Pie The Professor: Binghamton School of Pharmacy holds fun, messy fundraiser

Things got messy for a good cause inside the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on Tuesday morning. Students, faculty and staff filled the atrium to watch their colleagues and classmates pie or get pied to help raise money for a local nonprofit.

For weeks leading up to the event, jars with the names of faculty and staff members sat in the atrium, where students passing by could put their money to show who they wanted to see get pied the most. All of the money donated goes directly to A Room to Heal, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create healing environments for children affected by serious medical conditions within our local communities.

Third-year pharmacy student Erin Wong eagerly making a whipped cream pie for a pharmacy faculty or staff member. Image Credit: Scott Sasina.

Third-year pharmacy student Erin Wong, who is also the president of the Binghamton chapter of the American Pharmacist Association the Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), helped to organize the annual event.

"We hold this event every year as a way to bring together all the cohorts and faculty/professors to get involved to give back to a nonprofit in the Broome County community," Wong said. "This year, we raised $237 for A Room to Heal. We're excited to help them and their mission. They prioritize children who are expected to spend a prolonged period of time in their home and try to make an environment that supports them physically and emotionally by working closely with the children's family members, healthcare providers and community."

Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences Tracy Brooks gets creative, using a garbage bag to protect her hair from her whipped cream fate. (See end result above) Image Credit: Scott Sasina.

Chair and Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Science Tracy Brooks was one of the faculty members who had the most money donated in her jar. Students cheered and laughed as she was the first one to get pied.

"It was great to watch the students get so involved in pie-ing their professors and it was some messy fun," Brooks said. "I was glad to take a pie in the face for such a great cause!"

Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Anthony Hopkins was the next faculty member to get a face full of whipped cream, and Director of Student Affairs James "JJ" Brice was the only staff member to meet the same messy fate.

"Throughout my career in student affairs, I have never shied away from volunteering to have a pie in the face, ride the board above a dunk tank, or endure some other embarrassment or discomfort for the good purposes of building community or serving others," said Brice. "I really appreciate the way this fundraiser has become a SOPPS tradition with such strong participation-it's great for the students to get experience planning the event and delivering for a good cause."

Clinical Assistant Professor Anthony Hopkins can only smile after taking a pie to the face from his students. Image Credit: Scott Sasina.

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