UK College of Pharmacy Develops Website to Highlight Pharmacy Influencers from Across the Globe
LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 18, 2021) — On August 16, 2021, the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy turned 151, wrapping up the celebration of its sesquicentennial year. This milestone is a testament to the continuous work of alumni, employees, and supporters of the college. To celebrate the close of this monumental event, the College of Pharmacy launched a new microsite to showcase the many diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of 150 pharmacy influencers, alumni, and employees connected to the college. Whether an alumnus, faculty or staff member, donor, friend or thought leader, each person featured has been an integral part of the college’s legacy. Their commitment to the pharmacy profession and scientific discovery continues to set UKCOP apart as one of the nation's leaders in pharmacy education.
The site is intended to serve as a career guide and networking reference for current pharmacy and graduate students as well as a recruitment tool for prospective students and a historical archive of alumni stories. It aims to demonstrate the continued success of our many pharmacy influencers and thought leaders, as well as the College of Pharmacy’s appreciation for individuals who have made a difference. It also shows both current and perspective students the power of the Kentucky connection and the hundreds of opportunities available to them with a degree from the University of Kentucky.
The development of the microsite was a collaborative effort spearheaded by members of the UK College of Pharmacy’s philanthropy, alumni and communications teams. Over the past year and throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKCOP team facilitated nearly 900 alumni interviews over Zoom, using this project as a means to visit and connect with alumni and develop an archive of stories about their success.
Dean R. Kip Guy expressed his appreciation for the immense efforts of his team. “Many hours of writing, interviewing, and web development were put into this project,” said Guy. “Whether interviewing those to be featured, writing hundreds of biographies, or contributing to the design of the microsite, this group did it all.”
Individuals who contributed to the success of this extensive project include Rosa Mejia-Cruz, director of alumni relations; Mary Beth Neiser, senior director of philanthropy; Kristie Colón, communications director; Caitlyn Romanski, a College of Communication and Information (CI) student and the college’s current marketing and communications intern; and Jacob Lewis, a 2021 CI graduate and former UKCOP marketing and communications intern.
The UK College of Pharmacy would also like to thank the College of Communication for their contribution to this effort by training outstanding students through their Integrated Strategic Communication (ISC) degree program. UKCOP marketing interns support our overall success as one of the nation’s leading colleges of pharmacy.
We wish to remember and honor those who inhabited this Commonwealth before the arrival of the Europeans. Briefly occupying these lands were the Osage, Wyndott tribe, and Miami peoples. The Adena and Hopewell peoples, who are recognized by the naming of the time period in which they resided here, were here more permanently. Some of their mounds remain in the Lexington area, including at UK’s Adena Park.
In more recent years, the Cherokee occupied southeast Kentucky, the Yuchi southwest Kentucky, the Chickasaw extreme western Kentucky and the Shawnee central Kentucky including what is now the city of Lexington. The Shawnee left when colonization pushed through the Appalachian Mountains. Lower Shawnee Town ceremonial grounds are still visible in Greenup County.
We honor the first inhabitants who were here, respect their culture, and acknowledge the presence of their descendants who are here today in all walks of life including fellow pharmacists and healthcare professionals.