Kathy Petsos, R.Ph.,’79, has never forgotten the impact the UF College of Pharmacy had on her life. Grateful for her education and the community it gave her in pharmacy, she and her husband, Arthur, recently made a $50,000 gift to support cancer research.
Their decision was deeply personal — both have lost their mothers and many loved ones to cancer. The gift will initially support graduate students working on cancer research, as the Petsos honor those lost to the disease while paving the way for future discoveries.
“Helping graduate students working on life-saving cancer research felt like the most meaningful way to give back,” Kathy said. “The UF College of Pharmacy has shaped who we are, and this gift is our way of paying it forward.”
The Petsos live in Cocoa, Florida, and have proudly supported her alma mater for years, attending alumni BBQs and helping coat students at the White Coat Ceremony. Kathy is a former College of Pharmacy alumni president and has served on the college’s Dean’s Leadership Council, the Dean’s National Advisory Board and the philanthropy committee. She also played a key role in starting the white coat fundraising campaign more than a decade ago.
Outside of UF, she has graciously given her time to advancing the pharmacy profession through leadership roles as the former president of the Florida Pharmacy Association and the Brevard County Pharmacy Association and a long-time member of the American Pharmacists Association.
“It’s always been very important to me to give back to the pharmacy profession and the UF College of Pharmacy,” Kathy said. “I would encourage other donors to look into their hearts and do the same. Find your passion for helping others.”