On September 15, 2021 the Connecticut Pharmacists Association (CPA) held its 145th annual Awards Banquet. Students, faculty and alums from the UConn School of Pharmacy were honored during the ceremony with a wide array of recognitions, awards, and scholarships.
Marissa Salvo, Pharm.D., was installed as President of the CPA at the event. Salvo is an associate clinical professor of pharmacy practice and has a clinical outpatient practice site in Internal Medicine at UConn Health in Farmington, Conn. Salvo has been a member of the CPA Board of Directors since 2014 and was recognized as a Fellow of the CPA in its inaugural class in 2019.
“The Connecticut Pharmacists Association (CPA) is my pharmacy ‘home’ since moving to Connecticut, and I am truly honored and humbled to be installed as President.” Salvo remarked. “Membership engagement is a focus of mine. I am eager to meet with CPA members and discuss more about what their professional and personal needs are and how CPA can meet them. I want each member to truly feel included in the CPA family.”
Dean Philip Hritcko, Pharm.D., was made a fellow of the CPA for the class of 2021. The CPA Fellow Award was established to honor CPA members for exemplary professional achievements in professional practice and outstanding service who have clearly distinguished themselves within the association and the practice of pharmacy.
Hritcko introduced Jill Fitzgerald, Pharm.D., who received the 2021 Bowl of Hygeia Award, with the following comments:
“Currently the director of our experiential learning program, Dr. Jill Fitzgerald has gone above and beyond her everyday role, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been extremely impressed with her leadership and involvement in the development and coordination of an immunization training and certification program for pharmacists and auxiliary health care workers.
Despite these unprecedented times, Dr. Fitzgerald has taken on some monumental tasks by collaborating with the Connecticut Department of Public Health to develop a training and certification program to expand the number of COVID-19 immunizers in our state. This resulted in more citizens getting vaccinated against COVID-19, and most importantly, more lives saved. She implemented the training and certification of pharmacists and student pharmacists as immunizers and coordinated our students’ involvement in the CT-DPH contact tracing program and the mobile vaccination FEMA vans.
To date, well over 800 additional auxiliary health care workers have been certified as COVID-19 immunizers and 45 student pharmacists are doing contact tracing activities. Dr. Fitzgerald achieved all this on top of her daily duties and responsibilities at the office of experiential education.”
Fitzgerald reflected on her award with the following: “I never thought I would be nominated, much less be awarded this incredible honor. And in fact, this award really should be shared with all of those who helped in the project with DPH to educate other health practitioners to provide the COVID-19 vaccine last year. It was an honor, as a pharmacist and a school of pharmacy, to be selected by DPH to provide this training across the state and a great opportunity to help our profession and ultimately the citizens of the state of CT.”
Current UConn School of Pharmacy students were also the recipients of select scholarships and awards at the ceremony.
Mai Vestergaard, a dual degree Master of Public Health (expected ‘22) and Pharm.D. (expected ‘23), was awarded the 2021-2022 Henry A. Palmer Scholarship.
Christine Pan, Pharm.D. (expected ‘22), was awarded the 2021-2022 Gerald H. Weitzman scholarship.
The following UConn School of Pharmacy alumni were recognized during the evening:
1st Vice President: Julian Koruni, Pharm.D. ‘07, ‘09
2nd Vice President: Eric Halpern, Pharm.D. ‘12
Appointed CPA Treasurer: Adam Krakowiak, Pharm.D. ‘17
Fellow of the CPA: Gillian Kuszewski, Pharm.D. ‘03, ‘05
Fellow of the CPA: Jacqui Murphy, Pharm.D. ‘78
2021 Margherita Giuliano Award: Rob Picone, Pharm.D. ‘94, ‘01
2021 Daniel C. Leone Pharmacist of the Year Award: Meghan Wilkosz, Pharm.D. ‘01, ‘03
Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award: Courtney Genovesi, Pharm.D., BCPPS ‘12, ‘14
