2025-2026 Pharmacy Residents
Christopher Cassara, PharmD
Title: Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident (first of two years)
My name is Christopher Cassara, and I was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I earned my Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Georgia before moving out west.
I'm excited to experience all that Utah has to offer—especially the skiing and its incredible national parks. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games, traveling, trying new foods, and staying active through sports.
David Elias, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Practice Resident (Acute Care)
David was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, four hours south of Tucson, Arizona where he attended the University of Arizona for both his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and his PharmD. David is excited to join the University of Utah Health for his acute care PGY1 residency and to further pursue his interest in emergency medicine.
In his free time, David enjoys playing golf, chess, watching his various sports teams, and exploring new restaurants and breweries.
Yara Elmoazen, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Practice Resident (Ambulatory Care)
Yara was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. She completed her undergraduate degree at The College of Staten Island, NY, and her Doctor of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy (Go Heels!). Her professional areas of interest include ambulatory care, chronic disease management, and endocrinology.
In her free time, Yara enjoys crocheting, watching soccer games, and hanging out with friends. She is looking forward to exploring Utah, enjoying the snow, and trying new restaurants!
Andrew Fritz, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Practice Resident (Ambulatory Care)
I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio and received my Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degrees from The University of Toledo. My professional areas of interest include cardiology, endocrinology, primary care, and academia.
Outside of pharmacy, I enjoy playing soccer, disc golf, and ping pong, trying new restaurants, and spending quality time with my cat, beans.
Drew Harris, PharmD
Title: Oncology Specialty Resident
Drew Harris grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. She obtained her BLA in Cellular Molecular Biology from DePauw University and also graduated as an Honor Scholar. Throughout her life, she competitively figure skated for 16 years prior to attending DePauw. She then transitioned back to Utah to obtain her PharmD from the University of Utah. While obtaining her PharmD, she interned for the Utah Poison Control Center. She completed her PGY1 at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, UT and completed a longitudinal research project regarding the impact of omitting a fluorouracil bolus with leucovorin on patient outcomes in mFOLFOX6 regimens.
Fun facts: Drew enjoys cycling and skiing Alta. She also enjoys gardening and focuses specifically on plants that attract bees! Drew and her fiancé, Caleb, enjoy hiking, skiing, and spending time with friends, family, and their two dogs, a chihuahua-pomeranian mix named Bing and a whippet named Penny. Drew is very excited to start her PGY2 at Huntsman in July!
Emily Hayes, PharmD
Title: Infectious Diseases Specialty Resident
Emily grew up in the west metro area of Minnesota and completed both her undergraduate studies and Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Minnesota. She then pursued a PGY1 acute care pharmacy residency at St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Her clinical interests include multidrug-resistant infections, antimicrobial stewardship in the emergency department, and critical care.
Outside of pharmacy, Emily enjoys spending time at the cabin with family and friends, baking, crafting, and cheering on Minnesota sports, especially the Gophers!
Adriana Daniel Hudson, PharmD
Title: Oncology Specialty Resident
Adriana grew up in Massachusetts and earned her undergraduate degree from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, before completing her PharmD at the University of Minnesota. She went on to complete her PGY1 residency at the University of Utah Hospital and is excited to continue her pharmacy journey with the health system as a PGY2 oncology resident.
Adriana enjoys spending time with friends doing trivia or playing board games at local breweries. Outside of game nights, she loves being outdoors and staying active with hobbies like hiking, paddleboarding, and, most recently, learning to golf. She shares two dogs, Valerie and Millie, with her fiancé, Jake. Together they are eager to continue to explore Utah!
Erin Kajihiro, PharmD
Title: Solid Organ Transplant Specialty Resident
Erin was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii, and received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She completed her PGY1 at The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas. Erin is excited to join us and continue her training as a PGY2 resident in solid organ transplant here at U of U Health.
In her free time, Erin enjoys trying new recipes and restaurants with her significant other, baking, hiking, bouldering, and traveling. She's excited to explore Utah!
Jordan Kalthoff, PharmD
Title: Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident (second of two years)
Jordan was born and raised near Colorado Springs, Colorado and completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Doctor of Pharmacy from The Ohio State University (Go Bucks x2!!). She is so excited to be back near the mountains to grow her clinical and leadership skills at U of U Health. Her professional areas of interest include clinical operations management, pediatrics, and medication safety.
Outside of pharmacy, Jordan loves to hike, snowboard, and travel. She can also often be found at concerts, at a workout class, or on a restaurant patio and is very happy to be doing her residency at a place that has it all!
Lauren Kobasuk, PharmD
Title: Emergency Medicine Specialty Resident
Lauren was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and completed both her undergraduate and PharmD degrees at THE Ohio State University--go Bucks! She completed her PGY1 here at the University of Utah Health and is so excited to be staying to pursue an emergency medicine residency. Her interests lie in emergency medicine, critical care, and humanitarian crisis medical care.
