The School of Pharmacy encourages participation in student- specific events and activities that enable networking between students from different schools and programs, promote development of the future leaders of the profession, and/or reward student excellence, leadership, and community service. WCU students have been recognized as leaders and/ or participated in these programs and events:

CAPSLEAD 2021-2022 WCU Team presenting at WPE's poster presentation. Names from left to right: Kevin Aprelian (2024), Dr. Marina Dykhne (Advisor), Lucy Telliyan (2024), Sabrine Yamauchi (2023), Alison Rufo (2023).
AACP Walmart Scholars Program
Over the past 17 years, AACP and Walmart have demonstrated a commitment to helping colleges and schools of pharmacy ensure there is an adequate number of well-prepared individuals who aspire to join the faculties at our institutions across the country. The goal of the scholarship program is to strengthen the recipient’s skills and commitment to pursue a career in academic pharmacy through their participation at the AACP Annual Meeting. More than 1,200 graduate students, professional (doctoral) students, residents and fellows have been selected to participate in the program with their mentors since 2005. Congratulations to Tiffany L. Gurley (Class of 2020), a 2020 Walmart Scholar Recipient, and her WCU Faculty Mentor, Dr. Jessica M. Louie!
APhA-ASP National Patient Counseling Competition
Recognizing that effective patient counseling is very important, CVS Health and APhA-ASP sponsor the APhA-ASP National Patient Counseling Competition to encourage student-pharmacists in their efforts toward becoming better patient educators. Designed to reflect changes that are occurring in pharmacy practice, the competition aims to promote and encourage further professional development of the student-pharmacist and to reinforce the role of the pharmacist as a health care provider and educator. The competition begins on the local level as students compete to be the national representative from their school or college of pharmacy and ultimately compete on the national level in preliminary and final rounds at the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition.
ASHP/ CSHP – ASP Clinical Skills Competition (2021)
The School of Pharmacy takes great pride in the achievements of two WCU SOP student-pharmacists, Maryam Ahmadi Nejad (P3) and Sepehr Afshari (P3) who competed with students statewide to advance first to the semi-finals; and then advanced again at the CSHP Annual Meeting to qualify for national finals at the 2021 ASHP Midyear Clinical Skills Competition in December. Congratulations Maryam and Sepehr, and Faculty -Advisor, Dr. Catherine Van and Glenn Morataya!
CPhA-ASP Chapter of Excellence Recognition
This award recognizes all CPhA-ASP chapters that have achieved excellence in pursing CPhA’s mission and goals in promoting the health of the public through the practice of pharmacy. The Chapter of Excellence (COE) Award is a designation of achievement earned by those California student chapters meeting the criteria based upon philanthropic and/or disease state related activities in which the local pharmacy association collaborates with the student chapter either as a sponsor, or as volunteer-participant.
CPhA –ASP Innovative Chapter of the Year (2019, 2020, 2021)
A Trifecta for our CPhA-ASP Chapter! Among all the California pharmacy programs, and for the third year in a row, the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) recognized our WCU CPhA-ASP Chapter with the Innovative Chapter Award for embodying CPhA’s core values of visionary leadership, innovation, diversity of thought and opportunity, and entrepreneurship. Congratulations WCU CPhA-ASP Chapter!
CPhA Rx Boot Camp
CPhA sponsors the annual Rx Boot Camp, a leadership-training seminar for student-pharmacists from all California schools. California’s only event designed for and by student-pharmacists offers students the opportunity to learn how they can influence pharmacy practice. Participants explore how they can use entrepreneurship, technology, and leadership to elevate the quality of care delivered to patients. Work with teammates to develop innovative solutions, pitch your ideas to entrepreneurs, and compete in a Shark Tank Style Competition! Rx Boot Camp winners included WCU students in 2016: Jade Willia (Class of 2018) and in 2018: Emily Kieu (Class of 2021).
CPhA Western Pharmacy Exchange Quiz Bowl (2018, 2021)
Team WCU represented by Rojan Ghorbannejad, Dena Homayounieh, Janet Petrosyan and Veerpal Sandhu (Class of 2022), and Alison Rufo (Class of 2023)took first place among 13 other schools at the Western Pharmacy Exchange event in Palm Springs. Dr. Marina Dykhne and Dr. Nicole Nielsen supported Team WCU par excellence. Congratulations 2021 Quiz Bowl Team for brining the Trophy back to WCU SOP and thank you Drs. Dykhne and Nielsen! Team WCU previously took first place in 2018.
CSHP Quiz Bowl (2021)
Team WCU represented by Rojan Ghorbannejad, Dena Homayounieh, Janet Petrosyan and Veerpal Sandhu (Class of 2022), and Alison Rufo (Class of 2023)took first place among 13 other schools at the Western Pharmacy Exchange event in Anaheim, California. Dr. Catherin Van and Dr. Glenn Morataya, Faculty Advisors, supported Team WCU par excellence. Congratulations 2021 CSHP Quiz Bowl Team for bringing the Trophy to WCU SOP and thank you Drs. Van and Morataya!
Pharmacy Leadership Seminar
The School of Pharmacy is invited to nominate several students each year to represent our School at the California Pharmacy Student Leadership Seminar, hosted at the USC School of Pharmacy. The Seminar aims to bring together pharmacy student leaders throughout the state of California to focus on developing leadership skills and transforming the profession of pharmacy. Four WCU student-pharmacists, Maryan Ahmadi Nejad; Brianna Hillo; and Emilya Grigorian (P3), and Cedric Nettey P2) presented their innovation, a student mentor-mentee initiative focused on the theme “Aspire to Inspire” at the 2021 California Pharmacy Student Leadership Seminar hosted by USC School of Pharmacy on September 25th, 2021.