Fueling Future Pharmacists

When Macy Meng first entered the University at Buffalo’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences through the Early Assurance Program, she imagined a traditional career helping patients face to face. But thanks to support from the UB Fund, she discovered a new way to make an even bigger impact.

Meng, who earned her PharmD/MBA in 2025, used UB Fund resources to attend multiple professional conferences around the country. 

“Thanks to the UB Fund, I learned the impact I can have on a larger patient population,” Meng said.

Through conference sessions and conversations with professionals in the field, Meng discovered opportunities in managed care and pharmaceutical benefit management. She saw how pharmacists play key roles in ensuring access to lifesaving medications, managing costs and guiding ethical decisions about how drugs are used.

“One of the things that really stood out to me,” Meng said, “was realizing that pharmacists can influence how medications are priced and covered. We can make sure the right patients have access to the right treatments while also keeping care affordable.”

Those opportunities did more than expand Meng’s professional interests; they shaped her career path. After meeting a representative from IPD Analytics at a Washington, D.C., conference she attended through UB Fund support, she secured a competitive rotation with the company, gaining firsthand experience in health economics and market access.

Beyond professional growth, Meng said the experiences inspired her to think bigger about what is possible in her field.

“The conferences helped me keep dreaming,” she said. “They showed me that pharmacists can be innovators and leaders who redefine what our profession can do.”

Meng now encourages others to see how philanthropy fuels that kind of discovery.

“It’s not just about attending one conference,” she said. “It’s about continuous learning. Each experience builds on the last. Having a fund that allows students to keep exploring makes all the difference.”

Because of donor support to the UB Fund, students like Meng can pursue transformative opportunities that prepare them to lead in health care and beyond, turning curiosity and compassion into innovation that changes lives.