{"id":237889,"date":"2025-11-12T17:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T22:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=237889"},"modified":"2025-12-02T15:49:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T20:49:57","slug":"alumni-spotlight-sam-abdelghanys-success-after-storrs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/11\/alumni-spotlight-sam-abdelghanys-success-after-storrs\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni Spotlight: Sam Abdelghany\u2019s Success After Storrs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up in Alexandria<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0Egypt,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0was first\u00a0<\/span>a businessman<\/span>\u00a0before\u00a0<\/span>following his love for pharmacy to the United States.\u00a0<\/span>Inspired by<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0American life portrayed in his favorite soap operas, Sam moved to Connecticut i<\/span>n 1990<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Headshot
Headshot of Sam (contributed photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When\u00a0Sam\u00a0moved to Connecticut,\u00a0after attending college in Egypt,\u00a0he\u00a0worked in several restaurants, most notably\u00a0Pizza Parlor in Windsor Locks,\u00a0before deciding to go back to school. With a dream of pursuing pharmacy,\u00a0Sam\u00a0got\u00a0his GED and began taking classes at Manchester Community College (MCC).\u00a0After running out of\u00a0pre-pharmacy classes at\u00a0MCC,\u00a0Sam\u00a0went to the UConn branch in West Hartford before eventually making his way to Storrs and graduating with\u00a0his Pharm.D. in 2001.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All throughout his time at\u00a0the\u00a0UConn\u00a0School of\u00a0Pharmacy,\u00a0Sam\u00a0worked tirelessly to\u00a0afford\u00a0his\u00a0education.\u00a0Toward the end of his time as a Husky,\u00a0Sam\u00a0began gaining hands-on experience as a CVS intern and\u00a0rotated his time between making pizzas and filling prescriptions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0reached graduate level\u00a0<\/span>work<\/span>\u00a0his last two years at UConn Pharmacy, he considered taking a break to\u00a0<\/span>save<\/span>\u00a0money to afford the increase in tuition. Michael Gerald, former Dean of UConn Pharmacy,\u00a0<\/span>along with classmates, stepped in to advocate for\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>. A scholarship was created for\u00a0<\/span>pharmacy students based on class rank, and\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>received $5000<\/span>\u00a0to help with his tuition<\/span>. With this scholarship,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0stayed at the\u00a0<\/span>School<\/span>\u00a0and graduated alongside his classmates two years later.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u00a0are\u00a0some people\u00a0who\u00a0say\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0self-made. But none of that is true.\u00a0You have to work\u00a0hard,\u00a0but you get breaks along the way.\u00a0I certainly got a lot of\u00a0support from the School of Pharmacy.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While Sam was busy during his time at the School, he made time for two important passions: research and love. As part of his honors thesis, Sam worked with a former UConn researcher named Ben Barr and explored neuron protection from drugs that can cause neurotoxicity. Sam experienced “chemistry” at UConn Pharmacy long before his honor thesis, however, when he met his wife. With two college-aged children, Sam and his wife shared their passions for pharmacy during their undergraduate experience and beyond, now both accomplished pharmacists.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every so often, when\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0had free time as a Husky, one could find him practicing his foosball skills with friends at Ted\u2019s after an exam or<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0stressful<\/span>\u00a0week of classes.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sam's
Sam’s last day of classes at UConn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sam<\/span>\u2019s claim to fame, besides his status as the pizza man, came during graduation in 2001<\/span>\u00a0when the\u00a0<\/span>School<\/span>\u00a0transitioned from a five-year\u00a0<\/span>baccalaureate<\/span>\u00a0degree (RPH) to a Pharm.D. degree.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>As part of the first Pharm.D. class to graduate from UConn and with his last name\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>Abdelghany<\/span>)<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0was the first person to receive his d<\/span>egree<\/span>!<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating from UConn and feeling inspired after taking a<\/span>\u00a0life-changing\u00a0<\/span>oncology<\/span>\u00a0class in\u00a0<\/span>his\u00a0<\/span>last<\/span>\u00a0year<\/span>\u00a0with a professor who became his mentor<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0started a residency in oncology<\/span>\u00a0at Yale New Haven Hospital.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Falling in love with<\/span>\u00a0his experiences during<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>his<\/span>\u00a0residency<\/span>\u00a0and the opportunity to follow his passions of oncology and research,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0has stayed at Yale for the past twenty years.\u00a0<\/span>After working as an oncology pharmacist for three years, <\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0took on the\u00a0<\/span>role of Clinical Manager,<\/span>\u00a0overseeing investigational drugs before they\u00a0<\/span>went<\/span>\u00a0to the market<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>before becoming Associate Director<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>In his current role<\/span>\u00a0as Executive Director<\/span>\u00a0of Oncology Pharmacy<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0has step<\/span>ped into admin<\/span>istration wit<\/span>h the\u00a0<\/span>ultimate goal<\/span>\u00a0of improving patient care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sam
