Alumni receiving an award

Alumni and Community Awards

The Jack R. Cole, PhD, Distinguished Alumnus Award

This award established in 1992, recognizes an alumnus or alumna with an engraved medallion who has:

  • Achieved success in pharmaceutical capacity or other capacities
  • Helped to further the mission of the College of Pharmacy
  • Provided leadership to the profession and the community
  • Made a positive impact on the state, nation and world
 

  • Candidates for the Cole Distinguished Alumnus Award must be a graduate of the UA College of Pharmacy. Two or more individuals may be nominated together if they performed as a team in their contributions or achievements
  • Nominations should consist of up to three letters from nominators describing the contributions of the individual that make him/her eligible for this award, together with a short biography of the nominee and the nominee's curriculum vitae

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Jack Cole

This award is named for Jack Cole, dean emeritus and professor at the college. Dean from 1977 to 1990, he twice was named acting provost of the University of Arizona in the late 1980s and served as UA senior vice president for academic affairs and provost from 1990 to 1992. After two years with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, he returned to our college as a professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science in 1994. 

1992 - Jack Cole, Graduated 1953; Stanley Goldenberg, Graduated 1968
1993 - Mark Pulido, Graduated 1976
2002 - Mette Lou Henderson, Graduated 1961, 1965, 1978
2006 - Robert Pittman, Graduated 1984
2007 - William Fritz, Graduated 1970, 1977; Mary Relling, Graduated 1982
2008 - Carl Trinca, Graduated 1970, 1974; Hal Wand, Graduated 1979
2009 - Edward Saba, Graduated 1957
2010 - Richard Wiedhopf, Graduated 1965, 1972
2011 - John Bailey, Graduated 1965
2012 - Nancy Alvarez, Graduated 1992
2013 - Michael & Kathryn Kalsman, Graduated (Michael) 1953
2014 - Richard Katz, Graduated 1970 
2015 - Mary J. Ryan, Graduated 1974
2016 - Larry Schallock, Graduated 1968
2018 - Bill Smith, Graduated 1990
2019 - Kevin Boesen, Graduated 1996
2020 - Jenny Bingham, Graduated 2010
2021 - Alan Barreuther, Graduated 1973

The Danny and Rae Jacob Award for Pharmacy Practice

This award, which includes a gift of $1,000 (per award), recognizes outstanding pharmacy practitioners for their quality of practice and service to the community and profession. Recipients must be graduates of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy or have another significant relationship to the college (i.e., faculty appointment, donor, adviser or other service commitment) that has lasted five or more years. Two or more individuals may be nominated together if they performed as a team. Additionally, a recipient must: 

  • Practice pharmacy in an innovative and patient-oriented manner
  • Demonstrate high standards of compassion and caring
  • Be actively involved in service to the profession through state and/or national professional organizations
  • Be actively involved in service to his or her community 

  • Anyone 21 years of age or over may nominate
  • Nominations should consist of up to three letters of support

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Danny Rae Jacob

The grown children of 1952 College of Pharmacy alumnus Danny Jacob and his wife, Rae, established this award in honor of their parents, who owned and operated pharmacies in Tucson, held leadership positions in the state pharmacy organization and auxiliary and were known widely for their caring concern for patients and support of their employees. The first two recipients are faculty who teach in the Jacob Pharmacy Practice Laboratory, also funded by the Jacob family. 

2007 - Richard Herrier (retired in 2015)
2008 - David Lee
2009 - Tom Reed and Dana Reed Kane
2010 - Sandra Leal
2011 - Tony Felix
2012 - Carol Rollins
2013 - Allen Lew
2014 - Renee Tyree
2015 - Sandra Brownstein
2016 - Nicholas Quaglietta
2017 - Eric Bergstrom
2018 - Maryam Fazel
2019 - Jenene Spencer
2020 - Robert Stackhouse
2021 - Ali McBride

 
 

The James R. Halpert Graduate Alumni Award

This award, established in 2024, recognizes an alum with an engraved medallion who has:

  • Achieved success in pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology, and toxicology research or related fields
  • Helped to further the mission of the College of Pharmacy
  • Provided leadership to the profession and the community
  • Made a positive impact on the state, nation and world

Candidates for the Halpert Graduate Alumni Award must be a graduate of the UA College of Pharmacy and have received their MS, MSPS, or PhD. Two or more individuals may be nominated together if they performed as a team in their contributions or achievements.

