College of Pharmacy Faculty, Students and Alumni Recognized with National Awards
| The National Community Pharmacy Association (NCPA) recognized students, faculty and alumni of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) College of Pharmacy with individual and group awards at its annual national convention, held Oct. 18-21 in New Orleans.
Megan Smith, Pharm.D., an associate professor of pharmacy practice, was named the inaugural CPESN Academia Leader of the Year. The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) is a clinically integrated, nationwide organization of pharmacy networks created to advance community-based pharmacy practice.
The college’s NCPA student chapter was named second runner-up for Chapter of the Year after competing against more than 100 other student chapters nationwide. NCPA student chapters help encourage an interest in community pharmacy ownership and entrepreneurship.
Evelyn McHaney, a third-year pharmacy student, received the NCPA Foundation Presidential Scholarship. Colby Cormell, a fourth-year pharmacy student, received the J.C. and Rheba Cobb Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Government Affairs.
Two College of Pharmacy alumni were also recognized. Brittany Sanders, Pharm.D., owner of The Pharmacy at Wellington in Little Rock, was named the 2025 NCPA Willard B. Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year, and Kristen Riddle, Pharm.D., was installed as the 2025-2026 NCPA president by its House of Delegates.
Smith Named CPESN Academia Leader of the Year
Smith, who is also a community pharmacist at The Pharmacy at Wellington in Little Rock, is an advocate for elevating community pharmacy practice through teaching and research. She directs the UAMS PGY-1 Community-Based Residency Program and helped launch the Arkansas Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network. NCPA named her Preceptor of the Year in 2022.
“Dr. Smith has worked tirelessly over the last several years to stand-up the network, inspire the next generation and provide continuous support to our network pharmacies,” said Bri Morris Gilbert, Pharm.D., executive director for Arkansas CPESN. “From all of us, thank you Megan.”
“I’m truly honored to be recognized as the CPESN Academia Leader of the Year,” Smith said. “This recognition is a testament to the collaborative spirit across our Arkansas CPESN network and the shared commitment to transforming patient care services.”
Smith obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY-1 community-based pharmacy residency at UNC/Kerr Drug in Asheville, North Carolina, and training in practice-based research and education through a community pharmacy research fellowship at UNC.
NCPA Student Chapter Named Second Runner-Up
The college’s NCPA student chapter was named second-runner up this year. The University of Georgia placed first and Auburn University was first runner-up.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see our students’ hard work recognized on a national level,” said Rachel Stafford, Pharm.D., associate professor of pharmacy practice and the group’s co-advisor. “After COVID, our student organizations had to spend quite a bit of effort, energy and creativity to regain the engagement among our student body. Each year has built on the last, and this recognition affirms how far their dedication has taken them.”
“I’m so proud of our NCPA student chapter for this national recognition,” said Smith, who is also a co-advisor. “Our students continue to inspire me with their energy, ideas and dedication to the future of community pharmacy.”
McHaney, Cormell Receive Scholarships
McHaney, a Paragould native and president of the college’s NCPA student chapter, received a NCPA Presidential Scholarship.
“I am deeply honored to receive the NCPA Presidential Scholarship this year,” McHaney said. “NCPA has provided me with invaluable connections and opportunities throughout pharmacy school, and I am grateful for its continued support. Community pharmacy holds a special place in my heart, and this recognition empowers me to further advance patient care and innovation in community practice.”
Cormell, a Conway native, received the J.C. and Rheba Cobb Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Government Affairs. It is a scholarship.
“Receiving this scholarship is an incredible honor that reinforces my commitment to advocating for pharmacies and the patients we serve,” Cormell said. “This recognition inspires me to continue engaging in meaningful work that advances the profession of pharmacy. I am very grateful to the NCPA Foundation for receiving this scholarship and for their dedication to empowering future pharmacists.”
Alumni Recognized for Independent Pharmacy, Leadership
Sanders, a 2005 College of Pharmacy graduate, was named the 2025 NCPA Willard B. Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year. The award is given to a pharmacist who exhibits exemplary professional leadership, service to community and commitment to independent pharmacy.
“I am humbled to receive this award,” Sanders said. “It is truly a reflection of our amazing team at The Pharmacy at Wellington and the Arkansas pharmacy community that has laid the groundwork for excellence in our profession.”
After graduating from UAMS in 2005, Sanders worked for chain pharmacies for 10 years before opening The Pharmacy at Wellington in 2015 with her business partners. She is the immediate past president of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association and a preceptor for the college.
Riddle, a 2002 College of Pharmacy graduate, was installed as the next NCPA president by its House of Delegates. The term runs for a full year.
“The world is changing, and so is our profession,” Riddle said. “Patients are looking to us not only for prescriptions but also for prevention, education, chronic care management, insurance, point-of-care testing and treatment, mental health support and so much more. We are not simply dispensers — we are providers, advocates, innovators and leaders in the health care system.”
Riddle is co-owner of American Home Pharmacy in Clinton, Arkansas. Among her other professional activities, she is a former president of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association and a delegate to the United States Pharmacopeia.
The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953 to honor John W. Dargavel, who was executive secretary of the National Association of Retail Druggists, now NCPA. Its foundation promotes the sustainability and growth of independent community pharmacies through scholarships, grants, and ownership development.