Walgreen’s/UF Diversity Initiative Enters Second Decade

Representing College of Pharmacy faculty and students are (l. to r.) Robert Braylock (Class of 2016); Chandra Sekar, Ph.D.; Sandra Earle, Pharm.D.; Ryan Wagner, Walgreen’s; and Debra Parker, Pharm.D., dean, College of Pharmacy

For the 11^th consecutive year, the Walgreen Company has presented a monetary donation to UF’s College of Pharmacy to support diversity initiatives.
Ryan Wagner, Walgreen’s representative, presented a check for $8,000 at the College of Pharmacy’s awards ceremony on Friday, April 7. The ceremony was part of the Symposium for Scholarship and Creativity, a daylong event focusing on student research and achievement.
According to Debra Parker, Pharm.D., dean of the College of Pharmacy, the diversity funding is used for elective instruction that emphasizes cultural sensitivity, student organized community service, and activities of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association that support minority representation in the field of pharmacy.
Wagner, a healthcare supervisor for 73 Walgreen’s stores in Ohio, said that every college in the United States is eligible to receive donations in varying amounts by submitting a report outlining its diversity activities. The company has donated more than $1 million annually to promote diversity and inclusion initiatives at pharmacy schools in the U.S. According to the Walgreen’s website, only 11 percent of those majoring in Pharmacy are from minority group.