OSU College of Pharmacy Class of 2018 Graduation

Eight graduates from OSU College of Pharmacy Class of 2018

OSU College of Pharmacy Class of 2018

Friday, June 15, 2018, OSU/OHSU College of Pharmacy conferred 82 Doctor of Pharmacy Degrees (Pharm.D.), and 10 Doctor of Philosophy Degrees (Ph.D.). Two of the 82 Pharm.D. graduates also received their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the OSU College of Business with 7 more completing the MBA program post graduation. Dean Mark Zabriskie began the ceremony by welcoming family and friends to the 18^th annual OSU College of Pharmacy commencement ceremony.

Notably, 80% of the 2018 graduates are resident Oregonians however, other states represented by our graduates include California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Internationally the class represented South Korea and Vietnam. Sixty six percent of the class is female while 34% is male with an average age of 29 years of old, reflects the increasing maturity of our students. Nearly all have accepted positions in a variety of practice settings with 23 of the graduates moving on to pursue postgraduate training in the form of a pharmacy residency.

(left) Chloe Nguyen (’18)

Class President, John Myers(`18) addressed graduates and guests with stories from pharmacy school about perseverance, collaboration, teamwork, and friendship. In closing, he implored the class to “make a positive mark on the profession” and to continue helping one another reach their goals. Also addressing the students were Oregon State University President Dr. Ed Ray, and Oregon Health & Science University Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Elena Andresen, who offered inspiring words of congratulations and excitement for the future. President Ray spoke of the graduates entering the pharmacy profession as leaders and valuable partners on a diverse and collaborative healthcare team. Provost Andresen spoke about the unique partnership between OSU and OHSU which fosters the collaborative nature of patient focused care and prepares our pharmacy graduates to move into their careers as drug experts and capable clinicians. Also joining President Ray and Provost Andresen was OSU Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Edward Feser who congratulated graduates on stage as they received their diploma.

Nine Graduates from OSU College of Pharmacy Class of 2018

All graduates were celebrated during the graduation ceremony, and a few exceptional students were recognized for their outstanding work over the last four years. Dr’s. Dave Bearden and Theresa Filtz presented the following 13 students with 12 distinguished awards for their accomplishments in the classroom, clinic, and community:

Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award
Cynthia Wong (’18)

Excellence in Clinical Communication Award
sponsored by Wolters Kluwer Health
Tri Tran (’18)

USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award
Katie LaRue (’18)

Merck Outstanding Student in Pharmacy Award
Courtney Holmes (’18)
Bo Weber (’18)

Eli Lilly Achievement Award
Megan Eckrich (’18)

APhA-ASP Senior Recognition Certificate
Kayleigh Whelchel (’18)

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Plaque
YoungYoon Ham (’18):

College of Pharmacy Award for Excellence
Addison Pang (’18) – Excellence in Health Education
Julia Zhukov (’18) – Excellence in Leadership
Ana Bienvenida (’18) – Excellence in Professional Engagement
Brian Tessman (’18) – Excellence in Patient Care & Advocacy
YoungYoon Ham (’18) – Excellence in Scholarship & Creative Inquiry

(left to right) Paul Wachter, Annie Stout, Lincoln Alexander (’15), and Stephen Certo
representing our Pharmacy Partner, Albertsons/Safeway

(left to right) Dean Mark Zabriskie with Steve Bass (’04), and Wassim Ayoub (’01) representing our Pharmacy Partner, Fred Meyer with Alumni Director Paige Clark (’85)

Thank you to our corporate partners who have a longstanding history of graciously sponsoring our student events throughout the year. Joining us for graduation included Steve Bass (’04), and Wassim Ayoub (’01) from Fred Meyer as well as Lincoln Alexander (’15), Annie Stout, Stephen Certo, and Paul Wachter from Albertsons/Safeway.

(left to right) Julia Zhukov (’18), Katie Larue (’18), Cynthia Wong (’18),
Courtney Holms (’18) and Sarah Brattain (’18)

Following the ceremony, graduates reunited with their friends and families outside LaSells Stewart Center for a dessert reception in celebration of their tremendous accomplishments.