmacy-alumni-association-alum-of-the-year

📷 1: Illustration by John Jay Cabuay

📷 2: Benet in lab (Credit: Majed Abolfazli)

📷 3: UCSF School of Pharmacy Dean Kathy Giacomini with Benet (Credit: Elisabeth Fall)

📷 4: Benet honored with endowed professorship (Credit: Elisabeth Fall)

From working in his family's construction business to delivering patient care on a reservation, Dallon Barfield’s path to pharmacy has been about creating his own lane.

This week, Barfield was presented with the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award, honoring pharmacy students who make significant contributions to public health.

A PharmD candidate in the UCSF School of Pharmacy Class of 2026, Barfield discovered the Indian Health Service (IHS) through mentorship, including a connection with former assistant surgeon general and UCSF alum Pamela Schweitzer, PharmD ’87.

During his rotation on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, AZ, Barfield learned how to navigate logistics, infrastructure, and, most importantly, trust.

“If you don’t ask the right questions, you could miss something huge and make a medication error,” he said. “Cultural awareness plays a critical role.”

Now pursuing the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, Barfield is focused on cultural immersion and understanding to help expand the scope and impact of his pharmacy practice.

🔗 Read more about his journey: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/from-construction-to-care-pharmd-candidate-finds-purpose-in-indian-health-service-0

📷 1: Barfield at UCSF School of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony

📷 2: Barfield (R) receives a United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award from (L) Lieutenant Commander Dustin Tran, BCPS and (center) Lieutenant Kevin Le, PharmD

📷 3: Barfield (center) with United States Public Health Service officers and staff from the UCSF School of Pharmacy Office of Student Affairs (L to R: Tran; Le; Pharmacy Student Learning Director and PharmD Advisor Julie Reed, MSSW, PhD; Associate Dean of Student Affairs Tram Cat, PharmD; Director of Student Affairs Fraylanie Aglipay; and (in back row) Admissions Director Joel W. Gonzales

Bani Tamraz, PharmD, PhD, associate professor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy Department of Clinical Pharmacy, played a key role in launching the UCSF Clinical Pharmacogenomics Program, California’s first initiative to systematically test for gene-drug interactions.

By embedding genetic data directly into clinical workflows, the program equips prescribers with real-time guidance, helping ensure patients receive medications that are safer and more effective based on their biology.

His work builds on foundational research by Kathryn Phillips, PhD highlighting how genetic variation can significantly influence drug response — and how often those differences are overlooked in standard care. At UCSF Health, that science is now being translated into practice, with pharmacogenetic insights actively guiding prescribing decisions across a growing number of conditions.

In recognition of these efforts, Tamraz and colleague Akinyemi Oni-Orisan, PharmD, PhD, received a 2024 STRIPE Double Helix Award for advancing pharmacogenomics and improving patient outcomes.

Read the full Q&A with Tamraz to learn how our pharmacogenetics research is reshaping patient care by reducing adverse drug reactions and expanding access to precision medicine. https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/05/how-pharmacogenomics-is-influencing-patient-care-qa-with-bani-tamraz-pharmd-phd

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Congratulations to the Community Outreach Student Alliance (COSA) for winning this year’s Community Education and Service Award from University of California, San Francisco Student Success Center from among over 70 nominations!

This year, COSA participated in over 30 health fairs and assembled 400 care packages. Through strong partnerships with organizations like APhA Foundation and Student National Pharmaceutical Association, they deliver patient-focused care and create outreach experiences that support both personal and professional growth.