USC won the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Students Pharmacists Chapter of the Year award, competing against all pharmacy schools nationwide this month.

When the award was announced, a contingent of USC students accompanied by USC School of Pharmacy Dean R. Pete Vanderveen and faculty members went on stage to accept the award. The Trojan victory was punctuated with the USC fight song playing in the background.

According to Vanderveen, “Our students have won top national distinctions here in Atlanta. These coveted awards once again demonstrate that USC students are the very best and brightest. I was very proud to be on stage with the students as they received the awards.”

Also at the meeting, USC took the National Operation Diabetes Award, recognizing unique student efforts to reach out to underserved populations throughout Southern California. The students conducted screenings and educational programs throughout the area, referring patients to physicians when results indicated a possible diabetes diagnosis. Co-chairs Amy Eng and Carolyn Vuong, along with adviser Michael Wincor, were on hand to celebrate the victory.

“The outreach of these students is extraordinary,” said Wincor, associate professor of clinical pharmacy. “They make materials available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Japanese in an effort to reach all segments of the population with important diabetes messages.”

These were not the only times that USC was called up to the stage during the Academy of Student Pharmacists meeting. The School of Pharmacy students also won the Region 8 Operation Immunization Award and a program project award for work in safety net clinics serving the greater Los Angeles area.

Danielle Colayco, co-president of USC’s American Pharmacy Student Alliance, won a Student Leadership Award. Colayco is a third-year Pharm.D. student.

USC also took the Chapter of the Year Award, accepted by past president Emmanuelle Mirsakov, at the Rho Chi National Honor Society meeting. Rho Chi is composed of students in their last two years of pharmacy school who are in the upper 20 percent of their classes.

Wincor was recognized with the 2007 Rho Chi Alumni Award.

“What a celebration we had in Atlanta,” he said. “I’m so honored to receive this award from Rho Chi and so pleased that our students’ amazing energy, creativity and hard work have been recognized by both APhA-ASP and Rho Chi.”