Alumni Association to honor COPers

During the 2009 Homecoming Weekend this fall, the Arizona Alumni Association will recognize two College of Pharmacy employees for their contributions to the university and their professions. Theodore Tong, professor and associate dean of academic and student affairs, and Jude McNally, managing director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, will receive awards during a ceremony Nov. 6.

Tong, who has been an associate dean at the college since 1987, will receive the association’s Honorary Alumnus Award, which goes to a non-alumnus who has served The University of Arizona for at least 10 years. In their nomination letters, colleagues praised Tong for being an active member in university and professional committees and organizations.

Tong was the president of the American Pharmacists’ Association Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science and is currently a member of several university committees, including the Campus Emergency Response Team and the Strategic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the Asian American Faculty, Staff and Alumni Association.

McNally, who has been at the poison center for 28 years, will receive the Professional Achievement Award, which is given to persons who have attained prominence in their fields. McNally was lauded by nominators for being an exceptional speaker and educator, and an excellent manager of the poison center, especially through uncertain economic periods. He was also praised for his community service, education and research collaborations with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

A fellow poison center director called McNally “a consummate professional” who has had “a tremendous influence on those that treat poison patients, particularly in the field of toxinology.”

McNally is a 1982 graduate of UA COP.

Story posted July 14, 2009