April 29, 2014

The College’s Commencement was held on Saturday, April 26, 2014, with over 900 friends and family members in attendance. A total of 90 students graduated this year, who nominated Mindy Prasad, PharmD’14, as their student speaker and Adam Loyson, PharmD’14, to lead the class in reading the Oath of a Pharmacist.

U-M alumna Lynda S. Welage, BSPharm’81, PharmD, FCCP, delivered this year’s commencement address.  Dr. Welage is the former associate dean of the Michigan College of Pharmacy and is currently Professor and Dean of the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy. She was on the U-M faculty from 1988 to 2011, serving as Associate Dean beginning in 2004.

The 2014 Alumni Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Harvey L. Kaplan, BSPharm’65, JD. The Alumni Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award honors alumni who have made significant lifetime contributions in their profession or to society through practice, research, education, or public service. Mr. Kaplan is currently a partner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, Missouri and the Chair Emeritus of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation Division. Mr. Kaplan has successfully tried many high profile pharmaceutical industry cases in many jurisdictions. He is a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, the American Bar Foundation, and the Litigation Counsel of America.

Jolene R. Bostwick, PharmD’04, BCPS, BCPP, received the College’s Teaching Excellence Award. This award recognizes exceptional teaching in the PharmD and PhD programs. Dr. Bostwick is currently a Clinical Associate Professor and clinical pharmacy specialist in psychiatry at the University of Michigan. She is an active leader in the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, serving as Chair of the Student Committee at the national level.

“This is the last Commencement Ceremony that I oversee as Dean.  It was very gratifying to witness their success for a final time. Thank you for your efforts in creating a very special memory for me and the graduating students,” states Dean Frank Ascione.

Fourteen PhD students will graduate this year at a separate ceremony on May 2, 2014 hosted by the Rackham Graduate School.

Congratulations to the Class of 2014, and thank you to all who helped contribute to the success of this year's commencement!  

See our Facebook page for more photos from the event.