New Members Inducted Into Rho Chi

Pharmacy honor society inducts 54 new members at annual ceremony

By Sarah Murphy
April 9, 2010

The School of Pharmacy’s Rho Chi Honor Society, Omicron Chapter, hosted its annual banquet and initiation ceremony on March 26 at the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center to induct new members, including PharmD students and graduate students from the Departments of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research and Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as several faculty members. The annual event, sponsored this year in part by Target Pharmacy, recognizes academic achievement in PharmD members who are in the top 20 percent of their class after the first three semesters and graduate students who have attained a 3.5 grade point average.

Welcoming remarks were provided by Allison Kobin, a third year student pharmacist and Omicron Chapter President, and Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD.

The night’s keynote speaker was Matthew Shimoda, PharmD, a 1984 graduate of the School of Pharmacy. Shimoda was inducted into the Rho Chi Society twenty-nine years ago as a student pharmacist. After graduation, he became owner of Health Care Professionals, which included four retail pharmacies, one long-term care pharmacy, a medical equipment company, and an infusion division. In 1998, he became area manager for NeighborCare Pharmacies and then regional health care manager for CVS Caremark. He is currently pharmacy manager and immunization coordinator for Super Fresh Pharmacies. Shimoda also serves as a preceptor and adjunct faculty member for the School of Pharmacy.

Shimoda encouraged the new inductees to communicate with their patients to inspire them, engage in educating them, and influence them to remain adherent to their medications. Because of the changing roles of pharmacists, he advised, “Never let yourself become stagnant. There are always things to learn and new approaches to take in the field of pharmacy.”

Following Shimoda’s speech, Rho Chi officers Justin Mathew (historian), Kyle Snyder (treasurer), Mario Luong (PharmD vice president), Hanpin Lim (graduate vice president), and Sarah Murphy (secretary) spoke about the organization’s history and purpose, and its mission and vision. Faculty advisor Myron Weiner, PhD, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, asked each inductee to come forward to sign the Omicron Chapter book that contains the names of all members who have been initiated into the chapter since it was established in 1930. New members also received a certificate and Rho Chi pin.