Evening Banquet Celebrates Class of 2014, Honors Pharmacy Professionals

Graduation Banquet recognizes the achievements of the Class of 2014 and bestows honored and honorary alumnus awards on two exemplary members of the pharmacy “family.”

By Malissa Carroll
May 15, 2014

On May 14, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Alumni Association hosted its annual Graduation Banquet to celebrate the Class of 2014. Held at Martin’s Valley Mansion in Hunt Valley, Md., the event was attended by approximately 200 faculty, students, sponsors, guests, and Alumni Association members.

“The Graduation Banquet is a time of celebration for students from our Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and graduate programs,” Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP, dean and professor of the School of Pharmacy told the graduates at the banquet. “With rotations and exams over, it is a chance for you to breathe a sigh of relief as the faculty, staff, preceptors, and alumni with whom you have worked so closely in previous years welcome you to the next phase of your professional career. Your hard work has paid off and you are ready to participate in a dynamic health care and research climate at a remarkable time in our nation’s history.”

Presented during the banquet were the Evander Frank Kelly Honored Alumnus and the B. Olive Cole Honorary Alumnus Awards.

The Evander Frank Kelly Honored Alumnus Award is presented each year to a School of Pharmacy alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in the profession of pharmacy through service in local, state, and national pharmacy, government, or civic organizations and is active in the promotion of pharmacy at the University of Maryland. This year’s recipient was Cynthia Boyle, PharmD ’96, FAPhA, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy.

“Dr. Boyle has a broad range of pharmacy experience, having practiced in community, institutional, and consultant settings,” said Brain Hose, PharmD ’06, president of the Alumni Association, in presenting the award. “She serves as a leader in numerous regional and national professional organizations and has received a variety of national and local awards, while maintaining her legacy of service to the School of Pharmacy as a member of the Alumni Association Executive Committee, as a David Stewart Associates leadership donor, and through the Legacy for Advocacy student scholarship that she established at the School. For her life of service, leadership, and singularly distinctive accomplishments in the profession of pharmacy, I am proud to present Dr. Boyle with this award.”

No stranger to the School of Pharmacy, Boyle earned her PharmD from the School in 1996, and later served as both a faculty member and executive director of the School’s Experiential Learning Program. She was recently named president-elect of the American Association Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), which also awarded her its prestigious Crystal APPLE Award for her contributions to excellence in experiential education. In 2013, she was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record.

After accepting her award, Boyle shared an important piece of advice with the graduating class.

“The education that I received from the School of Pharmacy helped reinvent, reignite, and reimagine my career,” said Boyle. “An important milestone in my career was joining the School’s faculty in 1999, where I enjoyed my time working with students, colleagues, experiential education, and pharmacy practice initiatives at both state and national levels. In assuming my new role as president-elect of AACP, I will use all that I have learned from student pharmacists at the School of Pharmacy, as well as those whom I have met at other schools and colleges across the country, to advance pharmacy education and transform the future of health care. I hope that you, too, will use your education for all it is worth.”

The B. Olive Cole Honorary Alumnus Award was presented to a non-alumnus who has demonstrated continued interest and exceptional loyalty and service to the profession of pharmacy in Maryland and whose professional, personal, civic, and philanthropic pursuits reflect the high standards and values associated with the School of Pharmacy and its Alumni Association. This year’s recipient was Marilyn Shangraw, wife of Ralph Shangraw, PhD, professor emeritus of the School of Pharmacy who passed away in 1998.

“Marilyn Shangraw is a loyal, long-standing member of our School of Pharmacy family,” said Hose. “She and her husband, Dr. Ralph Shangraw, an esteemed and internationally renowned leader in pharmaceutical research, always went above and beyond what was expected of them, especially when it came to our student pharmacists. Even after her husband’s passing, Mrs. Shangraw remained active in alumni activities, serving as honorary president of the Alumni Association from 1999-2003. We are honored to have her as part of our community and recognize her with this award.”

Shangraw first became involved with the School of Pharmacy in 1958, hosting numerous student activities at her home throughout the years. The friendships that she forged with pharmacy students have lasted the test of time, as she remains a close friend of many School of Pharmacy alumni to this day. With her husband’s legacy continuing to live on through the Ralph F. Shangraw/Noxell Endowed Chair in Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics — established in honor of his retirement from the School in 1995 — Shangraw follows the research activities of James Polli, PhD, who currently holds the endowed chair, with great interest.

“It is such an honor to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2014 with you this evening,” said Shangraw. “I knew B. Olive Cole, and am truly humbled to have my name associated with hers as a recipient of this award. I also believe that she would agree with the words of wisdom that I would like to share with you this evening — stay involved with the School, the Alumni Association, and your classmates, as this will contribute to a full and rewarding career. I congratulate and commend all of you for choosing the pharmacy profession. You have fantastic futures ahead of you.”

Following the awards presentation, Hose recognized the service of the Alumni Association’s 2013-2014 Executive Committee and introduced the new members of the 2014-2015 Executive Committee. Julian Chun, PharmD ’02, incoming president of the Alumni Association, also recognized Hose for his years of service to the Alumni Association. Attendees spent the rest of the evening celebrating on the dance floor.

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