PC School of Pharmacy students, faculty members, and preceptors gathered for the school’s ninth annual awards ceremony on Monday, April 29.

“We are fortunate to have students who strive to learn, have strong character and ambition to be leaders and compassion to provide service and care to their communities,” said Dr. Cliff Fuhrman, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “We are also fortunate to have an outstanding faculty and staff that educate, challenge and mentor our students to be the best they can be inside and outside of the classroom.”

During the ceremony, Angie Weeks, president of the Pharmacy Student Governance Association, presented a gift to Dr. Nancy Hope Goodbar, the assistant dean for professional & student affairs and associate professor of pharmacy practice. Goodbar is leaving at the end of the academic year.

The gift was a painting of a tree with leaves on it. Pharmacy students placed their thumbprints that resembled leaves on the tree, symbolizing how Goodbar has helped them grow over the years.

Goodbar graduated from PC in 2004 and joined the PC School of Pharmacy in 2010.

Teacher of the Year Award

Dr. Katherine Hanlon, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences and director of research, received the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year Award. This award is given to an outstanding teacher on the faculty of the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy each year. Students are invited to nominate a deserving faculty member each spring.

The winner of the Teacher of the Year Award receives a plaque and paid travel expenses to this year’s American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy meeting in Chicago, Illinois to be recognized at a luncheon for Teachers of the Year from across the country.

Student Awards

Outstanding Student Service Award

Michelle Castine received the 2018-2019 Outstanding Student Service Award. Castine because of her commitment to serving those in need and living out the motto, “While we live, we serve.”  She has been a dedicated volunteer in the Presbyterian College Community Care Pharmacy, with more than 25 volunteer hours in a single semester. She has been described as being kind, patient and understanding as she assists patients.

Outstanding Student Leadership Award

Clayton Melson received the 2018-2019 Outstanding Student Leadership Award. Melson was nominated based on his breadth and length of leadership locally, statewide and nationally. Through service to the APhA-ASP chapter as president, he has brought a wealth of new and different ideas for how to serve the community through patient care projects. He has also worked to increase the number of patients reached through these events. He has put the PCSP chapter of APhA-ASP on the map of regional and national recognition and is serving as a national leader as well. His leadership efforts have led to extraordinary outcomes.

Outstanding Student Research Award

Beth Foster received the 2018-2019 Outstanding Student Research Award. Foster is a team player, conscientious, and follows through on all requests. This year alone she presented a research poster with a peer-reviewed abstract on opioid-induced psychosis in the elderly at the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists Annual Meeting in Charleston in March. She is working on a systematic review manuscript and plans to present another poster at the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists annual meeting in Dallas in November.

Outstanding Student Professionalism Award

Beth Foster received the 2018-2019 Outstanding Student Professionalism Award. Foster was nominated by her peers for leading by example.  She shows her professionalism through she does, how she presents herself to others, and how hard she works to make this school a better place. She upholds professionalism here at PC inside and outside the school.

Faculty and Staff Awards

Student Advocate of the Year Award

Mr. Lee Fix received the 2018-2019 Student Advocate of the Year Award. The award honors a staff member of the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy who has gone above and beyond “the call of duty” in his or her job responsibilities. Staff are nominated by students during the spring semester.

While We Live, We Serve – Staff Award

Mrs. Holly Cook received the 2018-2019 While We Live, We Serve – Staff Award. The award is presented annually to a staff member who goes above and beyond to serve the needs of PCSP and the community while embracing our values of service, integrity and teamwork. This staff member shows dedication to helping fellow staff, faculty and students, as well as modeling a culture of service for the community.

While We Live, We Serve – Faculty Award

Dr. Tiffaney Threatt received the 2018-2019 While We Live, We Serve – Faculty Award. The award is presented annually to a faculty member who goes above and beyond to serve the needs of PCSP, the profession of pharmacy and the community, while embracing our values of service, integrity and teamwork. This faculty member should show dedication to helping fellow faculty, staff and students, as well as modeling a culture of service for the community.

Faculty Researcher of the Year

Dr. Serge Afeli received the 2018-2019 PCSP Faculty Researcher of the Year Award. The award recognizes the efforts of individuals who are committed to advancing science and their areas of expertise. These are individuals who inspire and promote excellence within PC, the pharmacy community, and the global scientific community.

Preceptor Awards

Preceptor of the Year Award

Dr. Talisha Ratliff, pharmacist-in-charge at Palmetto Carolina Treatment Center, received the 2019 Preceptor of the Year Award. The award recognizes a preceptor’s commitment to excellence and outstanding contributions to the educational development of future pharmacists at Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy.

Faculty Preceptor of the Year Award

Dr. Amber (Giles) Billings received the 2019 Faculty Preceptor of the Year Award. The award recognizes a faculty member’s commitment to excellence in precepting. “She was awesome at making you think outside of the box and really incorporate what we learned in class into a clinic setting,” one student said about Billings.

Scholarship Recipients

Walgreens Scholarships

Natai Thomas received the 2018-2019 Walgreens Diversity Scholarship. The 2018-2019 recipient of the Walgreens Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Scholarship is Pooja Patel.

Walgreens sponsors several scholarships for Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy students each year. Walgreens gift strategy is three-fold: to increase the availability of education assistance for underrepresented students enrolled in pharmacy programs; to support the development of pipeline and recruitment programs targeting minority students; and to support awareness initiatives and programs that focus on building a diverse, supportive and inclusive culture.

