February 14, 2018
APhA Foundation Announces 2018 Ton Hoek Scholarship Recipient
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation today announced Catherine Kuecker, PharmD, as the 2018 recipient of the Ton Hoek Scholarship. The Ton Hoek Scholarship provides a stipend for a student pharmacist, fellow, resident, or PharmD graduate pursuing graduate studies to attend the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) World Congress. Participation in FIP Congress is a unique opportunity for recipients to learn firsthand about global health and pharmacy issues. Recipients are encouraged to participate in the FIP Congress networking opportunities, presentations, poster sessions, and report submissions.
Kuecker, a post-graduate year one pharmacy resident at William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, WI, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. As a student pharmacist, she completed her Certificate in Global Health and served as a volunteer Spanish interpreter in an interdisciplinary student-run free clinic. She furthered her global health experience by serving in a professor and educator role to develop and deliver lecture and patient case lab materials for South African student pharmacists while completing her Advanced Practice Pharmacy Experience in Cape Town, Africa.
“The Ton Hoek Scholarship allows me to attend the FIP World Congress in Scotland and further my global pharmacy interest. As one of my pharmacy career goals is to continue to advance pharmacy practice, I am always looking to learn about other practices and new pharmacy processes to bring back to my own practice. After attending the World Congress, I plan to further engage with the organization through the Young Pharmacists Group. Attending the meeting and increasing my involvement will allow me to keep my current global pharmacy connections strong as well as create new ones.” said Kuecker.
Kuecker will be recognized at the APhA Foundation Contributors’ Breakfast during the 2018 APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday, March 19, 2018.
The Ton Hoek Scholarship recipient is selected by the dedicated members of the Ton Hoek Scholarship Review Committee. The 2018 committee included Bonnie Avery, Joseph DiPiro, Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, and Jenelle Sobotka.
The Ton Hoek Scholarship was established to memorialize Mr. A. J. M. (Ton) Hoek’s commitment to the global community of pharmacists. In his role as Chief Executive Officer and General Secretary of FIP, Hoek (1955-2012) built many global relationships in the pharmacist community. His leadership efforts resulted in positive collaboration for FIP, both within pharmacy and at the broader level of world health.
The Ton Hoek Scholarship is endowed through the generous contributions of Foundation supporters interested in advancing global pharmacy initiatives. The APhA Foundation would like to thank Jenelle Sobotka for her lead contribution as well as everyone who contributed to the endowment of this scholarship.
About the American Pharmacists Association Foundation
The APhA Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., is a trusted source of research demonstrating how pharmacists can improve health care. The APhA Foundation’s mission is to improve health by inspiring philanthropy, research and innovation that advances pharmacists’ patient care services. The APhA Foundation is affiliated with the American Pharmacists Association, the national professional society of pharmacists in the U.S. For more information, please visit the APhA Foundation website www.aphafoundation.org. Follow the APhA Foundation on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.