Class of 2023 Recipients
Breonna Harrison
University of Florida College of Pharmacy - Orlando
Breonna Harrison is a fourth-year (Class of 2023) student pharmacist from the University of Florida (UF) College of Pharmacy. Her involvement with ASHP began with UF’s Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP) Orlando Chapter, where she served as president and as a member of the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ (FSHP) student board committee. Those positions have inspired her to become involved with ASHP on a national level. Breonna was a member of the Pharmacy Student Forum in the Residency Preparation Advisory Group. She now serves as the chair of the Residency Preparation Advisory Group and leads a group of pharmacy students across the nation to create residency-focused projects for ASHP members. During pharmacy school, Breonna has served in a wide variety of professional student organizations including the Black Student Lives Coalition, Kappa Psi, Phi Lambda Sigma, Student National Pharmaceutical Association Orlando chapter, American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and as a student ambassador for the college. Outside of her student organization involvement, Breonna interns at AdventHealth Waterman and BayCare Winter Haven Hospital.
Breonna has a passion for service and a huge interest in working with underserved and vulnerable populations. She is excited to continue her pharmacy journey as an incoming PGY-1 Resident at Whiteriver Indian Hospital, where she looks forward to serving the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
Gisoo Imani
University of Utah College of Pharmacy
Gisoo is a fourth-year PharmD candidate (class of 2023) at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy (U of U CoP). She was born in Iran and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to pharmacy school, she attended the University of Utah for her undergraduate studies and obtained her BS in psychology. She graduated in May and looks forward to continuing her pharmacy training as a PGY-1 acute care resident at the University of California Davis Medical Center. Her clinical areas of interest include hematology and oncology.
Gisoo initially served as chair of the Career Development & Continuing Education Committee for the ASHP-SSHP chapter at the U of U CoP, then was elected to serve a two-year presidency term from 2020-2022. She also served as the student representative for the U of U CoP on the board of directors for Utah Society of Health-System Pharmacists. What motivated her to join ASHP and take on a leadership role within its student chapter was her passion for pursuing a career within integrated health systems, which stemmed from her experiences as an inpatient pharmacy technician for the newborn ICU and the emergency department at a local community hospital prior to pharmacy school. Through this work, she recognized the importance of the role of health-system pharmacists in interdisciplinary teams and the significant impact they can have on patient outcomes. This presidency term helped her gain leadership skills that she will use to continue advocating for the pharmacy profession. Additionally, she established the first designated diversity student representative position with the U of U CoP's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. She also served as a pharmacy student representative on the University of Utah Health Sciences Anti-Racism Commission and as president of the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society, Beta Epsilon Chapter.
Tierra N. Jackson
University of Georgia College of Pharmacy
Tierra Jackson is a 2023 Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) candidate at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy in Athens, Georgia. Tierra currently serves as the national president of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA), supporting thousands of student pharmacists who are helping underserved communities and advancing minority professionals in pharmacy. She is also an advisory group member for the ASHP Pharmacy Student Forum and recently completed an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) with ASHP in the Office of Practice Advancement. Tierra served as co-founder and vice president of the Black Student Pharmacists Organization at the University of Georgia, the program coordinator for APhA-ASP, and a College of Pharmacy student ambassador. She was a spring 2021 inductee of Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS).
Tierra was selected as the medication safety Intern at Johns Hopkins Homecare Group during the summer of 2021, where she had several projects that focused on quality improvement and safety for patients in the specialty, and outpatient infusions centers. She also gained research experience with Augusta University Medical Center and Athens Neighborhood Health Clinic focused on optimizing patient outcomes.
Tierra served as a weekly clinic manager for Mercy Health Center in Athens for two years and as a volunteer with Athens Nurses Clinic, where she supported indigent patient populations affected by hepatitis C. At the height of the pandemic, Tierra worked with various local churches, such as Bethel Baptist Church, and community partners to coordinate several vaccine clinics to increase vaccine accessibility and decrease vaccine hesitancy in communities of color. Tierra is ecstatic to be continuing her professional journey with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as a PGY1/PGY2 resident in health administration and leadership. Tierra is eager to gain experience in leadership, policy development, and health outcome optimization so she can continue advocating for safe, accessible, and equitable health care for all.
Shirly Ly
University of Florida College of Pharmacy - Gainesville
Shirly Ly is a final-year student pharmacist at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in Gainesville, Florida. Prior to attending pharmacy school, she graduated from the University of Florida, where she received a BS in microbiology and cell science and a minor in nutritional sciences. During her time in pharmacy school, Shirly has been passionately involved with ASHP. Shirly completed ASHP’s internship in national association management in the summer of 2021. She assumed roles within the Pharmacy Student Forum as the chapter advancement workgroup chair for the Student Society Development Advisory Group and the PAI2030 workgroup chair for the Advancement of Professional Practice Advisory Group. At the state level with the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists (FSHP), Shirly serves on the Communications Council and the Legal and Regulatory Affairs Council and served in various leadership positions within the Gainesville SSHP chapter. Shirly’s demonstrated passion for the advancement of the profession includes service with APhA-ASP, ACCP, Kappa Epsilon, and PLS.
