Carl Allison, Class of ‘76
College of Pharmacy alumnus, Carl Allison and his wife, Joan, community pharmacy
owners have pledged a generous $225,000 gift supporting the College of Pharmacy.
Carl graduated from UF College of Pharmacy in 1976 and worked for Revco Drugs for
10 years before the couple opened their first drug store, Baya Pharmacy, in north
Florida. Today they own two stores in Lake City and one in Jasper, Fla.
The Allison's support will help the college fund educational initiatives like the
Academy for Excellence, substance abuse prevention education, and student
scholarships via the Oscar Araujo Alumni Scholarship Fund. The college is honoring the
gift by establishing the Carl and Joan Allison Compounding/Dispensing Lab at the
Gainesville campus.
A member of the Dean's National Advisory Board since 2000, Carl's dedication to the pharmacy profession is evident through
his accomplishments. He received the 2005 Suwannee Valley Area Entrepreneur of the Year award, and in 1990 he was a
founding member of the Impaired Pharmacist Committee -- an intervention program.
Dr. Nicholas Bodor, a Distinguished Pharmaceutical Scientist
An internationally recognized scientist and graduate research professor, whose career
in drug design and delivery spans 40 years, Nicholas Bodor, Ph.D., gave a $600,000
gift to promote drug research at the UF College of Pharmacy. Executive director of
UF’s Center for Drug Discovery, Dr. Bodor and his wife Sheryl, have created a
Professorship in Drug Discovery to continue the area of teaching and research that
he enjoyed for nearly 25 years at UF’s College of Pharmacy.
The Bodors’ gift will allow the college to apply for state matching funds that will result
in a $1 million endowment to support the work of a UF College of Pharmacy faculty
member in drug discovery.
During his tenure at UF, Dr. Bodor supervised the training of more than 150 graduate
students and post-doctoral associates.
“Today, my students are working in all parts of the world – including Europe, Asia and
even Iceland,” Bodor said. “It’s like seeing your children grow and become successful
in their careers.”
Dolph Cone, Class of ‘58
Each November, the UF Alumni Association holds a Grand Guard reunion to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of graduation from the University of Florida. UF
pharmacy alumnus, John "Dolph" Cone, committed $25,000 in honor of his Grand
Guard reunion. A 1958 graduate, Cone hopes his pledge might serve as an example
for others who are considering giving back to the college. His gift will create the
Dolph Cone-Sandy Prickett Scholarship to support pharmacy students.
“I remember my first introduction to pharmacy when I took Dean Foote’s course.
Through that very early experience, I knew that pharmacy education suited me and
that it would enable me to be the master of my destiny. I always say, that’s when
pharmacy found me, and I found pharmacy.”
Many alumni feel the College of Pharmacy gave them the tools they needed to
succeed in their careers and often want to say thank you by supporting future
pharmacists. Each reunion class is challenged to continue the tradition of alumni
giving by making contributions to support students and faculty within the college.
Daniel J. Devine, Class of ‘85
Entrepreneur and University of Florida alumnus, Daniel J. Devine, CEO of Compass
Knowledge Group, a provider of distance learning services in Orlando, Fla. has
created an endowment of nearly $1 million for the William Riffee Dean’s
Endowment to support academic programs, research and technology in the UF
College of Pharmacy.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Devine returned 10
years later with a vision to aid the university in becoming a leader in distance
education. As an alumnus, Devine sees the importance of giving back to UF, and
found his passion in the development of distance learning services in partnership
with the college under the leadership of Dean William Riffee, Ph.D. He wanted his
gift to recognize the visionary leadership and difficult work Riffee initiated and had
built on for more than 10 years.
“It’s remarkable to see the educational opportunities that developed in the College
of Pharmacy in the time he has been dean, and I am proud to have been associated
with the college during these extraordinary times,” Devine said.
A winner of the 2010 Florida Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Devine was recognized as a company leader who
balances the roles of entrepreneur, client relationship builder, role-model, community — and family man, with commitment
and compassion. He has also served on the college’s National Advisory Board for more than 10 years. In 2008, the college
honored him with its Outstanding Pharmacy Service Award.
Laurie DuBow, a Friend to UF Pharmacy Education
In fall 2007, the College of Pharmacy received a $1 million gift to support the
graduate student research in the department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy.
