W I N T E R
A Great Resource for
Bleeding Disorders
BP Lowering Drug
May Help Opposite
Brain Side
Antioxidant Studied
to Help Alzheimer’s
UGA Employees
Benefit from
Wellness
Program 2 0 1 2
L E T T E R
F R O M T H E
D E A N
Dear Friends,
W
e’ve all thought about finding the Holy Grail or a magic bullet in terms of
providing a solution to the vexing problem of disease. How wonderful
it would be if we had such a magical solution for all of our diseases. We
could reduce both suffering and health care costs at the same time. As
soon as we could diagnose we could treat and cure. The fact is that for some
diseases, such as many infectious diseases, we do have a few magic bullets
in our arsenal. Antibiotics, antivirals or vaccines will prevent or cure when
properly administered.
However, for most of our chronic diseases and cancers, there is no magic
bullet. The best we can do is to slow progression and hopefully extend life
expectancy. We do so with drugs, some that have relatively few side effects
and some that are rather problematic. The more we treat, the more we are
likely to generate drug-related problems that tend to reduce the quality of life for patients. So, until
we find the Holy Grail or magic bullet for chronic diseases and cancers, we must focus on how we
can reduce this vicious cycle.
Although often overlooked, we do have a powerful tool within our reach that I wish we could
dispense on a regular basis—Physical Activity. Not only does it stimulate muscles and lung
function, but it reduces stress, hypertension, and cardiovascular incidences; it reduces the risk for
diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancers, inflammation, depression, and Alzheimer’s, to name a few.
The benefits derived from physical activity come about through several different mechanisms:
production of endorphins, stimulation of cellular autophagy that removes defective proteins and
organelles, stimulation of the immune system and reduction of inflammatory responses, induction
of LDL receptors, formation of new mitochondria in muscles and brain, and suppression of enzymes
leading to insulin resistance. These mechanisms reverse or reduce a number of factors leading to
chronic diseases and also affect our ability to resist infections and cancer development.
So why are we not insisting that our patients who are still mobile partake in physical activities when
the benefits are so great? We are not talking necessarily about vigorous exercise; moderate physical
activity of all kinds will help. Getting up off our chairs to walk around, walking up and down stairs
instead of taking elevators, walking down the hall to speak to our fellow workers instead of calling,
working in the garden, doing physical work in the house, taking a walk at lunch time, in the evening
or in the morning. And for those with compromised mobility there are many community-based
programs that provide instruction, such as gentle yoga, that are designed to increase strength,
improve circulation and foster relaxation.
Through a simple prescription of this nature, while we are waiting for the next magic bullet to reveal
itself, we could have a considerable impact on our patients’ health. So let us take this on as one of
our responsibilities for improvng the public health – dispense physical activity whenever you have
the opportunity, to your patients, yourself and your family and friends. They and you will not only
do better but they and you will also feel better.
Best wishes for a wonderful spring and Godspeed for that next magic bullet!
Svein Øie, Dean
T he U ni v ersity of G eorgia
C ollege of P harmacy M aga z ine
VOLUME 89
•
N um b e r 1
•
WINTER
i n
2012
t h i s
i s s u e
A Great Resource
for Bleeding
Disorders
2
UGARX is published quarterly
for alumni and friends
of the University of Georgia
College of Pharmacy,
Athens, GA 30602
Svein Øie, Dean
706/542-1914
[email protected]
BP Lowering Drug
May Help Opposite
Brain Side
P ublisher
The University of Georgia
College of Pharmacy
E ditor
Sheila Roberson
DESIGN
William Reeves
University Printing
5
Antioxidant
Studied to Help in
Alzheimer’s Fight
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sheila Roberson
P H O ne
706/542-5303
6
FA X
706/542-5269
E mail
[email protected]
W ebsite
UGA Employees Benefit
from Wellness Program
www.rx.uga.edu
11
Articles may be reprinted with
permission from the editor.
•
Copyright © 2012 by the
University of Georgia.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced in any way without
permission from the editor.
•
The University of Georgia is committed
to principles of equal opportunity and
affirmative action.
Amazing Students
Donor Gifts
Alumni Notes
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14
15
Announcements Back Cover
A L U M N I
P R A C T I C E
Leigh Car penter:
a
g r e a t
r e s o u r c e
f o r
Bleeding Disorders
by Sheila Roberson
The pharmacy
where Leigh
Carpenter (’88)
works is unlike
any other. No
one lines up at
the counter to get
their prescriptions
filled, and patients
receive counseling
over the telephone
rather than in
person. The
shelves are only
stocked with
medications
needed to treat bleeding disorders, and most
prescriptions are delivered directly to homes in
insulated containers. Even the nameplate on the
building’s brick exterior is small and unassuming,
uncharacteristic advertising for a pharmacy.
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Most of Leigh Carpenter’s counseling with
clients occurs over the phone.
or Carpenter, her 14 years
as director of the non-profit
Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG)
pharmacy in Atlanta has been
a great career choice. She had
spent the early years of her career
in a variety of pharmacy positions,
from retail and hospital to nursing
home and home health. When she
started with HoG in 1998 she knew
she had found her pharmacy home.
“It has been an ideal job,” she
said. “Where else could I work a 9
to 5 weekday-only schedule and
have the opportunity to travel
around the world?”
Actually the best part, she
quickly added, is being able to
make a significant difference
in people’s lives. She is the sole
pharmacist in the 40-member HoG health care team of nurses, social workers
and health educators devoted to caring for clients who have inherited bleeding
disorders. In addition she regularly interacts with the medical staff in five hemophilia
treatment centers in Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, where patients go annually for
comprehensive care.
“Before I started working here, I admittedly knew very little about bleeding
disorders. It was not something we covered extensively in pharmacy school,” noted
Carpenter, who has become a respected resource for patients and other healthcare
professionals.
HoG was established some 35 years ago so the 1,400 Georgians with inherited
bleeding disorders could receive the services and support needed to lead normal,
productive lives. HoG’s pharmacy is one of only a few pharmacies in the state that
supplies patients with bleeding disorder medications, which can cost as much as
$100,000 per year. As a non-profit pharmacy, it is eligible for the federal 340b drug
pricing program; any profits from the sale of the pharmaceuticals go back into HoG
programs and services.
Most prescriptions
require a month’s supply
of medications, which
may total more than
$100,000 per year.
Bleeding Disorders
Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is believed to be the most common, if not the most well
known, inherited bleeding disorder, she said, affecting as many as one in every 100
people. Hemophilia is much rarer, with only about 17,000 people in the United States
having hemophilia A (Factor VIII deficiency) or hemophilia B (Factor IX deficiency).
Rarer still are the inherited platelet disorders. All have missing protein factors in the
blood that prevent clotting.
