Distinguished Alumni AWards
Each year, we honor alumni who help advance their profession, the University and their communities through the Distinguished Alumni Awards in categories of Service, Outstanding Achievement, Black Heritage, and Recent Graduate.
Distinguished alumni awardees and athletics hall of fame inductees are recognized during Reunion weekend in November. Distinguished alumni awardees will also receive an invitation to the Scholarship Awards Dinner the following fall, where a student will receive a scholarship in their honor.
Alumni Award Categories and Winners
Distinguished service awards
The awards are presented in recognition of an alumnus having brought distinction to their industry, the University or the alumni community; having made distinctive and sustained contributions to their profession, community or the University; or having reached a pinnacle of sustained or long-term personal, professional, or volunteer success.
Service to the Community 2025
Kendra Holmes, B.S. ’99, Pharm.D. ’00
Kendra Holmes serves as President and CEO of Affinia Healthcare, a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the most vulnerable of the St. Louis region. Her historic appointment, effective Jan. 1, 2023, makes her the first woman and first Black person to lead the organization in its 117-year history.
Service to the University 2025
Misty Collier Farr, Pharm.D. ’10
Misty Collier Farr was born and raised in Marvell, Arkansas. She was valedictorian of her class at Marvell High School and a Gates Millennium Scholar. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from St. Louis College of Pharmacy and her Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Maryville University. Farr began her career as a pharmacy intern for Walmart at its Ferguson, Missouri location. She held various positions in the company, ultimately opening the Florissant, Missouri store and serving as its Pharmacy Manager.
Service to the Pharmacy Profession 2025
Jonathan Eric Lakamp, B.S. ’94, Pharm.D. ’95, BCPPS
Jonathan Lakamp, B.S. ’94, PharmD ’95, BCPS, has made significant contributions to the pharmacy profession. After completing his education at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy (now part of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) and residency in Richmond, Virgina, Jon returned to St. Louis to begin a career marked by leadership and clinical impact. He initiated clinical support and pharmacy services for the supply chain division of Mercy, Resource Optimization & Innovation (ROI), leading many initiatives that brought consistency and cost savings to the healthcare system.
outstanding achievement
Presented to an alumnus or alumna, health care professional or friend of the University in recognition of high-achieving contributions that go above and beyond that of their peers in their field and community. This award should recognize a recipient who has achieved or been recognized by an outside organization for success in project management, entrepreneurship, leadership or innovation.
Outstanding Achievement 2025
CAPT Aaron W. Sigler, B.S. ’95, Pharm.D. ’96, BDPS, PMP, RAC
CAPT Aaron W. Sigler has dedicated nearly three decades to advancing public health through leadership in regulatory science, process innovation and professional service. Currently serving as the Deputy Director of the Division of Project Management (DPM) within the Office of Generic Drugs (OGD) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Sigler helps lead a staff of 60 project managers supporting multiple review divisions. In this role, he provides strategic direction for project management operations, ensuring the timely, efficient and scientifically sound review of generic drug applications critical to the U.S. health care system.
recent graduate
Presented to an alumnus or alumna who graduated from UHSP in the last 10 years and has shown outstanding promise and has made one or more of the following achievements that are relative to the nominee’s years since graduation:
○ Brought distinction to their industry, UHSP or the alumni community
○ Made distinctive and sustained contributions to their profession, community or the University
○ Reached a notable level of personal, professional or volunteer success since graduating
Recent Graduate 2025
Francisco M. Franco Torres, Pharm.D. ’15, AAHIVP
Francisco M. Franco Torres was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and raised in the nearby city of Juana Díaz alongside his two younger brothers, Frankie and Paco Pepe, and his parents, Evette and Paco. At age 17, he moved to Río Piedras to attend the University of Puerto Rico, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He later completed a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry at Texas A&M University in College Station, focusing on natural product synthesis. His thesis, Progress Towards the Synthesis of (+)-Dibromophakellin and Congeners: Proposed Final Stages for Palau’amine Synthesis, reflected his early passion for scientific discovery and innovation.
Recent Graduate 2025
Heather Powell, Pharm.D. ’15
Heather (Kindermann) Powell ’15 is Executive Director, Head of Medical Affairs at Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. Within her role, she currently oversees field medical, medical communications, and global alliance medical activities. Heather has passionately supported robust data generation and dissemination contributing as a co-author to numerous congress presentations and manuscripts of the CLEAR Outcomes cardiovascular outcomes trial.
black heritage award
Established by the African-American Alumni Chapter, the Black Heritage Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to an alumnus or alumna, health care professional or friend of the University in recognition of their scholarly work or personal or professional commitment to improve cultural competencies and eliminate health disparities in the health care community.
Black Heritage Award 2025
Dainielle J. Fox, Pharm.D. ’16, AAHIVP
Dainielle J. Fox is an accomplished health care professional, scholar and advocate whose career has been defined by her unwavering commitment to improving cultural competencies and addressing health disparities in underserved communities. Currently serving as the Global Medical Director, Long-Acting Market Shaping at ViiV Healthcare, Fox leads transformative strategies to advance long-acting HIV therapies, ensuring patient and community perspectives are central to research, advocacy and care delivery.
loyalty award
The University, Office of Alumni Relations and Alumni Council nominate alumni for the Loyalty Award, which is presented in gratitude for an alumnus or alumna’s exceptional commitment and service to the University and our alumni community over the years.
Loyalty Award 2025
Garth Reynolds, B.S. ’00
Garth Reynolds received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is licensed in Illinois and Missouri and has worked in a variety of community practice settings, including independent, regional and national chains. He was the Pharmacy Supervisor and Immunization Coordinator of the Adolescent and Adult Immunization Care Program at Dierbergs Markets, Inc., a regional supermarket and community pharmacy chain based in Chesterfield, Missouri. .