Welcome to the School of Pharmacy’s News & Media Center!

September 2017

Jimmie Valentine Named 2017 Joseph Sam Distinguished Alumnus

September 21, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Jimmie Valentine, a 1968 University of Mississippi graduate with a doctoral degree in medicinal chemistry, has been named the School of Pharmacy Department of BioMolecular Sciences’ 2017 Joseph Sam Distinguished Alumnus Award honoree.

Valentine holds degrees in both biology and chemistry from Centenary College of Louisiana and received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in medicinal chemistry from the UM School of Pharmacy. Retiring from the University of Arkansas in 2008 after 19 years as a professor of pediatrics, pharmacology and myeloma research, Valentine is now a consultant in medical pharmacology and toxicology.

Endowment Will Provide Scholarships to Pharmacy Students

September 21, 2017

MOSS POINT, Miss. – Karen Redmond is seated on a swivel stool at the soda-fountain counter of Burnham Drugs in Moss Point, Mississippi, enjoying a plate lunch and a chocolate shake. The local woman and her husband, David, are regular customers of this timeless place.

With cozy red-vinyl booths, a checkered floor, Coke floats made with hand-dipped ice cream and servers who’ve never met a stranger, it could just as easily be 1950 as 2017.

“I love the hamburgers and my husband loves the ham sandwiches,” Redmond says. “I don’t know what it is that makes them so good.”

A cook who doesn’t mean to eavesdrop says in passing, “It’s the love we put in them.”

Pharmacy Administration Names Alumnus of the Year

September 18, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – On Wednesday, Sep. 13, the Department of Pharmacy Administration honored Steve Blackwell with its 2017 Alumnus of the Year award.

Blackwell earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacy Administration from the School of Pharmacy in 1998. For nearly the past 20 years, he has worked with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a Social Science Research Analyst with the Research and Rapid-Cycle Evaluation Group in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Pharmacy Professor Wins UM Faculty Achievement Award

September 7, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – For the second consecutive year, a pharmacy professor has won the University of Mississippi’s Faculty Achievement Award.

Kristie Willett, chair of the Department of BioMolecular Sciences in the School of Pharmacy and professor of pharmacology and environmental toxicology, was presented the 2017 award at the Aug. 25 fall faculty meeting.

“This is an amazing honor,” Willett said. “There are so many truly outstanding faculty at the University of Mississippi. I really appreciate the recognition, especially considering the accomplishments of the previous awardees, who are all people I have looked up to over my years here.”

Pharmacy Alum’s Hometown Honors 60 Years of Service

September 6, 2017

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – For the few people in Millington, Tenn., who don’t know where Boatwright Pharmacy is, Leroy Boatwright can now give them directions using his own name.

A 1949 graduate of the Ole Miss School of Pharmacy, Leroy Boatwright, now 91, opened his pharmacy in 1957. Last month, the city honored his service by renaming the street where the pharmacy has stood for 60 years to “Leroy Boatwright Street.”

UM Cancer Institute Researchers Receive International Recognition

September 5, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – For two decades, David Pasco has pursued the discovery of plants that can enhance a person’s immune system.

Pasco, a pharmacognosist, is a longtime researcher and associate director of the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products Research and director of the Drug Discovery Core at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Institute.

State Organization Awards Three UM Pharmacy Professors

September 4, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Three University of Mississippi professors from the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Practice were honored at the annual Mississippi Society for Health-System Pharmacists meeting.

Laurie Fleming, clinical associate professor at the pharmacy school, was the Health-System Pharmacist of the Year Award winner, chosen for her outstanding service, collaboration and significant contributions to the profession.

August 2017

Staff Spotlight: Crystal Chancellor

August 30, 2017

Crystal Chancellor is a program coordinator for the Department of Pharmacy Practice on the Jackson campus of the School of Pharmacy, where third-year pharmacy students take classes. She has been with the University of Mississippi since 2011.

Faculty Profile: Jamie Stewart

August 24, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Jamie Stewart, associate professor of pharmacology in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences, joined the faculty of the School of Pharmacy this summer after teaching at Mississippi State University.

Stewart earned a B.S. in microbiology and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from Auburn University before completing post-doctoral internships in South…

NCNPR Director Named Honorary Member of Pharmacognosy Society

August 18, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Ikhlas Khan, director of the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, has been named an honorary member of the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

Pharmacognosy, the study of medicinal drugs made from plants and other natural sources, is at the heart of Khan’s more-than-25-year career at the natural products…

First Year Pharmacy Students Receive White Coats

August 15, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – For 115 first-year pharmacy students, the school year unofficially began Thursday (Aug. 10) at the White Coat Ceremony, where each received his or her white coat, a symbol of professionalism.

