KU News Release

Dean of KU’s pharmacy school presents Matchett award to Wichita senior

LAWRENCE — Jeffrey David Little, a fifth-year student in pharmacy at the University of Kansas, has received the $1,000 Jeremy A. Matchett Excellence in Pharmacy Award.

Ken Audus, dean of KU’s School of Pharmacy, presented the award to Little during the school’s April 23 spring White Coat Ceremony, in which students formally receive a white coat and caduceus pin to designate their transition from the classroom to the clinical setting in their final year of pharmacy training. KU offers the doctor of pharmacy, a professional degree requiring six years of study.

“This award goes to a student who embraces Dr. Matchett’s ideals — to someone who has shown an admirable level of passion and enthusiasm for pharmacy, along with a strong commitment and involvement in the service to the profession,” Audus said.

Little, who will graduate in spring 2008, helped coordinate a leadership project through the KU chapter of the national pharmacy leadership society, Phi Lambda Sigma, that “was so significant that it has been added into our current curriculum,” Audus said.

The project proposed that pharmacy students first role-play their counseling and practice activities with actors trained to portray patients, parents and physicians. This spring the role-playing concept was used for fifth-year pharmacy students and in the future will be offered to students at all levels in the program to assess the development of their practice skills.

Little is the third student to receive the Matchett award. In addition to an outstanding academic record, Little has actively provided leadership among his peers in the School of Pharmacy. He has been president of KU’s chapter of the Student Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and has held several offices, including vice president, of Phi Lambda Sigma. He has been co-coordinator for the past two Phi Lamba Sigma Leadership Challenge Projects at KU.

Little also participated in a 150-mile bike ride for Multiple Sclerosis research and community fairs to promote smoking cessation, heartburn awareness and proper use of multi-dose inhalers for people with asthma. He is also the Phi Lambda Sigma chapter cook for an annual chili feed that raises money for a selected community charity.

Little is the son of Linnea Glenmaye of Wichita (ZIP 67203) and is a graduate of Osseo (Minn.) High School.

In addition to the award, Little received a paperweight, and his name has been engraved on the Matchett award plaque located in the School of Pharmacy dean’s office.

The award was established by Matchett’s family to honor his memory and dedication to pharmacy. He had served KU a total of 31 years, including 22 years with the rank of professor and 16 years as associate dean of the pharmacy school. He died in October 2003. His wife, Gayle, and children Randy, Chris and Kera, along with other family members, attended the award ceremony.

Since its beginning in 1885, KU’s School of Pharmacy has been a leader in pharmaceutical education and has offered the doctor of pharmacy degree as the entry-level practice degree since 1996. KU’s pharmacy school is ranked third in the nation in NIH funding, and the doctor of pharmacy program is ranked 17th among all schools of pharmacy.

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