School of Pharmacy Commencement Ceremony

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., and Quentin R. Smith, Ph.D., dean of the School of Pharmacy, presided over the school’s commencement ceremony May 23.

More than 150 pharmacy students received their doctor of pharmacy degrees. Smith said commencement is an exciting time for faculty, students and family members.

“Graduation is the biggest day of the year for our program,” Smith said. “These men and women represent the future of pharmacy and we are honored to share this time with them and their families.”

Awards presented were the following:

• The Bowl of Hygieia is an internationally recognized symbol for the profession of pharmacy. The Bowl of Hygieia symbolizes “pure and potent medicines.” The Bowl of Hygieia is awarded to a graduating Doctor of Pharmacy candidate who best exemplifies the qualities most desirable in a pharmacist. Most important of these attributes include leadership, high ethical standards, dedication and promotion of the profession of pharmacy — Justin John Thomas, M.B.A., Pharm.D.

 

• The Banner Bearer is a title conferred upon the top-ranking graduate of the class, who thereby earns the honor of escorting the School of Pharmacy’s Banner in the Graduation Ceremony. The top ranking graduates for this year carried identical cumulative grade point averages; therefore, two banners will escort the class — Katie Marie Ausburn and Mary Mei Liu

 

• 2013 Distinguished Alumni Excellence in Pharmacy Practice — Brandy McGinnis, Pharm.D., BCPS, is the pharmacy clinical coordinator at Seton Medical Center Austin. She provides leadership and strategic direction for clinical pharmacy services, including staff development, collaboration with the medical and nursing staff and assisting with departmental initiatives and goals.

Butch Habeger, R.Ph. M.B.A., FASHP/FTSHP, a founding faculty member and presently associate professor of the TTUHSC Department of Pharmacy Practice at Amarillo. Besides his teaching responsibilities, he is director of Pharmacy Operations, which includes management of two outpatient pharmacies and pharmaceutical purchasing for the outpatient pharmacies.

Richard Burdine, AICP, chief executive officer of the Development Corporation of Abilene Inc. He has held positions as city manager, assistant city manager, finance director, risk manager, and director of economic development. With his guidance and leadership, the establishment of a TTUHSC Abilene Campus with the Schools of Pharmacy and Nursing, and the Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology was made possible.

Commencement speaker was Texas Tech University System Chancellor Kent Hance.

As chancellor, Hance is the chief executive officer of all campuses and academic sites of Texas Tech University, TTUHSC, Angelo State University and TTUHSC El Paso. His priorities include growing enrollment, increasing research, and technology commercialization. Recently, Hance completed a $1 billion capital campaign at the Texas Tech University System.

  For more breaking news and experts, follow @ttuhscnews on Twitter.