(L-R) Dr. Miranda Wilhelm, Dr. Harry Zollars and Dr. Jessica Kerr.

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) faculty and alumni received multiple accolades during the Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) conference held Sept. 7-10 in St. Louis.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

Jessica Kerr, PharmD, assistant chair and professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, was honored with the Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champions Award and the NCPA Leadership Plaque. She was also sworn in as president of the IPhA.

Miranda Wilhelm, PharmD, clinical associate professor, achieved the Educator of the Year award. Alumnus Harry Zollars, PharmD ’13, was named Distinguished Young Pharmacist, and preceptor Starlin Haydon-Greatting, MS, BSPharm, was honored for Excellence in Innovation.

“The awards and recognition bestowed upon SIUE School of Pharmacy faculty and alumni are clear evidence that we are at the forefront of the effort to move the profession of pharmacy to new heights in the state,” said SOP Dean Gireesh Gupchup, PhD. “I congratulate all those who have received awards and recognitions.”

“It was an honor to gather with friends and colleagues, with whom I share the common idea of wanting what is best for patients and the pharmacy profession,” Kerr said. “During the conference, you could see the fire in young pharmacist attendees’ eyes as they now join us in our dedication to the profession.”

Article continues after sponsor message

Kerr credits the efforts of the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists Organization (APhA-ASP) student chapter for supporting her receipt of the Cardinal Health Illinois Generation Rx Pharmacist Award. The award includes $500 to be donated to a nonprofit organization.

Wilhelm, who specializes in self-care and immunizations, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to teach at SIUE and her passion for using real-world examples in her teaching.

“I love sharing stories and real-world examples with students/pharmacists to help them remember course content and make a difficult topic easier to understand,” Wilhelm said. “In both required and elective self-care courses, I have incorporated standardized patient counseling simulations. Application of course content, where students have to apply what has been taught, helps to make the concepts more concrete.”

The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) is dedicated to enhancing the professional competency of pharmacists, advancing the standards of pharmacy practice, improving pharmacists’ effectiveness in assuring rational drug use in society, and leading in the resolution of public policy issues affecting pharmacists.

SIUE School of Pharmacy: Today’s pharmacists improve patients’ lives through the medication and education they provide. Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum is nationally recognized as a model that offers students a unique combination of classroom education, research, community service and patient care. The School of Pharmacy’s areas of excellence include a drug design and discovery core; pediatric practice; chronic pain research and practice; and diabetes research and practice. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for highly trained pharmacists in a rapidly growing field.

A group comprising SIUE School of Pharmacy faculty, alumni and current students attended the 2017 IPhA conference in St. Louis.

More like this:

Oct 28, 2023 - Dr. Jennifer Hookstra is the New Chair of SIUE’s Department of Pharmacy Practice

Mar 20, 2024 - SIUE WE CARE Clinic Introduces Mobile Health Unit during Health Fair, Co-Hosted with East St. Louis Kappa Alpha Psi Alumni 

May 27, 2023 - School of Pharmacy Reaccredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education 

5 days ago - Praises Abound at Grand Opening of SIUE New Life Head Start/Early Head Start Center   

Nov 7, 2023 - SIUE Department of Accounting is Number 1 in Latest Survey of Education Cases by Brigham Young University