“While there is treatment for these conditions, there is no cure. All inherited
bleeding disorders are present from birth and last a person’s whole life,” said
Carpenter, adding that VWD and platelet disorders occur equally in men and women,
with symptoms including nose bleeds, severe bruising and heavy menstrual periods
in women. For hemophilia patients, who are primarily male, symptoms are less
noticeable; pooled blood around joints may lead to arthritis and internal bleeding
may create life-threatening conditions.
“Hemophilia is often diagnosed when male infants are circumcised,” she noted.
“The genetic marker for this disorder is carried by the mother and passed on the X
chromosome to her sons. Some families may have several sons with hemophilia.”
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Carpenter assembles the monthly
prescription from the pharmacy that
only stocks medications specifically
for bleeding disorders.
Services
Treatment
Advances in recombinant DNA technology assure a safe product
for hemophilia patients who need either factor VIII or factor IX to
complete the proper clotting sequence or for VWD patients who
need other factors. Thirty years ago some clotting products were
made from pooled plasma that had been infected by HIV and
Hepatitis C; with no screening tests given to ascertain product safety,
many patients died, she noted.
“We have education programs to train our clients about drug
safety and appropriate use. We supply them with the needed
clotting factor and sterile reconstituting diluents, so they can infuse
themselves intravenously through peripheral veins or through porta-caths,” she said, adding that the HoG pharmacy maintains a supply
of eight different recombinant products and an array of infusion
products for the clients they serve.
“Most get a month’s supply, which allows for three prophylactic
injections each week. Others, usually older clients, may only need a
treatment when they have been injured or feel a bleed coming,” she
said.
Sometimes problems occur when clients, especially teenagers,
are not compliant or families lose insurance and need financial
assistance. Counseling services are offered to all, even those who
get their prescriptions filled elsewhere.
“On one occasion we had to request the help of the Georgia
State Patrol to rush a much-needed clotting factor to a South
Georgia patient in an emergency situation,” she said, adding that
their clients represent a tight-knit group, and sad times for one mean
sadness for all. “I try not to dwell on the sad cases but on the good
outcomes with our clients.”
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One of the most popular services available to
HoG clients is Camp Wannaklot, where 150
kids have fun each summer as they learn to
cope with their bleeding disorders. Offered
in two age groups, 7 to 12 and 13 to 17, the
one-week residential camps feature horseback
riding, canoeing, mountain biking, arts and
crafts, swimming, basketball, tennis and
archery.
“This is a special place that promotes
self esteem and self reliance, and also helps
kids develop emotionally with peer and staff
support. Some of the camp’s 100 counselors
also have bleeding disorders,” said Carpenter, who helps organize
and set up the infirmary for the week of camp each year.
Carpenter is a recognized resource for hemophilia and other
inherited bleeding disorders. Throughout the year she participates
in fundraisers and prepares Facebook messages that communicate
important information about the bleeding disorder community. She
also chairs HoG’s medical advisory board for physicians who treat
hemophilia patients.
As an active participant in international meetings of the
World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), in such places as Canada,
Argentina, and Spain, she helps coordinate humanitarian efforts to
donate clotting factor to developing countries.
“If pharmaceutical companies have a clotting factor that
is going out of date, they will ship it to the HoG pharmacy for
distribution to needy sites worldwide, under the direction of WFH,”
Carpenter noted, adding that she has actually met grateful patients
who have received donated products. “HoG has partnered with
organizations in Bolivia and Chile, for example, in a twinning
program to implement development and training opportunities to
advocate for medications for their patients.”
In 2010 WFH presented HoG with the International Outstanding
Service Award. Being involved with this kind of international effort
makes for a very rewarding lifetime experience, she said.
“Over the years of associating with our clients, I’ve gotten to
think of them as family even though I’ve only met a small number
of them in person. I’ve learned to believe in our motto that ‘it takes
more than medicine’.”
“This is a job that I hope to keep for the rest of my career, or
until a cure is found,” she added.
clinical and administrati v e pharmacy
Blood pressure-lowering drug aids
recovery after stroke, possibly by
helping opposite brain side
A
commonly prescribed
blood pressure-lowering
medication appears to
kick start recovery in the
unaffected brain hemisphere
after a stroke by boosting
blood vessel growth, a new
College of Pharmacy study has
found.
The discovery, based on a
study using rats and published
recently in the journal PLoS
ONE, occurred only because
the team, led by Susan Fagan,
Jowdy professor of clinical and
administrative pharmacy at the
College of Pharmacy, struck a
new path in stroke research by
examining the healthy side of
brain after the stroke occurred.
“I’m very excited because I think we can harness the restorative
properties of the contralesional hemisphere—the other side of the
brain—with drug therapies,” Fagan said. “When most researchers
study stroke they compare the animal’s side of the brain that’s
damaged to the opposite side, assuming that that side is normal or
not affected.”
For the study, Fagan and her team induced strokes in two
groups of male Wistar rats by blocking a major artery in the brain. A
third group of sham, or placebo, animals did not experience strokes
so that scientists could compare healthy brain hemispheres across all
groups. One group received a single dose of saline solution; the other
received a dose of the blood pressure drug candesartan. The placebo
group received no treatment.
Animals treated with candesartan displayed higher levels of
growth factors that aid with the formation of new blood vessels in
the brain, a result that confirmed that of earlier studies from the lab.
However, the study revealed a previously unobserved phenomenon:
different types of growth factors dominated different hemispheres
in the brain, which suggests that candesartan could have healing
properties beyond the area of damage.
Doctors and researchers have sought to settle a long-standing
debate over whether elevated blood pressure should be lowered
“I’m very excited
in stroke victims. Lowering
blood pressure too soon after
a stroke could lessen amounts
of critical oxygen to the brain.
Fagan cited a large clinical trial
conducted earlier this year
by Scandinavian researchers
who concluded that using
candesartan to lower blood
pressure early after stroke
produced no real benefit. In
order to bypass the blood
pressure debate, Fagan’s lab
plans to pursue future research
with drugs and doses that
provide protection to the
brain’s blood vessels without
lowering blood pressure.
The study also found
that animals treated with
candesartan had increased levels of a “pro-survival” protein in both
brain hemispheres. The protein is responsible for helping neurons
in the brain survive insults—like a stroke—and promote longer life.
Fagan said the study contributes to a body of literature that finds new
potential for drug therapy.
“We tell patients the reason they go to rehab after they’ve had
a stroke is to retrain and make new connections so that they can get
function back. Maybe it’s because the other hemisphere takes over,”
Fagan said. “If we could stimulate that with drug therapy and make it
even more so, it would
help lots of people.”
because I think we
can harness the
restorative properties
of the contralesional
hemisphere—the
other side of the
brain—with drug
therapies.”
by Kathleen M. Raven, UGA News Service
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PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
has potential might in the
Alzheimer’s fight
by Chelsea Toledo, UGA Research Magazine
When you cut an apple
and leave it out, it turns
brown. Squeeze the apple with
lemon juice, an antioxidant,
and the process slows down.
