Award winners. Top row, left to right: Ashley Cid, Sarah Moroz, Cynthia Richard, Robin Andrade, Ai-Leng Foong-Reichert. Bottom row, left to right: Collin Shiha, David Edwards, Kelly Grindrod.
Summer is the season of professional conferences and awards in the Canadian pharmacy world. While some of these events had virtual components, this summer saw many students, faculty and staff from Waterloo Pharmacy travelling to in-person conferences for the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020.
In June, members of our team attended the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s annual conference. Called Ignite, this conference focused on building unity across aspects of the pharmacy profession to achieve innovation and improve health care.
The following outstanding members of our community received awards at this event:
- Robin Andrade, Professional Practice Instructor: Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award
- Collin Shiha, PharmD student: Student of Distinction Award
- Kelly Grindrod, professor: Exceptional Achievement in Research and Academia
This event was followed by the Canadian Pharmacy Education and Research Conference, the largest pharmacy education conference in Canada. This event was co-hosted by Dalhousie University, Memorial University and the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada and took place in St. John’s Newfoundland.
Congratulations to the following Waterloo Pharmacy students, faculty and staff who received awards at this event:
- Ai-Leng Foong-Reichert, graduate student: AFPC/Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education Graduate Pharmacy Student Research Poster Award
- Ashley Cid, graduate student: AFPC-CFP Graduate Student Award for Pharmacy Practice Research
- Robin Andrade (Professional Practice Instructor), Sarah Moroz (Associate Director, Assessment), Cynthia Richard (professor and Associate Director, Curriculum), Lisa Walsh (Anatomy and Physiology Course/Lab Instructor): AFPC/PEBC Award for Excellence in Research or Innovation in Assessment of Competence
- David Edwards, professor: AFPC Woods-Hughes Special Service Award
June is also when the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) holds their annual conference. For the Pharmacist of the Year award, CPhA recognized all pharmacists across Canada. The pandemic has brought to light the essential role pharmacists play in patient well-being, and so many practitioners in all aspects of pharmacy practice have gone above and beyond to continue to provide exemplary care through a time of crisis.
CPhA recognizes outstanding student leaders from each of Canada’s 10 pharmacy schools. The Waterloo Pharmacy recipient of the CPhA Centennial Leadership Award for 2022 is Mayur Tailor.
Jake Thiessen, the Founding Director of the School of Pharmacy, was also recognized with a prestigious award this summer: the Lens Mark Pharmacy Advancement Award from the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association.
Congratulations to all award winners!