The annual event is an opportunity to formally impart the seriousness of a pharmacist’s responsibility to new pharmacy students. The students will wear their white…

NCNPR Signs Collaboration Agreement with Australian University

August 10, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – The National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute of Complementary Medicine in Australia, making the NCNPR part of research collaborations on every inhabited continent.

The agreement will allow the two entities to work together on research and other scholarly…

Alumni Insight: Montez Carter, ‘98

August 4, 2017

Montez Carter, UM School of Pharmacy Pharm.D. class of 1998, is the president of St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, Ga., and the recently elected chair-elect of the Georgia Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees. He will serve as chair-elect until November 2017, and then as chair the following year. The School of Pharmacy spoke with him about pharmacy’s role in his evolving career…

Pharmacy School and Diabetes Patients Collaborate on Research

August 2, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Capping off nearly a year of discussions with people who have diabetes and diabetes stakeholders across the state, researchers from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy invited them all to a meeting in Oxford to generate diabetes research questions as part of a research initiative.

Researchers involved in the project, called “PaRTICIpate in Diabetes Self-Management Research Collaborative: A Conference Series,” invited people with diabetes to a series of meetings throughout…

July 2017

Staff Spotlight: Sheri Conner

July 28, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Sheri Conner is the School of Pharmacy’s coordinator of clinical affairs on the school’s Jackson campus at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She began her career at UM on the pharmacy school’s Oxford campus in 2010, and in 2011, had the opportunity to move to Jackson and serve in her current position.

School of Pharmacy: Can you talk about your background?

Sheri Conner: I have a bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in business education. I started my teaching…

Faculty Profile: Marie Barnard

July 24, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Marie Barnard began work as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Administration on July 1, 2017.

Barnard most recently served as interim director of the UM Center for Educational Research and Evaluation. She has also worked as assistant dean in the UM School of Applied Sciences and executive director of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies.

Originally from Drexel Hill, Penn., she earned her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical science from the School of Pharmacy…

School of Pharmacy Professor Retires After 32 Years of Service

July 20, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Rachel Robinson, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice, retired on June 30, 2017, after 32 years of teaching and mentoring at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.

Robinson received both of her degrees from the UM pharmacy school, earning a B.S. in Pharmacy in 1978 and her Pharm.D. in 1997.

She began working at the School of Pharmacy in 1985 as a research assistant in the Department of Pharmacy…

Pharmacy Professor Honored with Educational Innovation Award

July 18, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Jamie Wagner, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, received the 2017 Innovations in Continuing Pharmacy Education Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy at its annual meeting Sunday, July 16 in Nashville, Tenn.

The award honors an individual who develops and demonstrates an original technique to promote…

Pharmacy Friend: Cliff Osbon

July 12, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Cliff Osbon is the president of Transcript Pharmacy, Inc., an independent specialty pharmacy provider in Flowood, Missisisppi. He is also the newly-installed president of the Mississippi Pharmacists Association.

Osbon graduated from University of Louisiana-Monroe College of Pharmacy in 1984…

UM and Jackson State Partner to Further Pharmacy Education

July 10, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – In an effort to provide more opportunities for aspiring pharmacists, the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and Jackson State University have collaborated to create the Preferred Admission Program, which offers qualified JSU students admission to…

Staff Spotlight: Kordarius Parker

July 7, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Kordarius Parker began as the new Records Coordinator for the School of Pharmacy’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in June 2017.

School of Pharmacy: Can you tell us about your background?

Kordarius Parker: I am a Mississippi native from a small town called Goodman. I am the only…

June 2017

Pharmacy School Recognizes Outstanding Faculty, Researchers

June 19, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – The UM School of Pharmacy recognized four professors and researchers for their excellence in and commitment to service, research and teaching at the annual faculty and research scientist retreat on June 15.

“Our faculty and scientists are consistently recognized externally for their efforts,” said David D. Allen, dean of the pharmacy school. “I was honored to present them with awards…

NCNPR Director Wins Medicinal Plants Award

June 16, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Ikhlas Khan, director of the National Center for Natural Products Research at the UM School of Pharmacy, will receive the Outstanding Contribution Award in Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysis and Standards from the Society for Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutical Analysis.

The award recognizes Khan’s work at the NCNPR on quality assessment methods…

Meet Lindsey Cooper, Early Entry Admissions Counselor

June 5, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – On May 30^th,2017, the UM School of Pharmacy welcomed Lindsey Cooper as its new admissions counselor for Early Entry students. Originally from Fulton, Miss., Cooper graduated from Ole Miss in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and got her Master’s degree in School Counseling from Mississippi State in 2011. After six years as a guidance counselor at an elementary school, she spent a year in the Ole Miss Office of Admissions…

Staff Spotlight: Lela Chalmers

June 1, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Lela Chalmers is an administrative assistant in the Department of Pharmacy Administration. She has been at the School of Pharmacy since July of 2016…

May 2017

Pharmacy School Remembers Associate Dean Emeritus Charlie Hufford

May 17, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Charles D. Hufford, associate dean emeritus for research and graduate programs and professor emeritus of pharmacognosy at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, died Monday (May 15) at the age of 72. His career at Ole Miss spanned 1972 to 2015.

