J. Russell May Named 2018 Parker Award Recipient
Dr. J. Russell (Rusty) May, a UK College of Pharmacy alumnus and R98 in the UK HealthCare Pharmacy Residency program, has been named the 2018 recipient of the Paul F. Parker Award. May will receive this honor at UK's annual Parker Luncheon at the 2018 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition in Anaheim, California.
The Paul F. Parker Award is given annually to a past resident of the University of Kentucky Pharmacy Residency Program or to an individual intimately associated with the success of the program. This award recognizes an individual who has displayed sustained contribution to the profession in practice, teaching or research; a commitment to high ideals and excellence in their chosen field; leadership and innovation; and a passion to encourage the personal and professional growth of others.
"Paul Parker was a mentor to me during my residency and this relationship continued for years after I graduated," said May. "We spent many hours together on residency accreditation site visits. Our evening conversations during these trips shaped my practice and teaching philosophies. Dr. Parker was a huge influence on my career. Winning this award, named in his honor, is priceless. Words cannot express how appreciative I am."
May was one of the first clinicians appointed to the Commission on Credentialing and currently serves as a guest surveyor for ASHP residency accreditation site visits for PGY-1 and PGY-2 residencies. In addition, he helped write the Residency in Pharmacy Practice standard and has worked with ASHP to develop the objectives for the Drug Information Specialty Residency standard.
He was one of the early practitioners in drug information, having started the Drug Information Center at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). His work at MCG eventually led to his being named the Director of Pharmacy. In that role, he was responsible for a large expansion of the clinical pharmacy program and educational opportunities at MCG for pharmacy students.
May currently serves as Clinical Professor and Associate Department Head for the Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. He earned his BS from the University of Kentucky in 1978, and a PharmD from the University of Kentucky in 1981.
The Parker Luncheon will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 4 at the Anaheim Marriott.