The 2025 Alumni Award Winners have been announced by the Alumni Association of The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. Selected and honored for their outstanding contributions to the profession and the college community, this year's recipients will receive their award at the Dose of Distinction celebration dinner on Friday, October 24, 2025, in Austin and will also be recognized at the Homecoming Tailgate on Saturday, November 22, 2025.
Carlton (Carl) K. Erickson, Ph.D.
2025 Legend of Pharmacy Award Recipient
Carlton (Carl) K. Erickson is Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy and former Director of the Addiction Science Research and Education Center in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin.
Trained as a pharmacist, he earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology from Purdue University, taught for 13 years at the University of Kansas and was recruited to UT in 1978 to serve as Division Head of Pharmacology and Toxicology. In 2008, Carl was appointed Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Pharmacy.
He is the author of over 170 peer-reviewed and professional publications, as well as five books—the most recent being the second edition of The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment (2018). The first edition of this book received a University of Texas Hamilton Book Award in 2008.
Carl is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Betty Ford Center Visionary Award (2000), the Nelson J. Bradley Award for Lifetime Achievement (2007), the John P. McGovern Award for Excellence in Medical Education (2009), the Annual Award from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (2013) and the Distinguished Pharmacy Alumni Award from Purdue University (2014), among others.
He retired from the University in May 2018 and now resides in Austin with his wife, Eunice, a retired pharmacist.
Alma Y. Gutierrez, R.Ph.
2025 William J. Sheffield Outstanding Alumnus Award Recipient
Alma Y. Gutierrez, R.Ph., a native of the Rio Grande Valley and first-generation college graduate, is the daughter of E.G. "Speedy" and Elba G. Gutierrez of Harlingen, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1985 from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, where she has held multiple executive leadership roles—including President of the Alumni Association—and currently serves as the San Antonio Regional Representative.
Alma's pharmacy career spans more than four decades. She spent 20 years with H-E-B, rising from intern to Corporate Operations Director, and another 20 years with CVS Health, where she has served as District Leader and now practices as a pharmacist. From 2006 to 2014, she also served as Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy.
Deeply committed to patient care, Alma has focused her career on community pharmacy practice, mentoring and precepting students and championing women's health and shared decision-making. Her dedication to advancing women's wellness led her to found Vibrant Living Therapeutics, a wellness brand offering natural product formulations to support menopause.
She lives in San Antonio with her husband, James Aulds, and is the proud mother of daughter Sevilla Muñiz.
Kristin M. Janzen, Pharm.D.
2025 Distinguished Young Alumnus Award Recipient
Kristin Janzen, Pharm.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor and Division Head of Pharmacy Practice at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy.
A graduate of the UT Austin College of Pharmacy, she completed a combined PGY1 & PGY2 Pharmacotherapy Residency at Butler University and Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, Indiana. She currently practices in Internal Medicine at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, where she precepts fourth-year Pharm.D. students and pharmacy residents on academic internal medicine rotations.
Dr. Janzen teaches extensively throughout the college's didactic curriculum, with a focus on pharmacotherapeutics, clinical pharmacokinetics and application-based pharmacy practice labs. She has been recognized for excellence in both didactic and experiential education and is a recipient of numerous honors, including the Educator of the Year Award from the UT Austin College of Pharmacy, the Austin-Temple-Waco Region Preceptor of the Year Award and the Wm. Arlyn Koesel Preceptor of the Year Award. She has also been named a Health IPE Fellow by the UT Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education.
Her research and teaching interests center on student preparedness for residency, interprofessional education and core internal medicine disease states, including pulmonology, cardiology and diabetes.
Cathleen McCormack, Pharm.D.
2025 Distinguished Young Alumnus Award Recipient
Cathleen McCormack, Pharm.D., serves as President of The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Alumni Association Executive Council.
A proud two-time Longhorn, Dr. McCormack earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the UT College of Pharmacy in 2018 and her Bachelor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management from the McCombs School of Business in 2014.
She currently works as a consultant pharmacist with Dembny Pharmacy Consultants, providing pharmacy services to freestanding ambulatory surgery centers and emergency rooms across Texas. Her current sites specialize in general surgery, fertility and emergency medicine. In addition to her regulatory responsibilities, she delivers quarterly antibiotic stewardship presentations to the Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Committee at UT Health Austin ASC.
Dr. McCormack also practices as a pharmacist with Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy, a nationwide provider serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this role, she supports multiple departments and was recently tasked with co-developing a company-wide training program for newly hired pharmacists.
Congratulations to all the winners! You'll have the opportunity to celebrate them in person at this year's Texas Pharmacy Homecoming Tailgate. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 15, 2025 — stay tuned for more details!