Simply put, that same
“browning” process—known as
oxidative stress—happens in
the brain as Alzheimer’s disease
sets in. The underlying cause
is believed to be improper
processing of a protein
associated with the creation
of free radicals that cause
oxidative stress.
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ow, a study by James Franklin, an associate professor of
pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences in the College of
Pharmacy, has shown that an antioxidant delayed the onset
of all the indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, including cognitive
decline. The researchers administered an antioxidant
compound called MitoQ to mice genetically engineered to develop
Alzheimer’s. The results of their study were published in the
November 2, 2011, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, more than 5 million
Americans currently suffer from the neurodegenerative disease.
Without successful prevention, almost 14 million Americans will
have Alzheimer’s by 2050, amounting to healthcare costs of more
than $1 trillion a year.
Oxidative stress is believed to cause neurons in the brain to
die, resulting in Alzheimer’s. Franklin has studied neuronal cell
death and oxidative stress at UGA since 2004.
“The brain consumes 20 percent of the oxygen in the body
even though it only makes up 5 percent of the volume, so it’s
particularly susceptible to oxidative stress,” said Franklin, who
coauthored the study with doctoral student Meagan McManus.
The researchers hypothesized that antioxidants administered
unsuccessfully by other researchers to treat Alzheimer’s were not
concentrated enough in the mitochondria of cells. Mitochondria
are structures within cells that have many functions, including
producing oxidative molecules that damage the brain and cause
cell death.
“MitoQ selectively accumulates in the mitochondria,” said
McManus, who received her PhD in neuroscience from the
University of Georgia in 2010 and is now studying mitochondrial
genetics and dysfunction as a postdoctoral researcher at Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia.
“It is more effective for the treatment to go straight to the
mitochondria, rather than being present in the cell in general,” she
said.
In their study, mice engineered to carry three genes associated with familial
Alzheimer’s were tested for cognitive impairment using the Morris Water Maze, a
common test for memory retention. The mice that had received MitoQ in their drinking
water performed significantly better than those that didn’t. Additionally, the treated
mice tested negative for the oxidative stress, amyloid burden, neural death and synaptic
loss associated with Alzheimer’s.
Although he had not previously conducted research on Alzheimer’s disease,
Franklin was moved to approve McManus’ research proposal to take his laboratory
research in a more clinical direction, in part because of her family’s history with the
disease.
“Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer’s disease, but they presented with it very
differently. While my granddad often couldn’t remember who we were, he was still the
same soulful funny man I’d always loved. But the disease changed my grandmother’s
mind in a different way, and turned her into someone we’d never known,” said McManus.
“So the complexity of the disease was most intriguing to me. I wanted to know how
and why it was happening, and more importantly, how to stop it from happening to
other people,” she said.
The full paper is available online at www.jneurosci.org/content/31/44/15703.full.
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Ne ws Brief s
C O L L E G E
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highlights
James Bruckner, a toxicology professor
in the Department of Pharmacetuical and
Biomedical Sciences, recently was awarded
a $898,179 contract for two years by the
Consumer Specialty Production Association
to assess potential neurotoxic risks posed by
pyrethroid insecticides to infants and children.
The association, said Bruckner, is a consortium
of 18 chemical companies that manufacture
and/or sell these insecticides. The findings of Bruckner’s research
will be forwarded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), so it can develop scientifically based exposure guidelines to
assure safe levels of pyrethroids in agriculture and in the home, he
added.
“When the EPA banned the use of neurotoxic DDT and
organophosphates as insecticides, it forced chemical companies
to switch to pyrethroids without having established scientific
guidelines for their safe use,” said Bruckner, adding that relatively
little is known about how the body handles or responds to most
pyrethroids, particularly in infants and children.
Numerous physiological and biochemical processes, which
affect absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of
foreign chemicals, change substantially during maturation. Agedependent changes in these processes can result in significant
differences between adults and children in the amount of toxic
chemicals that reach and affect target organs, such as the brain, liver
and kidneys, he said.
“Generally infants and young children are incapable of detoxifying high doses of chemicals, but the high-dose experiments
performed in the past often may not be relevant to lower real-life
doses,” he added.
“We think these pyrethoids may be non-toxic in children in
environmentally relevant doses, due to efficient detoxification and
the absence of other age-related factors that significantly affect
the body’s handling of the chemicals,” he said. “If we’re correct,
pyrethroids in low doses may still be safely used as effective
insecticides.”
This study is a continuation of the work Bruckner developed
and validated for EPA on the pyrethroid deltamethrin during the
past decade, with more than $860,000 in EPA funding.
Phil Greenspan, an associate professor of
pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences,
received $90,294 as part of a four-year, $1.2
million grant from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to conduct pecan analytical and
biological studies with a team of researchers
headed by UGA food scientist Ron Pegg in
the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. The goal of the multi-disciplinary
research team is to give consumers more information on the
nutrient-packed nut and provide pecan growers with long-term
profitability by improving their production efficiency and productivity.
Their research is looking at the nutrients and bioactives – like vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and blood pressure- and
cholesterol-lowering components – that certain foods possess.
“In looking at pecans versus other tree nuts, pecans are the
highest in antioxidant activity,” Pegg said. “We’re extending our
research looking at antioxidant activity, and we’re finding higher
values than those listed in the USDA oxygen radical absorbance
capacity database.”
Antioxidants may assist the body’s natural defense mechanisms
as they keep in check the potentially harmful effects of free
radicals, which are reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that the
body produces from normal metabolism. Free radicals are also
encountered in the environment.
A 2011 clinical study from Loma Linda University found that
pecans could help reduce biomarkers associated with cardiovascular
disease and possibly metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome
is the tendency of several conditions to occur together, including
obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes or pre-diabetes, high blood
pressure and high levels of fat in the blood. A qualified health claim
from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also says “scientific
evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day
of most nuts [which equates to between 18 and 20 pecan halves] as
part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk
of heart disease.” Georgia is the highest pecan-producing state in the U.S.,
producing 75 million pounds in 2010, an off year of production for
this alternate-bearing tree. Texas and New Mexico followed with 70
million pounds and 66 million pounds, respectively.
Mandi Murph, an assistant professor in the Department of
Pharmacetuical and Biomedical Sciences, has received a $467,000
grant from the American Cancer Institute for the next four years to
study melanoma, a type of skin cancer that has become an emerging
health crisis in the United States.
“The incidence of melanoma rose a staggering 619% from 1950
to 2000, coupled with an alarmingly low survival rate for advanced
melanoma,” said Murph. “In 2009 melanoma ranked sixth and seventh
in the estimated number of new cases in men and in women.
