Sunday, June 6, 2021, OSU College of Pharmacy conferred 84 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees (Pharm.D.), 7 Doctor of Philosophy degrees (Ph.D.), and 2 Masters of Science degrees (M.S.). 8 of the Pharm.D. graduates also received their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the OSU College of Business. This year due to unprecedented circumstances the College pivoted and reimagined graduation into a virtual celebration. Interim Dean David Bearden began the virtual celebration by welcoming family and friends to the 21st Annual OSU College of Pharmacy Commencement ceremony.
Notably, 75% of the 2021 graduates are resident Oregonians however, other states represented included Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, Utah and Washington. Class of 2021 is 69% female while 31% is male with an average age of 29 years old. Nearly all have accepted positions in a variety of practice settings with 32 of the graduates moving on to pursue postgraduate training in the form of a pharmacy residency.
Oregon Health & Science University Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Elena Andresen, honored graduates with inspiring words of congratulations and excitement for the future. 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. OSU Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Edward Feser, congratulated graduates on their hard work. Provost Feser spoke of the graduates entering the pharmacy profession as leaders and valuable partners to a diverse and collaborative healthcare team.
Class President, Jessica Hendrix (’21) addressed graduates and guests with stories from pharmacy school about collaboration, teamwork, friendship, and perseverance throughout this global pandemic. Jessica stated, “As pharmacists, we have chose to put ourselves on the frontlines of some of the most important battlegrounds of today. As Class of 2021 we are READY!”.
The celebration ended with kind words, well wishes, and see you laters from faculty and staff at the College.
Please celebrate the Class of 2021 and watch the full graduation video, available at the link below!