AACP Presents Awards to Institutions, Educators, Innovators at 2021 Annual Meeting

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) publicly honored the recipients of their top awards at the 2021 AACP Annual Meeting. The organization recognized 5 individuals, 1 institution, and 1 scholarly paper for their contributions to pharmacy education, research, patient outcomes, community service, and publication.¹

“In times such as the current pandemic, the impact of excellence in all dimensions becomes even more obvious and needed,” said Lucinda L. Maine, PhD, RPh, AACP CEO and executive vice president, in a prepared statement. “AACP’s award recipients exemplify excellence in teaching, research, and service with far-reaching impact here and around the world.”¹

AACP, a national organization that represents the interests of pharmacy education, is comprised of 142 accredited schools with pharmacy degree programs, including over 6700 faculty and 67,000 students. Their annual awards are meant to honor those at the forefront of health care professions education and who are advancing pharmacy innovation, enhancing patient care and adding value to the health care system through their work.¹

The Robert K. Chalmers Distinguished Pharmacy Educator Award was presented to Brian Erstad, PharmD, MCCM, FCCP, FASHP, of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. This award recognizes his outstanding achievements as an educator and mentor, his innovations in the classroom, and his overall impact on pharmacy education and the profession of pharmacy.¹

Across his distinguished career of more than 30 years in pharmacy education, Dr Erstad has become known for his deep commitment to ‘caring’ as an educator and his demonstrated impact across a spectrum of learners, from pre-licensure professional degree students, to residents, to pharmacists, and to other clinical care providers,” said Todd Sorensen, PharmD, FAPhA, FFCP, outgoing AACP president, during the ceremony.²

William R. Doucette, PhD, FAPhA, RPh, was presented with the Paul R. Dawson Award for Excellence in Patient Care Research, to recognize his innovative and impactful research in the areas of patient care, as well as the collaboration between pharmacists and other health care providers.¹

“Dr Doucette has devoted his career to the positive impact pharmacists can have on patient health,” said Anne Lin, PharmD, current AACP president, during the ceremony. “For more than 2 decades he has conducted numerous studies and analyses that have helped community pharmacies advance their practices by addressing obstacles that can prevent them from providing the best care for their patients.”³

Carston “Rick” Wagner, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, received the Volwiler Research Achievement Award, recognizing his record of sustained excellence in research and entrepreneurial work in chemical biology.¹

“Dr Wagner has a remarkable record of sustained excellence in research and entrepreneurial work in chemical biology,” Lin said during the ceremony. “His lab seeks to apply the principles of organic chemistry, enzymology analytical chemistry, molecular & cellular biology, biophysics and nanotechnology to the development of new methods for drug design and delivery, chemically engineered cellular therapies, and tissue engineering. The laboratory’s primary therapeutic focus has been on the development of new anti-cancer and antiviral therapies, as well as novel non-opioid pain medications.”³

Laura Cranston, RPh, co-founder and former chief executive officer of the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, was presented with the Distinguished Service Award for her work to advance the recognition of pharmacists’ contributions to safe, effective and high-quality patient care through quality measurement and improvement.¹

“It is a special privilege for me to present the 2021 Distinguished Service Award to not just an outstanding individual, but someone who was also my classmate at St John’s University when we were both in the [bachelor of science] pharmacy program,” Lin said during the ceremony.⁴

Following this, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Victoria F. Roche, PhD, of Creighton University, for her rich portfolio of accomplishments related to instruction, leadership, service and scholarship over 25 years.¹

Additionally, the University of Connecticut received the Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award for its commitment to addressing unmet community needs through education, practice, and research.¹

“Working closely with dedicated state agencies and community partners, the UConn School of Pharmacy has provided valuable services to those who need additional support to overcome health disparities, such as the homeless, refugees, migrant farmworkers, and residents in the inner cities,” Sorensen said during the ceremony. “UConn Pharmacy Urban Service Track students and faculty lead a large portion of interprofessional outreach efforts and have developed new projects to expand the curriculum’s reach even further every year.”²

The Rufus A. Lyman Award, which recognizes the best paper published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education during the previous year, was presented to “A Historical Discourse Analysis of Pharmacist Identity in Pharmacy Education,” by Jamie Kellar, PharmD, University of Toronto, Canada; Elise Paradis, PhD, University of Toronto, Canada; Cees P.M. van der Vleuten, PhD, Maastricht University, Netherlands; Mirjam G.A. Oude Egbrink, PhD, Maastricht University, Netherlands; and Zubin Austin, PhD, MISc, MBA, BSc Phm, MEd, University of Toronto, Canada.¹

References

1. AACP announces 2021 recipients of top awards in research, teaching, service, and publishing. News release. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. March 12, 2021. Accessed March 26, 2021. https://www.aacp. org/article/aacp-announces-2021-recipients-top-awards-research-teach- ing-service-and-publishing

2. Sorensen T. Weaver and Chalmers Award session continuity. Presented at: 2021 American Association Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting; July 21, 2021; Toronto, ON. Accessed August 9, 2021.

3. Lin A. Volwiler and Dawson Award session continuity. Presented at: 2021 American Association Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting; July 19, 2021; Toronto, ON. Accessed August 9, 2021.

4. Lin A. Closing General session continuity. Presented at: 2021 American Association Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting; July 22, 2021; Toronto, ON. Accessed August 9, 2021.