When she is not working she loves anything outdoors in the mountains--from hiking to skiing to snowboarding.
Chloe Matsuda, PharmD
Title: Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident (second of two years)
Chloe was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado and received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She completed her PGY1 residency at the University of Utah and is looking forward to specializing in administration and leadership during her second year.
Her professional areas of interest are clinical management and operations. Outside of residency, Chloe enjoys running, baking, cooking, and visiting National Parks!
Mudita Modgil, PharmD
Title: Oncology Specialty Resident
Mudita grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey. She completed her pharmacy school at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She went on to do a PGY1 at RWJBH-Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ and is now pursuing a PGY2 in oncology at University of Utah/Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Outside of work, Mudita enjoys being outdoors- hiking, swimming, or playing sports. She also enjoys cooking and trying new recipes.
Sarah Okeafor, PharmD
Title: Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Resident (first of two years)
My name is Sarah Okeafor, and I am a recent graduate of The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. I have a deep interest in pharmacy leadership and I am also eager to expand my clinical knowledge and expertise. I’m incredibly grateful to have recently matched with the University of Utah for a combined Health-System Pharmacy Leadership and Administration residency, where I look forward to learning from an incredible team of mentors and further shaping both my leadership style and clinical foundation. Leadership has always been at the heart of my pharmacy journey, and I’m passionate about uplifting others and becoming a strong, influential voice in the profession.
Emily Punzal, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Practice Resident (Acute Care)
Emily was raised in Ashland, Kentucky. She attended the University of Kentucky where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Psychology before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan to complete her PharmD at the University of Michigan. Her clinical interests lie in critical care and cardiology.
In her free time, she loves trying new restaurants, going on long walks, making matcha lattes, and is currently attempting to learn how to crochet!
Joe Rapp, PharmD
Title: Ambulatory Care Specialty Resident
Joe was born and raised in Centerville, Utah. After graduating from Utah State University with a BS in human biology and a chemistry minor, he attended the University of Utah to receive his PharmD. He is passionate about ambulatory care, emphasizing working with patient populations from minority groups. Joe completed his ambulatory care setting PGY1 with University of Utah Health and is excited to continue his training as an ambulatory care PGY2 resident.
Sierra Schippers, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Practice Resident (Acute Care)
Sierra was born in Thousand Oaks, California and raised mostly in Herriman, Utah. She received an Associate of Science from Snow College before pursuing her PharmD at the University of Utah. Sierra is excited to explore her professional interests of internal medicine and critical care during her PGY1 with University of Utah Health.
Outside of pharmacy, Sierra enjoys rock tumbling, bedazzling, and paddleboarding. She is also hoping to adopt a cat sometime soon.
Seohee Shin, PharmD
Title: Cardiology Care Specialty Resident
Seohee received her Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Studies and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in Lawrence, Kansas. She completed her PGY1 pharmacy practice residency at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and is excited to continue pursuing her interests in cardiology as a PGY2 specialty resident.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling to new places, and trying different restaurants. She is looking forward to exploring Salt Lake City and discovering all the local food spots and outdoor adventures it has to offer.
Aracely Sosa, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Informatics Specialty Resident
Aracely was born and raised in El Paso, TX. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Texas at El Paso and earned her PharmD at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy in Denver, CO. She later completed her PGY1 residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. She is very excited to continue her PGY2 informatics training in Salt Lake City.
Outside of work, Aracely enjoys many things including attending concerts, watching movies at the theater, trivia nights, jigsaw puzzles, and swimming. She is excited to be back near the mountains to enjoy hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities that can be found in Utah.
Matthew Turnipseed, PharmD
Title: Oncology Specialty Resident
Matthew grew up in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. While at Rutgers, he cofounded and served as president of the university’s bowling team. He completed his PGY1 pharmacy residency in Philadelphia at Penn Medicine’s Pennsylvania Hospital.
Matthew enjoys traveling, and his favorite place he’s seen so far is Greece because of the culture and delicious food. He enjoys listening to music, with favorite bands including Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, and Rush. He is a big Philadelphia sports fan (go Eagles), likes to golf, and is excited to explore Utah and the surrounding areas through hiking!
Landon Welch, PharmD
Title: Pharmacy Practice Resident (Acute Care)
Landon was born and raised in South Weber, Utah. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Utah before continuing on to earn his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. Clinically, he is passionate about acute care, with a particular interest in oncology and hematology. As a PGY1 resident, he is excited to further explore and grow within these areas.
Outside of pharmacy, Landon enjoys spending time with his wife, Ashley, and their two children, Berlynn (9) and Madden (5). As a family, they love being outdoors, trying new foods, and discovering new places together.