School of Pharmacy Celebrates 2026 Faculty Award Winners

“Our faculty are outstanding, and excellence here takes many forms. These honorees have gone above and beyond what is asked of them because they are deeply committed to the success of our students, the health of the communities we serve, and the advancement of science,” said Donna Strum, the school’s dean. “That breadth of impact is something we are extraordinarily proud of.”

Honorees are:

Excellence in Community Engagement Award: Dr. Carly Brown

Brown, clinical pharmacist at the School of Pharmacy's Jackson campus, received the Excellence in Community Engagement Award, which comes with a plaque and a $2,500 community engagement support fund.

Brown has been a driving force behind the Pharmacy Telehealth Initiative, a pharmacist-integrated remote patient monitoring program designed to expand access to chronic disease management services. The program is built on a partnership between the IMPACT Center for Pharmacy Transformation at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and the UMCC Center for Telehealth and Emerging Technologies, and brings together physicians, nurses, health care professionals, and students.

Faculty Service Award: Dr. Joseph Dikun

Dikun, instructional assistant professor of Pharmacy Administration, earned the Faculty Service Award in recognition of his wide-ranging and tireless contributions to students, faculty, the school, and the pharmacy profession.

Dikun has served in numerous capacities, including as co-advisor of the APhA-ASP chapter, co-investigator on the SafeGuard MS project, faculty mentor in the summer research fellow program, honors thesis reader, vice chair of the Curriculum Committee, and member of the Taylor Medal Selection Committee. Over the past three years, he has reviewed 40 manuscripts for professional journals and was recognized as a Top Reviewer in 2025 by Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy.

Faculty Instructional Innovation Award: Dr. Brenton Laing

Laing, assistant professor of Pharmacology and Research, assistant professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and affiliate assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering, received the Faculty Instructional Innovation Award for his creative and engaging approach to pharmacy education.

Laing developed Drug Target Dungeon, a video game designed to introduce students to drug interactions, adverse events, mechanisms of action, pharmaceutical calculations, and pharmacotherapy. His nomination highlighted his dedication to building a community of lifelong learners among pharmacy students.

Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award: Dr. Cole Stevens

Stevens, associate professor of Pharmacognosy and research associate professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was honored with the Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award, for providing exceptional guidance, support and mentorship to graduate students.

Stevens has graduated six doctoral students, each with at least three publications. His mentees have secured competitive postdoctoral fellowships, and he continues to generate external funding for the school.

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. Faculty Research Award: Dr. Nirmal Pugh

Pugh, principal scientist in the National Center for Natural Products Research, was presented with the Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. Faculty Research Award, which recognizes exemplary research and scholarly productivity as determined by peer nomination.

Pugh oversees the programmatic research area of immune-enhancing botanicals at the NCNPR and serves as program director of the University of Mississippi Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center (UM BDSRC), which evaluates the potential of Arthrospira in promoting resilience against respiratory viral infections. His inspiration for the center traces back to his doctoral dissertation as a Pharmacognosy student at Ole Miss — a 25-year research journey that has resulted in the UM BDSRC receiving $6 million in NIH funding. Dr. Pugh is an inventor on five U.S. patents, and two of his products have generated nearly $1 million in royalties for the university.

"These awards are a reflection of who we are as a school and what we stand for," Strum said. "I am deeply grateful to work alongside faculty of this caliber, and I look forward to seeing the continued impact they will have on our students, our state, and our profession for years to come."