Nominations should consist of:

  • Up to three letters of support from nominators describing the contributions of the individual that make them eligible for this award
  • A short biography of the nominee
  • The nominee's curriculum vitae, if available, or a link to their LinkedIn or professional website

This award is named in memory of Dr. James. R. Halpert, professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Joining the college in 1983, he mentored many graduate students during his time on faculty and developed independent research in the structure and function of cytochromes P450 of the 2B and 3A subfamilies. This award honors Dr. Halpert’s impact in research as well as his guidance to many generations of graduate students here at the university.

The Findlay E. Russell, MD, PhD, Distinguished Citizen Award

Established in 1992, this award, which is an engraved medallion, recognizes an individual who is not a graduate of the UA College of Pharmacy who has: 

  • Achieved success in a health care profession or other capacity
  • Helped to further the mission of the College of Pharmacy
  • Provided leadership to the profession and the community
  • Made a positive impact on the state, nation and world 

  • Two or more individuals may be nominated together if they performed as a team in their contributions or achievements
  • Nominations should consist of up to three letters from nominators describing the contributions of the individual that make him/her eligible for this award, together with a short biography of the nominee and the nominee's curriculum vitae.

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Russell Findlay

Findlay Russell joined the faculty of the UA College of Pharmacy in 1981 after serving as professor of neurology, biology and physiology at the University of Southern California and director of the Laboratory of Neurological Research and Venom Poisoning Center at Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Santa Barbara in 1989. Dr. Russell died in September 2011, a few days before his 92nd birthday. 

1992 - Alfred Mannino, Donald Dahlin 
1998 - Findlay Russell
2002 - Albert Picchioni 
2007 - A. Jay Gandolfi
2008 - George Cunningham
2009 - Mel and Enid Zuckerman
2010 - Mike and Elaine Jacobson
2011 - Bill Fink
2012 - Fred Paavola
2013 - Theodore Tong
2014 - James Kloster
2015 - Shaun Kirkpatrick
2016 - Samuel Yalkowsky
2018 - John Murphy
2019 - Ivo Abraham
2020 - Terri Warholak
2021 - Kelly Fine

 

Theodore G. Tong Distinguished Leadership and Service Award

Dr. Theodore G. Tong is a leader in our community and provides ongoing mentorship to students and faculty at our college. He has made significant impact on the profession of pharmacy not only locally but also nationally. this award has been established and given in his name to recognize a member of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy whose impact reaches students and members of the profession in ways that emulate the outstanding service and leadership that Dr. Tong demonstrates. The recipient should:

  • Demonstrate service and commitment to the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and to the students at this institution
  • Support and show responsiveness towards the needs of student pharmacists
  • Impact the development of leadership and professionalism
  • Promote the advancement of the profession 
  • Serve as a positive motivation for students and faculty
  • Unselfishly serve the profession

  • Students, faculty and staff are allowed to submit nominations
  • All nominees will be asked to provide a current CV to the Awards Committee for review
  • The Theodore G. Tong Distinguished Leadership and Service Award Committee will select the recipient 

2023 - Barbara Collins
2022 - Christopher Edwards
2021 - Larry York
2020 - Amy Kennedy
2019 - Jeannie Lee
2017 - Ali McBride

2016 - Hanna Phan
2015 - John Murphy
2014 - Todd Camenisch
2013 - William Jones
2012 - Terri Warholak
2008 - Theodore G. Tong

 

University of Arizona alumni and other individuals may also be recognized with various awards sponsored by the UA Alumni Association. There are Alumni Association awards for service to the university, public service and other accomplishments. The complete list of Alumni Association awards and criteria is available on the UA Alumni website.