Outstanding Student Service to the School by Dr. O. Guvench

Andrew Straffin, currently in his third year at the UNE School of Pharmacy, has committed to helping UNE pharmacy students – both present and future – get the best education they can. Since the fall of 2022, Andrew has been serving as a student representative on the School of Pharmacy’s Academic Affairs Committee. In doing so, he has been working with faculty on the committee to continuously review and improve our PharmD curriculum. Pharmacy faculty member Olgun Guvench, M.D., Ph.D., who is currently the committee Chair, says, “Andrew’s contributions during committee discussions are a great example of how students here have the ability to be impactfully involved. Andrew is able to view curriculum proposals through a student’s lens, and we, as faculty, pay close attention to his perspective since, ultimately, any changes to our courses will effect Andrew and future students directly.” Two other students serve with Andrew on the Academic Affairs Committee, and multiple other committee service opportunities exist for UNE PharmD students to gain valuable experience while making a positive impact on the School.