HELLO, my name is Paul Ranelli
Hometown: Born in New Haven, Connecticut. Raised in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
When did you become a member of UMRA? Soon after I retired in January 2022.
What was your very first job? Father’s community pharmacy. Started about age 10, doing 10-year-old things.
Where were you on November 22, 1963? In Old Saybrook, in our public-school classroom; an announcement came over the loudspeaker. Early dismissal. I was a walker to school. I went home and was glued to the TV for days.
What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? I was a professor at the University of Minnesota's College of Pharmacy, social pharmacy specialty. I was based on the college's Duluth campus for all my time with the University, just shy of 20 years.
What sparked your interest in using the arts to illustrate how medications impact patients’ lives? I was looking for unique ways to communicate with patients, practitioners, and health science students, including student pharmacists, about the complexity associated with medication-taking. The theater and visual arts have been where I've put my energy over the last 10 years of my career. I've had several projects hit the stage or exhibit space.
Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? When I come to the Twin Cities, I like Scholars Walk. On the UMD campus, I like the view of Lake Superior and the campus from my perch in the Malosky Stadium Press Box. That’s where I do public address announcing for the UMD women's soccer team.
What is a fun fact about you we might not know? I did community theater in Shawano, Wisconsin, when I was a practicing pharmacist for the Menominee Tribal Clinic in Keshena. One role: played Felix Unger in The Odd Couple.
What is something you currently enjoy doing with your time? In addition to my UMD public address announcing (women’s soccer and softball), I do voice overs, too. My photography. And, last but not least, I perform as Santa Claus for the Christmas City Express program at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth.