Academic Excellence Awards
Academic Excellence Awards are provided to future pharmacists who have achieved the highest cumulative GPA of their professional class level. Recipients must be an active member of at least one professional organization at the School of Pharmacy and have demonstrated appropriate progress towards the attainment of the Core Values of the Profession of Pharmacy. A portion of these awards are being funded by CVS Caremark.
The recipients receive a certificate signed by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and a monetary award.
The recipients of the Academic Excellence Award are:
Carrie Wright Class of 2013
(tie) Mike Brown, Michaela Leffler and Wing Yip Class of 2014
(tie 4.0) Joshua Hapney, Hannah Hutchinson, Samie Sabet, Catherine Thai Class of 2015
Academic Achievement Awards
Academic Achievement Awards are given to future pharmacists who are academically ranked second and third in their respective professional class. Recipients must be an active member of at least one professional organization at the School of Pharmacy and have demonstrated appropriate progress towards the attainment of the Core Values of the Profession of Pharmacy.
The recipients receive a certificate signed by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and a monetary award. Due to the ties in their classes, there were no awards for the classes of 2014 and 2015. The recipients are:
Ranked second Beth Conley Class of 2013
(tie for ranked third) Mark Deland and Ghanshyam Patel Class of 2013
Appalachian Spirit Award
The School of Pharmacy is committed to encouraging the professional growth and development of its students. We admit and graduate a diverse student population who will have the knowledge, skills, and ability to provide high quality care to the nation’s increasingly diverse population. This award is established to provide financial support to future pharmacists who have demonstrated loyalty, commitment, academic achievement, and service to the School of Pharmacy. They have shown us their maturity and maintained a positive attitude while balancing their pharmacy studies with outside responsibilities. Recipients of this award must be an active member of at least one of our professional organizations, maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 in School of Pharmacy coursework, and have a recognized financial need.
The recipients receive a certificate signed by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and a monetary award of $450.
The recipients of the Appalachian Spirit Awards are:
Erica Austin Class of 2015
Faon Bridges Class of 2013
Angela Chandler Class of 2015
Jessica Cremeans Class of 2013
Debbie Grose Class of 2013
Betty Kim Class of 2014
Aaron Norris Class of 2013
Sami Sabet Class of 2015
Aaron Sturgeon Class of 2014
Tina Vance Class of 2013
Nottingham Awards
This award is established to provide support to future pharmacists during their tenure at the School of Pharmacy. Recipients must demonstrate professionalism, caring and commitment to the School of Pharmacy and appropriate progress towards the attainment of the Core Values of the Profession of Pharmacy. The winners of this award are the top two placers within school-sponsored patient counseling competition.
The recipients of the Nottingham Awards are:
Ashleigh Goode Class of 2012
Deanna Lind Class of 2014
Pharmacist Mutual Scholarship
For over ninety years, pharmacists throughout the heart of America have entrusted Pharmacists Mutual with their insurance needs. The Pharmacists Mutual Board of Directors has established the following scholarship to gift the future of the profession: pharmacy students.
The recipient of the $1000 Pharmacist Mutual Scholarship Award is
Puja Ajmani Class of 2012
The recipient of the Pharmacist Mutual Book Reimbursement Award is
Sarah Pfister Class of 2013
CVS Caremark Scholarship
CVS Caremark has a long tradition of supporting the academic aspirations of young scholars. One of the ways CVS achieves this is by offering future pharmacists the opportunity to apply for the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust Scholarship. The future success of our company, the health of our community, and the overall prosperity of our economy relies heavily on our educational system and its accessibility to students. CVS is proud that this program has helped hundreds of students achieve their goal of furthering their education.
The recipient of the $1000 CVS Caremark scholarship is
Michaela Leffler Class of 2014
Walgreens Scholarship
Walgreens understands the importance of pharmacy education and the significance of scholarships designated to supporting future pharmacists. The “C.R. Walgreen Excellence Scholarship” has been developed to recognize future pharmacist excellence at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy.