Murph, who also has funding for melanoma research from the
Georgia Cancer Coalition, noted that the incidence and mortality
from melanoma will likely continue to increase due to the aging
Baby Boom population and the higher probability for developing
melanoma among those over 70 years old.
“In the past year the Food and Drug
Administration has approved three new
drugs to treat melanoma,” she said. “With the
advancements in drug therapies, both private
and public institutions are more eager to
provide funds for this serious health hazard.”
Murph’s research uses a two-pronged
approach – to test novel compounds to treat
advanced melanoma and to study the signaling
receptors that promote survival of melanoma. Her previous work
supports the hypothesis that two molecular targets within the same
signaling pathway represent potential molecular vulnerabilities that
can be exploited in melanoma therapeutics.
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New faculty represent diverse interests
new faculty, with diverse clinical and research interests,
have been hired for the 2011-2012 academic year – four in
the Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy,
three in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical
Sciences and one in the Division of Experience Programs.
Catherine Bourg, Amber Bradley, Vivian Liao and Lakshman
Segar were hired for Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy.
Bourg, a clinical assistant professor in Athens, completed a PGY-2
ambulatory care residency at the Charlie Norwood VA Outpatient
Clinic in Athens and a PGY-1 residency at West Virginia University
Hospitals in Morgantown W.Va. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy
degree in 2009 at Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy
in Pittsburgh, Penn. Her clinical practice sites are Mercy Health
Center and the Athens VA Community-based Outpatient Clinic. Her
current research focuses on the relationship between beliefs about
medications and adherence in patients with diabetes.
Bradley was hired for the College’s Clinical Pharmacy Program
in Augusta, also as a clinical assistant professor. She received her
Doctor of Pharmacy in 2009 from University of Michigan at Ann
Arbor, and completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at the
Medical College of Georgia, and a hematology/oncology PGY-2
residency at the University of North Carolina. Her clinical site is
the adult bone marrow transplant unit at Georgia Health Sciences
Medical Center; her research interests include supportive care,
hematology malignancies, and bone marrow transplantation.
Liao is a clinical assistant professor at the Southwest Georgia
Clinical Pharmacy campus in Albany. She completed a pharmacy
practice PGY-1 residency and a PGY-2 critical care specialty residency
at Grady Health System in Atlanta, after earning her Doctor of
Pharmacy degree at Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., in
2009.
Segar is an associate professor at the College’s Clinical
Pharmacy Program in Augusta. He earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology
in 1994 at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and completed
postdoctoral positions there and at the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver. He has spent most of his professional
career in the Department of Pharmacology/Medicine and Heart
and Vascular Institute at the Pennsylvania State University College
of Medicine in Hershey, Penn. While there he was awarded a
RO1 National Heart Lung Blood Institute grant to study vascular
phenotypic regulation by growth factors, insulin and glucose. As
principal investigator his research is focused toward understanding
the molecular mechanisms of atherosclerosis and smooth muscle
cell hyperplasia/restenosis after arterial injury in diabetic/insulinresistant states.
Arthur Roberts, Han-rong Weng and Mike Thomson joined
the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences. Roberts
had previously worked as an Assistant Project Scientist studying
dynamics and structural biology of cytochrome of P450 2B enzymes
using NMR and advanced computer modeling at the Skaggs School
of Pharmacy at the University of California, San Diego; he received
his Ph.D. in biochemistry at Washington State University in Pullman.
Weng received his Ph.D. in neuroscience in Sweden and was an
associate professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center where he was principal investigator for a National Institutes
of Health grant to study glial-cytokine-neuronal interactions in
neuropathic pain. He also worked as a co-investigator on a NIH grant
to study mechanisms of symptoms of multiple myeloma and its
therapy.
Thomson was an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University
Medical Center and a postdoctoral research associate at the
University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He received his
Ph.D. in 2003 at the University of Florida College of Medicine in
Gainesville.
Linda Hughes joined the Division of Experience Programs
as a public service assistant with the Introductory Pharmacy
Practice Experiences program (IPPEs) for third-year students. Her
position is shared with the College of Education where she works
with the Counseling and Human Development Department,
focusing on medication use in the Center’s patient population
as well as teaching graduate students psychopharmacology and
the implications of medication in this patient population. She
earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2003 at the University of
Colorado and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at UGA in 1985.
She had 20 years experience at the
Medical Center of Central Georgia,
has served as adjunct professor
at Mercer University School
of Medicine and is currently
adjunct at University
of Colorado School of
Pharmacy, and has worked in
retail pharmacy.
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C O L L E G E
highlights
New Residency Programs Developed in
Oncology and Critical Care Medicine
T
he College of Pharmacy has developed two new PostgraduateYear-2 (PGY-2) residency programs—an oncology residency in
Augusta and a critical care medicine residency in Savannah.
Residents in both of these programs have already completed a
one-year (PGY-1) residency and will continue their education with
two more years of specialized clinical training.
The oncology residency gives the resident advanced training in
hematology/oncology and in supportive care pharmacotherapy, as
well as numerous opportunities for teaching and scholarship.
“Graduates of this program will be adequately prepared to
enter oncology pharmacy practice as a clinical specialist and/or
academician,” said David DeRemer, residency supervisor and clinical
assistant professor at the College’s Clinical Pharmacy Program in
Augusta.
Core rotations provide eight weeks of experience in inpatient
bone marrow transplant, inpatient hematology/oncology, and
research, plus four weeks in gynecologic oncology, pediatric
oncology and outpatient bone marrow transplant. Elective rotations
are available in infectious disease consulting, investigational drugs
and solid malignancy outpatient clinics.
Katerina Katsanevas, who received her Doctor of Pharmacy
degree at Auburn University, is the first resident in the new
hematology/oncology program; she completed her PGY-1 residency
with the College of Pharmacy at Georgia Health Sciences Medical
Center in Augusta. Her oncology research project, “Is GSK-3 the
gridlock in the Akt-targeted prostate cancer therapy?” is supported
by a UGA translational research initiative grant. Her research is
coordinated with Somanath Shenoy, assistant professor in the
College’s Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy in
Augusta, and her clinical training with Clinical Assistant Professor
Amber Bradley, also in the Department.
The critical care medicine residency is headed by Hal Richards,
College of Pharmacy assistant clinical professor and also clinical
pharmacy specialist at St. Joseph’s/Candler in Savannah. Joe McCoy
is the program’s first resident; he completed his PGY-1 residency
at St. Joseph’s/Candler after graduating from Mercer University
Southern School of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
This new residency is designed to develop an advanced
practitioner able to succeed in medication management, nutrition
support, and the disease state management of patient populations
in adult critical care and emergency medicine. The resident is
enrolled in UGA’s graduate certificate program and will be prepared
for both didactic and experiential teaching.
