Victoria Clark, a graduating senior in the College of Pharmacy’s B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program, was honored by UGA President Jere Moorhead as a Presidential Award of Excellence achiever during Honors Week. Victoria was among those recognized for their high academic achievements. Victoria has been accepted to the College’s PharmD program for this coming fall and is excited for what the future holds!
Clark credits the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program for opening up new pathways for her. Although she had always been interested in medicine and helping people, the B.S. program allowed her to create a solid foundation of STEM classes. The further she went in the B.S. program, the more she realized that a PharmD degree would allow her to take all the skills she developed as an undergraduate and transition into learning what it means to be a good pharmacist.
The UGA College of Pharmacy was always number one in her book, as her mother, an alumna of the college, taught her well. Clark realized how much of a home she had in the PBS Department, saying, “My classes were interesting, my professors engaging, and my peers have been among some of the greatest friends that I have made while here. The College of Pharmacy really has a family atmosphere, and I have always felt right at home during my undergrad years, so when I decided to pursue my PharmD it was a no brainer to stay at UGA to continue my education.”
On her path through the B.S. program and her upcoming enrollment for the PharmD degree, Clark says it has been faculty and mentors who have helped her along the way. Clark cites a number of College of Pharmacy faculty, such as Dr. Deborah Elder: “I loved being in her class, and I can’t wait to learn about compounding after hearing her talk about it so passionately.” Another alumnus and faculty member with whom she worked closely was Dr. Brian Seagraves. “I have had the amazing opportunity to research under him for three semesters at local clinics in Athens. The research focused on the therapy of indigent patients in the Clarke County area infected with Hep-C. Dr. Seagraves has been a great mentor to look up to, and my research with him is one of the many reasons I’m looking into becoming a clinical pharmacist after I finish the program.” Finally, Clark discussed the incredible relationship she had with Dr. Wided Missaoui, who recently earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences from the college. “Dr. Missaoui has been one of the biggest influences on me throughout my journey in the college and the BS program. She was always willing to speak with me and give me advice on classes and was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I applied to pharmacy school. She helped reignite my love of learning and love of lab in the second semester of my junior year and is always just a joy to be around.” We congratulate Victoria on her achievements and look forward to hearing about all the successes she will have in the PharmD program!
The UGA College of Pharmacy is pleased to celebrate another PBS student, Navdeep Singh. Singh was also was recognized during this week’s celebration for his dedication and service to the Student Government Association during his undergraduate studies. Singh was one of three honored for their leadership.
Singh says he was drawn to serve in the SGA through a group he joined in his first year called Forum. “It provided me with such a great opportunity to grow in so many ways and create a family that I could depend on throughout my college career,” Singh said. Singh realized the potential SGA had in bringing in different parts of campus together and uniting the student body, and he wanted to help create an atmosphere to ensure that all student experiences were valued for their individual perspectives. Serving on the executive committee this year gave him the chance to learn more about his fellow students’ stories and how UGA as a community could help students feel at home.
Singh says he chose the B.S. program at the college because he wanted to do something that involved chemistry. Singh mentioned spending a lot of time researching different majors and came across pharmaceutical sciences at UGA. Singh further said, “I knew I wanted a major that would challenge me to grow and provide me with ways to positively impact the lives of people. The world of pharmaceutics has so much potential in improving the quality of life for so many people, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be a part of that.” Navdeep credits Dr. Arthur Roberts in the PBS program for offering him encouragement and support when he began his path toward UGA’s SGA.
As for his next steps, look for Singh to go abroad. “My original plan was to move to Australia for a couple of years simply because it has always been a dream of mine. That plan is being pushed back for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I plan on going into either pharmaceutical sales or medical devices after I spend some time in Australia and either enter the field while I am over there or return back to the USA. I know I want a career choice that will revolve around putting people first and having the right mindset when it comes to sustainable development.”
Please join us in congratulating Navdeep on his achievements!
