ETSU welcomes new class of student pharmacists
More than half of the ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy's
Class of 2028 hail from Tennessee.
East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy welcomed its Class
of 2028 with a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16.
“Class of 2028, you are on a career path that will allow you to serve, lead and impact
your community in a wide variety of ways as pharmacists,” said Dr. Ralph Lugo, executive
associate dean, at the ceremony. “You are part of an institution that offers elite
pharmacy training yet actively maintains a caring community. Our faculty and staff
care about your success, as well as our alumni, donors, preceptors and community members.”
The iconic white coat signifies a student pharmacist’s status as a health care professional within a tradition of care and service.
Lugo and special guest Dr. Melissa McCall cloaked the Class of 2028.
McCall is an alumna who was a member of the inaugural Class of 2010 and also spoke at the ceremony. She serves as pharmacy professional services manager at Food City/K-VA-T Foods Inc. and oversees daily operations at over 30 Food City Pharmacy locations.
In 2018, former Gov. Bill Haslam appointed her to one of the highest pharmacy positions
in Tennessee, serving on the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy. McCall has been awarded
the Claude P. Varney Award for Volunteerism from K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. and the “40
Under Forty Award” by the Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia.
In 2021, she was named among the winners of Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery program. McCall completed her undergraduate pre-pharmacy coursework at ETSU and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Milligan University.
Other speakers included Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at ETSU; Dr. Olivia Welter, director of professional affairs at the Tennessee Pharmacists Association; and Jessica Boggs, Class of 2027 class president; Bailey Boyd, president of the Class of 2025, led the new students in the Oath of the Student Pharmacist.
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, representing Tennessee’s first district, was a special guest at the ceremony and joined the stage party during the coating to give each student pharmacist a Congressional Certificate of Recognition. Harshbarger, an ETSU alumna, is a pharmacist and earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Mercer University College of Pharmacy.
Below are highlights from the Class of 2028:
- 66% female students and 34% male students
- Almost a third are first-generation college students
They represent nine states and one U.S Territory
Over half are from Tennessee- Over two thirds hail from this region
They attended 36 different colleges and universities
Over a third completed their undergraduate work at ETSU
22% of the class came through the college’s Early Admission Program
The class arrived on Aug. 5 for Gatton Ready, a bridge program to help students get acclimated to the rigors of pharmacy school, culminating in the White Coat Ceremony. Gatton Ready is part of the college’s commitment to provide elite pharmacy training within a caring and supportive culture.
ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy is ranked second in the nation for its NAPLEX licensure pass rate among accredited schools in 2024 (No. 1 in Tennessee, No. 1 in Southeast).
ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy is one of the university’s five health sciences schools that comprise its Academic Health Sciences Center, providing students with a robust combination of academic and clinical sciences programs that elevate their interprofessional experience.
Applications are open for the Class of 2029 with up to $15,000 in scholarships available for those who apply by Nov. 1 and meet other criteria. Learn more and apply at etsu.edu/pharmacy.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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