The Alumni Association of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy recognizes outstanding alumni and friends annually.
Each year, the Alumni Association presents the Evander Frank Kelly Honored Alumnus and B. Olive Cole Honorary Alumnus Award. These prestigious awards are presented to those alumni who have demonstrated exceptional professional and personal commitment to the pharmacy profession and the School. Award recipients emulate the characteristics of the highest standards of the profession.
Click the drop-down links below for descriptions of the awards.
The Evander Frank Kelly Honored Alumnus Award was named in honor of Evander Frank Kelly, PharmD, who graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1902. After serving as an assistant and professor, he was appointed dean in 1918. In addition to his service and dedication to the School, Dr. Kelly also served as the secretary of the American Pharmaceutical Association and was awarded the Remington medal, the profession's highest award. This award is presented each year to a School of Pharmacy alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in the profession of pharmacy through service in local, state, and national pharmacy, government, or civic organizations and is active in the promotion of pharmacy at the University of Maryland. This award is presented yearly at the School’s convocation ceremony.
The B. Olive Cole Honorary Alumnus Award is named in honor of B. Olive Cole, PharmD, the "First Lady of Maryland Pharmacy." Dr. Cole was an alumna of the School, graduating with her Doctor of Pharmacy in 1913. She is believed to be the first woman to hold a full professorship at any school of pharmacy in the United States, having attained that distinction at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 1948. From 1948-1949, she served as acting dean of the School of Pharmacy. This award is presented to a non-alumnus who has demonstrated continued interest and exceptional loyalty and service to the profession of pharmacy in Maryland and whose professional, personal, civic, and philanthropic pursuits reflect the high standards and values associated with the School of Pharmacy and its Alumni Association. This award is presented yearly at the School’s convocation ceremony.
The Alumni Association also presents the Alfred Abramson Entrepreneur Award to a selected fourth-year PharmD student who exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of beloved alum and faculty member Alfred Abramson. Learn more by clicking the drop-down link below.
Awarded yearly during convocation by the Alumni Association, the selected fourth-year PharmD student exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of beloved alum and faculty member Alfred Abramson. Alfred “Fred” Abramson, BSP ’56, began his academic career in 1982, when he joined the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy after a successful career as an independent community pharmacist in Baltimore. As a faculty member, Fred made significant contributions to the School, teaching more than 4,000 pharmacy students the intricacies of community pharmacy practice. He raised funds to establish and equip the original pharmacy practice lab, affectionately known as "Fred Lab," which opened in 2001, and featured sophisticated dispensing systems and software. Even in his retirement, Fred stayed connected with the School, giving of his time, talents, and resources to support his alma mater. We are eternally grateful for Fred's service and dedication not only to the School of Pharmacy community, but also to the pharmacy profession itself. His memory lives on not only through his "Rules for Success," which are proudly displayed in Fred Lab, but through his family and friends, and the thousands of students, alumni, faculty, and staff who had the honor of knowing him.
Nominate An Alumnus:
This is your opportunity to participate in the process of identifying outstanding alumni and friends regionally, nationally, and internationally who have made significant contributions to the profession. Complete the nomination form below, uploading a letter of recommendation explaining why your candidate should be recognized with the award. The deadline for nominations is November 15, 2023. For more information, contact Catherine Cooke at ccooke@rx.umaryland.edu. You can also view list of past award recipients.
