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:

202220212020

Kentucky: MeLeigha Milby & Nelda Eads

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

California: Nathan Painter, PharmD, CDCES, FADCES

Connecticut: Nathaniel (Nate) Rickles, PharmD, PhD, BCPP, FAPhA

Florida: Tim Rogers, RPh

Georgia: Nikki Adams Bryant

Illinois: Lisa Florence-Ray, RPh, MBA

Maryland: Megan Ehret, PharmD, MS, BCPP

Massachusetts: Christine Do, PharmD, BCPPS

Missouri: Laura Challen, Pharm.D., MBA, BCPS, BCACP

North Carolina: Franklin Roye & Gregory Vassie

Ohio: Sue Paul

Pennsylvania: Kyle McCormick, PharmD

South Carolina: Amelia Milejczak

Wisconsin: Theresa Frey

Wyoming: Nathon Parker

Complete List of Winners

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
Delaware: Dr. TaQuina M. Warren
Florida: Lorraine M. Mobley, RPh
Georgia: Ben Ross
Kentucky:
- MeLeigha Milby, PharmD
- Nelda Eads, PharmD
Louisiana: Robert “Butch” Ray, RPh
Maryland: Emily Heil, PharmD, MS, BCIDP, BCPS, AAHIVP
Massachusetts: David DeiCicchi, PharmD, CACP
Michigan: Maria Young, BSPharm
Mississippi: Carly Brown, PharmD
Montana: Keaten LaBrel, PharmD
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
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
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

2020

Alabama: Ross Woods, PharmD
Alaska: ANTHC Pharmacy Compliance Team
Arizona: Darren Clonts, PharmD
Arkansas: Anne Pace, PharmD
California: Nathan A. Painter, PharmD, CDCES, FADCES
Colorado: Rachael W. Duncan, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Connecticut: Nathaniel M. Rickles, PharmD, PhD, BCPP, FAPhA
Delaware: Jaqueline C. Tanzer, RPh
Florida: Timothy Rogers, RPh
Georgia: Nikki Adams Bryant, PharmD
Hawaii: Brian White, PharmD
Illinois: Lisa Florence-Ray, RPh, MBA
Indiana: Matthew Covert, RPh, BCSCP
Iowa: Michael Daly, PharmD, MSCI, BCPS
Kansas: Emily Prohaska, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP
Kentucky: Sarah Vickey, PharmD, BCACP
Louisiana: LaKeisha G. Williams, PharmD, MSPH
Maine: Joe Lorello, RPh
Maryland: Megan Ehret, PharmD, MS, BCPP
Massachusetts: Christine Do, PharmD, BCPPS
Michigan: David R. Bright
Minnesota: Alison Kingsbury, PharmD
Mississippi:
- Jeffrey Clark
- Jeffery M. King, PharmD
Missouri: Laura Challen, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCACP
Montana: Kristi Monson, PharmD
New Hampshire: Namone S. Pike, PharmD
New Mexico: Amy Bachyrycz, PharmD
North Carolina:
- Gregory J. Vassie, PharmD
- Franklin Roye, PharmD
North Dakota: Ramona Sorenson, PharmD
Ohio: Sue Paul, RPh
Oregon: Pharmacy Artifact Sorting Team (PAST)
Pennsylvania: Kyle McCormick, PharmD
Rhode Island: Joseph Bizier, PharmD, BCACP
South Carolina: Amelia Milejczak, PharmD
Tennessee: Amanda R. Gillion, PharmD, BCPS
Texas: Benjamin McNabb, PharmD
Utah: Roxanne Thacker, PharmD
Washington: Chuck Paulsen, RPh
Wisconsin: Theresa Frey, PharmD, BCPP
Wyoming: Nathon Parker, PharmD, BCPS AQ-ID