In 1982, Jack Watts, ‘55, received the College of Pharmacy’s inaugural Outstanding Alumni Award. For 52 years, Watts exemplified what it meant to be a pharmacist. He worked for the Eli Lilly & Company for 31 years, shared his passion as a pharmacy educator after retirement and served as the president of the USC Pharmaceutical Association for over 50 years.
Since that initial award, the college has bestowed this prestigious honor 43 times to alumni who have distinguished themselves through personal and professional achievements, made significant contributions to pharmacy and been a loyal supporter of the college.
In 2023, the college added two additional awards to recognize an Outstanding Young Alumni of the Year and an Outstanding Friend of the College.
Alumni who are chosen for these honors come from all corners of the profession of pharmacy – including independent community and retail pharmacy, hospital clinicians and administrators, the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacy academia.
“As we honor the remarkable achievements of our alumni, we celebrate not only their individual contributions but also the collective impact they've made on the pharmacy profession,” says Stephen J. Cutler, dean of the College of Pharmacy.
Honorees’ impacts on policy development and advocacy have improved how pharmacy is practiced and how patients are supported. They’ve worked to address health disparities and find solutions for underserved areas and provided invaluable mentorship and support of pharmacy students.
“This year's recipients share a profound connection as Gamecock Pharmacists, and together, they embody the true essence of service and excellence,” says Cutler. “Their collective efforts ensure that the practice of pharmacy will not only flourish today but will thrive for generations to come.”
This year's recipients share a profound connection as Gamecock Pharmacists, and together, they embody the true essence of service and excellence.
Stephen J. Cutler, Ph.D. Dean, College of Pharmacy
Outstanding Alumni
Kyle and Pamela McHugh met at the College of Pharmacy, but their paths to the profession were notably different.
“I started as a stockboy at Revco when I was around 15,” Kyle says. “I filled the drink machines, carted the trash and eventually was promoted to the cash register. When they needed one, I became a pharmacy technician.”
When Pamela was sick as a child, she paid attention to the pharmacist.
“I always had an ear infection or strep throat, so I was frequently at the pharmacist getting medications,” she says. “In my mind, it was the pharmacist who made me feel better, not the doctor.”
After graduating from the College of Pharmacy in 1995, both Kyle and Pamela moved into supervisory roles with different pharmacies—Kyle with Revco and Pamela with Walmart. After they started their family, the McHughs moved to Columbia, South Carolina.
“I learned about balance sheets and cash flow while working with chain drug stores,” Kyle says.
One day, while working as a troubleshooter for CVS, Kyle was approached about becoming an independent pharmacist for another company. Instead, he chose to buy the store, marking the beginning of their careers as independent pharmacy owners.
Kyle and Pamela have since grown the McHugh Pharmacy Group to 15 locations across North and South Carolina.
“We have bought stores, closed stores and opened stores from scratch,” Kyle says. “We have learned something from every business decision we have made. As independent pharmacists, we can do what is right for our customers and our employees, and provide for communities that otherwise would not have health care.”
“That’s why being an independent pharmacist is important to me, to not only give our patients prescriptions but also to help them understand their medications and feel better. I want to give back, just like I was helped when I was little,” Pamela says.
Kyle and Pamela are deeply committed to supporting the college. They serve as mentors to students and participate as judges in the annual business plan competition, along with establishing an endowed scholarship.
“Without the College of Pharmacy, I would not be where I am today. I faced many challenges and developed my leadership skills,” Kyle says. “I feel everyone who has ever been a part of the USC College of Pharmacy needs to give back, either financially or with their time. Pamela and I have been blessed to be able to do both.”
Outstanding Young Alumna
Ranarda Jones has been a lifelong Gamecock fan, which made her college decision easy.
“It was a no-brainer,” Jones says. “Even at a young age, I knew USC was where I wanted to go.”
Jones had an algebra teacher whose husband was a pharmacist, and he encouraged Jones to consider a pharmaceutical career.
“I started working with him in the afternoons at the hospital, and then I followed him to his long-term care dispensing pharmacy,” she says. “I’ve been in pharmacy ever since.”
It was during her time in pharmacy school that Jones found her voice.
“I learned that someone is going to rise to the top,” she says. “I learned that I was as unique as everyone else, but you have a chance to be vocal and to become a leader.”
Jones always has exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit. Her career roles have included pharmacy manager, floater pharmacist, director of Medicare pharmacy services and pharmacy consultant. These experiences led to her latest career move as CEO of PSyn Inc., a managed care consulting company, and co-owner of Medi Save Pharmacy, both in Camden, South Carolina.
She credits her success to her relationship with Kyle and Pamela McHugh, owners of the McHugh Pharmacy Group.
“As soon as I purchased my independent pharmacy, the first person I went to was Kyle,” she says. “Had it not been for my connections through our alumni, I would not have known where to go to seek help in running my business.”
In recognition of her achievements, Jones earned the 2022 Excellence in Innovation Award from the South Carolina Pharmacy Association and was selected as the 2024 Outstanding Young Alumna for the College of Pharmacy.
Jones is passionate about supporting the college and the students who are the future of her profession. She strongly believes that alumni have a responsibility to share their experiences and wisdom.
She mentored students, shared her experiences in the college's Career Expo, addressed student organizations and supported the college’s Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Development retreat.
“I am a firm believer that if you have been through it, your experience can help the next generation. You have to give back to the foundation,” Jones says. “Forty years from now, I’ll be the one going to the pharmacy needing care, and I can’t complain about the pharmacist who I didn’t mentor.”
Topics: Alumni, Pharm.D. Program