THe CaTalysT, May 27, 2016 11
MUSC recognizes each college’s top honor graduates Editor’s Note: MUSC’s Class of 2016 first and second honor graduates are recognized for their academic excellence. On May 18, the group was celebrated at a luncheon hosted by MUSC President David Cole.
Doctor of Health Administration First Honor Graduate — Tamala Selke Bradham; Second Honor Graduates — Helen Elaine Dunn and Adam William Higman
College of Health Professions First Honor Graduate — Chelsey Elizabeth Waller; Second Honor Graduate — Brian Winfield McCann
Doctor of Physical Therapy First Honor Graduate — Margaret Allyson McKinney; Second Honor Graduates — Robert Jacob Grumbles and Ellen Nancy Heath
Master in Health Administration–Executive First Honor Graduates – Jamie Jackson Booth and Daniel William Harris; Second Honor Graduates — Kellie Alexandra Mendoza and Christianna Novakovic
Doctor of Philosophy First Honor Graduate – Chih-Ying Li; Second Honor Graduate – Melanie Sweat Jefferson
Master in Health Administration — Residential First Honor Graduates — Celena Hope Gordon and Charlotte Catrina Westcob; Second Honor Graduates — Brett Malcolm van Heyningen and Ruta Rimkute Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia First Honor Graduates – Dana Marie Huber and Olivia Kirk Reeves; Second Honor Graduates — Maisie Hudson Cahill and Zachary Ryan Visnic
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College of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing First Honor Graduates — Nazokat Atadjanova, Mackenzie Eileen Callis and George David Smith Doctor of Nursing Practice First Honor Graduate – Jameela Sherene Goudarzi; Second Honor Graduate — Shelli Gibbs Doctor of Philosophy First Honor Graduate — Phyllis Ann Raynor
MUSC’s top honor graduates gather for a luncheon hosted by MUSC President David Cole, bottom center, on May 18 at the Wickliffe House. photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging
College of Pharmacy — Doctor of Pharmacy First Honor Graduate — Lindsay May Avery; Second Honor Graduate — Cara Elizabeth Bujanowski
Alexandra Pischke Thomas College of Medicine — Doctor of Medicine First Honor Graduates — Brandon Stephen Bentzley; Sara Watts Faulks and Taylor Jordan Orellana
College of Dental Medicine — Doctor of Dental Medicine First Honor Graduate — Hannah Willis Rustin; Second Honor Graduates — Ashley Rogers Albrecht and Katherine
College of Graduate Studies — Doctor of Philosophy First Honor Graduates — Brandon Stephen Bentzley and Saleh Rachidi
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career achievements are fellowships in the American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association and American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. He has won teaching awards at every academic health science center at which he has been a faculty member. His teaching-mentoring philosophy is built on two basic concepts: commitment and trust. “I always put mentored projects first,” he states in his philosophy. “And, a specific and central commitment to each and every individual that I mentor is to uphold this approach as a priority. … I also expect commitment on the part of those who I mentor — and we talk about a commitment to scholarship. … I believe that trust on both sides of the mentor–mentee relationship is critical — and is one of the reasons that my mentor-mentee relationships are so successful, leading to a very high rate of completion of projects.” “Dr. Rockey is the definition of a master teacher and a master clinician,” states one recent College of Medicine graduate. “You will not find a more knowledgeable, dedicated educator and devoted individual.”
James J. Sterrett, PharmD,
Educator-Mentor: Clinical/ Professional Sterrett joined the MUSC faculty in 2007, following professional activities in both commercial and academic settings. He received his PharmD from MUSC in 1997. Sterrett’s teaching philosophy, among other things, is to be flexible, with the ability to revise his teaching style to meet the needs of his students. He does so because his standards and his expectations are high. “I ask the students, can they earn my trust to treat my 90-year-old mother,” he states. The practice of pharmacy “does not exist in a bubble,” he adds, so he makes a point to include other aspects of health care into the classroom as well as patients or patient scenarios. Not only does this benefit his students, he admits, but “it’s good for
me, as it forces to me to continually move forward, continue to grow my own, ongoing education.” Kelly Ragucci, PharmD, professor and chairwoman of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences for the South Carolina College of Pharmacy’s MUSC campus, praises Sterrett not only for his teaching acumen, but for his civic obligations as well. “It should be noted that Dr. Sterrett has extensive experience working in community/family medicine clinics and treating the underserved — it is indeed his passion,” she states. “He passes this passion on to students that he teaches in the laboratory or takes on experiential rotation within the College of Pharmacy.” His influence, however, is felt across campus. Colleagues in the colleges of Nursing and Medicine, for example, praise his collaboration in working with various disciplines and with the CARES student-staffed clinic for the underserved. He also works with the Roper St. Francis pharmacy team in its myDiabetes program. His previous honors include the SC College of Pharmacy Mentor of the Year and the AACP/ Walmart Scholars Mentor award.