Meet Our Pharmacy Residents

Veronica Bundang, PharmD
PGY1 Master of Science and Health-System Pharmacy Leadership and Administration Resident

• Hometown: San Jose, CA
• Undergraduate Education: University of California, Santa Cruz
• Pharmacy School: University of California, San Francisco
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: I have always been dedicated to pediatrics, but it wasn’t until my last few months of APPEs that I shifted from pursuing an acute care residency to Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL). I never thought I would leave California, but my preceptors specifically pointed out Nationwide Children’s Hospital as an incredible freestanding pediatric institution that offered a HSPAL residency with a Master’s in Pharmacy Leadership. Looking into the program, I was impressed by how much care is put into each patient’s experience here - from exemplary patient care, down to the thoughtfulness of the smallest details in the hospital’s design. As many boxes as Nationwide Children’s had already checked off, my biggest priority in choosing a program was a supportive environment that fostered both the professional and personal growth of each resident through genuine mentorship. After every interaction during my interview, it became increasingly clear that this is exactly where I wanted to develop as a pediatric clinical pharmacist and grow as a leader. The connections with everyone at Nationwide Children’s, especially all my new best friends on this page, have made the move away from home well worth it!
• Areas of Interest: Clinical management, medication safety
• Personal Interests: Pottery and crafting, acquiring trinkets, New York Times games (especially a Tuesday crossword), spending time with family and friends

Adeola Balogun, PharmD, MBA
PGY2 Master of Science and Health-System Pharmacy Leadership and Administration Resident

• Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
• Undergraduate Education: Texas Southern University
• Pharmacy School: Cedarville University
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: When searching for a residency program, I prioritized finding a supportive and collaborative environment that encourages both learning and curiosity. Nationwide Children’s Hospital stood out to me because its department values and residency program goals resonate with my aspirations to advance my pediatric clinical skills and develop leadership abilities. Nationwide Children’s commitment to fostering a supportive environment while offering a wide variety of rigorous rotations and experiences was a significant draw for me.
• Areas of Interest: Formulary management, inpatient pharmacy operations
• Personal Interests: Spending time with family and friends, traveling, cooking, dancing and renovations

Sophia Amor Santos, PharmD
PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Resident

• Hometown: Canton, OH
• Undergraduate Education: The University of Akron
• Pharmacy School: Northeast Ohio Medical University
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: Throughout my residency decision process, it was important to me to find a program that not only prioritizes patient care at the forefront, but also fosters growth through strong mentorship, innovation, and interprofessional collaboration. During my rotation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I was inspired by the impactful work being done within the pediatric population and the supportive, team-based environment. I saw how pharmacists played a critical role in improving outcomes and advancing care, especially in ambulatory and specialty pharmacy settings, areas that closely align with my interests. I knew this was a place where I could thrive both professionally and personally, while continuing to develop into a compassionate and confident pharmacist.
• Areas of Interest: Ambulatory Care, Specialty Pharmacy, Primary Care
• Personal Interests: baking, cooking, drawing, playing tennis, and reading

Jillian Gould, PharmD
PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Resident

• Hometown: Batavia, OH
• Undergraduate Education: Cedarville University
• Pharmacy School: Cedarville University
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: As an APPE student, I had the privilege of spending a few months at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. During that time, I was both encouraged and inspired by the passion and commitment to best practices across all care teams for each individual patient. When searching for a pharmacy residency, I knew I wanted to grow as a pharmacist in a supportive and collaborative environment, that is focused on constant improvement and growth, Nationwide Children’s Hospital was just the place! The community-based program offers a unique experience by combining community pharmacy and ambulatory care pharmacy, along with opportunities for teaching in various settings. Nationwide Children’s Hospital allows me to care for patients across all stages of life, advocate for families, and grow into a confident and well-rounded pharmacist.
• Areas of Interest: Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, Specialty Pharmacy, Adolescent Medicine
• Personal Interests: Cooking, crocheting, playing volleyball, and exploring restaurants and markets in Columbus

Taylor Niese
PGY2 Pediatrics Resident

• Hometown: New Washington, OH
• Undergraduate School: Ohio Northern University
• Pharmacy School: Ohio Northern University
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: In high school I shadowed a PGY-1 pharmacy resident at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Following the memorable experience that I had, I made it my personal goal to obtain the very same position that I shadowed. I was fortunate enough to be an inpatient pharmacy intern at the institution for my last three years of pharmacy school. Though I had learning experiences in a multitude of areas and institutions, my heart has always been with Nationwide Children’s. The people and culture are unlike anything else that I have experienced.
• Areas of Interest: NICU, solid organ transplant
• Personal Interests: traveling, playing softball, watching/attending sporting events, going to the gym, studying Spanish

Jera Copley, PharmD
PGY2 Pediatrics Pharmacy Resident

• Hometown: Chillicothe, OH
• Undergraduate School: The Ohio State University
• Pharmacy School: The Ohio State University
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: I have always been drawn to pediatrics and since starting pharmacy school, it has been my goal to become a pediatric clinical pharmacist. I was fortunate enough to gain experience at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as an inpatient intern and through IPPE/APPE rotations. During these experiences, I was able to witness the caliber of preceptorship from clinical and staff pharmacists and recognized how much the interdisciplinary team valued pharmacists. Nationwide Children’s is a large teaching hospital that sees highly acute, unique patients, which allows for numerous learning opportunities each day. Additionally, this program offers a variety of robust experiences that will set me up for success in whatever I choose to pursue. Lastly, I have always felt welcomed and supported by the pharmacy team, which was important to me when pursuing residency.
• Areas of Interest: PICU, NICU and emergency medicine
• Personal Interests: Traveling, playing volleyball, attending sporting events, concerts, reading

Gabby Zerbini, PharmD
PGY1 Pharmacy Resident

• Hometown: Elyria, OH
• Undergraduate School: Ashland University
• Pharmacy School: The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: I started my pharmacy journey as a technician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and was fortunate enough to move into an intern role during pharmacy school. Throughout my time here I fell more and more in love with pediatrics and this institution. During my clinical experiences as an IPPE and APPE student, I learned so much about the residency program and what all the preceptors/leaders had to offer. Most importantly, the dedication to patient care, the safety culture and the positive department morale drew me to want to continue furthering my education here!
• Areas of Interest: Critical Care, Emergency Medicine and Hematology/Oncology
• Personal Interests: Crafts, traveling, playing sports/running, reading and discovering new places with my friends

Jessica Ambort (Allred), PharmD
PGY1 Clinical Pharmacy Resident

• Hometown: Little Rock, AR
• Undergraduate School: University of Central Arkansas
• Pharmacy School: University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences
• Why I Chose Nationwide Children's: I chose this residency for the breadth of rotations, welcoming environment, and how invested the pharmacy team is in our learning. This program offers ample teaching opportunities as well as the ability to hone clinical skills to make well balanced clinical pharmacists. Nationwide Children’s also provides several resources to ensure we get the most out of our experience as residents. Amongst these reasons, I primarily was interested in a program that offered me a “home away from home” with a supportive environment to promote my individual growth. I love everything about Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the pharmacy department, and all the wonderful patients I get to work with every day!
• Areas of Interest: Cardiology, critical care, heme/onc, pharmacogenomics
• Personal Interests: Weightlifting, reading, running, spending time with my husband and cats.