Ashley S. Sotoodeh, Pharm.D., a graduate student in the department of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has been awarded the 2021 Nellie Wakeman Fellowship from Kappa Epsilon, a professional pharmacy fraternity. The Nellie Wakeman Fellowship is for students planning to enroll in the first year of, or are already enrolled in, a Ph.D., Master’s, or combined Residency/Master’s degree program at an accredited U.S. college or school of pharmacy. The award is jointly sponsored by Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education, or AFPE. Sotoodeh will receive the $10,000 award to assist in her pursuit of a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a concentration in applied pharmacoeconomics, from UF.
Sotoodeh is a recent Doctor of Pharmacy graduate from the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy and was involved in various professional organizations throughout pharmacy school, including the Texas Pharmacy Association, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Honorary Society. She served as the president of Kappa Epsilon’s Xi Chapter at The University of Texas-Austin College of Pharmacy for two years and is currently serving her second two-year term on Kappa Epsilon’s Grand Council. She is currently a managed care pharmacy resident at Health Care Service Corporation/Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
Kappa Epsilon Fraternity’s mission is to empower its members to achieve personal and professional fulfillment by developing their confidence, self-esteem, interpersonal skills, and leadership vision while representing the interests of the membership to healthcare professionals and the community at large. National projects include Breast Cancer Awareness and Ovarian Cancer Awareness. AFPE is committed to supporting pharmaceutical education for the greater good and helps fund scholarships to assist aspiring researchers and academics in pharmaceutical sciences.