School of Pharmacy honors distinguished alumni and friends

The following received alumni awards:

• Stanley H. Beck of Lebanon, Ind., a former vice president of marketing for Abbott Laboratories. During his time with Abbott, he received a patent for an improved heparin injection and was involved in the formulations for several drugs. He also received many awards and recognitions for his innovative cost-saving strategies. He and his wife give back to the Lebanon community through contributions to Witham Hospital and a new community center and by managing a "Keep Lebanon Beautiful" program. The Becks also are the lead contributors to Purdue's new Beck Plaza outside the pharmacy building. Beck holds a master's of business administration from the University of Chicago. Beck received a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Purdue in 1955.

• John F. Derr of Anacortes, Wash., executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Care for the Elderly. Derr received the Meritorious Metal in recognition of his service in the United States Navy. He formed Innovative Health Concepts, which opened the first national chain of laser dermatology clinics and served as executive vice president of operations for the American Health Care Association. Derr currently serves on the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences dean's advisory council and is working with the Regenstrief Institute to introduce long-term care facilities into the Indianapolis regional health information organization. Derr received a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Purdue in 1958.

• Gerald P. Migliaccio of Madison, Conn., vice president of global quality and environmental health and safety operations for Pfizer Inc. He serves as a member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Quality Technical Group and chaired a good manufacturing practices task force to work with the Food and Drug Administration on aspects of the 21st Century Drug Product Quality Initiative. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America appointed him as industry representative to the FDA's advisory committee on pharmaceutical sciences in 2004. The International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology awarded him its professional achievement award in 2005. Migliacio holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross. Migliaccio received his master's degree in medicinal chemistry from Purdue in 1979.

• Thomas F. Zioncheck of San Francisco, associate director of business development for Genentech Inc. and adjunct professor in the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the University of the Pacific. His doctoral work led to the discovery of a family of enzymes that were shown to be integral players in cell signaling and cancer biology. He holds six patents and has contributed to many FDA regulatory filings. He has received 16 corporate recognition awards and served as chair for the biotech section of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Zioncheck holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the State University of New York at Oneonta. Zioncheck received a doctoral degree in medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology from Purdue in 1988.

Other award recipients included:

•Joyce Collins of Indianapolis, manager of professional and college relations for CVS/pharmacy, was honored with the 2006 Friend of Pharmacy Award. She currently serves on the dean's advisory boards for the Purdue, Southern Illinois University, Midwestern University and the Chicago State University schools of pharmacy. Collins' responsibilities include development and implementation of the program for undergraduate students and establishing professional partnerships with the schools of pharmacy. She has worked for Indianapolis-based Hook Drugs and served as pharmacy supervisor for northern Indiana and Michigan for Revco. Collins holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

•Don M. Newman of Bellair, Fla., former U.S. undersecretary of Health and Human Services was honored with the 2006 Career Achievement Award. In this position, he served as chief operating officer and liaison to the Secretary of Health, the President and Congress. He has received the Iowa Pharmacy Association's Bowl of Hygia Award, American Public Health Association's Hubert Humphrey Award, National Association of Retail Druggists Dargavel Medal and the outstanding pharmacist/lawyer award by the American Pharmacy Law Association. Newman was a member of the Army Air Corps and also served as U.S. Minister to the International Civil Aviation Organization. Newman holds a master's of science in business administration degree from Indiana University, a juris doctorate from Georgetown University and a master's of business administration from Indiana University. Newman received a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Purdue in 1947.

Writer: Elizabeth Gardner, (765) 494-2081, ekgardner@purdue.edu

Source: Dana Neary, (765) 494-2632, nearyd@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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