The department research includes areas such as medication errors in hospitals, risks
for children taking stimulant drugs, and the cost and effectiveness of immunization
drugs — all of which may impact national health-care policies affecting all patients.
The gift from Laurie DuBow and his wife Linda, creating the DuBow Family Graduate
Student Education Fund is eligible to receive state matching funds from the State of
Florida Trust Fund for Major Gifts, offering a potential increase to $1.75 million.
The gift not only recognizes the future need for research in the ever-changing field of
pharmacy, it also serves as a lead gift in the college’s capital campaign,” said Dean
William Riffee. “Student and research support are two key areas of need in the
campaign.”
Valerie Griffith, Class of '62
Valerie Griffith, a long-time supporter, has made a commitment to education and research at
UF's College of Pharmacy. Her bequest will make a large contribution to the Academy for
Excellence, a fund that supports faculty development with the purpose of retaining and
recruiting highly qualified professors and teachers, and supports the work and research of
the faculty. Through her gift, she is establishing the Valerie Calkin Griffith Faculty
Development Fund.
In 2005, she created the Valerie Calkin Griffith Scholarship honoring her parents Claude and
Hazel Calkin to support pharmacy students in good academic standing. Griffith's gift was a
way for her to honor her parents, who she describes as hard-working people who believed in
education.
"My parents were always supportive of my education, and felt that education was essential for everyone," Griffith said. "I
thought that a scholarship was a way that I could give others the chance that my parents gave me, and that it was the best way
I could honor their sacrifice and their memory."
Richard Neal, Class of ’99, Neal Family Scholarship
Richard graduated from high school, 20 miles from UF in the small town of
Williston, Fla. His mother’s family had several generations of pharmacists, and his
father was a heavy equipment mechanic who ran his own business for 30 years.
After getting an AS degree, Richard worked for nine years in electronics.
His grandmother “kept after me” to go back to school, he said. So while working,
he continued taking classes for several years. It was her persistence that got him
into pharmacy education 10 years after high school.
Establishing the $100,000 Neal Family Scholarship in honor of his grandmother,
Richard said that it was also a tribute to his father, who passed away. His father
was sociable and liked talking with customers. Now, he credits his dad’s trait for his own patient-care skills. It was his entire
family’s support and encouragement that made him think about providing similar support to deserving pharmacy students.
“My father was the one that paid for everything and made sure we had what we needed. I was the only one on the Neal side of
the family to go to college,” Richard said.
Jeanne Scheibler, Class of ‘41
Jeanne Louise Scheibler was a graduate of the class of 1941. On November 17, 2006,
Mrs. Scheibler passed away, but because of her vision and desire to support future
pharmacy students, her legacy will live forever at the UF College of Pharmacy.
Before her death, Jeanne created a trust fund that would become the Jeanne
Scheibler Scholarship to support pharmacy students in need. She left a message to
her future scholarship recipients.
"I wish them good luck and want them to study hard. You have to concentrate, even
if your professor is boring, not go out and be playboys or playgirls. After you
graduate, start saving a nest egg, don't spend everything you make. When I was in
school (1938-41), the only women on campus were in pharmacy and law, so the
distractions were plentiful."
But Jeanne was not distracted. This is reflected in her success in pharmacy school,
where she received the Ramsaur Award and graduated first in her class, as well as in
her long career as a successful and respected pharmacist. By establishing a planned
gift to the UF College of Pharmacy, Jeanne Scheibler's legacy will forever be linked
to a college recognized for its commitment to excellence in educating pharmacy
students of the highest levels of promise and achievement.
Target Pharmacy Promotes Leadership Development at UF
Target Pharmacy has selected the UF College of Pharmacy as the
recipient of a Leadership grant of $150,000 over the next three years to
promote leadership development for the next generation of
pharmacists. Vice President of Target Pharmacy Operations, Chuck
Wilson, presents Dean Bill Riffee with a $50,000 check as the first
installment of the grant.
Click here for more information about the Target Leadership Series.
If you are interested in establishing a planned gift to the college, please contact
Kelly Markey at markey@cop.ufl.edu or (352) 273-6605. With a planned giving
strategy, you can put your assets to work in the College of Pharmacy as you
choose - while you and the college share in the benefits.