UAMS College of Pharmacy Named 2022 AAPS Student Chapter of the Year
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy continues to receive national recognition for its student organizations, with the college receiving the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ (AAPS) Student Chapter of the Year award at the organization’s annual PharmSci 360 meeting, held Oct. 16-19 in Boston.
Each year, AAPS recognizes student chapters that provide exceptional service and outreach to the next generation of scientists and pharmaceutical professionals. AAPS selected the UAMS College of Pharmacy and the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy as this year’s winners out of a field that included more than 100 national and international chapters.
“This is a well-deserved recognition for a student chapter that works hard to promote service and professional development opportunities for student researchers at the UAMS College of Pharmacy,” said Ashok Philip, Ph.D., associate dean of student services.
This is the second AAPS Chapter of the Year win for UAMS, which also won the award in 2015. UAMS established its AAPS student chapter in 2014. It includes Doctor of Pharmacy students from the UAMS College of Pharmacy as well as graduate students and postdoctoral trainees from UAMS and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“We feel very proud of this achievement, which falls in line with the great tradition of student achievements in the College of Pharmacy,” said Cesar Compadre, Pharm.D., professor of pharmaceutical sciences and the group’s faculty advisor. “The success of the chapter is a team effort, and every member should be proud of its achievements.”
Compadre specifically recognized chapter president and graduate student Shivangi Shrimali, as well as College of Pharmacy graduates Nghi Tran and David E. Mery for their work leading the chapter through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The UAMS AAPS student chapter’s aim is to connect students with a professional network and provide an opportunity to develop leadership skills,” Shrimali said. “The support from Dr. Cindy Stowe and our faculty advisor Dr. Compadre has been key for the success of this chapter.”
One of the chapter’s major activities is organizing the annual Drug Discovery and Development Colloquium (DDDC), a conference that attracts a multidisciplinary mix of young and established scientists interested in drug development. The UAMS student chapter originated the concept and has organized or co-organized the conference annually since its inception in 2014.
“Initially, DDDC started as a regional conference, but it has gained a strong reputation and now attracts participants from industry, academia and the government from many parts of the United States and around the world,” Compadre said. “It is clear that the success of DDDC was a major reason for the chapter receiving this year’s AAPS award.”
AAPS selects winning chapters based on their scientific session and professional development training offerings; participation in community and charitable social events; collaboration with other schools, chapters or industry; as well as their promotional efforts.
The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a professional, scientific organization of approximately 7,500 members employed in academia, industry, government and other research institutes worldwide. Founded in 1986, AAPS advances the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and therapies that improve global health. Visit www.aaps.org for more information.