Third-year PharmD students Zoe Krenz and Bryan Gomez, along with Sophie Ren, a senior biology major working in Dr. Cai‘s lab, were among UGA student employees recognized for exceptional performance at the annual UGA Student Employee of the Year award ceremony held April 16th. Sponsored by the University’s Career Center, the recognition honors the top 100 working students who provide immeasurable contributions to the institution, the college, and the community. Currently, UGA employs more than 5,000 student workers; more than 400 were nominated for the honor.
Zoe Krenz
Krenz has served as the UGA Critical Care Collaborative (UGAC3) intern during the 2024-2025 academic year, and she will continue in the same capacity during the next academic year. UGAC3 has as its mission to foster critical care research and education across the state of Georgia. In her role, Krenz is responsible for coordinating standard assignments and scheduling in-person sessions for the multi-campus, multi-semester Research in Critical Care Pharmacotherapy elective, among many other duties. Krenz plans to be a clinical professor and practice in either a hospital or clinic setting. She plans to apply for residencies following her rotations.
Reflecting on her work experience, Krenz commented, “I have gained invaluable experience learning about academia, research, clinical practice, and networking skills. The relationships I have made in this role will last a lifetime. To be a top UGA student employee, it means that I’m making a positive difference in my college. I bleed red and black and hope to one day work as a faculty member too.”
Said her supervisor, Dr. Susan Smith, associate professor in Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy and chair of UGAC3, “Zoe has done a phenomenal job in this role and clearly exhibits all the core values of critical and analytical thinking, communication, social awareness and responsibility, leadership and collaboration, and creativity and innovation. She has helped me with various elements of developing a new Post-Doctoral Academic Fellowship in the Critical Care program and has demonstrated excellent analytical skills and creativity. Zoe embraces her intern position as a learning experience and makes the most of each assignment given to her….she is an incredible addition to our UGAC3 team and her efforts have advanced the mission of our group as well as the College of Pharmacy.”
Bryan Gomez
Gomez joined CoP’s Marketing and Communications Office in the spring of 2023. During his tenure, he has worked diligently to transform the image of the college through graphic design, photography, and other aesthetic resources, while contributing significantly to written research content for the unit’s various platforms. While he will continue to support MarComm in some capacity, he leaves for his P4 rotations in May in the Atlanta-Athens vicinity.
Gomez remarked, “It’s been a joy to share the college’s story over the past two years, highlighting the exceptional work of the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters who have helped catapult our college into the top 20 schools and colleges of pharmacy in the nation. Getting to work—and laugh—alongside our small team of dedicated staff and student workers genuinely never fails to be the highlight of my day. I’m honored to have been recognized for my work, which, fortunately, often feels like play.”
In her nominating letter, Mickey Yongue, senior director of Marketing & Communications and Gomez’s supervisor said, “Bryan seamlessly integrates right-brain artistry with left-brain logic, making him an invaluable asset to our team—pharmacist by day, creative by night. As a self-taught photographer and content creator, Bryan has not only captured several college events with a professional flair but also has curated compelling content for our social media platforms and weekly newsletters. He is instrumental in filming and editing content for the college’s Instagram reels, including one of our most viewed videos, which gained more than 20.1k views and became a standout piece of engagement. Beyond video content, Bryan introduced animated graphics to elevate the visual appeal and professionalism of the college’s PharmDawg Weekly. His originality and forward-thinking inspire those around him to explore creative avenues beyond conventional boundaries….I often find myself amazed at his potential, and I am convinced that one day, the roles will be reversed, and I will be working for him.”
Sophie Ren
While not a PharmDawg student, Ren has been a member of Dr. Houjian Cai’s laboratory team since January 2024 and plans to attend medical school following graduation. This past fall, she received a UGA CURO (Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities) Fellowship and a CURO Research Award for her study of the “Impact of N-myristoylation of Cas9 Protein on its Tethering with Cytoplasmic membrane and its Relationship with Genome Editing.”
Dr. Cai, an associate professor in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences and her supervisor, remarked, “Sophie is a team player and has been working closely with a senior PhD student in the lab. She started with zero experience in handling a research project and has currently become an experienced research scientist in protein fractionation. As a mentor, I cannot be happier to see her growth in science. Of note, within a short period of time, Sophie has grasped numerous research techniques, and she can perform projects independently. To carry out this research, she has tried numerous experimental conditions in the protocol to successfully extract proteins from the tested cells. I am very confident in her intellectual skills and determination to be successful in her career.”
