The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Achievement Awards will be presented at the CPHS Awards Ceremony on April 22, 2026 at 9:00 am in Sheslow Auditorium. This year’s outstanding alumni included Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients Jessin Joseph and Andrew Wagner as well as Alumni Achievement Award recipient Sue Mears. More event information, including the program and livestream link, can be found on the CPHS Awards Ceremony webpage in the days leading up to the event.
Jessin Joseph
Dr. Jessin Joseph of Chicago, Ill., graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Drake University in 2017. Currently, Jessin serves as Vice President, PBA Markets at Judi Health where he works closely with health plans, managed care organizations, and other payers to tailor pharmacy benefits unique to the organization’s needs while adhering to state and federal government regulations.
Prior to entering his current position at Judy Health, Jessin served as the pharmacy director for Kentucky’s Department for Medicaid Services, where he led the fee-for-service pharmacy benefit and provided oversight of the state’s six managed care organizations, totaling almost 1.5 million Medicaid members. Before that, he worked as a research analyst for the state of Kentucky’s Office of Health Data and Analytics, where he leveraged Medicaid data to aid state legislators and executive cabinet members in decisions regarding the intersection of managed care pharmacy operations within the state Medicaid agency.
While still early in his career, Jessin has demonstrated an immense commitment to managed care pharmacy. His leadership and advocacy have already made an impact on millions of patients receiving pharmacy benefits. These distinctions make him a deserving recipient of the 2026 Young Alumni Achievement Award.
Andrew Wagner
Dr. Andrew Wagner is a 2017 graduate of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and is a pharmacist and owner of Wagner Drug, a growing independent pharmacy group serving north central Iowa. His journey in pharmacy began in 2009 at Eagle Grove Pharmacy while he was still in high school, where he gained experience in every job role before ultimately purchasing the pharmacy in 2021 with his wife, Rachel.
In October 2025, Andrew and Rachel expanded their commitment to community pharmacy by acquiring Elizabeth’s Pharmacy on Main in Britt, Iowa, and rebranding their locations under the Wagner Drug name. Today, Wagner Drug operates four divisions—retail pharmacies in Eagle Grove and Britt, as well as compounding and long-term care services—focused on delivering personalized, patient-centered care in rural Iowa.
Andrew is passionate about mentoring the next generation of pharmacists. He has precepted more than 40 students and was honored as Drake’s APPE Preceptor of the Year in 2023 for his dedication to experiential education.
Deeply committed to giving back, Andrew actively serves his community through a variety of leadership roles. He has been involved with his local church council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Wright County 4-H Endowment, and the Wright County Public Health Board. Professionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees for the Iowa Pharmacy Association and remains engaged with his alma mater through service on the Advisory Board and Experiential Review Committee for the Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Andrew and his wife Rachel stay busy raising their two sons, Archie and Wyatt. He remains dedicated to strengthening independent pharmacy while investing in the communities that have supported him throughout his career. His longtime devotion to the pharmacy profession has earned him the 2026 Young Alumni Achievement Award.
Sue Mears
Sue Mears of Urbandale, Iowa, received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy as well as her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from Drake University in 1995. For the last 14 years, she has been serving as a Compliance Officer for the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing, Compliance Bureau here in Des Moines, where she conducts routine inspections of board licenses and registrants, investigates complaints, and collaborates with other Iowa agencies to further protect the public.
Earlier in her career, Sue worked as a staff pharmacist at Hy-Vee, NuCara, and Omnicare pharmacies in the Des Moines metro area. In 2013, Sue was appointed as a Commissioned Officer for the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and remains in this position today. Her professional involvement is additionally reflected in her membership on the National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA) Finance Committee.
Outside of her other roles, Sue is passionate about education. She assists with teaching the next generation of pharmacists as an Adjunct Instructor at both Drake and the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She has also shown dedication to students in her local community through years of service on several Urbandale Schools and Alumni Foundation committees and on the Board of Directors, where she still sits today.
Sue’s sustained commitment to both the pharmacy profession and to education have been recognized with several honors. In 1995, Drake’s student APhA-ASP chapter named her the recipient of the APhA-ASP Professionalism Award. She went on to receive the Leveraging Collaboration Award from the FDA in 2015, and last year, she received the 2025 Appreciation Award from the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Drake CPHS is thrilled to add to these honors the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award, acknowledging Sue as an alumna who embodies the values of our College.