The University of Florida has recognized six UF College of Pharmacy staff members for excellence in their work with 2024 Superior Accomplishment Awards. These UF-wide awards celebrate faculty and staff for their dedication to their jobs and for going above and beyond to advance the mission of the university and serve the community at large.
The 2024 Superior Accomplishment Award winners for the UF College of Pharmacy included:
- Mike Begonia, IT/AV support supervisor in Lake Nona
- Pedro Martinez, IT/AV staff support in Lake Nona
- Ivonne Ponicsan, assistant director of admissions in the office of student affairs
- David Smith, research coordinator in the department of pharmacotherapy and translational research
- Jonathan Tillett, IT/AV staff support in Lake Nona
- Kelly Wilder, former assistant director of research administration
Begonia, Martinez and Tillett were recognized in the Team Collaboration category, as they comprise the information technology group supporting the UF College of Pharmacy’s Orlando campus. The trio have worked together since 2022 delivering comprehensive IT and audio/visual support to the UF Research and Academic Center in Lake Nona. Their responsibilities include managing the video studio for lecture recordings, offering conference assistance in the auditorium and building and assisting with the technology needs in the Pharm.D. classroom, among many other tasks.
Ponicsan joined the UF College of Pharmacy in February 2023 and was honored in the Rookie of the Year category. In her role, she manages admissions and recruitment for the college’s Pharm.D. program. She relies heavily on data analysis to develop recruitment strategies and achieve operational efficiency and evaluate success. In addition, she serves as the College of Pharmacy’s liaison for the Summer Health Professions Education Program.
Smith and Wilder won the awards in the Individual Performance category. Smith has worked at the UF College of Pharmacy since 2015 and assists the Implementing Genomics into Clinical Practice, or IGNITE, grant by supporting the IGNITE Call Center and its data collection efforts. Wilder served as the college’s assistant director of research administration from March 2020 through January 2024. During her tenure, she and the research administration team played a key role in the expansion of the college’s research program. Wilder led a team of seven research administrators who provide exceptional service to the College of Pharmacy faculty.
Each recipient received a $200 cash award and will be considered for university-level cash awards. In addition, all award winners affiliated with UF Health were recognized during a ceremony on Feb. 26, at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville.
The UF College of Pharmacy would also like to recognize Philip Daniels, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor in the UF Counseling and Wellness Center, as a 2024 Superior Accomplishment Award winner. While Daniels’s home department resides outside our college, he is a valued member of the UF College of Pharmacy’s student affairs team for providing mental health counseling services to our pharmacy students and others at UF.