Honoring Innovators in the Pharmacy Field

Each year, Upsher-Smith partners with the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) and state pharmacy associations to honor innovators in the pharmacy field. State honorees receive their award from participating state pharmacist associations during separate award ceremonies throughout the year. Not all pharmacist associations present awards. Read more about some featured Excellence in Innovation winners by clicking on any of the red icons below. Scroll down to the bottom to view the full list of all winners, by year. If you’re an award recipient and would like your bio to be featured on the map, click here.

Excellence in Innovation Award Winners

Click the red icons to view featured winner's bios

Year:

2024202320222021

California: Diana Arouchanova, PharmD, APh

Alabama: Lexi Watson, Pharm D, IFMCP, ReCODE 2.0 CP

Arkansas: Megan Smith, PharmD, BCACP

Missouri: Jordan Rowe, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM

North Dakota: Elizabeth Skoy, Pharm D

Texas: Jobby John, PharmD, FACA

Wisconsin: William Peppard, Pharm D, BCPS, FCCM

Georgia: Ben Ross, PharmD

Illinois: Eric Bandy, RPh

Iowa: Deanna McDanel, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

Kentucky: MeLeigha Milby & Nelda Eads

New Mexico: Uri Bassan, RPh

Pennsylvania: Shawn Nairn, RPh

Puerto Rico: Carlos Torrado-Delgado, PharmD, JD

Rhode Island: Kenny Correia, PharmD, BCACP, CVDOE

Tennessee: Katie Vandenberg, PharmD

Texas: Saba Syed, PharmD, MS, EMBA, BCACP, BCGP

Wisconsin: Thad Schumacher, PharmD

Alabama: Jessica Hung, PharmD

Arizona: Nicole Scovis, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CMWA

Connecticut: Amy Ricupero, PharmD, MEd

Georgia: Lindsay McCoy, PharmD, BCPP

Iowa: Casey Villhauer

Mississippi: Anna Ward

Missouri: Lisa Cillessen, PharmD, BCACP

New Mexico: Rebecca DeMoss, PharmD, BS

South Carolina: Ranarda Jones, PharmD, MBA

Tennessee: Jason Vinson, PharmD

Wyoming: Matthew Meyer

Complete List of Winners

2024

California: Diana Arouchanova, PharmD, APh
Indiana: Lynn Thoma, PharmD
Michigan: Amber Lanae Martirosov, PharmD, MSc, BCPS
Ohio: Alison Cook, RPh, PharmD
Pennsylvania: Courtney B. Smith, PharmD, CSP, BCMTMS
Virginia: Henry Ranger, PharmD, RPh

2023

Alabama: Lexi Watson, PharmD
Alaska: Theresa Castellanos, PharmD
Arizona: Jenny Bingham, PharmD, BCACP, FAzPA, FNAP
Arkansas: Megan G. Smith, PharmD
California: Shawn Smith, PharmD
Colorado: Holly Rabideau, PharmD, BCPS
Connecticut: Christopher Yuen, PharmD
Delaware: Pradeep Chilakapati, RPh
Florida: Soheyla Mahdavian, PharmD, BCGP
Georgia: Annette Duncan, PharmD
Hawaii: Crystal TK Tsuda, RPh, PharmD, BCACP, CPHQ
Illinois: Jill R. Woodward, PharmD
Indiana: Nathan Riecke, PharmD
Iowa: Ben Miskle, PharmD
Kansas: Jacob Hadley, PharmD
Kentucky: Easton Bryant, PharmD
Louisiana: Lishunda M. Franklin, PharmD
Maryland: Alison P. Duffy, PharmD, BCOP
Massachusetts: Denise Summers, PharmD
Michigan: The Collaboration to Harmonize Antimicrobial Registry Measures (CHARM)
Minnesota: Tiana Butler, PharmD
Mississippi: Meagan Brown, PharmD, BCACP
Missouri: Jordan M. Rowe, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM
Montana: Leanna Schwend, PharmD
Nebraska: Nicole D. White, PharmD, CDE
Nevada: C. Leiana Oswald, PharmD, BCGP
New Hampshire: Suzanne Stevens, PharmD, BCOP
New Mexico: Jeffrey Tyler Stewart, PharmD
North Carolina: Cornelius Toliver, PharmD
North Dakota: Elizabeth Skoy, PharmD
Ohio: Jacquelyn Kissel, PharmD, AAHIVP
Oklahoma: Troy Simons, PharmD
Oregon: Tara Pfund, PharmD
Rhode Island: Kelley Doherty Sanzen, PharmD, PAHM, CDOE
South Carolina: Brandi Johnson, PharmD
Tennessee:
- Ted Lyons, PharmD
- Merica Lyons, PharmD
Texas: Jobby John, PharmD
Utah: Zachary Merrill, PharmD
Virginia: Lura Thompson, PharmD
Washington: Sirena Kalinski
West Virginia: Mary Beth Wade
Wisconsin: William Peppard, PharmD, BCPS, FCCM
Wyoming: David Ahlstrom, PharmD