Faculty and alumni remember him as an encouraging and effective leader who quietly supported the careers of many throughout his 43 years at the school. Colleagues called…

Pharmacy Professor Inducted into Nelson Order

May 17, 2017

JACKSON, Miss. – Joshua Fleming, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, was inducted last week into the Norman C. Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Named for the former vice chancellor for health affairs Norman C. Nelson, the award honors faculty at UMMC who demonstrate commitment to…

How a Scholarship Became a Lifelong Bond for a UM Student and Alumnus

May 11, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Seven years ago, Jasmine Turner was a senior in high school trying to decide what her future held. A self-described, small-town girl from Tippo, Mississippi, Turner was unsure whether she wanted to stay close to home or go a bit further and attend Ole Miss. With dreams of attending pharmacy school, she chose the latter. But only one issue remained… paying for tuition.

After reading about different scholarship opportunities, Turner applied for the “Ole Miss…

Pharmacy Professors Named Distinguished Teaching Scholars

May 11, 2017

OXFORD and JACKSON, Miss. – UM School of Pharmacy professors Kim Adcock, Robert Doerksen, Erin Holmes and John Rimoldi have been recognized as Distinguished Teaching Scholars for a three-year term beginning this year. This honor recognizes faculty members who have proven to be exceptional teachers and colleagues and who…

USDA and NCNPR Partner to Create Natural Insect Repellents

May 3, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – A decades-long partnership between the Natural Products Utilization Research Unit at USDA and the National Center for Natural Products Research at the UM School of Pharmacy is looking to nature to develop environmentally safe chemicals to manage pests.

The collaboration includes roughly a dozen research projects dedicated to creating natural agrochemicals, such as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Charles Cantrell, a research…

April 2017

Pharmacy School Recognizes Students with Honors Banquet

April 27, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Two Ole Miss chapters of pharmacy honors societies will co-host a banquet this Friday to initiate new members into both societies and recognize the outstanding academics and leadership of existing society members.

The UM chapter of the Rho Chi Society, which honors pharmacy academic achievement, will induct 22 second-year pharmacy students, 15 graduate students and two faculty members. Pharmacy students must be academically in the top 20% of their class to be considered for Rho Chi…

UM School of Pharmacy Named Smart Financial Value

April 25, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy was recently named one of the best financial values in the country among pharmacy programs in a study by personal finance and loan refinancing company SoFi.

The School of Pharmacy ranked twelfth nationwide based on the ratio of its graduates’ average salary to average student loan debt. The study used data from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy on first-year tuition and fees and student loan debt from…

UM Pharmacy Students to Present at Veterinary Conference

April 21, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Two UM School of Pharmacy students are to speak this weekend at the Annual Veterinary Pharmacy Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, hosted by the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists.

Second-year pharmacy students Robert Ross and Alexandria Gochenauer, who are both interested in veterinary pharmacy, were recommended to speak at the April 20-22…

Pharmacy Dean Shares School’s Dedication to Science

April 20, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – As the April 22 March for Science approaches, I’ve been reflecting on the impact and potential of the scientific work that takes place around me at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. The research my colleagues conduct at the pharmacy school’s campuses in Oxford and at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is essential, life-saving work that reaches from residents in the Mississippi Delta without access to a pharmacy to those infected with malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The School of Pharmacy is fortunate to be home to the National Center for Natural Products Research, which seeks…

Pharmacy Students Prepare for Rotations at Annual Conference

April 18, 2017

JACKSON, Miss. – Third-year pharmacy students at the University of Mississippi will have the opportunity to meet their preceptors, or the professional pharmacists they’ll work with during their fourth-year rotations, at the annual Preceptor Conference on Thursday, April 19, at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson.

At the conference, students will be able to ask their preceptors questions to prepare for…

Pharmacy Associate Dean to Lead to Pharmacy Publications Group

April 17, 2017

JACKSON, Miss. – Leigh Ann Ross, associate dean for clinical affairs at the School of Pharmacy, has been appointed as the chair of the board of directors of Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc. PPI oversees the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s publication, Pharmacotherapy. She succeeds Edith Nutescu, who served as the chair for two years.

“Dr. Nutescu provided extraordinary leadership as chair of the PPI board of directors,” Ross…

School of Pharmacy Begins Clinical Study of Antimalarial Drug

April 11, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy Research Clinic is looking for students and residents in the Oxford and Lafayette County area to participate in a clinical study for the antimalarial drug primaquine.

