Honoring student achievements

By David Jacobson / Wed May 6, 2015

Richard Trujillo, UCSF

Gordon Dow, PharmD ’65, with two of the three Roger G. Ketchum scholarship winners, Kathyrn Salvadora and Thomas Lee (both Class of 2016).

The annual UCSF School of Pharmacy Student Awards and Recognition Dinner, hosted by Dean B. Joseph Guglielmo, PharmD, and sponsored by Ralph’s Inc., was held on Friday, May 1, 2015, at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus.

The event honored dozens of students whose excellence and leadership were recognized at the campus, state, and national levels with scholarships and awards. The following is a brief selection from the evening’s presentations.

The Dohmen Life Science Scholarship was presented to student pharmacist Thomas Lee, Class of 2016, by Dohmen CEO Cynthia LaConte. The $10,000 scholarship was established by the Dohmen Company Foundation in memory of Sally Van Doren, PharmD, who completed her residency at UCSF in 1986 and continued in a teaching and advising role at the School.

The Dohmen Scholarship specifically recognizes academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to serve the life science industry—traits that reflect the achievements of the vivacious Van Doren, who founded BioSoteria, Inc., a leading provider of drug safety and risk management services to the biopharmaceutical industry. BioSoteria was later acquired by Dohmen.

Three students awarded Roger G. Ketcham Scholarships last fall were also recognized. Third-year (Class of 2016) student pharmacists Michael De Guia, Thomas Lee, and Kathyrn Salvadora—who are interested in pursuing careers in academia, industry, and clinical practice, respectively—were honored as recipients of the $5,000 scholarships.

Gordon Dow, PharmD ’65, founder of Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences, established the endowed fund with his wife, Joanne, in honor of the late Roger Ketcham, PhD, a School professor and organic chemist beloved by generations of students for his generous and caring nature. Dow was in attendance to dine with the scholarship recipients.

The Walgreens Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award was presented to Class of 2016 student pharmacist Shauna Santiago, and Walgreens Diversity Scholarships were presented to three Class of 2017 student pharmacists: Alysha Fahmi, James Go, and Esther Yi.

Presented by San Francisco Walgreens pharmacists and funded by the largest drugstore chain in the United States, the $2,000 Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award recognizes a student pharmacist who embraces and promotes diversity and inclusion initiatives at UCSF. The $1,000 Diversity Scholarships are awarded to student pharmacists who demonstrate a commitment to community outreach and to raising awareness of diversity.

Complete listing of honorees: 2015 Student Awards & Recognition Dinner