Read recent UUCOP highlights, and find out how you can get involved!

Dear COP Family,

I am grateful for the cooler temperatures and the seasonal artistry to come as we welcome the fall season. Fall means the academic year has begun, and we already have much to celebrate! This newsletter highlights COP accomplishments from students, faculty, and alumni. These highlights come on the heels of the COP’s year-in-review publication - the Dean’s Report - which I hope found its way to your mailbox!

When I think about my primary task for this academic year, the words ‘continue excellence’ come to mind. Our founding Dean, Dr. Sheila Mitchell, was responsible for the creation of a place where excellence in pharmacy education and practice was the expectation. My primary task is to continue the legacy that she laid so well for us, and you can help!

1. Pray. Pray for me, for our faculty, staff, and students, and our preceptors. Pray that the Lord continues to bless our work. Pray that the Lord sends the students that Union needs. Pray that our students see Him in all that we do.

2. Give. Give of your time, your talents, and your resources. Teach our students in the classroom. Precept our students on rotations. Share your research and publications with us!

I also humbly ask that you consider supporting our students financially. The Dean’s Report served to launch a fundraising campaign for student scholarships. I’m excited to share here some of the work I’ve been doing to provide structure to this 2.5-year, 2.5-million-dollar campaign I’m calling Mission 2.5. We now have a tiered giving structure and consistent means to recognize our donors. Refer to page 11 of the Dean’s Report to see ‘24-‘25 donors, and view the Gratitude Expressed section of this newsletter to see contributions-to-date this fiscal year. Whether it’s a one-time gift or a monthly donation, I want to be able to acknowledge your generosity in a variety of ways!

We have also designed the first-ever COP alumni T-shirt. Any alum donating $100 or more to the COP will receive one (I hope you wear it with pride). Lastly, the giving page allows you to honor someone with your donation. If you’ve been looking for a way to give back to someone here at the COP that impacted you for good, here’s your chance! The honoree (student, staff, faculty member, preceptor, or alumnus) will be notified that you donated in his/her honor.

We are all products of multiple influences on our lives. It is my sincere hope that the COP impacted your development positively for pharmacy and for Christ. I also hope that you will consider extending that impact to the current and future students through your prayers and your giving to the COP at Union, a place where faith and knowledge unite in a beautiful way.

All my best,

Kim M. Jones, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP
Dean and Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Alumni Recognition

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Bailey ('13) and Dr. Mitchell Ross ('19), who were selected for the Tennessee Pharmacists Association's 2025 Emerging Leaders Academy.

Dr. Melissa Bien-Aime ('16) recently published From Water Into Wine: A Devotional Storybook. If you want to learn more, information and purchasing options are available on Amazon!

Dr. Kate Cozart ('14) and her husband Matthew recently published their book Living Different: We Are the Lighthouses of Hope. If you want to learn more, information and purchasing options are available on Amazon!

Dr. Neil Hunter ('14) was recently appointed to the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists' Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners Advisory Group on Compounding Practice to serve as a member for the 2025-2026 term.

Dr. Lauren St. Columbia Smith ('15) was recently quoted as a subject matter expert in EatingWell's article on drug interactions and Vitamin D supplementation.

Current P4 Brianna Correia was appointed to serve as a 2025-2026 Regional Liaison for Phi Lambda Sigma's Region G, which includes Schools/Colleges of Pharmacy in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico! Additionally, Brianna is the recipient of a 2025 Kappa Psi Foundation Scholarship.

Current P4 Jessica Revelle has been named this year's recipient of the Fred M. Eckel Distinguished Student Award, a leadership award given to a student who has shown leadership in promoting CPFI student activities. Additionally, she has been named Regional Director Coordinator of CPFI.

May 21, 2025 was Mrs. Rita Conaway's last day serving on staff at Union University College of Pharmacy. She is a treasure, and we wish her all the best in this delightful new season of retirement!

Pharmacy Camp, held June 4-6, was once again a huge success! We hosted 12 campers, many of whom are now pre-pharmacy students or applying to enter the PharmD program next fall! We look forward to next summer and hope you will share this opportunity with any future pharmacists you know! Exact dates are typically announced each March.

The 2025 Dean's Report was published in July, highlighting the great work of many students, faculty, staff, alumni, and preceptors in the 2024-2025 academic year. Be sure to click the "Alumni Profile Update" button at the bottom of the Opportunities to get Involved section of this newsletter if you didn't recieve yours in the mail!

