Message from the MCVAA Pharmacy Division President
Dear School of Pharmacy Alumni:
Thank you for visiting the School of Pharmacy Development and Alumni web site As
an alumnus, a member of the faculty and Vice President of the Pharmacy Division
of the MCV Alumni Division, I truly appreciate your interest!
Our School of Pharmacy is committed to providing the best teaching, research and
service for pharmacy education. Professional students are confident upon entering
our school that they will leave as highly sought after capable practitioners and
leaders in the field of pharmacy.
As the only state supported school of pharmacy in Virginia, we take our service
mission seriously and work in collaboration with the state legislature and state
pharmacy associations to provide outcomes based data supporting the value of pharmacists.
In an area which is close to my heart, we have developed several community pharmacy
based patient care models implemented across the state, as just one example of the
new role pharmacists will play in providing patient care.
Innovative pharmacy education is essential to the future growth of our profession.
Students in the MCV/VCU School of Pharmacy professional program and graduate programs
will work with alumni in defining the future of pharmacy practice and research.
In order to prepare these students, the School of Pharmacy must provide excellence
in facilities, teaching and research.
As the School of Pharmacy faces state budget cuts of more than one million dollars
this year alone, private support is more important than ever. We cannot allow these
difficult times to compromise the quality of our nationally ranked program and so
we are turning to our alumni for help.
I hope that you will consider making a gift to the School this year. You can make
a gift online by entering our secure
Egiving web site Your gift is an essential component of the success of our
current and future student body. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Amy L. Whitaker, PharmD '98
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy
Vice President, Pharmacy Division, MCV Alumni Association
The School of Pharmacy Annual Fund
There are many different ways alumni and friends make gifts to the School of Pharmacy.
But none have greater daily impact than gifts to the annual fund. While endowment
funds help ensure long-term financial stability, the annual fund is the School’s
only renewable source of unrestricted dollars – dollars that are vital for scholarship
support, student and faculty research projects, special programs and one of a kind
events. The annual fund continually contributes to excellence in pharmacy education
at VCU School of Pharmacy.
The Galen Society
Alumni and Friends that support the School of Pharmacy at the leadership level of
$500 and above are recognized through the Galen Society.
The Greco-Roman doctor, philosopher and pharmacist Galen produced over 500 books
and treatises and was unquestionably the leading scientist of his day. Galen wrote
on all aspects of medical science, his books on medicine and anatomy shaped medical
thinking throughout the middle ages and beyond.
Galen is known as a founding father of pharmacological science. In addition to running
a thriving medical practice, he ran his own pharmacy which stocked hundreds of medicines
made from vegetable and animal ingredients. Galen catalogued countless remedies,
recording how each was made and detailing precise quantities and compounding instructions.
These catalogues represent the foundation of modern pharmacy.
The School of Pharmacy’s giving society is named in honor of Galen to pay tribute
to this founding father and his tradition of knowledge accumulation and discovery.
He was the great compiler and systemizer of Greco-Roman medicine, physiology, pharmacy
and anatomy and although he worshipped Hippocrates and Plato, he fearlessly advanced
his own findings and opinions. The VCU School of Pharmacy strives to excel in this
tradition of knowledge accumulation and discovery. Galen was also a philanthropist.
He believed that the motive of financial gain is incompatible with a devotion to
medicine and must be replaced with a commitment to service and discovery. It is
in the Galenic tradition of service that the School of Pharmacy looks to alumni
for support of the annual campaign. Annual campaign gifts allow us to serve our
student body and the pharmacy profession through excellence in teaching, research
and practice.
The Galen Society is comprised of alumni and friends who support the school of pharmacy
at the leadership level. Galen Society members are invited to an annual reception
in their honor and listed on a wall plaque in the lobby of the School of Pharmacy.
Galen Society Levels of Giving
Membership in the Galen Society is based on annual outright contributions to the
School of Pharmacy, regardless of designation, from July 1 through June 30.
|
Dean's Fellow |
$10,000 and above |
|
Distinguished Fellow |
$5,000 - $9,999 |
|
Senior Fellow |
$2,500 - $4,999 |
|
Fellow |
$1,000 - $2,499 |
|
Challenger |
$500 - $999 |
Matching Gifts
If you or your spouse are employed by a company that will match charitable gifts
to institutions of higher learning, you may wish to consider obtaining a matching
gift form from your personnel office in order to maximize your contribution to the
School of Pharmacy. The Galen Society recognizes company matches.
How to Join
Contact Ellen Firkins at (804) 828-3016 or elfirkin@vcu.edu.