Caroline Jones and Isabelle Tharp
Caroline Jones and Isabelle Tharp, third-year student pharmacists in the Drake University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (CPHS), were selected by a panel of pharmacy alumni as the 2021-2022 recipients of the C. Boyd Granberg Student Excellence Scholarship Award. In honor of the award’s namesake, this honor recognizes rising fourth-year student pharmacists who have demonstrated leadership in advancing the profession and have had significant involvement in professional organizations.
Caroline Jones, originally from Urbandale, Iowa, has held multiple leadership positions in CPHS. She currently serves as president of Student Colleges of Clinical Pharmacy (SCCP). In this role, she works with the executive committee to plan events and coordinates students research teams and national competition teams. Jones is also the current co-president of the CPHS Ambassadors, in which she leads two subcommittees to advance mentorship within and outside of the College, and to assist in recruitment for CPHS. She is a member of the American Pharmacy Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), the CPHS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup, and the Phi Delta Chi professional fraternity.
Jones has also been highly dedicated to her academics and research. She is a member of the Rho Chi Academic Honor Society, served as a pathophysiology teaching assistant during her second year of the professional program, and received an Undergraduate Merit Scholarship from the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. As a sophomore, Jones began working on a four-year research project. Outside the College, Jones has served as a pharmacy intern at MercyOne Clive Pharmacy in Clive, Iowa. While it did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was one of 11 students across the country offered a pharmacy internship at the Mayo Clinic for the summer of 2020.
“I am very honored to receive the C. Boyd Granberg Student Excellence Award. I have greatly enjoyed my involvement in professional pharmacy organizations and other activities at Drake, and I have been fortunate to learn a lot through both academic courses and extracurricular activities. I look forward to continued involvement and to collaborating with others to advance our profession.”
Isabelle Tharp, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, has also demonstrated high academic achievement and impressive leadership accomplishments within CPHS. Tharp currently serves as president of APhA-ASP, having previously served as president-elect, social media chair, and on the Generation Rx Committee. Through her involvement in APhA-ASP, Tharp has attended several regional and national events, competed as a top ten finalist of 125 students in the National Patient Counseling Competition, was awarded an APhA Foundation Scholarship, and was selected as the 2021 APhA Good Government Student Pharmacist-of-the Year. Besides her involvement with APhA-ASP, Tharp is a member of Phi Lambda Sigma, a pharmacy leadership society.
Tharp has also been heavily involved with the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA) by co-leading its Policy Review Committee, serving on its Student Pharmacist Advisory Committee, and serving as a delegate at the 2019 Annual Meeting. Outside of professional organizations, Tharp has worked as a pharmacy intern at Hy-Vee Pharmacy and Mercy Family Pharmacy in Dubuque, Iowa, and at Methodist West Hospital in West Des Moines, Iowa. She also served as the 2020 IPA Executive Intern and as a Legislative Intern with Iowa State Representative John Forbes, PH’80.
“It is such an honor to be awarded the 2021 Granberg Award and to share this honor with my classmate, good friend, and roommate, Caroline Jones,” said Tharp. “Finding involvement within Drake CPHS, the Iowa Pharmacy Association, and national associations have enriched my pharmacy experience immensely. I am thankful for all these experiences and opportunities I have been able to take part in throughout my time at Drake.”
“Caroline and Isabelle embody many of the qualities of Dr. Granberg as they are accomplished individuals who have taken on leadership roles that make a difference for others,” said Renae Chesnut, dean of the College. “This recognition is well-deserved and recognizes their passion and commitment to the profession and leading others.”
About the C. Boyd Granberg Student Excellence Award
The Granberg Student Excellence Scholarship Award, established in 2017 through generous gifts from several Drake pharmacy alumni, recognizes and celebrates the contributions of C. Boyd Granberg, former CPHS dean and faculty member. To read more about this award, click here.
If interested in contributing to the C. Boyd Granberg Student Excellence Fund, please follow one of these options:
1. Donate online with a one-time gift or an installment pledge by visiting https://alumni.drake.edu/giveonline. Complete the form, selecting ‘Other’ as the Designation and C. Boyd Granberg Student Excellence Fund in the ‘Other’ box. Select ‘Add to Cart’ and complete the payment information.
2. Mail your donation to the Drake College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, 2507 University Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50311. Include a note indicating that your gift is for the C. Boyd Granberg Student Excellence Fund.