On Wednesday, April 9, the UTCOP Pharmacy Council hosted a memorable dinner and awards ceremony to honor the college’s top educators and student pharmacists. The evening celebrated exceptional achievements, including Service Event of the Year, Outstanding Tutor and Pharmacy Educator of the Year, among others. With inspiring opening remarks from Dean Poloyac, the event highlighted the dedication and vibrant spirit of the Texas Pharmacy community. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!
Class of 2028 Teaching Excellence Award Winner
Professor Sharon Rush
"Professor Rush is a welcoming and kind educator that provides us with lots of insight into the application of our pharmacy practice skills. She is a motherly figure that brings humor to the class and ensures that all students have a full understanding of the content. I feel that in the future my practice skills will be extra sharp because of her!"
Fellow nominees: Maria Croyle, Sharon DeMorrow, Laura Fonken, Ashley Garling, Debadyuti Ghosh, Tonia Guida, James Karboski, Denise Kelley, Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay, Kimberly Nixon, Carla Van den Berg, Chris Whitman, Bill Williams, Kun Yang and Feng Zhang.
Class of 2027 Teaching Excellence Award Winner
Dr. Kristin Janzen
"Dr. Janzen is a phenomenal instructor at UTCOP. I had the privilege of being a P2 student in her courses for PT Cardio and Drug Info. She was able to simplify complicated concepts and conveyed the information in a manner that can be easily understood. Dr. Janzen’s lecture slides were well put together and she presented the material very coherently. Furthermore, she implemented Instapoll and Kahoot as checks-for-understanding to ensure retention."
Fellow nominees: Cody Black, Travis Carlson, Ashley Castleberry, Juan Guan, Tyler Kiles, Laurajo Ryan and Brian Wenger.
Class of 2026 Teaching Excellence Award Winner
Dr. Christopher Frei
"His passion for teaching made the concept in Drug Information and Evidence-Based Practice more engaging and approachable. His enthusiasm for the subject sparked my curiosity and deepened my ability to think critically about the material. He consistently challenged us to go beyond memorization by asking questions, evaluating evidence and applying our knowledge in practical ways."
Fellow nominees: Laura Cannon, Kristin Janzen, Rebecca Moote, Mitzi Stansberry and Nina Vadiei.
Outstanding Faculty Advisor
Dean W. Renee' Acosta
"No one deserves it more than Dean Acosta. She really takes the time to be present in our lives despite the fact that we are students, and she is a dean. She is definitely relatable and personable."
Fellow nominees: Rucha Bond, Laura Cannon, Ashley Castleberry, Samantha Catanzano, Maria Croyle, Juan Guan, Kristin Janzen, James Karboski, Tyler Kiles, Seongmin Lee, Kathryn Litten, Luis Natividad, Kimberly Nixon, Chanhyun Park, Justin Pedigo, John Richburg, Justin Samuel, Holli Temple, Terry Weaver, Brian Wenger, Chris Whitman, Kun Yang and Feng Zhang.
Pharmacy Educator of the Year
Dr. Jenna Summerlin
"Dr. Summerlin is an exceptional faculty mentor and educator who is deeply committed to the success of her students. She actively follows up on their interests and provides meaningful opportunities for professional development career growth and academic success. She takes a holistic approach to mentorship, ensuring that each student is supported in reaching their full potential."
Fellow nominees: Laura Cannon, Laura Fonken, Juan Guan, Kristin Janzen, Denise Kelley, Tyler Kiles, Rebecca Moote, Sharon Rush, Terry Weaver, Brian Wenger, Chris Whitman and Kun Yang.
Ambulatory IPPE Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Morgan Stewart
"Dr. Stewart is so knowledgeable and balances allowing you to learn on your own and stepping in when needed. She cares so much about her patients and just as much about her students. The impact she has had on me, my progression and future career trajectory is huge."
Community IPPE Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Kristina Dinh
"Sets a phenomenal culture at her pharmacy, welcome to questions, allows you to get a great retail experience."
Institutional IPPE Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Joseph Pham
"Dr. Pham was absolutely amazing during my I-IPPE. You could tell that he truly wanted us to have experiences that we’d enjoy and made sure that we got to have fun while learning at the hospital. He always had a good attitude and was so enjoyable to be around."
