An inside look: New 22,000 sq. ft. alumni-supported learning and collaboration center

Students, faculty and staff will begin the 2026 spring semester with full access to the new Al and Linda Vrable Center for Pharmacy Excellence, marking an exciting new chapter for The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.

The capital project, launched in March 2025, adds 22,000 square feet of learning and collaboration space to the northeast corner of the Riffe Building’s first and second floors. Instructors moved classes into the two locations for the end of the 2025 autumn semester, to the excitement of their students. 

The renovation features:

• Three 150-seat active-learning classrooms equipped with advanced technology, including the existing classroom on the first floor
• A 2,200-square-foot student lounge with spaces for collaboration, quiet study and relaxation
• Five group study and meeting rooms
• A new kitchenette
• Testing space for exam accommodations
• Lounge seating with views of Ohio Stadium
• Staff offices

The new space received a significant donation from Allan K. Vrable, BS Pharm ’76, and his wife, Linda Vrable, as well as numerous other alumni and partners who demonstrated their commitment to future generations of pharmacy professionals through generous gifts toward the renovation.

“The generosity of our alumni and friends in providing financial support for this new learning suite is so important,” said Deanna Kroetz, PhD, BS Pharm ’85, dean and professor at the College of Pharmacy. “Our accomplished alumni and incredible partners, like our friends at Meijer, want to provide the best possible education for those who will be the next generation of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science leaders.” 

Visitors entering through the Dr. Milap C. Nahata Welcome Atrium, made possible by Ric Mora, BS Pharm ’63, will find a learning center designed to foster community. The space includes areas for pharmacy students to gather and the Ric Mora, BS Pharm ’63, Kitchenette, where they can warm up meals between classes.

Students have quickly made the new area their home, taking full advantage of the Ann and Barry Klein Family Student Lounge, a 2,2000 square foot space with hangout and collaboration spots. 

Connected to the student lounge are two student collaboration rooms made possible by Nancy Perilla Peoples; Max J. Peoples Sr., BS, PSU, 57;  Belinda D. Peoples, MS, OSU, 83; and William A. Peoples, BS, OSU, 83.

“I am most satisfied with the improvements to the student lounge and study spaces we can now offer our students,” said Adam Betz, MHA, chief administrative officer for the college. “This project allowed us to more than triple the space our students have to gather, socialize and study.” 

In addition to the student lounge downstairs, pharmacy students have access to a beautiful second-floor seating area, the Sagraves Buckeye Huddle, made possible by alumna Rosalie Sagraves, BS Pharm ’69. The space features a panoramic view of Ohio Stadium, and students can catch TBDBITL rehearsing on the fields just outside of the window as they study.

They can also access five group-study rooms: the Dr. Jack L. Beal Room, sponsored by alumnus Ric Mora; the Dr. Sheila M. Thomas-Jackson Group Study Room; the Ned Milenkovich Family Group Study Room; and the BS Pharmacy Class of ’85 Group Study Room – made possible by classmates Julie Johnson, PharmD; Deanna Kroetz, PhD; and Amy Wells Valley, PharmD.  

“The new Al and Linda Vrable Center for Pharmacy Excellence brings all of us together in a way we haven’t experienced before by creating one shared space for students to learn and connect,” said PharmD student Mari Lynn. “My favorite area from the new space is the group study rooms because I get to study without leaving the college, and I can easily share notes from the interactive boards to my own device. And as a bonus, you get an amazing view of The Shoe and the medical center!” 

Included in the renovation are the Dr. Robert J. and Barbara Weber Classroom, and Meijer Pharmacy Classroom. These spaces are a major highlight for students and instructors alike.  

“I’m confident we will produce the best pharmacy practitioners in the country," said Robert Weber, PharmD ’10, MS ’82, BS ’80, BCPS, FASHP, retired clinical professor and former director of the MS in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (MS HSPAL) program at the college. “Importantly, we can encourage students to take ownership of their learning and make the most of this space.” 

Like the first-floor Riffe Classroom–the earliest renovation of this project, completed in 2019 and also supported by Meijer–the two new classrooms employ active-learning technology, utilizing flexible furniture, whiteboards and digital screens so that every student has a front-row seat. 

“The addition of these classrooms means that faculty will no longer be adjusting their teaching to fit the space available,” Dean Kroetz said. “In recent years, there has been a lot of juggling for space in the existing Riffe Classroom. Importantly, this new space means that is no longer an issue, and it allows us to teach most of our core BSPS classes with integrated team-based learning, refreshing many of those courses.” 

The Al and Linda Vrable Center for Pharmacy Excellence marks a significant step toward modernizing the college’s approach to teaching and student engagement, allowing the college to further strengthen community and academic excellence.

“Education has changed a lot since the Parks Hall lecture rooms were built,” Dean Kroetz noted. “We are so excited to offer the level of engaged teaching that provides the best outcomes for our undergraduate and professional students in the new learning suite. The classrooms and student spaces will help us stay competitive in recruiting the top students and will build a stronger sense of community within the college.”