By: Tasnima Nabi, Editor-in-Chief
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On Sunday, March 29th, the 2014 Executive Board of the Beta Delta Chapter at St. John’s University attended the National Rho Chi Annual Meeting at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, CA. The National Meeting is held during the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition, where thousands of pharmacists, student pharmacists, and various health care professionals gather to engage in the largest pharmacy convention. The Rho Chi Society meeting celebrates individual and chapter achievements for the year and is the only business meeting of the Society. Chapter Delegates, Advisors, National Officers, members and guests are encouraged to attend.
The Rho Chi Lecture Award was presented to Dr. James Cloyd, Director of the Center for Orphan Drug Research, University of Minnesota. Dr. Cloyd’s research has made major contributions to the treatment of neurological disorders. His opening statements included the foundation for his success – “Passion is to be an educator, but I’m going to work on research to support my passion.” He shared his extraordinary experiences with the audience, taking us through his journey towards exploring different pharmaceutical dosage forms to improve ease in administration and outcomes. He kept the audience interested with light-hearted jokes infused with words of inspiration, and he encouraged the growth of academic pharmacy.
The 2014 Chapter Achievement Award was presented to the Beta Delta Chapter. This award recognizes the full scope of activities and events hosted by the chapter that instills the mission and values of Rho Chi, detailed in the 2014 Annual Chapter Report. The Beta Delta Chapter hosts various events throughout the year, including but not limited to CV Workshops, Coffeehouse Chats, Becoming a Strong PGY1 Residency Candidate and Writing Workshops. In addition, the chapter has often collaborated with other pharmacy organizations on campus to host events that students can both benefit from and enjoy.
The Beta Delta Chapter was also a recipient for the “Project Proposal Award,” which recognizes the Rho Chi Post. This monetary award is granted to a chapter based on a special project that intends to implement the vision of Rho Chi, which was detailed in a proposal that included a timeline of the newsletter’s growth, an explanation of the responsibilities of each editorial team member, and a run through of the editing and publishing process. The Rho Chi Post is a monthly, electronic, student-operated, faculty-edited newsletter that remains unique to the St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. National recognition has encouraged students from across the nation to submit articles to the Rho Chi Post, and has also encouraged us to develop new goals that promote our growth and ensure continued success.
The Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for Rho Chi members to exchange ideas on promoting and advancing the pharmacy profession on campus. It allows students to share their successes and receive advice from those who have developed active chapters on campus, while celebrating accomplishments that encourage students to become stronger leaders.
The Beta Delta Chapter executive board, members, and Rho Chi Post editorial team would like to thank our Faculty Advisor, Dr. S. William Zito, for his continued support and encouragement. We would also like to thank the National Office for the awards and opportunity to expand on our national outreach.
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