The new resident participates in the total care of patients
assigned, with responsibilities to include nutrition and sedation
support and monitoring, deep venous thrombosis and GI
prophylaxis, and electrolyte management. Other duties range from
prioritizing pharmaceutical care and implementing plans for safe
medication use to mentoring pharmacy students and educating
other healthcare professionals on current antibiotic and surgical
prophylaxis guidelines.
“We are very excited about this new residency program and all
it has to offer,” said Richards.
The two new residencies, which began in the 2011-12 academic
year, bring the total number of College of Pharmacy PGY-1 and PGY2 residency programs to seven, with a total of 13 residents.
CDD Conference Held
“Research is the first line of defense to prevent disease and benefit humankind,”
said University of Georgia Provost Gere Morehead at the opening of the 2011
Conference on Drug Discovery in November. Three internationally renowned
scientists in the field of drug discovery—John J. Rossi, David B. Weiner and Kenneth
A. Jacobson -- addressed the Conference on Drug Discovery, which was sponsored
by the College of Pharmacy’s Center for Drug Discovery and co-sponsored by the
UGA Faculty of Infectious Diseases.
“Through collaborative research in drug discovery and development, CDD’s
goal is to impact health on a global scale and become an important economic
Speakers Kenneth A. Jacobson, David B.
engine to fulfill critical international needs for new drugs to combat new diseases,”
Weiner and John J. Rossi
Morehead added.
Rossi is the Lidow Family Research Chair and Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology,
and Dean of the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at the Beckman Research Institute of the
City of Hope in Duarte, California. His research area is RNAi and its applications in antiviral and anticancer research.
Weiner is Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and founder and current Chairman of the
Combined University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy and Vaccines Graduate Program. His laboratory studies DNA
vaccines for infectious diseases.
Jacobson is Chief of the Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and the Molecular Recognition Section at the
National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. His research is in the
area of G protein-coupled receptors and disease states.
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HEALTHY DAWGS
Healthy Dawgs
Wellness Program
Healthy Dawgs Wellness Program:
A Win-Win Situation
I
n the fall of 2010, the College of Pharmacy initiated a wellness program
for University of Georgia employees who want to learn more about
their prescription medications and how to make appropriate lifestyle
decisions to improve their health. Called Healthy Dawgs, the program
aims to contribute to a healthier workforce on the University campus by
working with selected departments each year to provide this wellness
service to their employees.
Now, a year later, assessments of the program show that many of the
65 Healthy Dawgs participants have reported marked improvement in
their health and lifestyle.
“Our interventions have led patients to stop smoking, change their
diet and exercise regimens, and meet their disease state goals,” said
Lindsey Welch, a public service assistant in the College’s Division of
Healthy Dawgs participant Robin Bevans
Experience Programs, who organized this program as an Introductory
works with third-year pharmacy students –
Cam Nguyen, Elizabeth Alter and Molly Reid
Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) for third-year pharmacy students.
– during one of her clinic visits.
Other IPPEs expose students to the hospital, retail and clinical aspects
of pharmacy practice, in conjunction with their traditional pharmacy
courses.
At the wellness sessions, pharmacy students take a complete medical history of each patient, discuss ways
to better manage the patient’s condition and help them learn more about their medications and how they work.
Patients receive physical assessments, such as blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, and diabetic foot
exams. Point-of-care laboratory values, such as fasting blood glucose, A1C, and lipid panels, are also determined.
Educational materials are distributed about disease states, dietary and exercise patterns to prevent or
improve disease, selecting over-the-counter medications that will not interfere with a patient’s disease states or
their medications, and setting health goals.
As part of the Healthy Dawgs program, pharmacy students meet with patients four times over the course of
the academic year. Through effective communication with each patient they expect to promote trust, improve
medication adherence and encourage healthier lifestyles.
“Each visit is an opportunity to assess the patient’s progress towards health goals that the students helped
the patient set at the beginning of the program,” said Linda Hughes, also a public service assistant in the Division
of Experience Programs and co-instructor for the program.
Another important aspect of the program is communication between the pharmacy students and each
patient’s physician in order to coordinate care. Progress notes written after each visit include recommendations
to optimize drug therapy for each patient.
“The students have been able to identify drug interactions, inadequate medication therapies, and other
medication-related problems and have notified the physicians of these issues,” said Welch.
“We truly feel that Healthy Dawgs is a win-win situation for the University,” she added. “Our students are
able to apply their knowledge and skills to real patients, and the employees are able to take advantage of a
unique program dedicated to their health.”
U G A
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S T U D E N T
highlights
Raising Puppies for the Blind is a 24/7 Job
for Pharmacy Student
M
allory Nelson, a first-year pharmacy student,
has always loved dogs, so it’s not a stretch of
the imagination that she’d have one living with
her during college. The unusual part is that she
has been training Pepsi, a black laborador puppy, to
be a guide dog for a blind person or someone with a
serious disability.
“I first saw the guide dogs on campus about
two years ago and was curious about them,” said
Nelson, who found information about the Guide Dog
Foundation for the Blind on the internet. “Pepsi is
actually the second dog I’ve trained; Ivory, a yellow
lab, was the first.”
Raising the puppies is a full-time responsibility
that requires constant companionship and complete
dedication to their training, she added. Applicants
must go through a rigorous training period
themselves to make sure they’re suited to be raisers.
They’re tested on their handling skills with dogs
of different breeds and different personalities and
assessed on their experience with dogs in order to
receive a puppy that matches their skill level. A home
visit is a must to make sure the puppy’s environment
is suitable.
At seven to eight weeks old puppies begin
their training, which lasts about a year and includes
adjusting to their environment, learning basic
commands, memorizing new routes, locating physical Pepsi and his raiser, Mallory Nelson (right), visit Clodagh Phair-Miller, the College’s
student administrator, for doggie treats.
structures, such as doors, chairs, ramps and elevators,
and reacting appropriately for safety concerns.
“Pepsi has an easy temperament and enjoys meeting students
housing at the Guide Dog Foundation, training, harness and
around campus,” Nelson said. “Each day we either walk to class or
leash,” she noted.
ride the bus. During class Pepsi usually sleeps.”