Fellow IPPE Preceptor of the Year nominees for the three categories: Niaz Deyhim, Amanda Dickinson, Jacob Enis, Aida Garza, Tyler Hall, Rachel Harvey, Pablo Saenz, Katie Stanford, Jeff Warnken, Matt Warnken and Nicholas Young.
Outstanding Teaching Assistant
Dann Diego Rivera
"Dann was very approachable for students to ask questions and great at explaining concepts in med chem lab."
Fellow nominees: Jailen Doyle, Ahmed Kenawy, Patrick Mireles, Nila Murali, John Schroeder, Ted Sohn and Tingzeng Wang.
Outstanding Tutor
Cecelia Hambleton
"Cece takes her tutoring work extremely serious and will be available for students at any time. There are multiple times where Cece will have her own exam the next day, and still take time to tutor other students on other subjects."
Fellow nominees: Gabrielle Castro, Phuong Do, Madelyn Hall, Johann Lin, Alysa Naranjo, Jobie Ryan, Niraja Surendran and Grace Trinh.
Outstanding Academic Assistant
Anthony Wang
"He is consistently having to juggle the rigorous schedule of P3 year but at the same time has been able to be a great AA for PT. Even though I have not had the chance to be tutored by Anthony, I hear nothing but how amazing of a job he is doing. The P2 class is always praising him for being an amazing Academic Assistant. For these reasons I think Anthony is worthy of winning this award."
Fellow nominees: Nora Abifaraj, Philip Baily, Danielle Bates, Sofia Biller, Collin Blackwell, Adam Campos, Alexiss Dennett-Zuniga, Madison Dishaw, Chanelle Duncan, Brianna Earskine, Cristhy Herrera, Bailey Jordan, Romina Manochahri, Dylan Pitman, Melody Richards, Jennifer Tran, Madison Tran, Christie Trinh and Mady Walker.
Service Event of the Year
AHA Vestido Rojo Health Screening | Project Collaborate
Fellow nominees: Breast Cancer Education | Know Your Medicine, Diwali at the Domain Health Screening | Know Your Medicine, Longhorn Village Health Screening | Know Your Medicine, Unhoused Care Kits | American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, UHS Campus Flu Clinic | American Pharmacists Association and Greater Austin Regional Science Fair | Pediatric Pharmacy Association.
Benjamin Reed Leader in Pharmacy Award
Brianna Earskine
"I have been able to witness firsthand Brianna’s strength, perseverance and resilience. Brianna is an inspiration and has consistently, authentically and enthusiastically displayed leadership, fellowship and humanitarianism, which makes her a person very deserving of this award."
Fellow nominees: Esther Albuquerque, Sydney Bryant, Adam Campos, Madison Dishaw, Phuong Do, Joey Havens, Seun Lagbenro, Melody Richards, Delandra Robinson, Kris Rodriguez, Mady Walker and Anthony Wang.
Dr. Carolyn Brown Opportunity and Engagement Awards Champion
Justina Lipscomb
"Dr. Lipscomb demonstrates exemplary leadership in fostering belonging and inclusion within the college community. As Co-Chair of the Opportunity and Belonging Committee, she has implemented impactful programs, including the Carolyn Brown Champion Award, and support the Project Engage Pharmacy Program (PEPP) Camp since 2018."
Dr. Carolyn Brown Opportunity and Engagement Awards Champion
Mike Sandoval
"We are thrilled to honor Mike for his outstanding contributions as a Teaching Assistant at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, where he has greatly improved student confidence in sterile compounding. His dedication extends beyond the classroom as a Community Advisor and mentor for young women in life sciences through STEM MUSE. Mike embodies the spirit of the Dr. Carloyn Brown Opportunity and Engagement Award, making a lasting impact on our community."
Dr. Carolyn Brown Opportunity and Engagement Awards Champion
Brianna Earskine
"We are honored to recognize Brianna for her exceptional leadership, service and resilience. As someone with personal experience in healthcare, Brianna’s unique perspective on patient care makes her an inspiration to others. Despite facing significant medical challenges, Brianna has excelled in leadership, scholarship and service, actively participating in student organizations and initiatives and mentoring students from underserved backgrounds."
Congratulations again to all the winners and nominees, and a special thank you to all who helped in the production of the 2025 Celebration of Excellence event! Download the full Celebration of Excellence presentation to view the Student Superlative/Class Award Winners.
