As part of International Education Week celebrations, the University of Florida International Center honored six students from the UF College of Pharmacy with student achievement awards. These awards recognize their outstanding contributions to UF’s global mission in teaching, research, and service. The students were celebrated Nov. 19 at the 30th Annual International Student Achievement Awards ceremony at the Reitz Union in Gainesville.
Aicha Ndiaye, a fourth-year Pharm.D. student from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, was one of only five students across the university to receive the Outstanding Master’s and Professional International Student Award. This honor recognizes Ndiaye’s academic excellence, her role in advancing global citizenship, and her contributions to UF’s international mission.
As a UF College of Pharmacy student at the Jacksonville campus, Ndiaye has held several leadership positions and collaborated with local organizations to make a difference through volunteering. She has planned book, toy, and food drives and helped fundraise for community groups. Through her clinical rotations, she engages with other health care professionals and patients to educate them about pharmacy. Ndiaye’s research focuses on how pharmacy residency programs can help bridge the health care gap in underserved communities.
“I am grateful to be one of the five recipients of the Outstanding Master’s and Professional International Student Award,” Ndiaye said. “I believe the opportunities and vision embedded in UF’s global mission aligns well with the tools and education we receive at the College of Pharmacy. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of the College of Pharmacy faculty members, especially Dr. Chardaè Whitner for nominating me.”
The UF International Center also awarded Certificates of Outstanding Merit to these five UF College of Pharmacy graduate students:
- Dain Chun, Department of Pharmaceutics
- Chanakan Jenjai, Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
- Piaopiao Li, Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
- Zijing Xu, Department of Pharmaceutics
- Yuzhao Zhang, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Nominated by the UF College of Pharmacy, these awardees were recognized for their exceptional global contributions.
