College of Pharmacy Students, Organizations Recognized Nationally

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ATLANTA – Several Mercer University College of Pharmacy students and organizations were recognized nationally this past summer for their contributions to the field of pharmacy.

At the Student National Pharmaceutical Association's (SNPhA) national conference in Atlanta, four Mercer pharmacy students were awarded scholarships.

Helen Mitchell, immediate past president of Mercer's chapter, was named the J.B. Hills SNPhA Chapter President of the Year and received a $1,000 scholarship from the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA). Soumya Vishwanath, 2016-2017 president-elect of Mercer's chapter, received the $1,000 Future Pharmacists, Future Leaders Scholarship Pharmacy Award. Jacqueline Alvarez was awarded the $1,000 NPhA Foundation and Kroger Scholarship. Michelle Vu was awarded the $1,000 Walgreens Diversity Advancement Award Scholarship.

A team of four students, Courtney Wolfe, Vinh Nguyen, Vishwanath and Vu, won a $10,000 award for Mercer's SNPhA chapter for their community service project from the SNPhA and Walmart/Sam's Club. Mercer's SNPhA chapter also was recognized as a top-three large-size chapter.

In addition, the college's Gamma Psi chapter was recognized as the No. 1 collegiate chapter of 2016 by the national Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. The fraternity was judged on participation in Kappa Psi regional and national events and in other pharmacy associations, academics (75 percent of the chapter's members maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher) and community outreach.

Mercer's chapter, for example, hosts three annual blood drives on campus and participates in monthly health screenings with CVS pharmacies.

Overall, Mercer's Doctor of Pharmacy students are active in 17 regional and national pharmacy organizations.

About the College of Pharmacy

Mercer University's College of Pharmacy is ranked in the top five among pharmacy programs at private institutions in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. The College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.). Founded in 1903 as the independent Southern School of Pharmacy, the school merged with Mercer University in 1959 and in 1981 became the first school in the Southeast to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy degree as its sole professional degree. In 1988, the College launched its graduate program, offering the Ph.D. degree in pharmaceutical sciences. The College is one of four health sciences units within the Mercer Health Sciences Center. With an enrollment today of more than 650 students and a distinguished faculty of basic scientists and clinicians, the College of Pharmacy houses seven centers focusing on research, teaching and learning. The College's motto, “A Tradition of Excellence – A Legacy of Caring,” frames its philosophy of providing excellent academic programs in an environment where every student matters and every person counts. For more information about the College, visit http://pharmacy.mercer.edu.