UH College of Pharmacy students made another strong showing at this year's Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists Annual Seminar. Securing the top two slots in the Clinical Skills Competition were: Allison Palmer and Christi Parker – first place, and Connie Reyes and Aimee Hammerstrom – second place. Individual recognition went to Jacob Hall, who was honored with the Glenda Lawson McRee Pharmacy Student Award, and Hammerstrom, the student recipient of the Lourdes Cuellar Circle of Excellence Awards. Palmer and Hammerstrom also teamed to earn an Honorable Mention in the Disease State Management competition.

Several UH College of Pharmacy alumni received individual and team awards for service, research and clinical skills at the recent TSHP Annual Seminar in Austin. Alumnus Roy Hendley, Pharm.D. ('08), currently completing a pharmacy residency at The Methodist Hospital, was a member of the winning team in the Resident category of the Clinical Skills Competition; alumna Joyce A. Tipton, R.Ph. ('79), MBA, chief pharmacy officer at Baylor Clinic & Hospital, received a Lourdes M. Cuellar Circle of Excellence Award; and alumnus Andrew P. “Andy” Laegeler, Pharm.D. ('08), a resident at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, was recognized with the Leo F. Godley Resident Award. UHCOP alumni who contributed to winning research posters include Memorial Hermann's W. Perry Flowers, R.Ph. ('90), M.S., and Susan M. Lam, Pharm.D. ('05); St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital's Craig P. Frost, R.Ph. ('92), MBA (Bauer '06); Medical Center of Plano's Gita W. Patel, R.Ph. ('95); and Tipton. Additional information on the winning posters will be printed in an upcoming issue of Interactions newsletter.

Craft beers, root beer and catering by Treebeard's highlight the UH Pharmacy Alumni Association's Spring Social from 7–10 p.m. Friday, June 12, at Saint Arnold's Brewery in Houston. Originally slated for mid-April, the event was rescheduled due to heavy rain and street flooding in Houston. The $50 registration fee for alumni covers all food and beverages (note: Alumni Association membership is not required to attend). For more information, contact PAA President Renee Prescott at 832-274-8683 or uhpharmalum@gmail.com. The brewery is at 2522 Fairway Park Dr., Houston, 77092 (visit www.saintarnold.com for directions and map). To register, click here or contact Cortney Kindall at 713-743-0828.

Time is running out to help support UH College of Pharmacy students while enjoying a day of golf with alumni, friends and faculty members at the acclaimed August Pines Golf Club. The registration and sponsorship deadline for the 30th Annual UH Pharmacy Alumni & Friends Scholarship Golf Tournament is Monday, May 25. Sponsorship opportunities – ranging from $100 to $5,000 – are still available to help the college reach its goal of providing 30 scholarships of $1,000 each to eligible students. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Wynne Ndule, director of alumni relations, at 713-743-7027 or wndule@uh.edu. To register, click here.

Shirley Mitchell, department business administrator for UHCOP's Department of Clinical Sciences & Administration, has been named one of eight recipients of the 2009 UH Staff Excellence Awards. A 22-year employee of the college, Mitchell is now eligible to be considered for the university's top employee recognition: the McElhinney Distinguished Service Award.

The TSHP Research & Education Foundation has awarded six scholarships to four UHCOP students for the 2009-10 academic year. The award recipients and the named scholarships are: Allison Palmer – James T. Deluisio Scholarship; Stephanie Weightman - Sandra Evans Webb Scholarship; Jose Garza – Celso and Matiana M. Cuellar Sr. Scholarship; and Christi Parker – GCSHP Leadership Scholarship, Phyllis B. Ginsburg Memorial Scholarship, and Glenda Lawson McRee Scholarship.