UGA College of Pharmacy alumni continue to exemplify their commitment to excellence in this dynamic profession. Since last summer, PharmDawg alumni have received numerous awards and recognitions. Here is just a sampling.
At the 2023 Robie Lecture & Award: Vivia Hill-Silcott, Christy Norman, Tierra Jackson, Kelly Smith, and Stu Feldman
The 2023 William T. Robie Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lecture and Awards program, held Feb. 9, was highlighted by keynote speaker Dr. Christy Norman ’06, who spoke on the value of hope in today’s diverse society. The recipient of the Robie Award in 2022, Dr. Norman, Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Emory Healthcare of Atlanta, has received numerous accolades for her various accomplishments lately. Among them, she recently was credentialed as a Certified Pharmacy Executive Leader (CPEL) by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Dr. Norman was part of the inaugural cohort of 20 pharmacy executives from across the country who completed the program. Held in a hybrid environment with more than 250 attendees, the event culminated with the presentation of the Robie Award to Tierra Jackson, a fourth-year PharmD student from Statesboro. This is the first time that a student has received this prestigious award. To learn more about Tierra, read her story.
Stephen Cutler
Congratulations to Dean Stephen Cutler ’89, who received the 2023 South Carolina Pinnacle Award for Individual Contribution at SCbio 2023 – South Carolina’s Life Sciences Annual Conference, held in late February in Charleston. The Dean of the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, Cutler has been a pharmacy educator for more than 30 years and is a world expert on plants acting on the central nervous system, including marijuana and other psycho-tropic plants. He has received in excess of $36 million dollars from federal agencies, including the NIH, NSF, and NASA, and he is the author or co-author of 50 patents, three books, and more than 200 scientific presentations. For more about his award, see here.
Lori McGinley
Dr. Lori McGinley ’02, President of the Alumni Council for the College of Pharmacy, recently was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at PharmD on Demand in Watkinsville. Dr. McGinley has been with PharmD on Demand in various leadership capacities since 2010, most recently as Vice President of Pharmacy Management.
Matthew Farmer
Michael Azzolin
Michael Azzolin ’02 recently was elected President of the Georgia Board of Pharmacy (GPB), while Michael Farmer ’87 was appointed to the GPB by Governor Brian Kemp. Azzolin is CEO and co-founder of PharmD on Demand in Watkinsville. An active member of the Georgia Pharmacy Association (GPhA), Azzolin’s many accomplishments include: member of UGA’s 2015 40 Under 40, a recipient of the UGA College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award, and one of 16 members of GPhA to be selected for the inaugural LeadershipGPhA. PharmD on Demand has been on the Bulldog 100 list eight times, including this year. In addition, he is a member of the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Owner of Farmer’s Prescription Shop Inc. in Winder, Farmer previously served as president of the Georgia Pharmacy Association and as Chairman of the Georgia Pharmacy Association Insurance Trust. Farmer is a past recipient of the UGA College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumnus Award. He also received the Merck Outstanding Achievement in Profession of Pharmacy Award and the Wyeth Bowl of Hygeia Community Service Award. To read more about his appointment, see here.
Hugh Chancy on the cover of NCPA’s magazine
Hugh Chancy ’88 is on the cover of a magazine! As the President of the National Community Pharmacy Association, Chancy was featured on the cover of the January issue of America’s Pharmacist, NCPA’s signature publication. Flip inside to read his story, “Here’s proof that nice guys DON’T finish last.” Chancy is co-owner of Chancy Drugs, which has been in operation for more than 50 years and includes five retail pharmacies and one closed-door pharmacy in south Georgia.
Jim Martin
In other NCPA news, alumnus and former GPhA president (1989–1990) Jim Martin ’74 was honored with the Calvin J. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award at the convention held this past fall. Martin owned several independent pharmacies in Georgia for more than two decades; served as a member of the Georgia General Assembly; and was president, chairman of the board, and executive vice president of NCPA. Martin remains licensed in Georgia and owns four independent pharmacies in the Austin, TX area. Read the full story.
Marie Chisholm-Burns
What happened in Vegas is not staying in Vegas! PharmDawgs had a stellar presence at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear meeting held in Las Vegas this past December. Highlights from the meeting were awards presented to a renowned alumna, Dr. Marie Chisholm-Burns ’92, ’93, and proven student leader Tierra Jackson. Dr. Chisholm-Burns was the recipient of the ASHP Board of Directors’ Distinguished Leadership Award. As the Executive Vice President and Provost at Oregon Health and Science University, Dr. Chisholm-Burns received the award for her excellence in pharmacy practice leadership and academic pharmacy. Read more about her award. Jackson, a fourth-year PharmD student from Statesboro, was presented the 2022 Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists (ABHP) Student Achievement Award. Jackson is the current President of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association. Read about her amazing accomplishments.
A Dose of Gratitude 2022
A Dose of Gratitude is the College’s signature event that salutes donors, alumni, and friends for their generosity. Held this past fall at the UGA Special Collections Library, the 2022 program was more than a dose – it was an entire prescription filled with renewable gratitude! Culminating the event were awards and honors presented to deserving alumni. These include:
- Dr. Chris McCurdy ’98, Distinguished Alumnus
- Dr. Calita Richards ’90, Distinguished Service
- Dr. Michelle Borg Worst ’16, Outstanding New Alumna
Along with celebrating donors and hearing inspirational messages from award winners, Valery Cepeda, a P3 student from Jefferson, shared her experiences as a first-generation college student. Capeda is one of the first Feldman Summer Institute participants to enroll in the PharmD program, and she is a recipient of the Max & Molly Blank Endowment.
Dr. Vivia Hill-Silcott, Director of Diversity Programs and Academic Support, additionally discussed the challenges students face since the pandemic and how donations that support scholarships make a difference in the lives of students. View a full album of photos from the evening.
Hugh Chancy, Kelly Smith, Nimesh Jhaveri, and Sharmon Osae
After a hiatus for a few years due to the pandemic, the Kenneth L. Waters Lecture was revived and held this past November at the CoP campus in Athens. “Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Future of the Pharmacy Profession” was addressed by a three-person panel that included Hugh Chancy ’88, Dr. Nimesh Jhaveri, and Dr. Sharmon Osae, Assistant Clinical Professor at the Southwest Georgia Clinical Campus in Albany. The event was moderated by Dean Kelly Smith ’92, ’93.
Trisha Branan
UGA Pharmacy was in the spotlight at the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists meeting held this past summer in Amelia Island, FL. PharmDawg alumni, faculty, and a student received key awards, which included:
- Dr. Trisha Branan ’06 – Pharmacist of the Year
- Don Davis ’79 – GSHP Fellow
- Diana Dang ’23 – Outstanding Pharmacy Student
- Dr. Misha Watts – Outstanding Pharmacy Mentor
- Dr. Dustin Orvin ’17 – Outstanding New Practitioner
- Cami Allen ’00 (UGA BS-FCS) – Outstanding Health-System Pharmacy Technician
- Dr. Lydia Newsom ’12 – Committee Co-Chair of the Year (Communications)
Michele Dinh’s “Top 200 Drugs Made Easy”
Dr. Michele Dinh ’14 recently published “Top 200 Drugs Made Easy,” a pharmacology coloring book to teach students about medications. Order your own copy! This is Dr. Dinh’s second pharmacology coloring book. Her first coloring book was published in 2020 and is titled Antibiotics Pharmacology.