Outside of school, Shirly enjoys volunteering at Equal Access Clinic, which is a student-run free clinic aimed to serve the underserved population. She is engaged in various community service projects and hopes to improve access to healthcare within her community. Shirly is excited to continue her pharmacy journey as an incoming MS/Health-Administration Pharmacy and Leadership resident at the UNC Medical Center. Her professional interests include increasing access to care, leadership development, oncology, and pharmacogenomics. Shirly is grateful to her family, friends, and mentors for their unwavering support in her endeavors as a life-long learner in this rewarding profession.
Travis VanOtterloo
University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Travis VanOtterloo is a 2023 PharmD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He grew up in Northwest Arkansas, where he obtained his BS in biochemistry from the University of Arkansas.
During his academic journey Travis served as Pitt’s SSHP P1-Representative, president-elect, and president when they were awarded ASHP’s Outstanding Professional Development Award for their collaborative efforts with other student leaders and faculty members. Aside from his role in SSHP, he was the chair of the transfer students committee for the pharmacy school, educating prospective students about the career paths available within pharmacy. He was involved with Kappa Psi, SCCP, and APhA-ASP.
Recently, Travis matched to University Health System in San Antonio for an acute care PGY1 residency. Long term, he plans to complete PGY2 training in critical care or solid organ transplantation and pursue a career in academia.
Adriana Penn Weiser
University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy
Adriana Weiser is a member of The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Class of 2023. Her experience as a lead inventory management technician at Dell Children's Medical Center and passion for health systems pharmacy inspired her to become involved in ASHP during pharmacy school. Her involvement began with UT's SSHP, where she served as co-chair of the Pediatrics Committee in her first year of school. As she became more involved in UT-SSHP, transitioning into committee coordinator and president consecutively, she was inspired to become involved in the local, state, and national levels of ASHP.
As she progressed through school, Adriana served in a variety of capacities, including within the AASHP technician-at-large role, TSHP Student Section Executive Committee, ASHP Pharmacy Student Forum Advancement of Professional Practice Advisory Group, and ASHP Council on Pharmacy Practice. In her third year, she was a member of the inaugural ASHP Foundation Medication Safety Scholars Program in partnership with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and the Emily Jerry Foundation. Through this program, she learned about the importance of medication safety and process improvement for delivering care to patients. She also helped develop resources for students to learn more about this area of pharmacy practice. She currently serves as chair of the TSHP Student Section Executive Committee, using her leadership experiences to serve and advocate for all students across Texas.
Additionally, she completed an APPE in association management at ASHP, where she gained invaluable experiences in leadership, professional advocacy, and project management. Upon graduating, she looks forward to continuing to develop into a future leader in the profession. As an aspiring pharmacy director, Adriana's mission is to foster an inclusive environment while promoting a just culture and practice advancement to provide safe, high-quality patient care for all patients.
Class of 2024 Recipients
Alexis Axtell
Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy
Alexis Axtell is a PharmD Candidate at Northeast Ohio Medical University in the Class of 2024. Alexis currently serves as her school's SSHP chapter president and has been involved in the organization since her P1 year. She has been given the opportunity to attend ASHP's Summer Meetings & Exhibition and Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition, where she learned valuable information and made connections with pharmacists across the country. She has been able to successfully bring this information back to her chapter and connect students with pharmacists that she has been introduced to through these events. Additionally, she has leadership roles in the American Pharmacists Association student chapter as well as Industry Pharmacists Organization at her school. Alexis is a clinical intern at the Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, where she has spent time rotating through multiple clinical specialties and conducting research in the neurology department. Alexis is extremely passionate about pharmacy and is ecstatic to see where this career takes her.
Allison M. Bicker
Northeastern University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Allison Bicker is a 2024 PharmD candidate at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is currently finishing her term as president of the Northeastern SSHP chapter. During her tenure, she created a novel state-wide student-pharmacist mentorship program in association with the Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP). In its first year, the program connected 75 pairs of practicing pharmacists with students from each of the four pharmacy schools in Massachusetts. Allison’s experiences with her local SSHP chapter inspired her to become more involved within ASHP at both the state and national level. She currently serves on the MSHP Student Committee as a student representative and is a member of the Pharmacy Student Forum serving on the Career and Leadership Development Advisory Group.
