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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) faculty and alumni received multiple accolades during the Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) conference held Sept. 7-10 in St. Louis.

Jessica Kerr, PharmD, assistant chair and professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, was honored with the Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champions Award and the NCPA Leadership Plaque. She was also sworn in as president of the IPhA.

Miranda Wilhelm, PharmD, clinical associate professor, achieved the Educator of the Year award. Alumnus Harry Zollars, PharmD ’13, was named Distinguished Young Pharmacist, and preceptor Starlin Haydon-Greatting, MS, BSPharm, was honored for Excellence in Innovation.

“The awards and recognition bestowed upon SIUE School of Pharmacy faculty and alumni are clear evidence that we are at the forefront of the effort to move the profession of pharmacy to new heights in the state,” said SOP Dean Gireesh Gupchup, PhD. “I congratulate all those who have received awards and recognitions.”

“It was an honor to gather with friends and colleagues, with whom I share the common idea of wanting what is best for patients and the pharmacy profession,” Kerr said. “During the conference, you could see the fire in young pharmacist attendees’ eyes as they now join us in our dedication to the profession.”

Kerr credits the efforts of the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists Organization (APhA-ASP) student chapter for supporting her receipt of the Cardinal Health Illinois Generation Rx Pharmacist Award. The award includes $500 to be donated to a nonprofit organization.

Wilhelm, who specializes in self-care and immunizations, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to teach at SIUE and her passion for using real-world examples in her teaching.

“I love sharing stories and real-world examples with students/pharmacists to help them remember course content and make a difficult topic easier to understand,” Wilhelm said. “In both required and elective self-care courses, I have incorporated standardized patient counseling simulations. Application of course content, where students have to apply what has been taught, helps to make the concepts more concrete.”

The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) is dedicated to enhancing the professional competency of pharmacists, advancing the standards of pharmacy practice, improving pharmacists’ effectiveness in assuring rational drug use in society, and leading in the resolution of public policy issues affecting pharmacists.

Photos: (L-R) Dr. Miranda Wilhelm, Dr. Harry Zollars and Dr. Jessica Kerr.

A group comprising SIUE School of Pharmacy faculty, alumni and current students attended the 2017 IPhA conference in St. Louis.