Metta Lou Henderson ’78 named 2026 Zada Cooper Leadership Medal Awardee and Domer Lecturer
Dr. Henderson presenting her report: "Emerging Minority: Contributions of Women Pharmacists Past, Present, and Future" in 2003
Metta Lou Henderson, PhD, ’78, has been announced as the recipient of the 2026 Zada Cooper Leadership Medal and Domer Lecturer. Presented annually by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation, this award honors individuals who have made notable strides in advancing leadership within the pharmacy profession, championing collaboration, advocacy, and mentorship to enhance healthcare for all.
Established in 2025, this award is named in honor of Zada Mary Cooper (1875-1961), a pioneering educator and leader who helped shape modern pharmacy practice. She spent 45 years as a registered pharmacist and faculty member with the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, where she acted as a fierce advocate for innovation in education and the role of women in the world of pharmacy. A prolific writer and active member of national organizations, Cooper addressed challenges still relevant today, influencing pharmacy practice and science nationwide and shaping the education of generations of pharmacists. Henderson will be the inaugural recipient of the award.
“I am honored to receive the Zada Cooper Leadership Award,” Henderson said. “Over the years, I have researched her life and found so many aspects of what she accomplished when she was one of only a few women pharmacists. I decided that she would become my role model, and I have attempted to do so.”
Dr. Henderson at the University of Arizona, 1980s
Henderson earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Arizona in 1961. She returned for her Master of Science in 1966, and again in 1978 for her Doctor of Philosophy. Over the course of her career, she has had a deep and lasting impact not only on her alma mater, but with organizations around the country. She has served as professor emerita of Ohio Northern University, APhA honorary president, and grand president of Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. In addition to annual lectures with the U of A, she has been a member of the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy Alumni Council, the Arizona Alumni Association, and a volunteer with the Coit Museum of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, also serving on the museum’s Advisory Board. She remains active in mentorship and philanthropy with the college through the Metta Lou Henderson Endowed Scholarship, supporting fourth-year pharmacy students based on the demonstration of strong leadership and mentoring.
Dr. Henderson during her time as a pharmacy student
She has also received numerous awards, honors, and accolades in pharmacy practice and education. In 2002, she was named the Jack R. Cole Distinguished Alumnus awardee, and in 2010 she received the College of Pharmacy’s Alumni of the Year Award, presented by the University of Arizona Alumni Association. She has previously received the APhA Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award and has been named by the APhA Foundation as a Next 10 Women in Pharmacy Honoree.
Jenelle Sobotka, PharmD, was the primary nominator for Henderson’s award and provided insight into her selection: “Dr. Henderson dedicated her career to the research of women pharmacy leaders in history,” she shared. “She also put this into action with decades of unwavering support to countless future women leaders, providing encouragement, strong nudging, and mentorship. Looking back over the past century, I would consider these three; Zada Cooper, Gloria Franke, and Metta Lou Henderson, to be a powerful triple force in developing women in leadership in the pharmacy profession.”
The Zada Cooper Leadership Medal will be presented at the 2026 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition on March 28 in Los Angeles. Following the Women in Pharmacy Leadership Development Forum, Henderson will give the Domer Lecture. “It is quite clear that the Zada Cooper award should begin with Metta Lou Henderson as the inaugural recipient,” Sobotka added, highlighting the importance and impact of her work on the field of pharmacy.
Henderson is looking forward to the Domer lecture, where she will discuss the life, career, and legacy of Zada Cooper. “I will be reflecting on what she would do in today's world of pharmacy. I hope that everyone will begin to know her and begin to attempt to follow her activities."