Throughout her time at Northeastern, Allison has participated in myriad professional student organizations, including serving as vice president of Phi Delta Chi professional pharmacy fraternity as well as a member of the Rho Chi Honor Society and Phi Lambda Sigma. She also concurrently serves on the Northeastern University College of Health Science Student Advisory Council and School of Pharmacy Assessment Committee. Allison has also represented the Class of 2024 as an elected class representative for four consecutive years. Outside of Northeastern, Allison’s passion for health-system pharmacy has grown through her internships at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she has worked in the central pharmacy, emergency department, and now works as an intern for the health-system pharmacy administration, a position that she created. Following graduation, Allison hopes to pursue a residency in health-system administration.
Jordan Fortunato
The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
Jordan Fortunato is a Class of 2024 PharmD candidate at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Ever since the beginning of his pharmacy journey, Jordan has expressed passion for health-system pharmacy and the various opportunities to lead teams, serve the community, and advocate for the profession. Specifically, Jordan is a clinical pharmacy intern at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, where he supported diverse interdisciplinary teams, learning from inspiring and supportive preceptors, and completing various research projects and projects to advance current pharmacy practice. Additionally, Jordan is heavily involved within his college’s SSHP chapter, serving as P1 liaison, president-elect, and president, to inspire and support fellow students with a passion for advancing patient care.
Jordan is also involved in both his OSHP state affiliate through the professional affairs division and ASHP on the national level by serving as a member of the Pharmacy Student Forum’s Student Society Development Advisory Group. Jordan is also president and founder of the first oncology-focused organization at the college of pharmacy. He looks forward to using these leadership and clinical experiences to best support future healthcare teams and pay it forward to those in need.
Michael Nnamdi Nome
University Wisconsin Madison School of Pharmacy
Michael Nnamdi Nome is a PharmD candidate at the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Pharmacy, set to graduate in 2024. Michael's journey in the healthcare field began with a BS in general studies, specializing in nuclear medicine technology, with minors in biology and chemistry, at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. He achieved the highest honors.
Michael is a leader among his peers and is actively engaged in SSHP, serving as the chapter's president. Michael has played a pivotal role in promoting ASHP’s PAI, professional development programs, professional advocacy initiatives, and health-system pharmacy in his chapter. He has also designed and executed strategies to enhance student collaborations and bridge health disparity gaps.
In addition to his involvement with SSHP, Michael is president of his APhA-ASP chapter. He also represents his chapter's Rho Chi Pharmacy Honors Society as a student senate representative and as the Christian Pharmacy Fellowship International hospitality coordinator. Michael advocates for the pharmacy profession by participating on the student board of directors at the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and publishing in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.
In addition to his active involvement in various student organizations, Michael holds positions as a clinical research associate, a pharmacy intern at CVS Pharmacy and the William Middleton Madison VA, a teacher's assistant at the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Pharmacy, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Divine Trinity Schools in Nigeria. Michael's passion and dedication to the pharmacy profession and the healthcare community are evident in his diverse and multifaceted contributions.
Nicholas P. Sandusky
University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy
Nick Sandusky is a 2024 PharmD candidate at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy (UKCOP). He completed two years of pre-pharmacy coursework at the University of Kentucky. Nick serves as president of the UKCOP SSHP. He is also very involved with the Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Kentucky Pharmacists Association.
Nick has served in ASHP at the national level, first as a member and work group leader for the Pharmacy Student Forum’s Advancement of Professional Practice Advisory Group and now as the vice chair of the Residency Preparation Advisory Group. Additionally, Nick is the current treasurer for the UKCOP Chi Chapter of Phi Lambda Sigma. Beyond school involvement, Nick works as a pharmacist intern at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Medical Center. Following graduation, he hopes to complete a PGY1 residency followed by a PGY2 specialty residency in emergency medicine.
Heather Yen
University of Southern California School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Heather Yen is in the Class of 2024 at the University of Southern California Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She was born and raised in Clovis, New Mexico, and received a BS in biochemistry in 2019 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Now attending USC as a PharmD candidate, Heather has been heavily involved with the American Pharmacy Student Alliance (APSA), serving as a representative in her first year, ASHP/California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP) president-elect in her second year, and finally as the ASHP/CSHP president during her third year. During her time in APSA, Heather has had many opportunities to foster professional development, host networking events with pharmacy professionals, serve as a liaison at the local, state, and national level, as well as oversee nearly 40 board members. She now currently serves as the president of the Phi Lambda Sigma Phi Chapter at USC and as a co-chair of CSHP’s Student Section Executive Committee. She is also actively involved as a Margaret and John Biles Student Ambassador, South Bay/Long Beach Society of Health-System Pharmacists student liaison and communications chair, Rho Chi Society member, and student admissions committee member.
Heather is currently an intern pharmacist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, which became a pivotal point in her pharmacy journey, as it inspired her to pursue a PGY-1 acute care residency upon graduation, and potentially a PGY-2 in pharmacy administration. She is passionate about serving others, building connections, and mentoring peers to pursue leadership in pharmacy to further advocate for the profession. Heather hopes to share her various experiences as a student leader with others to encourage involvement and inspire professional growth.