Our July Point-of-Care Testing elective, led by Dr. Mark Stephens and Dr. Jeff Snow served the local community, participating in the health fair at the Crockett County Senior Center.

The 2025-2026 school year began Monday, August 11th and was commemorated by the annual Back-to-School Minigolf social and UUCOP Picnic. We are so excited to see what this new year brings for our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and preceptors!

Dr. Kim Jones, Dr. Sheila Mitchell, and Dr. Ashley Pugh were named among the inaugural class of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association's Fellows of TPA!

Dr. Austin Camp was awarded tenure.

Mrs. Retha Coetzee has joined the UUCOP Staff! We are thrilled to welcome Mrs. Retha as the Administrative Assistant for the College of Pharmacy. Come visit Providence Hall and be greeted by her smiling face and delighful desk activities!

Dr. Carson Cook has joined the UUCOP Faculty! Dr. Cook graduated from our PharmD program in 2023 and comes to us following residency and practice experience with Erlanger Health System. We are blessed to have her!

Dr. Nate Daniels and our colleague in Sociology, Dr. Phil Davignon, have been awarded a Lilly Grant for their collaboration titled "Connecting Through Story." This project will bring faculty from across campus together to share and reflect on stories from their lives, vocational paths, and faith journeys. The goal of this initiative is to strengthen community and support flourishing across our campus.

Dr. Taylor Mathis was awarded tenure.

Scholarship Updates

Neil Hunter ('14): Greszler C, Barnes NE, Hunter, N, et al. Gravimetric Compounding Workflow Technology Insights for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians. AJHP. 2025 Apr 30; ePub.

Avneet Bola ('19) married Atinder Paul Singh on March 30, 2024. They now live in Vancouver, WA.

Labreeska Hartz ('21) and her husband welcomed their second child, Emma Grace Hartz, on February 17, 2025.

Andy McLaughlin ('12) and his wife Lynsey recently welcomed John Andrew "Jack" McLaughlin on August 4, 2025.

Are you interested in what the COP is working towards over the next few years? Check out our new Strategic Plan graphic alongside our new vision and mission statements.

The University’s Strategic Plan, Protinus, can also be viewed by scanning the adjacent QR code on the graphic.

Opportunities to Get Involved

WTPA INFORMATION

Interested in obtaining continuing education credit through the West Tennessee Pharmacists Association (WTPA)? UUCOP alumni are welcome to join! Each year, WTPA typically provides six live virtual programs plus two in-person programs with each program offering two hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit. Dues are $30 each calendar year. If interested in participating in these CPE programs, please complete this WTPA membership form and send payment following the instructions in the form. We hope to see you there!

CLICK TO CONNECT

Click "Leave a Review" to help us boost our online presence through niche.com, a website utilized by undergrad students to learn more about our graduate programs at Union University.

Click "Alumni Profile Update" to let us know about the big things happening in your life and help us maintain up-to-date contact information in our alumni database.

Click "UUCOP Giving" or use the QR Code below if you feel led to give financially to support the current and future students of Union University College of Pharmacy.

To quote Dr. Dub Oliver, "Gratitude is good; but gratitude expressed is even better." We have much to be thankful for in the College of Pharmacy. Specifically this quarter, we would like to express our gratitude for the following:

Donors to the College of Pharmacy:

💊 Dr. Brooke Emery (Dean, School of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate & Adult Admissions) gave in support of the Pharmacy Scholarships and Gifts Fund.

💊 Dr. Ashley Williams (Class of 2012) gave in support of the Pharmacy Scholarships and Gifts Fund.

Local/Regional businesses who have supported student services:

🏦 Coyote Blues catered our Annual UUCOP Back to School Picnic and did a fantastic job as always!

🏦 Krista Joy Photography captured our Class of 2027 regalia photos and Class of 2029 White Coat photos, commemorating these special seasons for our students!

🏦 Leaders Credit Union provided financial planning advice and resources for our P1-P3 students, and we look forward to having them come chat with our P4s in January.

🏦 Moe's Southwest Grille catered multiple lunches for our students and is always delicious and dependable!

🏦 Pharmacists Mutual works with our students to provide individual liability insurance plans for their experiential education.

🏦 Seb's Snow Cones catered a sweet treat for our Annual UUCOP Back to School Picnic that was incredibly refreshing and appreciated in the August heat!

🏦 Walgreens educated our P1-P3 students on innovative community pharmacy practices as a part of our orientation process and back-to-school activities.