The dogs not selected for service for the blind may become
The New York-based Foundation has around 75 puppy raisers
Vetdogs, which are used as balance dogs or retrieving dogs for
in the Athens area, which has the largest group of raisers anywhere
veterans with disabilities such as lost or impaired limbs. If any
in the U.S., said Jessica Jones, the Foundation’s area coordinator.
dogs are not good for service their raisers may have first option
Only the most suitable dogs are placed with blind handlers,
for adoption.
where they’re expected to remain healthy companions for at least
Sometimes the dogs themselves develop physical
seven to nine years. After becoming compatible with a blind
problems or illnesses; others are deemed more suitable as
person in the new environment, the dogs undergo another three
breeders.
to four weeks of training to learn the new handler’s patterns and
“Recently Pepsi was chosen to become a breeder, rather
routes.
than a companion dog, due to his good hips and temperament,”
“We try to place the perfect dog in the best possible
Nelson said.
environment,” Jones stated, adding that prospective blind
“This entire experience has been so rewarding,” she added.
handlers must have a stable life style and prove themselves to be
“I was so honored to be able to attend my last dog’s graduation
good candidates for companion dogs.
in New York where I met his new owner. Everyone is so
“We’re one of only a few guide dog schools that pays all
dedicated and appreciative; I definitely expect to raise another
expenses for the blind handlers receiving a dog, including
guide dog.”
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Our Amazing Students
Fourth-year student Lydia Cronic took top
honors at the annual meeting of the American
College of Clinical Pharmacy in Pittsburgh,
Penn., in October. She won the Best Student
Poster Award for her work on the “Angiogenic
and Vasculoprotective Potential of Angiotensin
Receptor Antagonists in the Brain.” Her
poster was one of only four selected for the
competition from 93 nationwide submissions.
The first runner-up in the Best Resident and
Fellow Poster category was Ahmed Alhusban,
a Ph.D. student in the College’s Clinical and
Experimental Therapeutics Program in Augusta. His poster
was entitled “Vascular Protection with Candesartan: Beyond
Blood Pressure Reduction.”
Xiao Adrian Lu, center,
Ph.D. graduate student, was
named the 2012 recipient
of the Joseph P. LaRocca
Award for Excellence in
Graduate Research. In
earning the award, Lu was
among three graduate
students chosen to present
their research at a seminar
of graduate students and
faculty in the Department
of Pharmaceutical and
Biomedical Sciences. The
two finalists for the LaRocca award, Sau Wai Hung, left, and Guodong Zhu,
each received $250 awards and expect to finish their Ph.Ds. in 2014 and 2012,
respectively. The LaRocca award, named for the director of graduate studies
and research at the College from 1964 to 1981, recognizes graduate
students who have made a significant contribution to scientific research.
Kyle Burcher,
4th year
student,
received
the Edmond
Fougera
Scholarship
from the
National
Association
of Chain
Drug Stores
Foundation. He was one of only
eight students nationwide to receive
a named-scholarship that honors
distinguished pharmacy leaders
and companies that share the
NACDS Foundation’s commitment to
education, research and charitable
work.
Jason Mock and Phillip Callahan,
Ph.D. graduate students in the
Department of Pharmaceutical and
Biomedical Sciences, shared $70,000
with the nine University of Georgia
Ph.D. students in biomedical and
health sciences who were named
winners of the Atlanta chapter of
Achievement Rewards for College
Scientists (ARCS) Foundation, Inc.
Members of the Student National Pharmaceutical
Association invited Tim Prater ‘91, a nuclear pharmacist
with Cardinal Health in Augusta, to speak about his career
in recognition of Black History Month. He emphasized the
importance of service, saying that “in giving service to one
you give service to all, just like Dr. Martin Luther King and
others in the Civil Rights movement did.”
Prater is pictured with Vivia Hill-Silcott, the College’s
diversity coordinator, and students Fei He, Lauren Willis,
Alana Wong and Cam Nguyen.
U G A
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13
Gifts from Generous Benefactors
Dr. David and Jane Chu Fund Scholarships
and Lectureship Series
“There is no other way but
to be successful in your life if
you work hard, be honest, and
be responsible.” This advice
from University of Georgia’s
Distinguished Research
Professor Emeritus David
Chu seems not only to be a
word from the wise, but also a
personal standard.
Dr. Chu and his wife, Jane
Chu, (M.S. ’84 ) joined the
College of Pharmacy family
in 1982 upon his acceptance
of a tenure track assistant
professor position. Since Dr.
Chu’s involvement with the
David and Jane Chu pose with their daughters
University, he has made great
Jackie, left, and Susan.
strides towards uncovering
drugs to treat viral diseases and cancer, such as Hepatitis B, HIV, leukemia, and shingles.
These endeavors have made Dr. Chu the recipient of much recognition, such as being
named a National Institute of Health MERIT awardee, elected American Association of
Advancement of Sciences Fellow, named University of Georgia Inventor of the Year,
and receiving the University of Georgia Creative Research Medal.
Having acquired great personal successes, Dr. Chu and wife hope to be able to
provide the means for others to have that same opportunity through the David and
Jane Chu Scholarships. In addition to their scholarships, the Chus have also endowed
the first Annual Drug Discovery Lectureship Series. Through this, students are not
only able to network with experts in drug discovery, but are also given the advantage
of expanding their education beyond solely what is provided in the classroom.
In response to his motivations for gifting the College of Pharmacy, Chu humbly
stated, “Our family has been blessed so much in Athens, and UGA has provided all our
family opportunities to be able to fulfill our American dream. Thus, in appreciation, our
family decided to give some back to the UGA. Furthermore, we believe that education
is the best investment in young people”
Their substantial donation names them as one of the top
contributors to the College, not only highlighting their benevolent
spirit, but also underlining their faith in the College of Pharmacy.
For more
information
on how you
can support
the College
through your
gifts, contact
Dana Strickland,
executive
director of
the Office of
External Affairs,
at 706-542-5293.
14
Belcher Family Endows
Student Scholarship
Our genetics are the most magnificent parts
of our being. What is inherited from one’s
parents helps determine, in part, things such
as mental capacity and physical ability. For
the Belcher family, intelligence was not the
only trait being passed down---a spirit of
benevolence also followed.
Maynor H. Belcher (’52), his son, R.
Mike Belcher (’74), and granddaughter,
Dr. Katie Brown (’07) have made it a family
obligation to contribute to the Belcher
Family Endowed Student Scholarship.
When asked about their decision of gifting
the College of Pharmacy, they replied, “As
a family with three living generations of
pharmacists who are graduates of UGA
College of Pharmacy, we felt that it would
be a significant legacy to establish a
permanent expression of our appreciation
for the influences of our professors
and fellow classmates during our years
as students.” By giving back to future
graduating pharmacists, they are providing
an opportunity for others to be able to leave
behind that same legacy.
The College of Pharmacy is not only
grateful to the Belcher family for their
donation, but also prideful in having three
generations of philanthropic alumni.
Kaiser Permanente Supports Scholarship
The College of Pharmacy is grateful to Kaiser Permanente Georgia for
finding importance in investing in the future of healthcare professionals.
Their continuous support and donation towards the Kaiser Permanente
Endowed Pharmacy Scholarship Fund has allowed for the number of
scholarships awarded to students to double. Executive Director of External
Affairs Dana Strickland stated, “We are very appreciative to have the
unrelenting support of Kaiser Permanente. Their decision to enhance the
value of their endowment is especially important during this time period
in regards to tangibly supporting our students.”
