Jordan Scott Receives the Young Alumnus of the Year

By Dr. Karen Torraca, Professor of Chemistry

In the fall of 2013, a bright-eyed, enthusiastic aspiring chemistry teacher arrived at Houghton, prepared to take on the challenges of becoming both an educator and coach. God, it turns out, had other plans for Jordan Scott. Jordan developed a growing interest in research during his time in our first year Science Honors program, developing team-work skills as he and his classmates took on the challenge of studying climate change.

I first had the privilege of meeting Jordan during his sophomore year in my Organic Chemistry class.  Little did either of us know how much that year would change his academic trajectory and his life.  During that year he was excited to learn about organic chemistry as a basis for biological processes. He was so inspired, he decided to change majors from education to biochemistry, and I became his advisor.  Since he changed his major so late, we had to be a little creative in class scheduling, which lead to some real academic challenges. Jordan never let any of that deter him from completing the biochemistry major and he graduated in 2017.

While Jordan was a student, he still wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to do with biochemistry, and so he avidly sought out academic and research experiences, had conversations with alumni, and shadowed professionals.  Thinking maybe research was a direction he wanted to go, he completed intensive collaborative research with me during our Shannon Summer Research Institute during the summer of 2015.  Providentially, Jordan was able to take my Medicinal Chemistry class in the fall of 2015.  Learning about how small molecule drugs are designed and tested, Jordan found his calling in pharmacy.

Outside of the classroom, Jordan was a leader on campus. A four-year member of our men’s basketball team and a three-year member of our men’s tennis team, Jordan also served his classmates as an RA in Rothenbuhler Hall and as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Houghton University’s women’s basketball coach, Phil Pelligrino, was a teammate and fellow graduate of the class of 2017. “Jordan is one of the hardest workers I’ve been around,” remarked Coach Pelligrino. “He is someone who took his business very seriously, both on the court and off. Jordan was a very talented athlete, student and leader in the community.”

After graduation, Jordan headed to D’Youville College and began working toward a doctorate in Pharmacy (PharmD). Today, Jordan serves as Clinical Pharmacist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York.

As a specialist whose primary focus is on lymphoma, myeloma, and innovative cellular therapies, Jordan does far more than dispense medications. Jordan is an integral part of a patient’s care team, a go-to pharmacy resource for physicians and an educator for patients undergoing treatment. He is a mentor for pharmacy residents and a dedicated researcher who is helping to pioneer advancements in cancer treatment. Along with his work in the lab and with patients, Jordan is a member at large of the American Pharmacy Association.

Jordan lives in Buffalo with his wife, Nicole (Fink) Scott, a graduate of the Class of 2018. Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in school psychology from the University of Buffalo. She serves as a school psychologist at Court Street Elementary in the Lancaster Central School District.

Jordan remains a dedicated and connected member of the Houghton alumni community. He is an annual member of the 1883 Society and of Houghton’s Athletics Advisory Board, on which he chairs the Student Experience Committee. He’s been a volunteer alumni panelist for a sophomore vocational event and a BEST Talks panelist on the topic of cares in healthcare.

Jordan is a remarkable leader in the field of comprehensive cancer care. His patients, their families, and Jordan’s colleagues can all attest to the dramatic impact he’s had as a professional and leader at Roswell. Jordan has already demonstrated what it looks like to be a scholar-servant and we are excited to see what his future holds.

For these outstanding qualities, it is a privilege to name Dr. Jordan Scott the 2024 Houghton University Young Alumnus of the Year.