College of Pharmacy Celebrates Class of 2021 with Hybrid Convocation

May 17, 2021

On May 14th, the College of Pharmacy celebrated its 71st Convocation this year with an unforgettable celebration that combined the traditions of the College with the ceremonial elements of the University's larger Commencement. With their degrees conferred on site, our graduating PharmCATs, for the first time in College history, crossed the stage as doctors, scholars or successful graduates of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.

"The perseverance and decision to push through and make it to this day, from these students, is truly deserving of a celebration," shared LuzMaría Hernández, convocation event coordinator and Recruitment/Events Specialist for the Office of Student Services. "I am honored to be able to collaborate to help commemorate their accomplishments with CONVO 2021!"  

During the ceremony, students heard remarks from University President Robert C. Robbins, MD, Rick Schnellmann, PhD, dean of the college, Jeannie Lee, PharmD, assistant dean of student services and our pre-show emcee, as well as representatives from the various college programs. The yearly program award announcements were also made during the ceremony, recognizing the distinguished graduates as well as the educators of the year and the yearly preceptor awards.

Re-live the event again by watching the recording here.

The full list of award winners can be found below:

College of Pharmacy PharmD Student Awards

 PharmD Student
 Award

Jacey Sims
Theresa Claire Birch Yeoman
Roberto Cortez
Bianca Ortiz
Jennifer Wrona

Eli Schlossberg Award for Excellence in Pharmacotherapeutics
Aeryana Beaudrie-Nunn Excellence in Acute Patient Care Award
Daniel Morrison Excellence in Ambulatory Patient Care
Hunter Rojas Facts & Comparisons/Lexicomp Clinical Communication Award of Excellence
Victor Ruiz Frontiers of Knowledge
Andrew Hirakawa High Scholastic Achievement and Leadership Award
Michaela D’Angelo Viatris Achievement of Excellence in Drug Information

Daniel Streng
David Nisanov
Elizabeth Vadasz
Roberto Cortez

Recognition of Highest Grade Point Average
Kathleen Blomquist College of Pharmacy Outstanding Senior Award
Shana Shriber U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award
Elizabeth Vadasz Oncology Clinical Rotation Award of Excellence

College of Pharmacy BSPS Student Award 

 Student
 Award
Meghan McGrath Outstanding Senior Award

 

College of Pharmacy Graduate Student Awards 

Graduating  Student
 Award

Siennah Miller

Caldwell Health Sciences Research Fellowship

Yanmei Hu

Joseph B. Ryan Memorial Fellowship Award
Chris Zerio
 
Drug Discovery and Development Academic Excellence
Ernest Vallorz Pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics Outstanding Research and Academic Excellence
Yanmei Hu Drug Discovery and Development Outstanding Research

 

College of Pharmacy Commendations for Publications 

 Student
 Award

Kathleen Blomquist
Niloufar Emami
Karissa Koessel
Bianca Ortiz

Commendations for Publications

 

College of Pharmacy Rural Health Professions Program Certificate Recipients 

 Student
 Award

Willibroad Aminazong
Brittany Andersen
Aeryana Beaudrie-Nunn
Joss Delaune
Loi Duong,
Jasim El-Ali
Bryan Espinoza
Becky Grey
Andrew Hirakawa
Joshua Kassner
Zaynab Khatoun
Lisa Le
Anthony Mejia
Ajla Mujezinovic
Britt Myslinski
Yolimar Perez
Thu Pham
Kyle Root
Victor Ruiz
Gurpreet Saini
Jacob Sandoval
Cory Saunders
Atefeh Sharif
Shana Shriber
Cassandra Sieg
Jacey Sims
Brandi Smith
Elizabeth Vadasz
Joselyn Villanueva
Michael Weissmueller
Jennifer Wrona

Rural Health Professions Program Certificate Recipients

 

College of Pharmacy Faculty Awards 

 Faculty
 Award
Amy K. Kennedy Clinical Science Educator of the Year

Georg Wondrak

Basic Science Educator of the Year

Bernard Futcher and John Regan

Graduate Faculty Teaching Award

James Galligan

Graduate Faculty Mentor Award

 

College of Pharmacy Preceptor Awards 

 Preceptor
 Award
Matthew Bertsch Preceptor of the Year
Kristin Emenecker Rookie Preceptor of the Year
Chris Edwards Faculty Preceptor of the Year