CVS Scholarships

Brandi Guinyard, Marina Mattar and Trevoria Dendy received 2018-2019 CVS Health Foundation Pharmacy Scholarships. The CVS Health Foundation Pharmacy Scholarship is awarded to an exemplary student who has an excellent academic record, is interested in pursuing a career in community pharmacy, and has volunteered with an organization that supports underserved populations

Ty Reales and Manali Patel received scholarships offered by CVS Health to Spanish-speaking students.

J.M. Smith Foundation Scholarship

Tai Navalle received the 2018-2019 J.M. Smith Foundation Scholarship. The J.M. Smith Foundation Scholarship is awarded to an excellent student with entrepreneurial ambition.

South Carolina Pharmacy Association Scholarship

Katie Anderson received the 2018-2019 SCPhA Scholarship. The South Carolina Pharmacy Association Scholarship is awarded to a pharmacy student who is a South Carolina resident and has completed at least two years of pharmacy school.

David Marion Cullum Scholarship

Madeleine Tilley received the 2018-2019 David Marion Cullum Scholarship.

The David Marion Cullum Scholarship was established by John Cullum of Greenville, S.C., in memory of his father, a devoted family man, pharmacist and pioneer in the delivery of comprehensive community pharmacy care in his home community of Monetta, S.C. The David Marion Cullum Scholarship is awarded to an exceptional student who comes from a rural area and plans upon graduation to practice in community pharmacy.

Mutual Drug Pharmacy Student Scholarship

Michal Ann Robinson received the 2018-2019 Mutual Drug Pharmacy Student Scholarship. The Mutual Drug Pharmacy Student Scholarship is awarded to an exemplary student who has exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit and has indicated a career interest in independent pharmacy or pharmacy ownership.

Walmart Scholarship

Abigayle Davis received the 2018-2019 Walmart Scholarship.

The Walmart Scholarship is awarded to a student who is a current Walmart or Sam’s Club pharmacy intern or former Walmart associate who shows a desire to enter community practice upon graduation and that has shown the ability to lead others.

The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Mimi Sadik Memorial Scholarship

Beth Foster received the 2018-2019 Mimi Sadik Memorial Scholarship. The Mimi Sadik Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a pharmacy student who is from South Carolina, enrolled in a professional program and has a minimum GPA of 3.2.

Gene & Nancy Reeder Scholarship

Jessica Yarbrough received the 2018-2019 Gene & Nancy Reeder Scholarship.

The Gene & Nancy Reeder Scholarship is awarded to a student who desires to pursue scholarship in pharmaceutical or administrative sciences; has a strong academic background (especially in the sciences); and has participated in undergraduate research with the intention to participate in research while in pharmacy school.

Dean’s Scholarship

Kara Harris, Katherine McLaurin, Jennifer Porter and Angie Weeks received the 2018-2019 Dean’s Scholarship, while DeVon Suber received the 2018-2019 Dean’s Diversity Scholarship.

The Dean’s Scholarships are awarded to outstanding incoming pharmacy students who are selected by the Dean as exceptional incoming students.

Student Organization Awards

Clayton Melson received the Past-President’s Award for the Academy of Student Pharmacists of the American Pharmacists Association (ASP-APhA).

Laura Richardson received the 2018-2019 ASP-APhA Member of the Year award.

The student chapter of the Academy of Student Pharmacists of the American Pharmacists Association annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year award.

Tai Navalle received the Past-President’s Award for the Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International.

Jessica Yarbrough was named the 2018-2019 Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International Member of the Year. The student chapter of the Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Matt Martin received the Past-President’s Award for the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP).

Anna Wyatt received the 2018-2019 CPNP Member of the Year. The College of Neurologic and Psychiatric Pharmacists annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year award.

Shaquana West received the Past-President’s Award for the Kappa Epsilon Professional Pharmacy Fraternity (KE).

Mekko Brown received the 2018-2019 Kappa Epsilon Professional Pharmacy Fraternity Member of the Year award. The student chapter of the Kappa Epsilon Professional Pharmacy Fraternity annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Kendall Brown received the Past-President’s Award for the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

Matt Reid received the 2018-2019 National Community Pharmacists Association Member of the Year award. The student chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Laura Richardson received the Past-President’s Award for the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society.

Anna Wyatt received the Past-President’s Award for the Rho Chi Society.

Beth Foster received the 2018-2019 Rho Chi Society Member of the Year award. The student chapter of The Rho Chi Society annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Mekko Brown received the Past-President’s Award for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA).

Jalen Smith received the 2018-2019 SNPhA Member of the Year award. The student chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Missouri Jenkins received the Past-President’s Award for the Student Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy.

Katherine Hill received the 2018-2019 Student Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy Member of the Year award. The student chapter of the Student Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy annually selects a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Nathean Scott received the 2018-2019 Pharmacy Student Governance Association Member of the Year Award. The Pharmacy Student Governance Association selected a member who has gone above and beyond to receive the Member of the Year Award.

Special Recognition

Beth Foster was recognized for her service as chair of the Pharmacy Honor Council. As chair, Martin provided significant leadership and service to the School and her classmates.

Brooke Lucas was recognized with Pharmacy Student Ambassadors Extra Mile Award. Pharmacy Student Ambassadors are a volunteer organization of students that serve as ambassadors in public relations with prospective students and their families, alumni, preceptors, and members of the community. The Director of Admissions and Pharmacy Student Ambassador Coordinator select a student ambassador who has gone above and beyond in serving during the past year.

Dr. Serge Afeli received the Exemplary Service to Admissions Faculty Award in recognition to his continued and dedicated service.  Each year, the Office of Professional and Student Affairs recognizes a faculty member who has gone above and beyond with an Exemplary Service to Admissions Faculty Award.  Afeli exhibited dedicated service to admissions by attending admissions events, interviewing students, and interacting with prospects and incoming students.