2022

Alabama:
- Jared Johnson, PharmD
- Jacob Johnson, PharmD
Alaska: Justin Ruffridge, PharmD
Arizona: Christopher Edwards
Arkansas: Chester Barber, PD
California: Crystal Zhou, PharmD
Colorado: Melissa Rodgers, PharmD, BCACP
Connecticut: Richard Kiley, PharmD
Delaware: Dr. TaQuina M. Warren
Florida: Lorraine M. Mobley, RPh
Georgia: Ben Ross
Illinois: Eric S. Bandy, RPh
Iowa: Deanna L. McDanel, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Kansas: Mary Beth Dameron, PharmD
Kentucky:
- MeLeigha Milby, PharmD
- Nelda Eads, PharmD
Louisiana: Robert “Butch” Ray, RPh
Maine: Sara Couture, PharmD
Maryland: Emily Heil, PharmD, MS, BCIDP, BCPS, AAHIVP
Massachusetts: David DeiCicchi, PharmD, CACP
Michigan: Maria Young, BSPharm
Minnesota: Paria Sanaty Zadeh, PharmD
Mississippi: Carly Brown, PharmD
Missouri: Dr. Bianca Daisy-Bell
Montana: Keaten LaBrel, PharmD
Nebraska: Dr. Nathan L. Suck, PharmD
Nevada: KayLynn Bowman, PharmD, MS, MEd
New Hampshire: Matthew J. Maughan, PharmD
New Jersey: Antonia Carbone, PharmD, BCACP
New Mexico: Uri Bassan, RPh
New York: Steven Pardi, RPh
North Carolina: Tracey Simmons-Kornegay, PharmD
North Dakota: Kevin Martian, PharmD
Ohio: Dustin Carneal, PharmD
Oklahoma: Brant Alexander, PharmD
Oregon: Gregg Wendland, RPh
Pennsylvania: Shawn Nairn, RPh
Puerto Rico: Carlos A. Torrado Delgado, PharmD, JD
Rhode Island: Kenny Correia, PharmD, BCACP
South Carolina: Jarrod B. Tippins, PharmD
Tennessee: Katie Vandenberg, PharmD
Texas: Saba Syed, PharmD, MS, BCACP, BCGP
Virginia: Alexis Page, PharmD, BCACP
Washington: Kathleen Pierce, PharmD
West Virginia: Amber Conrad, PharmD
Wisconsin: Thad Schumacher, PharmD
Wyoming: Eric Saul, PharmD

2021

Alabama: Jessica Hung, PharmD
Alaska: Erin Narus, PharmD
Arizona: Nicole Scovis, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CMWA
Arkansas: Blake Torres, PharmD
California: Danielle C. Colayco, PharmD, MS
Colorado: Michelle L. Izor, PharmD
Connecticut: Amy Ricupero, PharmD, MEd
Delaware: Chaitanya Gadde
Florida: Jade D. Montejo, PharmD
Georgia: Lindsay J. McCoy, PharmD, BCPP
Illinois: Harry M. Zollars, PharmD
Indiana: Patrick Sorgen, PharmD, CSP
Iowa: Casey Villhauer, PharmD, BCGP
Kansas: Lawrence Davidow, RPh
Kentucky: Hope Maniyar, PharmD
Louisiana: Carl J. Savoie, RPh
Maryland: Arnold J. Honkofsky, RPh, SCC
Michigan: Meijer Pharmacy Team
Mississippi: Anna Kathryn Ward
Missouri: Lisa M. Cillessen, PharmD, BCACP
Montana: JoEllen Maurer, BSPh, MHA, BCPS
New Hampshire: Bethany A. Francis, PharmD
New Jersey: Antonio V. Minniti, RPh, FACA
New Mexico: Rebecca DeMoss, PharmD
New York: Mayank Parikh, PharmD
North Carolina: Claire Austin, PharmD
North Dakota: Brody Maack, PharmD
Ohio: Alexa S. Valentino, PharmD, BCACP, TTS
Oklahoma: Chris Schiller, PharmD
Oregon: Julie Dewsnup, RPh, CDE
Pennsylvania: John DeJames, RPh
Rhode Island: Kerry LaPlante, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA
South Carolina: Ranarda Jones, PharmD, MBA
Tennessee: Jason Vinson, PharmD
Texas: Aaron Gibson, PharmD, MS
Virginia: Kristi R. Fowler, RPh
Washington: Ahmed Ali, PharmD
Washington, DC: Samir Balile, PharmD
West Virginia: Matthew Rafa, PharmD
Wisconsin: Trisha Seys Ranola, PharmD, CDCES, BCGP, FAIHM
Wyoming: Matt Meyer, PharmD

2024

2023

2022

2021

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