The Pharmacy Changemakers Who Shaped 150 Years of Innovation

For 150 years, the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy has been leading at pharmacy’s edge. While groundbreaking discoveries, pioneering programs and historic firsts have defined our legacy, the true story of our College is a story of people.

Faculty members who challenged conventional thinking. Alumni who transformed industries. Researchers whose discoveries improved patient care around the world. Educators who reimagined what pharmacy education could be. And staff who support our mission and make innovation possible every day.

As we celebrate our sesquicentennial, we recognize the pharmacy changemakers whose vision, determination and innovation shaped not only the College of Pharmacy, but the profession itself.

The Visionary Who Started It All

Every great institution begins with someone willing to challenge the status quo. For Pharmacy, that person was Albert Prescott.

When the School of Pharmacy was formally established in 1876, Prescott became its first dean. At a time when pharmacy education was largely apprenticeship-based, he championed a revolutionary idea — pharmacists should be educated through science-based academic study.

His insistence that pharmacy education be rooted in basic science was controversial. Many professional and educational leaders opposed his approach. Prescott remained steadfast.

History proved him right. Within a few decades, pharmacy schools across the nation adopted the scientific educational model he advocated. His vision transformed pharmacy education and laid the foundation for the research-driven profession we know today.

Opening Doors and Expanding Opportunities

Long before inclusion became a national conversation, the College welcomed all students — often students who were excluded from higher education opportunities.

In 1871, cousins Amelia and Mary Upjohn became the first women to graduate from the pharmacy school and were the third and fourth women to graduate from the University of Michigan. Decades before women gained the right to vote, they demonstrated that pharmacy had no gender boundaries.

The College’s commitment to expanding access continued in the early twentieth century, with some of its earliest documented Black students graduating in 1912.

These trailblazers helped establish a culture of opportunity and openness to all that continues to define the College today.

Building a Research Powerhouse

The College’s rise as a global leader in pharmaceutical research was driven by a series of visionary faculty members and researchers.

Among the most influential was Frederick Franklin Blicke, founder of our nation’s first PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and nationally recognized leader in synthetic organic pharmaceutical chemistry. 

Over the following decades, pioneering scientists including William Higuchi, Anthony Simonelli, George Zografi, Norman F. H. Ho and John G. Wagner elevated the College’s reputation and helped establish Michigan as an international leader in pharmacy research.

Wagner, in particular, became known worldwide as one of the founding fathers of pharmacokinetics, helping scientists better understand how drugs move through the body and laying the groundwork for safer and more effective medication use.

Their contributions continue to influence pharmaceutical research, drug development and patient care today.

Discoveries That Reached Patients Around the World

In the 1980s, faculty members Leroy Townsend and John Drach began researching treatments for cytomegalovirus (CMV), a potentially serious viral infection. Their work led to the co-invention of maribavir, an antiviral medication developed to treat CMV infections.

After years of research, development and clinical testing, maribavir received FDA approval in 2021, demonstrating how discoveries made in university laboratories can ultimately improve care for patients worldwide.

Redefining Pharmacy Practice

As healthcare evolved during the twentieth century, College faculty helped define what it meant to be a pharmacist.

One of the most influential figures in this transformation in bringing pharmacy practice into the College was Rosemary Berardi. A PharmD alumna, Berardi became the first female clinical pharmacist and the first PharmD appointed to the College’s faculty. She played a critical role in building the clinical pharmacy program, teaching hospital pharmacy and developing some of the earliest institutional pharmacy practice experiences for students here at Michigan.

Her work helped shift pharmacy toward a more patient-centered model and expanded opportunities for future generations of clinical pharmacists.

The College continued to lead the profession through faculty members whose expertise shaped patient care nationwide. Leaders such as Lynda Welage in burn and trauma care, Sally Guthrie in psychiatric pharmacy, Barry Bleske in cardiology and Peggy Carver in infectious diseases became nationally recognized experts in their fields.

More recently, Hae Mi Choe’s development of the embedded pharmacist model demonstrated how pharmacists can be integrated directly into healthcare teams to improve patient outcomes. The model has become a national example for expanding pharmacist-led care and has been adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Alumni Who Changed Industries

The impact of Michigan Pharmacy graduates extends far beyond traditional pharmacy practice.

• Harvey A. K. Whitney, a 1908 graduate, established the nation’s first pharmacy residency program in 1927 while serving as chief pharmacist at University Hospital. His vision for postgraduate training forever changed professional development in hospital pharmacy.
• Hans Vahlteich combined scientific expertise with entrepreneurial innovation. Best known for holding the patent for a chemical process used in margarine production, he also played a significant role in helping transform Hellmann’s Mayonnaise into a household name.
• Joseph Burckhalter’s research contributions earned him induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, recognizing his pioneering work involving isothiocyanate compounds used for antigen identification.
• Gordon Amidon, an alumnus and creator of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System, advanced pharmaceutical research through his groundbreaking work in drug development and delivery.
• Josiah K. Lilly Jr., grandson of the founder of Eli Lilly and Company, studied at Michigan before helping lead one of the nation’s most important pharmaceutical organizations. 
• John Gideon Searle, grandson of the founder of G.D. Searle, similarly carried forward a legacy of pharmaceutical innovation.
• Alumna Tiffany Ofili Porter represented Great Britain in three Olympic Games, demonstrating the diverse paths Michigan Pharmacy graduates have pursued while excelling on the world stage, and she continues to serve as a pharmacist.

Continuing a Legacy of Leadership

The College’s history of changemakers continues today. In 2021, Vicki Ellingrod became the first female dean in the College’s 145-year history. Her appointment marked another milestone in a long tradition of breaking barriers and expanding opportunities.

Today’s faculty, students, alumni and researchers continue to build upon the foundation established by those who came before them. Whether advancing precision therapeutics, discovering new medicines, improving patient care models or educating the next generation of pharmacists, they are carrying forward a legacy of innovation that spans 150 years.

Looking Ahead

The story of the College of Pharmacy is not simply a history of programs, buildings or rankings. It is the story of individuals who saw opportunities where others saw obstacles, who challenged conventional thinking and who believed pharmacy could do more.

For 150 years, these changemakers have shaped the profession, improved health outcomes and expanded the possibilities of pharmacy.

And the next chapter is still being written.