Gloria Kemp, Kaiser Permanente’s community benefit program and
grants manager, commented, “We appreciate our partnership with the
College of Pharmacy that began in 2009. Our scholarship contributions
are an avenue for addressing the critical healthcare shortage in our state,
while promoting student excellence at the College of Pharmacy.”
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Gloria Kemp, Emily Kimble,
Kaiser Permanente community
benefit grant assistant, and
Dana Strickland
A L U M N I
N O T E S
A Word From Amy Miller (’91)
Alumni Association President
ell, I can’t believe that it has been over 20 years since I graduated
and that I am the current Alumni President. It really does seem just
like yesterday that I was struggling to get to a 7:50 am class. (I mean
really, how can you expect anyone to be coherent at that time of the
morning, much less learn anything?) All those late nights spent studying…. and
all those late nights spent, well, not studying. When I think back on it, I really was
very lucky and blessed. I received a great education from the best college in the
nation (Go Dawgs!) and made some really great friends along the way.
I moved around quite a bit after I graduated. I practiced in Mississippi, Tennessee, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
I was always very proud to say that I had graduated from the University of Georgia. I remember in school that
we were taught about OBRA ’90, which concerned patient counseling (I graduated in 1991). When I moved to
Colorado in 1996 the pharmacists in that state were discussing this “new idea called OBRA that might come about
in 10-15 years.” It also surprised me in Tennessee when some pharmacists would not compound a medication
the old-fashioned way because the pharmacist felt uncomfortable doing it because actual compounding was not
emphasized at their college. I guess Joe Bill, Henry and Ms. Pat drilled it into us so well, that I never thought
twice about it. Although moving around certainly had its downfalls (ok, that was legal in Mississippi, is it legal
in Colorado? Hmmmm, let me check); it definitely gave me a much greater appreciation of the education that I
received.
It was also very interesting to work in the different retail locations. I was able to see different ways of practicing.
At every place I would see at least one thing that I would think,” Hey, that’s a great idea. I’m going to continue
doing that.” Now that I have been at one pharmacy for 10 years, I am beginning to think, “Ok….since I’m not
working in lots of places now, how can I see if there is a better way to take care of my patients and also take better
care of my business?” One of the first pharmacists that I worked with at the chain store Treasury Drug gave me
a very important piece of advice – “You can’t take care of your patients if your pharmacy isn’t around in a year.”
(Thanks, Charlie!) So….how do I make sure that I am around in a year?
I am already a member of the Georgia Pharmacy Association (the Academy of Independent Pharmacy) and the
National Community Pharmacists Association. These are both incredible organizations that do so much work
to protect and further our profession not only on a state and national level, but also on a nuts and bolts practical
level. But what about going back to the place that gave me the education in the beginning? Remember those
rotations that we all did? The preceptor at each site was responsible for giving the student practical, working
knowledge of pharmacy. I remember those preceptors asking me all sorts of questions. At the time I just assumed
I was being tested to see how much I had paid attention. It didn’t occur to me that maybe the preceptor was asking
to further his/her own knowledge. What if I serve as a preceptor to teach students the practical knowledge that
I have gained over 20 years of taking care of patients and I have the students teach me the latest advances in
patient care as well as more modern and efficient ways to manage a business? With more and more pharmacy
colleges in Georgia, more rotation sites are needed to accommodate the increased number of students. Why not
take advantage of the fact that UGA students are educated at a state-of-the-art facility that all Pharmacy Dawgs
should be proud of and become a preceptor? You might just be surprised at what you get back when you give.
Best Regards,
Amy
Sheila Roberson, Alumni Director • [email protected] • 706-542-5303
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15
1970s
1990s
Keith Huckaby (’76) of Thomaston has
been self employed as an internal medicine
doctor for more than 26 years, working in
non-invasive cardiology and gastrointestinal
diseases. He has received community
service awards for two years from the
Upson Regional Medical Center medical
staff. His wife Vicki is a UGA graduate and
homemaker; they have two children, Brian,
who is married and living in Lawrenceville,
and Austin, who lives in Atlanta. He enjoys
playing in his church praise band and in
community theater productions, flying
airplanes, hunting and fishing. He helps
his wife with community service projects,
teaching Sunday School and doing medical
mission work in Africa and Central America.
Kristine Lovett Leonard (’91) of Roebuck,
S.C., is a pharmacist with RxCarePlus. Her
husband Derek is a motivational speaker;
they have three children, Spencer, 16;
Reagan, 13; and Jake, 5. She enjoys Georgia
football games and church activities.
Amy Whelchel Miller (’91) of Gainesville
is owner of Lula Pharmacy and Foothills
Gift Shop. Her husband Laird (’78) is also a
pharmacist. Her hobbies include traveling,
playing the piano, and relaxing on their boat.
Grady Chris Tate (’91) of Rome is owner/
pharmacist with The Medicine Shoppe. He
and his wife Susan Cantrell, an office manager
at Medicine Shoppe, have two sons, Garrett,
15, and Griffin, 11. His hobbies include church
music, travel, Georgia Bulldog football, and
trailing two boys.
Laird Miller (’78), co-owner of Medical
Park Pharmacy in Gainesville and Jennings
Pharmacy in Demorest, has been appointed
to the State Board of Pharmacy. He was
chairman of the Academy of Independent
Pharmacy for 11 years and has served on the
Board of Directors for AIP and the Georgia
Pharmacy Association. He received the GPhA
Larry L. Braden Meritorious Service award in
2006, the Georgia Independent Pharmacist
of the Year award in 2004, the College of
Pharmacy’s Distinguished Alumnus award
in 2003 and the Pfizer Visionary Leadership
award, also in 2003.
Rebekah Marlar Neal (’96) of Birmingham,
Ala., is a pharmacist with Rocky Ridge
Pharmacy in Vestavia Hills, Ala. Her husband
is David.
2000s
Allison Michelle Beckum (’01) of Athens
is a pharmacist with Kroger Pharmacy. She
and her husband Mike, a banker, have twin
sons, Robert and William, 5. Her hobbies are
attending UGA sporting events, traveling
and spending time with their twins.
Deedra W. Bennett (’01) of Bishop is
pharmacy manager with Publix Pharmacy in
Athens. Her husband Tap is owner of Athens
Plumbing and Well. Her hobbies are her cats,
Bam Bam and Bailey, exercising, reading,
traveling, trying new restaurants, wine
tasting, cooking, and shopping.
1980s
Barry Bearden (’86) of Murrayville is owner
of Murrayville Pharmacy. He and his wife,
Linda, also a pharmacist, have two children,
Kacie, 16, and Kylie, 13. He enjoys watching
his daughters play sports.
