Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy students James Langley and Ray Jhala are the Wal-Mart/Pharmacy Times Respect, Excellence and Service in Pharmacy (RESPy) award winners for October and November 2014. The RESPy Award began as recognition for extraordinary humanitarian work in the community and has become a continuing salute to pharmacy students’ service nationally.
Chris Herndon, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, and Christopher Lynch, professor and director of clinical programs, nominated James for the October award.
“From the moment you meet him, it is apparent that James Langley is a student of tremendous presence and leadership capabilities,” said Lynch. “His years as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps left him with a bearing that is unusually mature for a pharmacy student. He is eager to learn, eager to be a role-model of professional behavior and, most of all, eager to give back to the community at every opportunity.”
Langley not only is first to serve others, but he also actively organizes fellow classmates to volunteer within the School of Pharmacy. He volunteered on a medical mission trip to rural Jamaica in the summer of 2013 and ‘14. As a volunteer student pharmacist, he exhibited an exemplary work ethic despite the crippling heat and poor working conditions.
“Within hours of the start of our first clinic, I knew I could point him at a problem and get out of his way,” said Lynch. “I was always assured that James would handle the situation with skill and finesse.”
Langley also volunteered to lead a major city of Edwardsville blood pressure screening event during April 2014.
Mark Luer, associate dean of professional and student affairs, nominated Jhala for the November award. “Ray is well positioned to advance the profession of pharmacy,” Luer said. “He is a responsible, energetic and driven individual, and it is very gratifying to see that the RESPy selection committee found him deserving of this prestigious national award.”
Jhala serves as the president of the 2016 pharmacy class, as well as president of the Student Representative Council in the School of Pharmacy. Since attending SIUE as an undergraduate, he has been actively involved in the SIUE Alliance of Students Against Poverty (ASAP). He assists the homeless by providing food, clothing and hygiene items. Jhala has helped ASAP’s efforts to secure a grant from Sodexo Foundation to start a Campus Kitchen where students produce nutritious meals for those who are struggling with food insecurity.
“Whether he is leading students in a Relay for Life event to raise money for the American Cancer Society, participating in the Gateway 180 Walk to Reverse Homelessness, or hosting an overnight Box City on campus to raise awareness for the needs of the homeless, Ray is constantly putting himself in a position to care and help others,” said Luer.
Both students will receive a $1,000 scholarship and be featured in an article in Pharmacy Times, where their outstanding achievements and service will be recognized. They will also receive a handcrafted, one of a kind mortar and pestle.
Today’s pharmacists improve patients’ lives through the medication and education they provide. Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum is nationally recognized as a model that offers students a unique combination of classroom education, research, community service and patient care. The School of Pharmacy’s areas of excellence include the Center for Drug Design and Discovery; chronic pain research and practice; and diabetes research and practice. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for highly trained pharmacists in a rapidly growing field.