The recipients of the $1000 C. R. Walgreen Excellence Scholarships are:
Kayla Heinzmann Class of 2013 and
Jennifer Worley Class of 2013
Walmart Scholarship
Walmart is proud to have a presence on the University of Charleston campus where the first Wal-Mart Pharmacy located within a School of Pharmacy is located. Wal-Mart annually supports a pharmacy scholarship program to demonstrate the company’s commitment to education.
The recipient of the $1000 Wal-Mart Scholarship is:
Joshua Hapney Class of 2015
Dr. Amy Bryan Postgraduate Scholarship
The Bryan scholarship is awarded to a fourth year student pharmacist who chooses to pursue a residency after graduation.
The recipient of the $500 Dr. Amy Bryan Postgraduate Scholarship is:
Brittany Richter Class of 2012
Fruth Scholarship
Fruth Pharmacy supports educating future pharmacists. The criteria used to determine the winner of this award are
- a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher
- must complete at least one semester of coursework at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy
- show a strong desire to enter community practice upon graduation and have current/previous experience in community practice
- demonstrate strong leadership qualities
- demonstrate appropriate progress toward the attainment of the Core Values of the Profession of Pharmacy
The recipients of the $1000 Fruth Scholarships are:
Amy Barr Class of 2015 and
Ginger Vance Class of 2013
Natural Standard Research Collaboration Award
This award is granted to an exemplary individual for perpetuating multidisciplinary, evidence-based research practices, healthcare communications, or information.
The recipient will get a Natural Standard Herb & Supplement Guide Book Natural Standard Medical Condition Reference Book: An Integrative Approach Natural Standard Herbal Pharmacotherapy Book: An Evidence-Based Approach Natural Standard Professional Database - 1 year personal subscription Natural Standard Mobile Version - 1 year personal subscription Journal of Dietary Supplements - 1 year personal subscription
The recipient this award is:
Calista Jones, Class of 2012
Lilly Achievement Award
Lilly USA, LLC is pleased to provide the Lilly Achievement Award for 2012.
The recipient of the textbook Diabetes Management in Primary Care by Dr. Jeff Unger is Michaela Leffler
Leadership Achievement Awards
The School of Pharmacy is committed to the encouragement of leadership development of its future pharmacists. These awards are established to recognize School of Pharmacy students who have been elected to official student leadership positions within the School of Pharmacy in one of the officially recognized class or professional organizations.
The Leadership Achievement Award recognizes future pharmacist leaders who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and service to their organization through the fulfillment of the responsibilities to their elected positions for the 2011 – 12 academic year. Recipients must be in good academic standing and demonstrate a commitment to the School of Pharmacy and its mission and maintain the appropriate demeanor, attitude and behavior of a student leader.
The recipients of the $650 Leadership Achievement Awards are
Faon Bridges Vice-President of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association
Aaron Sturgeon President Class of 2014
Ginger Vance Vice President Class of 2013 and Treasurer Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society
Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award
Mylan Pharmaceuticals recognizes one graduate per School of Pharmacy whose pursuit of excellence has already put them in a class by themselves. This is a graduate who has made their mark through academic achievement, professional motivation and by demonstrating a unique ability to communicate drug information. The award is a lithograph entitled Pharmacy: A Tradition of Healing and $250.
The recipient of the 2012 Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award is
Carly Trentini Class of 2012
NACDS Foundation Scholarship
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation demonstrates that the industry values pharmacy education and are working together to strengthen the pharmacy profession and community pharmacy’s commitment to enhancing patient care, especially during these challenging times.
The recipient of the $1000 NACDS Foundation Scholarship is
Ghanshyam Patel Class of 2013
Pioneering Spirit Award
Pioneering Spirit Awards are established to recognize future pharmacists who have demonstrated loyalty, commitment, and have provided outstanding service to the School of Pharmacy. These individuals are traditionally not elected or appointed officers but have chosen to demonstrate their leadership ability and initiative by being altruistic and giving of their time and talents to the betterment of the School of Pharmacy. These individuals’ service to the School of Pharmacy is invaluable and without their contributions the achievements of the School of Pharmacy would not be possible.
