INPERSON
AWARDING
AN ALUM
Pine-Richland alum
Melissa Krause receives
the Recent Graduate
Alumnus Award from
the Duquesne University
Pharmacy Alumni
Association.
BY NICOLE TAFE
M
elissa Krause is well on her way to making a difference in the
world of pharmacy.
Now residing in Wexford with her husband Jonathan,
she grew up in the North Hills area and attended Pine-Richland
High School. She was inspired by many of her high school teachers
including foreign language teacher Tom Joyce and science teacher
Brenda Varbel, who sparked in Krause an interest in science and
influenced her desire to one day teach chemistry and help shape
students into conscientious leaders.
Krause continued her studies at Duquesne University and enrolled
in the Mylan School of Pharmacy. She decided to major in pharmacy
when she first visited Duquesne and took notice of the excellent
facilities offered in addition to the passion and dedication displayed
by the school’s students and teachers. “I learned early on in pharmacy
school that chemistry wasn’t my strongest subject, so it’s a good thing
I didn’t pursue my previous goal of becoming a chemistry teacher,”
laughs Krause. “Pharmacy turned out to be a perfect fit though, as it
has allowed me to educate people while also helping them improve
their health.”
Currently, Krause works as a consultant for Pharmacy Healthcare
Solutions, Inc., a pharmacist-led healthcare consulting firm in West
View. “Pharmacists help patients every day,” says Krause, explaining
that they perform a variety of clinical services to help patients improve
their health, including immunizations and education about chronic
conditions, in addition to acting as an advocate for patient health
and safety. “I’ve chosen to work in a setting that impacts patients at a
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population level, but I have such respect for pharmacists who care for
individual patients every day.”
As a part of the Allegheny County Pharmacists Association, Krause
has had the opportunity to work with many excellent pharmacists in
the Pittsburgh area and believes the profession can be especially great
for women. “There are a variety of career paths that a pharmacist can
take, and schedules can often be flexible to balance both a career and
home life,” she explains. “I feel so fortunate to work in a field and for a
company that values work-life balance and functions like a family.”
Krause was recently awarded the Recent Graduate Alumnus Award
from the Duquesne University Pharmacy Alumni Association. “I was
thrilled and humbled to be nominated for this award,” she says. “I
have learned so much from Duquesne’s professors, preceptors and my
classmates—it’s a privilege to return to my alma mater and help out
whenever possible through guest speaking and other activities that
promote student professional development.”
Outside of pharmacy, Krause has been a member of the North Hills
Toastmasters Club since 2011. She’s also pursued several activities
that help students of all ages and experience levels improve their own
public speaking skills, including a Youth Leadership Program for
teenagers, a Girl Scouts Troop project and presentations for an MBA
class at Chatham University. Her future plans include continuing
to hone her communication and leadership skills through deeper
involvement in the North Hills Toastmasters Club and to continue to
improve the learning experience of future pharmacy students. ■