The World Health Organization lists primaquine as one of the safest and most essential medications in the world. The study begins later this month and will coincide with WHO’s…

Pharmacy Professor Wins Prestigious Elsie M. Hood Teaching Award

April 11, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – John Rimoldi, professor of medicinal chemistry in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, is the winner of the 2017 Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.

This award recognizes one Ole Miss professor each year who embodies teaching excellence and exceptional student engagement. Students and faculty submit letters of nomination, and honorees are usually nominated many times over before winning.

“I am deeply humbled to be in the company of past Elsie M. Hood award recipients, many of whom I…

Alan McKay Named UM Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year

April 10, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Alan McKay, founding dean emeritus of the Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, has been named the 2017 University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

McKay accepted the award April 8 at the annual School of Pharmacy Alumni Weekend banquet.

McKay completed his master’s and Ph.D. in health care administration, now called pharmacy…

UM School of Pharmacy Prepares for Busy Weekend

April 5, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy is gearing up for one of its biggest weekends of the year, as both alumni and students gather for a full slate of competition, fellowship and awards.

The school’s annual Alumni Weekend is set for Friday and Saturday (April 7-8), complete with class reunions, a golf tournament, a cookout and an awards banquet. Meanwhile, student teams will be facing off against one another in the annual…

UM Natural Products Center Director Wins Prestigious Botanical Award

April 4, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Ikhlas Khan, director of the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississppi School of Pharmacy, was honored Monday (April 3) night with the 2016 Mark Blumenthal Herbal Community Builder Award from the American Botanical Council.

The presentation came at the 17th annual International Conference on the Science of Botanicals, hosted by NCNPR this week at the Oxford Conference Center.

The American Botanical Council focuses on using science-based and traditional information to promote and educate about the responsible use of herbal medicine. The Mark Blumenthal Herbal Community Builder…

March 2017

School of Pharmacy Hosts International Botanical Conference”

March 31, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Oxford is again the destination for scientists and other visitors from around the world gathering to discuss the ancient, yet rapidly evolving, study of botanical medicines.

The 17th annual International Conference on the Science of Botanicals is set for April 3-6 at the Oxford Conference Center. The National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy…

Pharmacy Student Wins Kappa Epsilon Foundation Scholarship

March 27, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Alix Cawthon, a second-year pharmacy student at the University of Mississippi, is the winner of a Kappa Epsilon Zada M. Cooper Scholarship.

Kappa Epsilon is a professional pharmacy fraternity founded in 1921 with the mission to serve women pharmacists, and now champions women’s health issues. The fraternity’s Foundation promotes scholastic and professional advancement among its members with awards, fellowships and scholarships like the Zada M. Cooper Scholarship, a $750 award given to five students each year.

Cawthon became a member of the UM chapter of Kappa Epsilon as a sophomore in the Early Entry pharmacy program…

UM Pharmacy Administrator Named APhA Fellow

March 24, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Leigh Ann Ross, associate dean for clinical affairs at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, is being named a 2017 fellow by the American Pharmacists Association this weekend.

The designation honors those with a history of exemplary service and achievement in the pharmacy profession for at least 10 years. Ross will receive the award Saturday (March 25) at the APhA annual meeting in San Francisco.

Ross is also a professor of pharmacy practice and research professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical…

Rho Chi Hosts Annual Research Day

March 17, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – The UM School of Pharmacy chapter of the Rho Chi Society, a pharmacy academic honor society, is hosting a research day on Mar. 21 for pharmacy students to present posters detailing their ongoing research. Judges will evaluate the posters and choose three winners from among the displays.

Erin Holmes, associate professor of pharmacy administration at UM and treasurer of the chapter, said the event is a great way to learn about the pharmacy students’ research.

“I really enjoy seeing the diversity in their research,” Holmes said. “I think that summarizing their work into a poster and…

Pharmacy Professor Volunteers for Heart Health

March 13, 2017

JACKSON, Miss. –Meagan Brown, UM School of Pharmacy clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice, not only works to reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease in at-risk patients, she has also been a member for the past three years of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women organization that spreads awareness of the importance of heart health.

Through volunteering with Go Red for Women, Brown became part of the Jackson chapter of Circle of Red, a…

UM Pharmacy Student Accepts Internship at Mayo Clinic

March 2, 2017

OXFORD, Miss. – Anna Crider, first-year UM pharmacy student, accepted a pharmacy inpatient summer internship through the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic and St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester partner to allow interns exposure to clinical pharmacy while they gain a better understanding of the pharmacist’s role and intervention in the hospital setting.

“The course work and the rigor of it at our pharmacy school has really made me confident in my ability to say ‘Yes…