J. Scott Camp (’01) of Macon is a pharmacist
at Medical Center of Central Georgia. His wife
is Sabrina.
Susan McAfee Brooks (’86) of East Dublin is
a mail order supervisor for Meds by Mail. She
and her husband Frank, chief of volunteer
services, married on Valentine’s Day 2011; they
have children, Niki Haygood, 21; Christopher
Fields, 19; Jonathan Haygood, 11; and London
Brooks, 3. She enjoys traveling, water sports,
reading, spending time with family.
Jenny Seymour Dickerson (’01) of Bowman
is a staff and consultant pharmacist at Ty
Cobb Healthcare System, Inc. in Royston. Her
husband Jason is an interventional radiology
technologist; they have three children,
Bryson, 7; Brady, 4; and Bryleigh, 1. She
enjoys spending time with family and being
involved with church activities.
Betsy Collier Crowder (’86) of Jackson is
pharmacist-in-charge with CVS. Her husband
Perry owns a heat and AC business; they have
one son, Jonathon Morgan, 21. Her hobbies
include boat riding (on ocean, lake or river,
doesn’t matter), fishing, dancing, playing
with her two golden retrievers. She was the
CVS Regional Paragon winner in 2005.
Bobby Darrell Forrester (’01) of Cedartown
is a staff pharmacist at Cline Pharmacy in
Cave Spring.
Jackie Seymour Harris (’01) of Bowman
is Director of Pharmacy at Elbert Memorial
Hospital. She and her husband, Andy, a
radiology technician, have two children, Eli,
5, and Ella, 1. Her hobbies include being an
active member of Rehobeth Baptist Church
and Georgia football games.
Dennis Montgomery (’86) is a pharmacist
with CVS in LaGrange. He and his wife Cheryl
have two children, Collin, 20, UGA Class
of 2012; and Duncan, 17. He enjoys church
activities, travel, and UGA athletics.
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Candace McCullough Nichols (’01) of
Atlanta is a clinical pharmacy specialist with
Kaiser Permanente. On August 13, 2011,
she married James Hayes Nichols, a wine
consultant with Greens in Atlanta.
Jennifer F. Anderson (’06) of Evans is
a pharmacist with Kroger in Augusta.
Her husband Bryan is an Army Corps of
Engineers mechanic; they have one child,
Connor, 1. She enjoys shopping, reading,
running around after her son, and watching
UGA football.
Josh Canavan (’06) of Cumming is a
pharmacist at Cartersville Medical Center.
He and his wife Jennifer, a media specialist,
have one child, Brynn, 1.
Ebony Roberts Farrell (’06) of Fairburn is
a clinical pharmacist at Humana Health. Her
husband Nathan is a pharmacy manager
with Kaiser Permanente.
In Memoriam
Frank Edward Johnson (’50) of Alma
passed away on January 31. He was owner
and operator of Johnson’s Pharmacy and
Alma Professional Pharmacy for many years
and also worked at the Medicine Shoppe.
He served as a Gideon of the Waycross
Camp and was in the U.S. Army during
World War II.
Cecil Thomas Conner (’74) of Brunswick
passed away on October 8. He practiced
pharmacy for more than 37 years, primarily
with Eckerd Drugs. He is survived by his wife
and daughters. He was an active member of
Golden Isles Baptist Church.
Martin Meeks (’79) of West Green passed
away on July 2, 2010. He had worked for
32 years at Revco, Wal-mart and Harvey’s
Pharmacy and was a member of the First
Baptist Church in Douglas. His survivors
include his wife and sons.
Dr. Donald Cadwallader, 30-year member
of the pharmaceutics faculty, passed away
on January 11. He was a Fellow of the
American Academy of the Advancement
of Science, the American Academy of
Pharmaceutical Sciences and the American
and Georgia Pharmacy Associations. He was
internationally recognized for his research
in cancer and shelf-life studies.
Dr. Randall Oliver Manning of Athens,
a former postdoctoral associate and an
assistant research toxicologist and lecturer
in the Department of Pharmacology and
Toxicology, passed away on January 16 after
a six-year struggle with cancer. He was a
state toxicologist for the Environmental
Protection Division at the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources.
Albert W. Jowdy Golf Classic Celebrates 20 Years
M
ore than 20 years ago the late Albert W. Jowdy, who was
the College’s Director of Development at the time, had
an idea to raise funds for student scholarships and have
fun doing it. As a result he organized the first College of
Pharmacy golf tournament at Chateau Elan in 1993. The annual
event has been the source of more than $213,000 in funds
toward support for the 175 students who have received Jowdy
scholarships over the years.
In April, alumni and friends of the College will meet at
the UGA golf course to once again test their golfing skills and
contribute to the Jowdy Scholarship Fund. Jowdy Scholarship
recipients are also invited to attend and lend their support.
Special prizes are planned to honor those who have played
for many years and have been long-term members on the golf
committee. An opportunity to play with the golf pro is also on
the agenda.
LET US HEAR FROM YOU!
Please take a minute to fill out this questionnaire and return it to the Editor, College of Pharmacy, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
30602. Many of our alumni have inquired about former classmates, so we are trying to keep current information available.
NAME _____________________________________________________________________________
DEGREE and YEAR ________________________________
ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE, ZIP ____________________________________________________
HOME PHONE ________________________________________ E-MAIL ___________________________________________
BUSINESS PHONE______________________________________ FAX_______________________________________________
PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION (Employer Name and Address, Job Title. Duties...)__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
AWARDS AND HONORS________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FAMILY INFORMATION (Spouse's Name. Is Spouse a UGA Grad? Is Spouse also a Pharmacist? Any Children?)__________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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INTERESTS AND HOBBIES ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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U G A
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17
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
The University of Georgia
Pharmacy Alumni Society
Athens, Georgia 30602-2351
PAID
Permit No. 11
Athens, Georgia
Address Service Requested
announcem E nts
Alumni Dinner
in conjunction with the
Georgia Pharmacy Association
Convention at Hilton Head
Monday, July 9, 7:30 p.m.
$35.00 per person
Registration requested by
Friday, JuLY 6
Call Pattie Strickland at 706-542-5404
or email her at [email protected]
Attention, Golfers!
Make your reservations now for the annual
Start making plans NOW!!!
Alumni Celebration
Classes of 1952, 1962,
1972, and 1982
May 4- 5, 2012
No charge for attending
More information at www.rx.uga.edu or contact
Pattie Strickland at 706-542-5404
or [email protected]
Albert W. Jowdy
Memorial Golf Classic
April 23, 2012
— UGA Golf Course —
20th Anniversary Event
Contact Sheila Roberson for registration
and information at 706-542-5303
or [email protected].
For the latest information on College events
and activities, check out our website at:
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The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy
www.rx.uga.edu