KU News Release

KU students win scholarships from national pharmacy association

LAWRENCE — Three pharmacy students at the University of Kansas have been awarded $6,000 in scholarships from the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation. All are sixth-year students in KU’s doctor of pharmacy program.

The students, who are members of the association’s student chapter at KU, will receive their awards at the organization’s 110th annual national conference to be held Oct. 11-15 in Tampa, Fla.

Eric Gourley of Lebo is one of 10 pharmacy students nationwide who received a $2,000 Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship. He was selected based on leadership, academic success and demonstrated interest in advancing the profession.

Tyson Mullen, Leoti, and Melissa Rufenacht, Ness City, each earned $2,000 Presidential Scholarships, which recognize leadership and academic achievement. KU was one of only three universities that had two student winners among the 18 Presidential Scholarship recipients. Mullen, who received the Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship last year, is one of seven students serving on the 2008-09 Student Leadership Council advisory group to the association’s parent organization. Rufenacht is a past president of the KU student chapter.

The National Community Pharmacists Association’s student chapters are professional pharmacy organizations that promote independent pharmacies as a career option. KU’s chapter has been honored as the national chapter of the year four times in the past 10 years and was first runner-up in 2007.

Gene Hotchkiss, associate dean for administration of KU’s School of Pharmacy, founded the student group in 1998 and is its faculty co-adviser along with Dennis Grauer, associate professor and interim chair of pharmacy practice.

The KU chapter regularly travels the state to show students career opportunities at independent pharmacies in Kansas. In January, both Mullen and Rufenacht were among those visiting pharmacies in central and southwest Kansas, accompanied by Hotchkiss and Ken Audus, dean of KU’s pharmacy school. Gourley went on an October 2006 trip to pharmacies in north central Kansas led by Hotchkiss and Grauer.

The National Community Pharmacists Association, founded in 1898, represents the nation’s community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 pharmacies. The nation’s independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises and independent chains dispense nearly half of the nation’s retail prescription medicines.

Scholarship winners are listed below by hometown, parents’ names, level in school, other schools attended and award.

COFFEY COUNTY
From Lebo 66856
Eric Gourley, sixth-year pharmacy student, son of Doyle and Lori Gourley; Lebo High School; Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship.

NESS COUNTY
From Ness City 67560
Melissa Rufenacht, sixth-year pharmacy student, daughter of Benjie and Randie Rufenacht; Ness City High School; Presidential Scholarship.

WICHITA COUNTY
From Leoti 67861
Tyson Mullen, sixth-year pharmacy student, son of Kevin and Kathy Mullen; associate’s degree from Hutchinson Community College; Wichita County High School; Presidential Scholarship.

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