2021 Graduate Students Recognized for Excellence at Virtual Event

Each spring, the College of Pharmacy celebrates excellence in the graduate programs, highlighting the dedication and hard work of our PhD and Masters students. Students are awarded on research and outstanding academic success. This year, the ceremony was held virtually with faculty, students and award namesakes and representatives including Betty Milleson Fink and Metta Lou Henderson, PhD, attending via zoom. Nathan Cherrington, PhD, and Georg Wondrak, PhD, presided over the event and shared words of congratulations and admiration for all the participants in the program. 

"Our graduate students are generators of knowledge," shared Dr. Wondrak. "They use experimental sciences to push the envelope of our understanding of what this great world is about."

Graduate Research Awards

The following graduate research awards are handed out each year to deserving graduate students in the College of Pharmacy. 

• The Caldwell Health Sciences Research Fellowship is dedicated in memory of Mary Caldwell, who worked at the University of Arizona for 55 years as a biology and bacteriology professor and then as a researcher. It is awarded to reward and encourage graduate students who are conducting original research.
• The Joseph B. Ryan Memorial Award was established by Joey Nell Leonard in memory of her father, Joseph B. Ryan, a prominent Phoenix pharmacist who operated a number of drug stores in Arizona. This fund is awarded to UA College of Pharmacy alumni who are interested in the MS/PhD program.
• The William & Betty Milleson Fink Graduate Student Fellowships was established in 2010 by Bill and Betty, friends of the College. Bill was a registered pharmacist for more than 60 years and held one of the oldest pharmacy licenses awarded by the State of Arizona, and Betty worked at Arizona for 34 years. The award is given to a full-time Health and Pharmaceutical Outcomes graduate student with a 3.5 GPA.

The graduate awards were selected by the Research Affairs Committee, who was comprised of the following pharmacy faculty:

• Nathan Cherrington, PhD, Chair
• Rhys Axon, PhD, MPharm, MS 
• Kathryn Mattias, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP
• Aikseng Ooi, PhD
• Jun Wang, PhD
• Wei Wang, PhD
• Qing-yu Zhang, PhD

Graduate Track Awards

Graduate track awards recognize students from each of the four graduate program tracks who have showcased academic excellence and outstanding research throughout the past year. Recipients were selected for two categories based on either GPA or research nominations. The executive committee then made the selection, and the Track Directors announced the awardees to the Grad Student Council.

Faculty Teaching & Mentor Awards

Graduate faculty members were also honored at this year's event. Students nominating faculty who contribute to the high-quality learning environment and helped to maintain high scholarly standards for the teaching award. In addition they also nominated faculty members who provide advice and opportunties to enhance career development and actively publish work featuring graduate students.