The American Pharmacists Association, the Rho Chi Society and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has recognized USC students and their peers for excellence in pharmacy practice among student pharmacists.

At the association’s meeting in San Diego, USC student Brandi Chock was one of four students nationwide to be awarded the APhA-Academy of Student Pharmacist Student Leadership Award.

Chock, a 2009 Pharm.D. candidate, is the president of the USC chapter of the APhA/CPhA. She was recognized along with the other national winners at a special dinner in Sacramento this month along with her faculty adviser, professor Michael Wincor.

Also at the meeting, USC won four prestigious group awards. The 2008-09 Project CHANCE Award was presented to the School of Pharmacy in recognition of student work in safety-net clinics. The school also took the National Operation Immunization Award for efforts to vaccinate and to educate Californians about immunization.

Student work also was recognized with the Region 8 Heartburn Awareness Challenge Award and the Region 8 Operation Diabetes Award. Both honors recognize students for their superior efforts to improve the health of the community in these specific areas.

The Rho Chi Society, the national academic honors society in pharmacy, awarded the USC Theta Chapter a project proposal award for its submission, “Mental Health and Sleep Disorders.” On hand to accept the award at the Rho Chi annual meeting in San Diego was Amy Eng, president of the USC Rho Chi chapter.

School of Pharmacy professor Ron Alkana was named to the Rho Chi Alumni Honor Roll, and Wincor was elected Region 8 councilor on the organization’s national executive board.

In addition, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists honored USC student Christina Phan with the organization’s Annual Leadership Award.