College of Pharmacy celebrates Vrable Center for Pharmacy Excellence with Donor Impact Celebration and Open House
The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy hosted a Donor Impact Celebration and Open House for the Vrable Center for Pharmacy Excellence on April 24. The event welcomed faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors to recognize the impact of philanthropy at the college. Attendees included many who contributed to the completion of the Vrable Center, as well as several longtime supporters of student scholarships who continue to show strong commitment to student success.
The center, which fully opened in January, was named by Al and Linda Vrable. Al Vrable, a longtime volunteer and supporter of the College of Pharmacy, earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Ohio State in 1976.
The Vrable Center adds 22,000 square feet of new learning and collaboration space to the northeast corner of the first and second floors of the Riffe Building. The expansion includes the Dr. Robert J. and Barbara Weber Classroom and a third active-learning classroom. Similar to the Meijer Pharmacy Classroom on the first floor of Riffe—the project’s earliest renovation—both new classrooms feature active-learning technology, with flexible furniture, whiteboards and digital screens designed to give every student a front-row seat.
The evening began with a private ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Vrables, attended by family, friends and fellow Class of ’76 alumni. Dean Deanna Kroetz, PhD, BS Pharm ’85, welcomed guests and spoke about the new center and the Vrables’ dedication to the college. Claire Wollett, a Class of 2026 PharmD student and recipient of the Allan & Linda Vrable Pharmacy Scholarship, thanked the Vrables for their generosity. Al Vrable then offered remarks before guests gathered in the hallway near the new signage to cut the ribbon and take photos.
Following the ceremony, guests arrived for the Donor Impact Celebration and Open House, where they toured the new spaces while enjoying a strolling dinner, music, conversation and a visit from Brutus Buckeye. At 7 p.m., guests moved to the South Classroom for a formal program. Dean Kroetz shared additional remarks and introduced Ohio State Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Trevor Brown, PhD, who discussed the impact of the project. PharmD students Bryn Karns and David Joseph spoke about the positive impact of philanthropy on the student experience, followed by remarks from James McAuley, RPh, PhD, FAPhA, who provided a timeline of anecdotes to describe the transformative impact of this new educational space. The evening concluded with dessert and time for guests to socialize.
