{"id":222842,"date":"2025-03-05T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=222842"},"modified":"2025-11-18T14:03:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T19:03:20","slug":"reminiscing-with-the-class-of-1975-a-look-back-with-school-of-pharmacy-alumni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/03\/reminiscing-with-the-class-of-1975-a-look-back-with-school-of-pharmacy-alumni\/","title":{"rendered":"Reminiscing with the Class of 1975: A Look Back with School of Pharmacy Alumni"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cynthia Huge vividly recalls her time as a pharmacy student in the 1970s, a decade marked by cultural and political trouble. The Vietnam War protests and the Kent State shootings were important events during her college years. \u201cIt was a time of turmoil,\u201d she says, noting the era\u2019s profound impact on campus life. Despite these challenges, she felt her class embodied resilience and community.<\/p>\n

The pharmacy field itself was undergoing significant changes. \u201cPharmacy was shifting from independent ownership to chain drug stores,\u201d Huge says. She believes this evolution opened the profession to more women. Her class of 1975 reflected this progress, with women making up 25% of students\u2014an increase from just 10% a few years prior.<\/p>\n

Huge says that choosing to study pharmacy was a big decision. She had worked in a pharmacy during high school but entered UConn with little knowledge about the profession\u2019s rigorous scientific foundation. \u201cI thought all pharmacists did was type labels,\u201d she says. Adjusting to courses like chemistry and physics wasn\u2019t easy, but her determination and support from classmates helped her through.<\/p>\n

\"Cynthia
Cynthia Huge with the rest of the 1975 yearbook staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some of her fondest memories came from moments of creativity and humor. As co-editor of the yearbook, Huge and her team playfully dedicated it to the animals sacrificed in lab experiments. To fund the project, they organized a beer fest, a memorable event that showcased the community spirit of the School of Pharmacy.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on her journey, Huge acknowledges that the friendships and experiences she gained at UConn have shaped her life. \u201cIt was a different time, but the connections I made are still meaningful today,\u201d she says. For aspiring pharmacists, she offers a simple message: embrace challenges, value collaboration, and treasure the lifelong bonds formed along the way.<\/p>\n

For Marghie Giuliano, the 70s at the School of Pharmacy were a time of transformation, both personally and professionally. Reflecting on her student years, Giuliano describes the decade as \u201cunique, not just culturally and politically, but academically.\u201d She recalls a time of significant curriculum changes, which posed challenges for students and professors alike. However, these challenges fostered resilience and growth.<\/p>\n

\"Marghie
Marghie Giuliano posing for the 1975 yearbook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe were labeled disruptive because we stood up for ourselves,\u201d she says, recalling how her class was characterized by their willingness to question authority and advocate for their needs. These experiences strengthened her sense of self and cultivated a collaborative spirit among\u00a0classmates. Giuliano fondly remembers the friendships that defined her experience: \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to see anybody fail. There was a real sense of collaboration instead of competition.\u201d This support network forged lifelong friendships and set a foundation for her career.<\/p>\n

Giuliano\u2019s connection to UConn runs deep, reinforced by a family legacy in pharmacy. Her uncles, including one who also graduated from the School of Pharmacy, inspired her journey. Entering UConn for her first professional year was a significant transition from her small college background, but she found a welcoming community. \u201cUConn has always been there for me\u2014sometimes challenging me, sometimes supporting me,\u201d she says. This enduring relationship with the university shaped her professional life, offering a sense of home within the larger institution.<\/p>\n

Looking back at the evolution of pharmacy, Giuliano marvels at the growth of the profession. \u201cWhen we graduated, there were only three options: hospital, retail, or industry. Now, opportunities are endless,\u201d she says. Giuliano encourages today\u2019s students to broaden their horizons and embrace change, emphasizing the importance of leadership and adaptability. \u201cChallenge yourself, step into leadership roles, and keep your vision of pharmacy open,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Jack Collins had an unexpected start to his pharmacy career. Initially studying business at Boston College, a middle-of-the-night epiphany led him to transfer to UConn to follow in the footsteps of his pharmacist father and grandfather.<\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up in the middle of the night and said, you know what? You need to go back to the pharmacy,\u201d Collins says. \u201cI felt that strongly. I\u2019m from Connecticut. That\u2019s the school you want to go to if you\u2019re going to become a pharmacist.\u201d<\/p>\n

His time at UConn wasn\u2019t easy. The pharmacy program was intense, with five years of\u00a0science-heavy courses that left little room for anything else. \u201cIt was science from freshman year through your fifth year, all in, full bore, and it was hard,\u201d Collins says. Courses like organic chemistry and long lab sessions were especially challenging. \u201cOrganic was brutal\u2026physics was hard, physics labs were hard.\u201d But despite the challenges, Collins cherishes the relationships he formed with his classmates. \u201cWe had a great class. A lot of successful people came out of that class, and some of them are still good friends, even 50 years later.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he entered the professional world, Collins saw the pressures of retail pharmacy firsthand and knew it wasn\u2019t the right path for him. In the 1990s, he pivoted to Home Infusion Therapy and Compounding. \u201cRetail pharmacy wasn\u2019t going to sustain my growing family,\u201d Collins says. \u201cSo, I did something different, and it worked out well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jack
Jack Collins catching up on his studies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Collins\u2019 career highlights the adaptability of UConn graduates. He found success in niche areas of Pharmacy which allowed him to grow professionally and personally.<\/p>\n

As UConn celebrates 100 years of excellence, the class of 1975 stands as a testament to the school\u2019s enduring legacy. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe it\u2019s been 50 years,\u201d Collins reflects. \u201cBut I\u2019m just happy to be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For future students, Collins\u2019 advice is clear: \u201cTry to find a branch of pharmacy that\u2019s going to use your six years of very difficult education.\u201d Collins encourages students to look for niches where they can apply their education and make a real impact, whether in hospitals, compounding, or other areas. \u201cThe opportunities are endless\u2014go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the UConn School of Pharmacy celebrates its centennial, alumni from the class of 1975 mark their 50th reunion year. They share their journeys, highlighting the resilience, friendships, and evolution of pharmacy over the decades. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":222848,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1864],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2449,2632],"class_list":["post-222842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pharm"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-27 02:08:18","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/187"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222842"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":226558,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222842\/revisions\/226558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/222848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222842"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=222842"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=222842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}