November 2022
The University of Mississippi’s Department of Pharmacy Administration is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and two leaders who built the program are being honored with a new award in their names.
The Dr. Mickey C. Smith and Dr. Dewey D. Garner Pharmacy Administration Award honors the lives and legacies of the two Ole Miss professors and provides support for deserving students enrolled in the Pharmacy Administration Graduate Program. Two anonymous donors made a $54,000 gift to start the award, and they are asking others to join them in growing the endowment.
One of the anonymous donors said, “Both Dr. Smith and Dr. Garner were longtime chairs of the department. They had an unselfish commitment to the Department of Pharmacy Administration, the School of Pharmacy and the University of Mississippi and recruited professionals and students who made this program special.
“They not only taught so many about pharmacy administration but also about what it means to be a teacher, a scientist, a faculty member, a colleague and a friend. We want this award to recognize graduate students who exhibit extraordinary levels of service and commitment as they did.”
There have been 129 M.S. theses and 112 Ph.D. dissertations completed by Pharmacy Administration graduate students over the years. The program sees 100% job placement in academia, industry and other health care areas.
“When you think of the Department of Pharmacy Administration at the University of Mississippi, you think of Dr. Mickey Smith and Dr. Dewey Garner. These two professors had considerable influence on so many people in such a positive way,” said John Bentley, a professor of pharmacy administration and an alumnus of the graduate program. “It is so fitting to have an award named in their honor. Our program is one of the best in the nation because of the culture they created.”
Garner, a resident of Oxford, Mississippi, said, “I am extremely proud and fortunate to have had the opportunity to know personally every M.S. and Ph.D. graduate of this program. I just appreciate being along for the ride. The effort and achievements of our faculty and graduate students have been phenomenal.”
As for the new award, Garner said, “Mickey and I shared a lifetime together; he was my mentor and friend. Sharing an endowment in the department we love is so special.
“I hope the endowment will provide the financial support and encouragement for the students to be of service to our department and to the discipline of pharmacy administration and the profession of pharmacy,” Garner said.
Garner and his wife, Barbara, established an academic scholarship endowment to assist future Ole Miss pharmacy students.
The Dr. Mickey C. Smith and Dr. Dewey D. Garner Pharmacy Administration Award is open to accept gifts from individuals and organizations. To contribute, send a check to the University of Mississippi Foundation, with the fund written in the memo line, to 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or online at https://umfoundation.givingfuel.com/pharmacyadmin.
For more information, contact Brett Barefoot, director of development, at bmbarefo@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2711.