HILO — The Hawaii Independent Pharmacies, Inc. has established an endowment at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo College of Pharmacy. Their gift of $72,500 will be matched by the Student Access and Success Fund bringing the fund total to $145,000. Beginning in the fall of 2011, The Hawaii Independent Pharmacies, Inc. Endowed Excellence Scholarship at UH Hilo will provide scholarships to full-time, professional pharmacy students at the College of Pharmacy.
"Your timing for this scholarship fund is perfect," Dean John Pezzuto told the group of independent pharmacists in a gift ceremony at the College of Pharmacy. "Our new graduates who got their degrees in May are just starting jobs as pharmacists throughout the country, and they're now finding out what it is like to pay back student loans that may total more than $200,000. Not only will your scholarship make a huge difference in future students' lives, it will also reinforce the role of independent pharmacists among the very population who knows the value of what you do. Thank you for thinking of UH Hilo."
The Hawaii Independent Pharmacies, Inc. was established in 1987 as a network of independent pharmacies across the state of Hawaiʻi, to facilitate group purchasing of merchandise and other related activities. At the time of its founding, chain drugstores were increasing their presence in Hawaiʻi and this organization helped independent pharmacies to stay competitive, while also providing a means of communication among independent pharmacists, professionally and socially. Upon the dissolution of the organization earlier this year, members voted to allocate its remaining assets to the establishment of an endowed scholarship at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo College of Pharmacy.
Outgoing President of Hawaii Independent Pharmacies, Phyllis Robinson, commented that she and her colleagues welcome the opportunity to support UH Hilo, stating "It is our hope that having the College here will raise the level of pharmacy practice across the state of Hawaiʻi."
To make a gift to the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy or to learn more about UH Hilo's matching scholarship fund, please contact Margaret Shiba at (808) 933-0829 or [email protected].
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. Our mission is to unite our donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi's aspirations to benefit the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhfoundation.org.
UH Hilo's College of Pharmacy, launched in 2007, is the only school in the Pacific region to offer a doctorate in pharmacy degree, or a PharmD, as well as a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The College graduated its first group of pharmacists this year in May and was awarded full accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education in June. With more than 75 faculty and staff, the College of Pharmacy combines experiential training with flourishing research and scholarship opportunities.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is a comprehensive university with five degree-granting colleges, six master's programs and four doctoral programs. UH Hilo strives to integrate culture and science, offer hands-on learning opportunities to its students and use the Island of Hawaiʻi as a natural learning laboratory. Enrollment has doubled since 1980 to over 4,000 students coming from all fifty states and more than 40 countries. Please visit www.uhh.hawaii.edu.
