UK College of Pharmacy Inducts Hall of Distinguished Alumni Class of 2017
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 7, 2017) -- Three dynamic University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy alumni are the 2017 inductees to the college’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni and were recognized for their lifetime professional contributions Wednesday, May 10, 2017.
The 2017 inductees included Joseph DiPiro, dean, professor, and Archie O. McCalley Chair at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy; Dwaine Green, professor emeritus and retired assistant to the dean for Student and Alumni Affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy; and Takako Komiyama, the first pharmacy professor with a PharmD degree in Japan.
DiPiro published over 200 journal papers, books, book chapters, and editorials in academic and professional journals, mainly related to antibiotics, drug use in surgery, and pharmacy education. He also served as editor of The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education for 12 years. He is the editor for Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, now in its 10th edition, and considered to be one of the most comprehensive books on pharmacology to date. He is president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and past chair of the Council of Deans. He has served as president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, is a fellow of the college, and has served on the Research Institute Board of Trustees.
Green graduated from the UK College of Pharmacy in 1971 with his bachelor's degree in pharmacy, and was a long-time community pharmacist. He practiced at two iconic independent pharmacies in Lexington, first at Hubbard & Curry Pharmacy, and later Sageser Drug, Inc. of which he was a co-owner. His practice included an extensive consultant component, including caring for patients at Shriners Hospital and Mayfair Nursing Home. Green was a longtime preceptor for UK pharmacy students. Many of the graduates of the UK College of Pharmacy first came to know Green through his role as assistant to the dean for Student and Alumni Affairs. Under Green’s leadership, the number of applications for admission grew annually from 169 in his first year to 1,300 at the conclusion of his tenure. Green became a touchstone for students and alumni alike, as he directly interacted with them from their pre-pharmacy studies, through their time as pharmacy students, and well into their careers.
Komiyama was born in Yokohama, Japan, and is the first professor with a PharmD degree in her country. She received a bachelor's degree in pharmacy and master's of science in clinical pharmacy at the Kitasato University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Tokyo. In 1987, She received her PharmD from UK College of Pharmacy. Komiyama received several awards throughout her career, including the “Kentucky Colonel,” the highest honor awarded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
For the past 27 years, Komiyama has devoted herself to the profession and worked to develop international academic exchange activities between Kentucky and Japan. In 1989, University of Kentucky and Kitasato University formally established an academic exchange agreement, and Kitasato students started visiting Lexington in 1991, followed by University of Kentucky faculty lecturing in Tokyo in 1998, and UK College of Pharmacy students visiting Tokyo in 2015. In collaboration with two UK faculty members, Komiyama also published Practical English Conversation for Pharmacist, 2nd Edition in 2010. Komiyama currently serves as vice president on the Japan Women’s Pharmaceutical Association to help provide advanced continuing education for Japanese pharmacists.
“The UK College of Pharmacy is regarded as one of the nation’s leading centers of pharmacy education and research, which is a direct result of our outstanding faculty, staff, and alumni,” said UK College of Pharmacy Dean Kip Guy. “Our alumni have meant so much to this college, our profession, and the scientific community over the years; and it is an honor to celebrate their many achievements with the induction of these three worthy recipients.”