Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy honors 73 graduates

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 6, 2022) – The Class of 2022 at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy received their doctoral hoods, officially becoming part of the college’s 13th graduating class.

The Hooding and Commencement ceremony was held on Friday, May 6, in the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts, where 73 student pharmacists earned their Doctor of Pharmacy. 

This ceremony was part of ETSU’s commencement weekend and was livestreamed for those unable to attend.

Dr. Debbie Byrd, dean of Gatton College of Pharmacy, thanked the graduating class for the mark they left on the college.

“We are so pleased you chose to go on the journey to become a pharmacist with us,” said Byrd. “You made this college your own, and you are leaving it a better college of pharmacy than the one you found.”

Byrd also praised their impact on the COVID-19 pandemic, helping vaccinate over 30,000 patients, as well as their success in research, leadership and their student organizations, which have led to multiple national honors.

Members of the graduating class helped the college’s American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Operation Substance Use Disorders (SUDS) become the most nationally recognized committee in the country with nine consecutive national or regional honors, including first runner-up this year and four national wins. Operation SUDS is an educational program in which student pharmacists work in their communities to prevent misuse of prescription medication, break stigma, support recovery and advocate for the profession.

Other graduates helped the college’s APhA-ASP chapter earn national awards and the Student National Pharmaceutical Association earn Overall Chapter of the Year in 2019, in addition to nine other national honors.

Dr. Brian Noland, ETSU president, addressed the graduates, noting the impact and legacy of Mr. Bill Gatton, for whom the College of Pharmacy is named. Mr. Gatton, who passed away on April 18, 2022, was the primary donor when the college was founded in 2005, and it was named in his honor in 2007. 

“Mr. Gatton believed in the need for a college of pharmacy in Northeast Tennessee,” Noland said. “He believed more pharmacists were essential for our area, especially in rural communities. And he believed in the power of higher education. This commitment created the foundation of the college that we have here today. What a privilege to witness the fruit of his tremendous gift blossom in the lives of each one of our graduates today and for many years to come.”

Justin Pearson (’22), from Maryville, spoke on behalf of the graduating class, telling his fellow graduates they would not just earn their PharmD at the ceremony.

“We will walk away with relationships and memories that last forever,” said Pearson. “… the four years together have made us so close that you could call it ‘family.’”

Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academics, also spoke at the ceremony.

“You persevered, you stayed the course and now you are ready to step into the role of a pharmacist, something you have dreamed about for many years,” said McCorkle.Jacquelyn Crawford was inducted into the ETSU 1911 Society, which honors the university’s most distinguished graduates who embody ETSU’s original mission of improving quality of life for people of this region as exemplified through academic excellence, service and leadership.

In addition to the doctoral hooding, several individual awards were presented, including academic awards to Nichalos Jarvis and Crystal Meadors, who earned the Pharmacy Valedictorian Achievement Award recognizing the highest-ranking student in the graduating class. They achieved perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

Other awards included: the Gatton College of Pharmacy Patient Care Award to Kathleen White; the Gary Mabrey Community Service Award to Jacquelyn Crawford; the Merck Award for Pharmacy Excellence to Kristen Friend and Abby Lopp; the Viatris Institute of Pharmacy Excellence in Pharmacy Award to Crystal Meadors; United States Public Health Services Excellence in Pharmacy Award to Kathleen White; the Wolters Kluwer Health’s Fact and Comparisons Award for Outstanding Communication Skills to Nichalos Jarvis; the Baeteena M. Black Leadership Award to Jonathan Brewster; and the Guy B. Wilson Jr. Leadership Award to Kaitlyn Phillips. 

The ceremony and reception were sponsored by Food City Pharmacy. 

ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy was founded in 2005 by the community with a mission to develop progressive, team-oriented pharmacists who improve health care, focusing on rural and underserved communities. The college has earned numerous national awards and accolades for service, scholastic achievement and clinical training. Learn more at etsu.edu/pharmacy.