The spring semester is well underway here at Purdue. I hope 1997 is off to a great start for you. For the benefit of our new readers, this newsletter is intended to keep our pharmacy VIPs better informed about the school. The mailing list includes all Dean's Club members, Distinguished Alumni, and those individuals serving on one of our councils. I sincerely appreciate all you do for the school.

I regret to inform you of the death of Professor Jerry Blank. Jerry died of an apparent heart attack on December 22, 1996 -- just three days short of his 54th birthday. He was director of continuing education and had been on our faculty for 23 years. Jerry was very popular among students and well known and respected nationally by colleagues in the area of continuing education. All who knew Jerry will miss his friendly smile, the twinkle in his eye, and the hearty "how are you?" A memorial fund has been established by his family to benefit pharmacy continuing education. Contributions can be made to "Purdue Foundation - Jerry Blank Memorial". Checks should be sent to Mr. Bruce Hufford, Purdue University, 1330 R. Heine Pharmacy Bldg., W. Lafayette, IN 47907.

I was pleased by the large turnout on December 8, 1996 at the Purdue reception during the ASHP Clinical Midyear meeting in New Orleans. Over 200 folks mingled and seemed to have a good time. It was particularly exciting because during the reception we learned that our students had tied for first place in the first ASHP National Clinical Skills Competition. Congratulations to doctor of pharmacy program students Nanette Bultemeier and Clarissa Staley for representing Purdue so well. When one considers that 21 other schools, many with long-established and highly-respected doctor of pharmacy programs, participated in this two-day competition, this becomes a very distinguished accomplishment for Purdue.

Speaking of receptions, I hope you will come to the Purdue reception at the APhA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. It will be held Monday evening, March 10, 1997 from 5:30PM to 7:30PM, in the Santa Anita "C" Suite of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. I regret that I will not be at the reception. I will be down the road in San Diego officiating as president of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at their annual meeting. Associate Dean Bob Chalmers, Director of Development Bruce Hufford, and several of our faculty and students hope to welcome you and share all the exciting news about Purdue.

Varro "Tip" Tyler, Distinguished Lilly Professor of Pharmacognosy and former Dean of the School of Pharmacy, retired effective January 1, 1997. While he deserves to sit back and take it easy for awhile, his schedule is busier than ever. He will be writing and speaking on his favorite subject - herbal medicine. I hope you will join us in wishing Tip the very best in his semi-retirement years.

Professor Bruce Carlstedt, a member of our pharmacy practice faculty located in Indianapolis, was the 1996 recipient of the U.S. Pharmacist-Searle Service to Community Award. He received a beautiful Stueben glass vase to commemorate the award and directed a cash award from Searle to the school's scholarship account. You may recall from the last "Purdue Pharmacist" that Bruce was the Westfield Citizen of the Year and an olympic torch bearer in Indianapolis for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. I am delighted that so many of our faculty give of themselves through involvement in community activities. Congratulations, Bruce!!!

The Dean's Industrial Advisory Council will meet on Friday, April 11, 1997. The meeting was to be at the Radisson Hotel in Indianapolis, but the location has been changed to the new Lee's Inn in Lafayette. Details will be sent to Council members soon. Also, a reminder to the Dean's Professional Advisory Council members that our next meeting is Friday, May 9, 1997 at Turkey Run State Park. Please mark your calendar.

After an absence of two years, the Pharmacy Alumni Association is rejuvenating the Annual Pharmacy Alumni Seminar. The seminar will be held on Saturday, April 26, 1997 during Gala Week at Purdue. The education program will feature many of our new faculty members. We also plan to have Purdue women's basketball coach Nell Fortner and pharmacy student athlete Corissa Yasen present for you to meet. We have mentioned before that Corissa is the first Purdue woman athlete to win an NCAA national championship which she did last year in track and field by capturing the heptathlon title. Is it a surprise that she is playing great basketball for Coach Fortner even though it has been four years since she played competitive basketball? Numerous times this season Corissa has played all 40 minutes of the game. My, what stamina!!!

If you "surf the web" you might be interested to find a Purdue calendar of events at (http://www.purdue.edu/CALENDAR/). It includes sports, concerts, lectures, and many other items of interest.

A few quick kudos for some special alumni:

• Congratulations to Chuck Flemming (BS'57, HDR'94) who retired from Hoffmann-La Roche. I wonder if Madonna can get him off the golf course?
• Denise Dobek (BS'94), a community pharmacist with Osco/American Drug Stores in Woburn, MA, was named the 1996 Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year by the Massachusetts Pharmacists Association.
• Richard Markham (BS'73) has been promoted to chief executive officer for Hoechst Marion Roussel. Hearty congratulations on this prodigious achievement.