Sam featured in Pharmacy Today<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Committed to ad<\/span>vancing patient care in collaboration with colleagues,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0is a member of several committees<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0including the Oncology Institutional Review\u00a0<\/span>Board<\/span>, System Pharmacy Strategic Planning Committee,\u00a0<\/span>and Yale New Haven Health Cellular Therapy Steering Committee.\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u2019s professional affiliations include the Connecticut Society of Health System Pharmacists, Hematology\/Oncology Pharmacy Association,\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>he American Society of Clinical Oncology, and\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>he American Society of Health-System Pharmacists<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Beyond his professional career,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0also received a Master of Health Administration in 2017 from Ohio University.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even after\u00a0walking across the stage\u00a0in 2001,\u00a0Sam\u00a0has truly never left UConn. As\u00a0a\u00a0UConn\u00a0adjunct faculty professor since 2004,\u00a0Sam\u00a0teaches oncology courses with the goal of inspiring young pharmacists and giving back\u00a0to a class that changed his career trajectory\u00a0twenty-five\u00a0years ago. In addition to his mentorship role at UConn,\u00a0Sam\u00a0has\u00a0also worked with UConn colleagues\u00a0on\u00a0legislation\u00a0to advance pharmacy practice and oncology\u00a0care.\u00a0Sam\u00a0has furthered this collaboration\u00a0as\u00a0a newly elected advisory board member at the\u00a0School.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like to teach because of the feeling that what I did made a student a better student or made a young pharmacist a better pharmacist.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Sam
Sam at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

S<\/span>am credits his patient interactions as one of the most rewarding parts of his career. Making a difference in someone else\u2019s life, through finding the right medication or ju<\/span>st being a positive source of hope, helps\u00a0<\/span>Sam\u00a0<\/span>get through some of the challenges of working in a demanding and fast-paced environment. Additionally,\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>finds his research coming\u00a0<\/span>back<\/span>\u00a0full<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>circle rewarding, through the development of new clinical trials for cancer patients to try.\u00a0<\/span>Cancer drugs that are now\u00a0<\/span>part of patients\u2019 standard of care were once clinical trials<\/span>\u00a0that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Sam<\/span>\u00a0worked in, a testament to\u00a0<\/span>how far cancer research h<\/span>as co<\/span>me.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When\u00a0asked\u00a0for\u00a0the advice he would give current Pharm.D. students,\u00a0Sam\u00a0emphasizes the endless opportunities within a career in pharmacy.\u00a0With these endless opportunities,\u00a0Sam\u00a0also\u00a0urges students to never stop learning, even beyond their time at UConn. Lastly, networking with people and finding a mentor can make all the difference.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0an exciting time to be a pharmacist,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0for sure.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alongside the pride that comes with his career,\u00a0Sam\u00a0is also a proud father of a son and\u00a0a\u00a0daughter. His son, growing up with both parents in pharmacy, is now a pre-pharmacy student at UConn.\u00a0Choosing UConn because of the great pharmacy program (and seeing his dad\u2019s name etched into the walls of the School\u00a0on UConn Bound Day),\u00a0Sam\u2019s son is excited to follow in his parents\u2019 footsteps.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once a UConn pharmacy student\u00a0making\u00a0pizzas in his\u00a0spare time,\u00a0Sam\u00a0has\u00a0spent the last twenty-five years saving\u00a0the\u00a0lives of his patients through oncology care and shaping\u00a0the\u00a0lives\u00a0of his students through mentorship.\u00a0Leading with a grateful heart,\u00a0Sam\u00a0embodies what it means to be a Husky!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An experienced and championed leader in oncology pharmacy, Osama (Sam) Abdelghany (Pharm.D.) was once a student working at a pizza place to afford his UConn education. Nicknamed the \u201cpizza man,\u201d Sam\u2019s dedication to the pharmacy field for the past twenty years is a testament to his tenacity in pursuing his passion for pharmacy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":221,"featured_media":237900,"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":[2644],"class_list":["post-237889","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":"2026-05-26 23:10:45","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\/237889","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\/221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237889"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238632,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237889\/revisions\/238632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/237900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237889"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=237889"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=237889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}