The recipients receive a certificate signed by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and a monetary award of $500.
The recipients of the Pioneering Spirit Award are:
Ghanshyam Patel Class of 2013
Jason Weaver Class of 2012
Outstanding Graduating Student Awards
These awards are given to graduating students based on the following criteria:
- Recommendation by APPE Community or Health-Systems Pharmacy preceptor or self-nomination
- Performed at a level greater than their peers
- Consideration of timeliness, motivation, quality of work, communication skills, and professionalism
These awards were presented during the University of Charleston Honors Convocation on April 18 when the students received a certificate signed by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy. They also receive a check for $250.
The recipients of the Outstanding Pharmacy Student in Health-Systems Pharmacy are
Sarah Ackerman Class of 2012
Bissy Obi Class of 2012
Class of 2011 Scholarships
The UCSOP Class of 2011 Scholarship is open to any student pharmacist at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy who is currently in their third professional year of the program. The scholarship is set up to aid students financially during their P4 rotations.
The recipients of the Class of Scholarship are
Debbie Grose Class of 2013
Tina Vance Class of 2013
Taubman Scholarship
Dr. Tess Taubman, member of the Inaugural Class of 2010, donates this scholarship to a future pharmacist who will be completing a residency after graduation from UCSOP.
The recipient of the $500 Taubman Scholarship is:
Puja Ajmani Class of 2012
Maggie King Memorial Scholarship
Maggie King was a member of the Class of 2013 who lost her life in a car accident in 2010, during her P1 year at the University of Charleston. She also did her undergraduate course work at the University of Charleston. Maggie was a cherished member of the Class of 2013. In her memory, the Class of 2013 is presents a $1000 scholarship, annually, to a member of the P1 class who embodies some of the attributes personified by Maggie. Criteria also include being a West Virginia native, involvement in his or her church, and demonstrating financial need.
The recipient of the Maggie J. King Memorial Scholarship is:
Sarah Skaff Class of 2015
APhA-ASP Patient Counseling Competition Awards
The goal of the APhA-ASP Patient Counseling Competition is to encourage future pharmacists in their efforts toward becoming better patient educators. The competition is designed to reflect changes that are occurring in practice, to promote and encourage further professional development of the student and to reinforce the role of the pharmacist as a health care provider and educator.
The award winners are
Ashleigh Goode Class of 2012
Deanna Lind Class of 2014
Jodi Plymale Class of 2013
Faon Bridges Class of 2013
Hank Hoang Class of 2014
Jordan Rockhold Class of 2014
Julie Tague Class of 2014
Sweta Khatri Class of 2014
Kelsey Adkins Class of 2014
Wing Yip Class of 2014
APhA-ASP Senior Recognition Certificate
Each spring, the American Pharmacists Association honors a graduating student member who has made the greatest contribution to each APhA-ASP chapter, with a Senior Recognition Certificate. In addition, APhA will nationally recognize all of the honored students through its publications. As chapter advisor, with the advice and approval of the non-graduating officers and members, Ashley Bailey, Class of 2012 was honored for her sustained outstanding work in the UCSOP APhA-ASP chapter.
ASHP Clinical Skills Competition
The Clinical Skills Competition (CSC) is an interactive, team-based analysis of clinical scenarios for hospital/health-system pharmacists to help patients make the best use of their medications. Local competitions are held each fall on college campuses around the nation. The national competition takes place at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in December.
