School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Students Receive Scholarships from Pfizer

Sixteen School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS) students were recently awarded scholarships funded by Pfizer, Inc. The awards were given to support student pharmacists with their education goals related to developing industry related careers and is a reflection of the ongoing support KGI has received from Pfizer, Inc. All recipients are currently part of the SOP Class of 2018 and have also selected to pursue either the certificate in Clinical Trials and Regulatory Affairs or the Certificate in Healthcare Management–Biopharmaceutical Industry.

A special luncheon was held for the student recipients, and was an opportunity for SOP faculty and staff to congratulate the group. On hand to deliver the awards to each student was Hovik Gukasyan, PhD, senior principal scientist at Pfizer, Inc. Dr. Gukasyan’s presence made the event more meaningful, as students had the chance to thank Dr. Gukasyan and Pfizer, Inc. directly. KGI’s President, Sheldon M. Schuster was also in attendance and commended the students for their dedicated efforts in pursuing careers in pharmacy.

Speaking of the scholarship, Assistant Dean for Pharmacy and Industry Relations, and Professor of Practice, Dr. Andrea Cooper said: “The support we have seen from Pfizer since the beginning of our PharmD(+) program has been instrumental in being able to implement early industry experiential education for our students. This scholarship gift will assist students pursuing an industry focused certificate in being able to meet their educational and future career objectives. We are grateful to Pfizer for their ongoing support of our program.”

Dr. Gukasyan has supported KGI’s student pharmacists since the SOP opened. During the first two years of the PharmD program he was instrumental in placing 30 first-year students and three third-year students at Pfizer in La Jolla for on-site experiential education. Additionally, Dr. Gukasyan spearheaded the $8000 scholarship donation mentioned above.

KGI’s School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences degree offers students the opportunity to graduate with a PharmD and a certificate in one of four Concentrations: Healthcare Management; Clinical Trials/Regulatory Affairs; Medication Therapy Outcomes; and Pharmacy Informatics.

The Healthcare Management certificate Biopharmaceutical Industry track will prepare students to think critically and analytically to provide evidence-based solutions to healthcare management challenges and opportunities. Pharmacists trained in this area will be able to apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning. They will lead and collaborate in culturally diverse environments and exhibit the skills to be an agent of change in an evolving healthcare environment.

The Clinical Trials and Regulatory Affairs certificate prepares students to transition as professionals who will play critical roles throughout the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biologics and functional foods. Pharmacists trained in this area can combine their expertise in medications and pharmacy practice with clinical trial management and regulatory affairs knowledge and skills to enhance the development of healthcare products.

School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Scholarship Recipients:

1. Shirley Tsai
2. Taylor Walker
3. Halleh Mahmoudnejad
4. Claudia Lekhac
5. Ariana Ayon Verduzco
6. Anthony Costy
7. Natalia Kettoola
8. Wendy Su
9. Christine Nguyen
10. Ashna Ramanal
11. Michael Soliman
12. Sagar Bhakta
13. Ricardo Arechiga
14. Sunny Patel
15. Anderson Van
16. Armando Cortes