School of Pharmacy Takes National Honors

By Elizabeth Chapin on April 10, 2009 3:09 PM

The American Pharmacists Association, the Rho Chi Society, the Phi Delta Chi national fraternity and the American Pharmacy Student Alliance recognized USC students and faculty members at annual meetings held from April 9-13 in San Antonio.

“Once again, our students and faculty have had an extraordinary showing at an important national meeting,” said R. Pete Vanderveen, the School of Pharmacy dean. “I am inspired by the very fine work they are doing and proud of the recognition they have received.”

At the American Pharmacists Association’s meeting, USC student Bonnie Hui was one of four students nationwide to be awarded the APhA-Academy of Student Pharmacists Student Leadership Award.

Hui, a 2010 Pharm.D. candidate, is co-president of the American Pharmacy Student Alliance and holds leadership positions in several other professional pharmacy organizations. At the meeting, Hui was also elected as a member-at-large to the national executive committee of the Academy of Student Pharmacists.

Also at the meeting, the USC Academy of Student Pharmacists group won Chapter of the Year for Division A, which includes schools that have more than 500 students.

Accepting the award was Brandi Chock, a 2009 Pharm.D. candidate and president of the group last year. Chapter of the Year designations are based on accomplishments from the previous year.

The Project CHANCE Award was presented to USC for the second year in a row. This award recognizes work that School of Pharmacy students do in area safety-net clinics.

USC also took home the national Operation Diabetes Award for the project directed by Pharm.D. candidate Connie Nguyen and the Region 8 Heartburn Awareness Challenge Award, co-directed by Pharm.D. students Elina Baskina and Gina Gornov. The honors recognize students for their efforts to improve health in the community through educational and screening activities.

Faculty members also went home with prestigious honors. Mel Baron was named an American Pharmacists Association fellow and Jeff Goad was awarded the association’s Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting Award. Both Baron and Goad are associate professors in the school’s Titus Family Department.

Scott Evans, chief operating officer of the USC University Hospital and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, was awarded the Phi Delta Chi fraternity’s Albert B. Prescott/Glaxo SmithKline Pharmacy Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership qualities.

The Rho Chi Society, the national academic honor society in pharmacy, awarded the USC Theta chapter a project proposal award for its submission “Mental Health and Sleep Disorders Screening/Education/Patient Seminar.”

The award is one of two presented nationally and marks the second year in a row that USC has won.

Rho Chi named Kathy Johnson, holder of the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, to the Rho Chi Alumni Honor Roll. Johnson is chair of the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy at the school.

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