Pharmaceutical Science graduate builds student community through volunteer work

Giovanna Schver laughs when she says that she spent more time at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy than at her home during the six years she spent working on her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. On top of her demanding academic work, she volunteered and participated in student government activities, helping to build the graduate student community at the Faculty. Schver was recently recognized for her efforts with the U of T Student Leadership Award, (formerly Gordon Cressy Award).

While Schver was working on her Master’s degree at the Federal University of Pernambuco in her hometown of Recife, Brazil, she first visited U of T for a four-month research trip. She decided to come back to the Faculty and work under supervision of Ping Lee for her PhD, which focused on developing new strategies for enhancing the delivery of poorly soluble drugs to be more effectively absorbed by the body.

Schver had small volunteer roles early in her PhD, but she began getting more involved a few years into her degree when she was elected to student government. She held various positions in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Association (PSGSA), including social director and president, leading a team that organized many social, fundraising and education events. She also developed two successful new initiatives: a mentorship program that paired graduate students with mentors based on their career goals, and a series of lunch and learn events that allowed students to learn more about professors’ careers in an informal environment. Both of these programs helped with students’ interactions and created a greater sense of community in the Faculty.

“The Faculty is open to new ideas to make the program and experience better,” she says. “When I became involved, I saw how I could have a more direct impact on my PhD experience.”