May commencement featured virtual ceremony and in-person deliveries
Commencement looked a little different this year, but COVID-19 did not dampen the celebration for 189 health science graduates.
Janel Shoun-Smith | 615.966.7078 |
Pharmacy graduate Nathan Fields takes the Oath of a Pharmacist during the virtual recognition ceremony, held on graduation weekend.
This spring the Lipscomb community celebrated a graduation season like none other in the institution’s history.
With the U.S. in the midst of a nationwide period of isolation and graduation activities at thousands of universities cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Allen Arena, site of fall and spring commencement each year, sat silent and empty on Saturday, May 2.
Yet, commencement weekend was still filled with celebration and recognition — virtual style. On Friday, May 1, the College of Pharmacy had a virtual Recognition Ceremony to honor the academic awardees of the Class of 2020, where the graduates took the pharmacist’s oath of service.
The School of Nursing held a virtual pinning ceremony where they also presented their academic awards and watched students open their graduation gifts from the school, and the Department of Nutrition and Kinesiology honored awardees in their last virtual class of the year. All undergraduate award winners were honored with their names in the commencement program.
READ MORE: Check out this list of all the pharmacy and undergraduate awardees for the Class of 2020.
Saturday, May 2, was highlighted by two commencements: one in the morning including the awarding of master’s degrees in management in health care, exercise and nutrition science, health care informatics and pharmacy doctoral degrees, and an afternoon ceremony for students earning bachelor’s degrees in nursing, exercise science, dietetics, sport management, and fitness and sport.
Every graduate’s name appeared on the screen with a musical backdrop of “Pomp and Circumstance,” and the provost presented every degree candidate to the president who officially conferred each degree.
“The College of Pharmacy’s Recognition Ceremony has always been a special time for us to honor our graduates and present awards for special achievement,” said Tom Campbell, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “A big highlight of the event is the presentation of the academic hoods. However, this year was different, and we really missed seeing the smiling faces of graduates, proud spouses, children, parents, grandparents and special friends.
“So, we decided to do the next best thing. That afternoon faculty of the college put on their masks and visited every member of the class (except the few living out of state) to present them with a box of graduation goodies,” Campbell said.
Included in the box was the class graduation composite photograph, the gift of a mortar and pestle from the college, the traditional gift of a benchmark, a medallion including the map coordinates of the Burton Health Sciences Center (to always bring the graduate back home), graduation cords and awards, a special package of “Mama Channell’s sugar cookies,” and letters to each graduate from faculty and staff.
“It was a great experience to see our graduates in person,” said Campbell. “Some graduates were low key and just had a celebration with their immediate family while other graduates had big celebrations (which included proper social distancing). Not only did it bring great joy (and tears) for the faculty, but it was also wonderful seeing the reaction of the College of Pharmacy recent graduates and the alumni’s thoughts and comments on social media.”
The college’s bachelor’s graduates also received graduation gifts of a Lipscomb tube bandanna and stickers along with their cap and gown, printed commencement programs and their diploma from the Provost’s Office.
Academic Awardees
Pharmacy Student Awards
APhA-ASP Senior Recognition Certificate
Tiffany Renee’ Clark
Kappa Psi Asklepios Key
Kyle Owens
Phi Delta Chi Alterum Alterius Auxilio Eget
Alison Spicer
Phi Lambda Sigma Chapter Member of the Year
Nicole Northcutt
ASHP-SSHP Leadership Recognition Award
Kahari Wines
Excellence in Social and Administrative Sciences
Drew Nadler
Excellence in Pharmacotherapy
Nathan Fields
Excellence in Pharmacy Practice
Gabrielle Givens
Academic Excellence in Biomedical Sciences
Loretta Moate
Academic Excellence in Pharmacology
Nathan Fields
Academic Excellence in Biopharmaceutics
Tyler Hollis
Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Scholar Designation
J. Myles Keck
Dean’s Recognition for Academic Excellence
Nathan Fields
Health Care Informatics Dual Degree Award
Caleb Hammons
Master of Management Dual Degree Award
Drew Nadler
Facts and Comparisons Award of Excellence in Clinical Communications
Gabrielle Givens
American Institute of the History of Pharmacy Certificate of Recognition
Victor Garcia
Royal Society of Chemistry Certificate
J. Myles Keck
The Merck Pharmacy Advocacy Award
Andrea M. McDonald
The Merck Service Award
Kyle Owens
Mylan Pharmaceuticals Excellence in Pharmacy Award
Caleb Hammons
Lilly Achievement Award
Abigail Langford
Pharmacists Mutual Leadership Award
Nicole Northcutt
USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award
Tracy Truong
The Roger L. Davis Christian Faith and Service Award
Kelsea Stephens Woolfolk
Faculty of the Year
Selected by the Class of 2021-Kam Nola
Selected by the Class of 2022-Jessica Wallace
Selected by the Class of 2023-Sarah Collier
Preceptor of the Year
APPE Internal-Jonathon Pouliot
APPE External-Keith Kuboske
IPPE-Rachel Angel
Nursing Student Awards
Excellence in Nursing Award
- Haley Jane Chaffin
- Kaylene Stephanie Santos Fodra
This award is given to two outstanding students who exhibit excellence in all facets of student life.
Spirit of Nursing Award
- Hannah Lynn Hutcheson
- Kayla Cyan Neal
The recipients of this award rose to the top of their clinical and classroom instructors’ list repeatedly for the way in which they delivered quality care.
Lipscomb Student Nurses Association Award
- Abigail Lauren Ward
This award is given on behalf of the Lipscomb Student Nurses Association to recognize leadership among fellow students.
Catherine Rains Outstanding Achievement Award
- Loren Leigh Ferrer Legaspi
This award is given to a student who had the dedication to excel through a journey complicated by many trials and faced each trial with faith and perseverance.
Nutrition and Kinesiology Student Awards
Outstanding Dietetics Student Award
- Alexis Noel Trice
Outstanding Kinesiology Major
- Lynley Faith Childress