Pharmacy alumni arrived to The University of Texas at Austin campus on October 20-21, 2017 to talk of years past, watch some Texas Longhorn football, and be awarded for their vast accomplishments in the world.
Alumni came to The University of Texas Club that Friday for the College of Pharmacy’s Alumni Reception and Awards Ceremony. Connie Gelineau was awarded the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award, presented by previous winner Eric Ho. Dennis Weisner received the Legend of Pharmacy Award, presented by last year’s Legend, Gay Dodson. To round out the evening, Dean M. Lynn Crismon presented Jeanne Waggener with the William J. Sheffield Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Distinguished Young Alumnus Award winner, Dr. Connie Gelineau, enjoyed a distinguished career as a community pharmacist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and recently transitioned to the specialty pharmacy field as Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs for Senderra RX Partners where she is holds broad responsibility for the maintenance of Senderra’s nationwide licensing footprint as well as its prestigious accreditations under URAC and the Accreditation Commission for Healthcare (ACHC). Dr. Gelineau has been deeply involved in a variety of professional pharmacy organizations including Texas Pharmacy Association, Dallas Area Pharmacy Association, and The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Alumni Association.
Legend of Pharmacy winner, Dr. Dennis Weisner, graduated from the UT Austin’s College of Pharmacy in 1970 and began his career as a community pharmacist with Eckerd Drug Company. After more than 16 years in that position, Dennis moved to H-E-B in New Braunfels as a pharmacist and manager. In May 1978, Dennis moved to the H-E-B corporate office where he served ten years as the Pharmacy Systems Manager, more than four years as Director of Pharmacy Technology, over three years as Director of Privacy, Regulatory, and Governmental Affairs, and a year and a half as Interim Pharmacy Leader. He’s served over ten years as Senior Director of Government Affairs for Pharmacy and Privacy.
This year’s William J. Sheffield Outstanding Alumnus award winner, Dr. Jeanne Waggener, is a Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager for Wal-Mart Health and Wellness. Her role is to ensure the successful delivery of clinical services by pharmacists across her market. A native of Rusk, Texas, Jeanne received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy in 1972 from UT Austin’s College of Pharmacy. She practiced in community pharmacy for seventeen years before joining Wal-Mart Pharmacy in 1989. She has previously served as a Market Health and Wellness Director and Pharmacy Manager for Wal-Mart.
After distinguished alumni were honored Friday evening, Saturday brought the annual tailgate. With an 11 a.m. kickoff against Oklahoma State, alumni came to the College of Pharmacy Courtyard to eat breakfast tacos, sip mimosas, and meet with student groups. Though the Longhorns weren’t able to squeak out a victory, pharmacy alumni earned a winning homecoming weekend with old friends and new.
