School of Pharmacy Celebrates the Class of 2008 At Convocation

133 PharmD, PhD, and Masters students receive degrees and start the next phase of their lives

By Becky Ceraul
May 21, 2008

Despite the rainy weather, May 16 was a cheerful day in Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College in Towson as 133 students graduated from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. The School’s annual convocation ceremony drew a packed house of family, friends, faculty and staff who all watched proudly as students were hooded by Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD.

In her opening remarks, Dean Eddington told the class that their countless hours in class and in the lab, studying, training, researching and representing the School of Pharmacy at practice sites has finally paid off. “You will walk out of this auditorium a doctor of pharmacy or a doctor of philosophy and embark on the next phase of your life,” she said.

“I’m confident that you will play a significant role in the transformation of the practice of pharmacy,” she continued. “In the next five to 10 years, as the healthcare climate in the United States changes, the pharmacist will become the primary source of healthcare delivery for many patients. You are uniquely positioned to provide high quality, compassionate care for patients because your duties as a pharmacist will be dramatically different from your predecessors. We have prepared you for this expanding role through our excellent and innovative curriculum and the opportunities provided by our outstanding experiential learning program.”

She reminded everyone in attendance how vital the School’s PhD graduates are to the equation. “Your endeavors in research will lead to the design and discovery of new therapeutics to treat a variety of diseases,” she said. “With your unique skills and perseverance it’s foreseeable that you will be on the forefront of discovering new treatments for diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, central nervous disorders and heart disease – or whatever illness you decide to tackle.”

Dorothy Smith, PharmD, founder and president of Consumer Health Information Corporation, was chosen by the Class of 2008 as the keynote speaker for convocation. Dr. Smith’s organization’s has 20 years of actual clinical experience in counseling patients about their medications, and she is an internationally recognized expert in patient education, patient compliance and behavior modification programs. In her remarks, Dr. Smith recalled that she received no training on patient counseling during her years in pharmacy school. And the first patient she saw in the hospital didn’t know what a pharmacist did. “In my early professional years, pharmacists only dispensed medications, had to refer all questions to a physician and could not help patients learn how to manage their medications at home,” she said. “You are graduating at an exciting time in our profession because you now have the ability to incorporate direct patient care in to your practice.”

“You are entering the profession with the best knowledge and skills,” she said. “I encourage you to listen to your patients because they are depending on you to fill the ever increasing gaps in our health care system.”

Numerous academic and leadership awards were also given out at the ceremony (see list below) and the class recognized Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science, as its selected Teacher of the Year.

Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacists Student Achievement Award
Jamie Wilkins

Maryland Pharmaceutical Society Award
Dana Cartwright
Jamie Wilkins

Alpha Zeta Omega Fraternity, Kappa Chapter Prize for proficiency in pharmacology
Mathilda Fienkeng

Andrew G. DuMez Award for superior proficiency in pharmacy
Jorie Glick

Lambda Kappa Sigma, Epsilon Alumnae Chapter-Cole Award for proficiency in pharmacy administration
Mojdeh Saba

William Simon Memorial Prize for superior work in the field of medicinal chemistry, practical and analytical chemistry
Danielle Silva

Dr. & Mrs. Frank J. Slama Award for superior work in the field of biopharmacognosy
Garth Kistner

Frank J. Slama Award by the School’s Alumni Association to a graduating student who has excelled in extracurricular activities
Jessica O’Kane

Wagner Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence Prize for meritorious academic achievement in pharmaceutical jurisprudence
Jason Katcoff

John F. Wannenwetsch Memorial Prize for exceptional performance and promise in the practice of community pharmacy
Min-Li Wu

Conrad L. Wich Prize for exceptional work in medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy
Jaikishan Kakar

L.S. Williams Practical Pharmacy Prize to the student having the highest general average in basic and applied pharmaceutics
James Papadatos

Academic Excellence Award
Honghong La

Leadership Awards
Melanie Belcher
Carla Cabanilla
Raimon Cary
Mathilda Fienkeng
Tina Kasliwal
Jessica O’Kane

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