The recipients of the award are –
Kenneth Canipe Class of 2012
Brittany Richter Class of 2012
WVSHP Student Scholarship
Each year the West Virginia Society of Health System Pharmacists awards a scholarship to a deserving student from each of the pharmacy schools in WV. The student must submit an application which describes: how they have participated in their student chapter of WVSHP, their community services involvement since their P1 year in pharmacy school and any organizations of which they are a member. They also must compose a 250 word essay describing their vision on how they plan to impact the profession of pharmacy and enhance pharmacy services upon their graduation. Successful applicants are awarded a $400 scholarship. This year’s winner is
Kent Osias Class of 2015
Catherine S. Bowyer Memorial Scholarship
This award was previously known as the UCSOP family scholarship. After the death of Catherine S. Bowyer (wife of David Bowyer, Director of UCSOP Experiential Education) in 2009, Mr. Bowyer and his daughter, Susan decided to change the name, of the scholarship, to forever honor her memory. Cathy was a wonderful woman who always valued education. Cathy and Dave were married during their sophomore year in college and had their daughter, Susan, that summer. It was not easy but both graduated before our daughter’s fourth birthday. Both parents felt Susan sacrificed as much as they did to earn our diplomas so she walked across the stage with them at graduation. They were extremely blessed to have family who supported them and helped them through school. When Dave started at the University of Charleston, they decided they wanted to help students whose situation most mirrored theirs in school. Cathy was a firm believer in “paying it forward” and this is one way they could assist others.
The recipient of the third annual Catherine S. Bowyer Memorial $500 Scholarship is
Aaron Norris Class of 2013
Student Representatives on Standing Committees
The School of Pharmacy is operationalized through faculty departments, dean’s offices, and committees within the School. The committee structure within the School of Pharmacy provides opportunities for student representation on several School of Pharmacy committees. Committees primarily serve as a recommending body for the Executive Committee and Dean of the School of Pharmacy. Students are recommended by their peers for appointment to School of Pharmacy committees by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy.
The following students served their colleagues well for the 2011 – 12 academic year. The representatives are:
Academic Affairs- Faon Bridges Class of 2013
Student Affairs- Ashleigh Goode Class of 2012, Ghanshyam Patel Class of 2013, and Ryan Griffith Class of 2014
Professional Standards and Conduct Council- Ginger Vance Class of 2013 and Mike Brown Class of 2014
Convocation Committee- Jennie Cummings Class of 2012, Joseph Driggers Class of 2013, Anna Wierzbicki Class of 2014
Quality Assurance Committee- Bissy Obi Class of 2012 and Marcus Gunter Class of 2013
University of Charleston Visioning Committee- Adam Lesinski Class of 2014
School of Pharmacy Advisor Recognition
The following faculty and staff members for volunteered their time and talents to serve as an advisor to one of the recognized student groups/organizations/classes within the School of Pharmacy. As an advocate for student involvement, student leadership development, and student participation in co- curricular activities, these individuals have championed to develop and initiate the structure of student governance within the School of Pharmacy. The achievements of student programming would not have been possible without their willingness to put the best interest of the student and the future of quality student programming as paramount.
Service & Recognition-
Pharmacy Student Governance Association- Ms. Jamie Bero & Dr. Emily Coleman
American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists- Dr. Krista Capehart
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists- Dr. Julie Testman
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists- Mr. David Bowyer
Christian Pharmacist Fellowship International- Dr. Shelley Schliesser
National Community Pharmacists Association- Dr. Gannett Monk
Student National Pharmaceutical Association- Ms. Jamie Bero
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists- Dr. Gagan Kaushal
Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society- Dr. Kristy Lucas
Rho Chi Pharmaceutical Honor Society- Dr. Gagan Kaushal & Dr. Renee McCafferty
Class of 2012- Dr. Mary Euler & Dr. Gagan Kaushal
Class of 2013- Ms. Jamie Bero & Dr. Aladin Siddig
Class of 2014- Dr. David Latif & Dr. Renee McCafferty
Class of 2015- Dr. Becky Linger & Ms. Barbara Smith
Pharmacy Fellows- Dr. Jessica Robinson & Ms. Barbara Smith
Wellness Awards
The Wellness Program within the School of Pharmacy just completed its fifth semester. The program is open to all faculty, staff and students who can participate in one, two or three of the wellness prongs. One prong is a Biggest Loser competition. Participants weigh-in at the University of Charleston Wal-Mart Pharmacy at the beginning and ending of the semester. A second prong is Fitness Minutes. On the honor system, participants sent their weekly minutes to be logged in an excel spread sheet. The third prong was a weekly incentive where participants were encouraged to set goals, journal their food intake, drink 64 ounces of fluid per day, reconnect with an old friend, etc and report if they had done so. Jessica Cremeans for coordinated the School of Pharmacy Wellness newsletter.
