SNPhA takes home national honors
JOHNSON CITY (July 29, 2019) – East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy's chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) continues to excel at the national level by earning Overall Chapter of the Year, competing with 100 other chapters across the country at the organization’s annual convention this weekend in Houston, Texas. In addition, they earned nine other national honors.
“These accomplishments are incredible and continue to demonstrate that our students are competing at the highest levels, against much larger institutions, across the country,” said Dr. Debbie Byrd, pharmacy school dean. “While the awards are great, I’m even more proud of how much our students serve their communities. Last year alone, our P1-P3 students served over 1,600 hours, across 170 service events.”
SNPhA is an educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about serving the underserved through pharmacy and healthcare related issues, as well as the minority representation in pharmacy and other health-related professions. The purpose of SNPhA is to plan, organize, coordinate and execute programs geared toward the improvement for the health, educational and social environment of the underserved community.
Honors included:
- Overall National Chapter of the Year
- Rite-Aid Chapter Excellence Award for Mid-Size Chapter of the Year (50-100 members)
- Samuel Ngata ('20), of Nairobi, Kenya, Diabetes Initiative Chair of the Year
- Matthew Spence (’20), of Gray, Remember the Ribbon Initiative Chair of the Year
- Outgoing SNPhA President Christie Monahan (’20), of North Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded the $1,000 for the Dr. Horace and Ethel Bynum Scholarship
- Maddie Hardin (’20), of Morehead, Kentucky, Top 3 Initiative Chair for the chapter’s Mental Health Initiative
- Jacquelyn Crawford (’22), of Church Hill, Top 3 Initiative Chair for the chapter’s Legislative Membership Benefits and Immigration Initiative
- Amber Blevins (’20), of Lansing, North Carolina, Top 3 Initiative Chair for the chapter’s Operation Immunization Initiative
- Del Dorjsuren (’20), of Nashville, Top 3 Initiative Chair for the chapter’s Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative
- Makayla Payne (‘20), of Elizabethton, Honorable Mention for the chapter’s Power to End Stroke Initiative
In addition, Jacquelyn Crawford ('22), of Church Hill, represented ETSU as the national delegate. Her national initiative proposal on student public awareness of women’s health needs, which she created with Samford University and University of South Carolina, passed the SNPhA delegation and will be implemented in the ETSU chapter.
Several members of the local chapter graduated the SNPhA Academy, a national platform designed to engage SNPhA members in activities to encourage chapter collaboration, to incorporate professional development events at the chapter level, and to develop the best student leaders in pharmacy. ETSU graduates included Carrie Anderson* (’20), of Winchester, Virginia; Sabrina Curtis* (’21), of Franklin, North Carolina; Addie Lawson (’20), of Kodak; Morgan Lockhart*(’20), of Knoxville; Victoria Minnix*(’20), of Roanoke, Virginia; Monahan*; Ngata*; and Spence* (* graduating with honors).
These awards continue ETSU SNPhA’s national success. Last year they were recognized as Small Chapter of the Year and earned six other national honors. Learn more about ETSU SNPhA.