Faculty, Staff, Alumni Recognized in MPhA Annual Awards

Cherokee Layson-Wolf received the Pharmacist Advocate Award, and Amy Howard received the Excellence in Innovation Award.

By Andrew Tie
July 23, 2024

Featured image (left to right): Cherokee Layson-Wolf, Joseph DeMino, Brian Hose, Amy Howard, and Mark Hindman.

Faculty, staff, and alumni from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) received several awards during the 2024 Maryland Pharmacists Association’s (MPhA) annual awards ceremony in Ocean City, Md., in June.

Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA, professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research (P-SHOR), received the Pharmacist Advocate Award, and Amy Howard, PharmD, MS, a pediatric clinical pharmacist and clinical assistant professor in P-SHOR, received the Excellence in Innovation Award.

“Drs. Layson-Wolf and Howard, as well as our recognized alumni, embody the best values of pharmacists, such as caring for our patients and paving the way for future generations,” said Jill A. Morgan, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, FNAP, chair and professor of P-SHOR. “Their dedication and achievements have earned them these prestigious awards from their peers at MPhA.”

Pharmacist Advocate Award – Cherokee Layson-Wolf

Layson-Wolf has played a key role in the advancement of the pharmacy profession in Maryland, particularly regarding pharmacist-delivered immunizations. She has advocated for and assisted in the development of regulations for influenza immunizations, as well as increasing the scope of immunizations that pharmacists can administer. Layson-Wolf has worked closely with the Maryland Board of Pharmacy and testified in front of Maryland legislative committees in these efforts. She was also a vital member of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) team that created and staffed a COVID-19 vaccine center for UMB employees and the community.

At the School of Pharmacy, Layson-Wolf has worked with PharmD students in developing their voices for advocacy. She helped arrange opportunities for PharmD students to visit the American Pharmacists Association headquarters and meet with legislators in Washington, DC, as well as an annual visit to the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis for Legislative Day.

Layson-Wolf becomes the third consecutive faculty member to receive the Pharmacist Advocate Award, following Bethany DiPaula, PharmD, BCPP, and Megan Ehret, PharmD, MS, BCPP, both professors in P-SHOR.

“I am passionate about advocating for the pharmacy profession and supporting our students in doing so,” Layson-Wolf said. “I am deeply honored by my peers at MPhA, many of whom have helped me in advancing our profession.”

Excellence in Innovation Award – Amy Howard

Howard has been an active member of MPhA since joining as a UMSOP student in 2013. She has participated in MPhA’s advocacy efforts as a member of its Advocacy Committee and as an attendee at Legislative Day. She served as chair of the planning committee focused on increasing student involvement in MPhA and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as interdisciplinary-focused content.

As a pharmacist, she worked on the development team that created five instructional videos to help pediatric and adolescent patients with proper inhaler technique. These videos have been adopted by the University of Maryland Medical System for use in their pediatric units and emergency department.

Howard becomes the third consecutive member of UMSOP to receive the award, following Alison Duffy, PharmD, BCOP, associate professor of P-SHOR, and Emily Heil, PharmD, MS, BCIDP, BCPS, AAHIVP, professor of P-SHOR.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive the Excellence in Innovation award from MPhA, and I thank my colleagues and mentors who have supported me in my career,” Howard said. “I am committed to developing new ways of treating pediatric and adolescent patients and ensuring accessibility to people at all levels of health literacy.”

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Faculty, Student, and Alumni MPhA Award Winners

• Excellence in Innovation Award: Amy Howard, PharmD ’17, MS
• Pharmacist Advocate Award: Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD ’00, BCACP, FAPhA
• Bowl of Hygeia: Joseph A. DeMino, BSP ’84
• Seidman Distinguished Achievement Award: Brian Hose, PharmD ’06
• Distinguished Young Pharmacist: F. Mark Hindman, PharmD ’17

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