The Office of Professional and Student Affairs sponsors the faculty and staff competition
The winner of the Fitness Minutes and Weekly Incentive is Ms. Erika Riggs completd all 12 incentives and garnering 3130 fitness minutes. She received a $25 gift cards to the bookstore.
The Pharmacy Student Governance Association sponsors the student portion of the competition and the winners receive free parking for the semester via a $100 check.
The winner of the Weekly Incentive is
Faon Bridges Class of 2013
The winner of the Fitness Minutes competition with 5680 minutes is
Ashley Pham Class of 2012
The winner of the student Biggest Loser with a loss of 16 pounds is
Brandon Daniel Class of 2014
The winner of the faculty/staff Biggest Loser is
Jamie Bero
Staff Member of the Year
The staff member selected should meet the following criteria:
- Professional in interactions with others
- Supportive of the mission of the SOP
- Performs effectively as a member of a team
- Remains optimistic at all times, even during stressful events
- Contributes to the success of others
- Respectful of others, regardless of differences
- Volunteers time even when not required to do so
- Involved in all aspects of School, even outside events
- Good University citizenship
- Promotes the School of Pharmacy
Recipient- Jamie Bero
Preceptor of the Year
The fourth year experiential education component of UC’s Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum allows students to fully experience the rigors of pharmacy practice. The preceptor acts as a mentor to the student to guide them through daily practice at the clinical site. The Preceptor of the Year demonstrates high standards of professionalism, a spirit of cooperation with the School of Pharmacy, commitment to students as a professional mentor and teacher. Fourth year students nominated the Preceptor of the Year based on the following criteria:
- Outstanding student mentoring in the clinical setting
- Demonstrated clinical knowledge and practice management skills
- Encouragement of student participation in the clinical setting
- Stimulate critical thinking and reasoning skills in the student
- Informative to students
- Strong communication skills
- Respect for students
- Strong cultural competency skills
- Consistent community involvement
- Good relationships with site staff or healthcare team
Recipient: Dr. Steven Berger
Faculty Member of the Year
The Teacher of the Year Award is given to an outstanding teacher on the faculty of the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy each year. Faculty are nominated by students during the spring semester and then selected by the Faculty Affairs Committee in consult with student representatives (class presidents). Nominees are selected for consideration based upon the following criteria:
- Concern for student learning
- General knowledge base
- Encouragement of student participation in the learning process
- Ability to stimulate learning
- Informative to students
- Pedagogical organization
- Communication skills
- Correlation between lectures and exam
- Fairness in the classroom
- Respect for students
- Ability to discuss matters outside of class
Class of 2013 Recipient– Dr. Fadi Alkhateeb
Class of 2014 Recipient - Dr. Rabaa Al-Rousan
Class of 2015 Recipient - Dr. Dean Reardon
Golden Apple Award Winner
The Teacher of the Year recipients becomes eligible for the highest honor among teachers at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy – the Golden Apple Award. The recipient is selected by the Faculty Affairs Committee with consult from the student leaders (class presidents), based upon input from their respective classes.
This year’s Golden Apple Award is presented to:
Dr. Dean Reardon
Professional Organization of the Year
This award was established this year to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of one of our professional organizations between April 1, 2011- March 25, 2012. The criteria include:
- The variety of activities planned and implemented and the number of people served
- The group’s statement as to how they meet the Mission of the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy and the goals or mission of its national organization
- The total number of community service hours for the organization
- The percentage of members who participated in events throughout the academic year
- Their advisor’s statement of support
Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP) is the 2012 Professional Organization of the Year. Their name will be placed on a plaque which will hang within the School of Pharmacy and they will receive a check for $500.
SSHP’s contributions this year included the second annual Cervical Cancer Symposium, health screenings and a monthly speakers meeting which explored various aspects of clinical pharmacy.