 From left: Dean Raylene Rospond, Mary Walbridge, Suzanne Sietsema Blackburn and DeeAnn Wedemeyer-Oleson. |
Coinciding with the Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ 20th annual student-organized Pharmacy Day, the 2007 Annual Alumni Awards were presented by Dean Raylene Rospond Feb. 21.
The 2007 Alumni Achievement Awards honor Suzanne Sietsema Blackburn and Mary Walbridge. The 2007 Young Alumni Achievement Award recognizes DeeAnn Wedemeyer-Oleson.
The honorees were selected based on their service to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, distinction in their careers, and recognized civic and community contributions.
Blackburn, of Deephaven, Minn., graduated from Drake in 1973 and is senior vice president of strategic client and benefit services at Medco Health Solutions Inc. She is an active member of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and has served on AMCP’s Board of Directors. She also serves on the Drake College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences National Advisory Council.
Walbridge, of St. Louis, Mo., graduated from Drake in 1974 and is working on a BSN in the accelerated nursing option at St. Louis University while working at Schnuck’s Pharmacies. A previous president of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, Walbridge has contributed to pharmacy both as a practitioner and an academic. She recently returned from a health mission trip in Nicaragua and has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica and Chile.
Wedemeyer-Oleson, of Guthrie Center, Iowa, graduated from Drake in 1999 and is director of pharmacy at Guthrie County Hospital. She has previously received the Innovative Pharmacy Practice and Distinguished Young Pharmacists Award from Iowa Pharmacy Association. In addition, she serves as a consultant for the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care and writes a column for Pharmacy Practice News, a nationally distributed hospital pharmacy publication.