Drs. Carmine and Jen Colavecchia are Purdue College of Pharmacy alums from the Class of 2013. Throughout Pharmacy School, Jen and Carmine sat next to each other for 3 years and even got engaged at their seats! After graduation, they moved to Houston, Texas, and got married. Jen started as a Pharmacy Manager at Target, transitioned into a Clinical Pharmacist role at HCA’s Kingwood Medical Center, and currently serves as a Division Director of Clinical Pharmacy for HCA. Carmine completed the 2-year health-system pharmacy administration residency program at Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH), transitioned into an Administrative Specialist role at HMH, and now serves as a Senior Director, Executive Medical Lead at Pfizer. Carmine completed his MS in Pharmacy Administration and PhD in Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy from University of Houston in 2014 and 2018.
Carmine and Jen are moving back to Houston from Austin this summer. They enjoy traveling (favorite destination—Thailand!), spending time with family and friends, exercising, spending time with their dog Arya (yes, like from the Game of Thrones), and reading!
Why did you decide to setup a scholarship in the College of Pharmacy?
We are so thankful for the education, training, and mentorship we have received from Purdue’s College of Pharmacy. We both benefitted from scholarships during Pharmacy School, and we would like other students to be afforded the same generosity we received. Also, we are tremendously proud of the education we received from Purdue, which has opened opportunities we never thought possible. While Purdue has done an excellent job of keeping tuition costs low compared to other Universities, we hope the scholarship will help give students a jumpstart towards paying off their loans post-graduation.
Why do you think it’s so important to “pay it forward” right now?
You can never pay-it-forward too early, and no time will ever be the perfect time to give back. We wanted to be able to help as many students as possible, therefore we made the decision to give back as soon as it became fiscally responsible. We hope our donation will encourage other young(ish) (I hope we still classify as that) alumni to support students and continue the great culture Purdue has built around supporting its students.
Where does your heart for philanthropy come from?
We were both fortunate to have great parents who instilled these values. In addition, Purdue’s philanthropic culture influenced us as students. The combination of our values and our pride for Purdue catalyzed us to create the scholarship.
Who do you hope will benefit from the scholarship?
Any College of Pharmacy student working their tail off, hopes to make a positive difference in the world, and needs a little help prior to graduation.
Thank you to Carmine and Jen Colavecchia for taking a Giant Leap during this year’s Purdue Day of Giving