Inaugural class of Lipscomb pharmacists honored with presentation of benchmark
Janel Shoun-Smith |
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Lipscomb’s first graduating pharmacy class, the Class of 2012, celebrated the first of several graduation milestones Monday with a short ceremony presenting a new benchmark installed in the floor of the Burton Health Sciences Building lobby.
The College of Pharmacy installed a small metal marker in the floor of the Burton lobby in honor of the Class of 2012 and declared it “a benchmark,” a point of reference for all other following classes to aspire to.
“You are leaving your fingerprints on everything around you… the campus, the faculty, the equipment, but mostly on our hearts,” Kathryne Channell, coordinator of admissions and student affairs, who will now serve as the alumni liaison for pharmacy graduates, told the Class of 2012 and the 225 other student pharmacists gathered on the front steps of Burton. “Now the fingerprints you leave on this benchmark will be yours alone until the next class graduates in 2013.
The graduating class of 71 students was asked to file into Burton and each touch the benchmark as a symbol of their completion of their pharmacy studies. But each succeeding class is not to touch the benchmark in the floor until they too have graduated.
The Lipscomb College of Pharmacy, the first established in Middle Tennessee, was created in 2006 and the first class enrolled in 2008. The college has been awarded candidate status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. The college is dedicated to a faith-based approach to pharmacy education.
The pharmacy graduates will receive the first doctorate degrees awarded at Lipscomb University at the Commencement Ceremony held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, in Allen Arena.
This week the pharmacy students are engaged in review programs for their licensure exam, award ceremonies, class socials and a recognition ceremony that will be streamed live on the Internet at 1 p.m. Friday, May 4.