The University of Florida College of Pharmacy celebrated the class of 2026 on May 9 at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. A total of 225 Pharm.D. graduates and 66 master’s graduates were honored during the event.
The ceremony began with opening remarks from Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., UF College of Pharmacy dean and professor, who bestowed the 2026 UF College of Pharmacy Outstanding Pharmacy Alumnus Award upon Benjamin J. Epstein, Pharm.D., ’03. Epstein has built a distinguished career in both academia and health care through numerous peer-review publications, entrepreneurial success and philanthropic efforts through the Epstein Family Legacy Foundation. He delivered this year’s commencement speech and centered his talk around three key points of making learning a lifelong prescription, doing hard things by titrating to discomfort and building a brand that isn’t generic.
“Graduates, the world needs you. Your patients need you. Your profession needs you,” Epstein said. “So, make learning your superpower. Make it your life-long prescription. Titrate to discomfort. Learn to build your brand. And when you’re the first to show up at a conference and someone asks what you’re doing there at 6 a.m., I hope you’ll say ‘I am a Gator. Where I come from, learning is a privilege.’”
After Epstein’s remarks, the ceremony recognized the winners of the top student and faculty awards given out by the college. The D.W. Ramsaur Award was delivered to Gabrielle Gorwitz, Pharm.D., Mary-Pearl Ojukwu, Pharm.D., and Chrystal Vandeventer, Pharm.D., for their high academic achievement of maintaining a 4.0 grade point average throughout their four years of pharmacy school. The Perry A. Foote Award was presented to Kelly Bishop, Pharm.D., after she ranked in the top 10% of her class while demonstrating exceptional leadership and service to the college and community. For faculty, Eric Egelund, Ph.D., Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Education and Practice, was honored as the UF College of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year, while Akash Alexander, Pharm.D., M.S., a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Education and Practice, earned the 4PD Faculty Recognition Award.
Following the hooding of Doctor of Pharmacy graduates from the Gainesville, Jacksonville and Orlando campuses, along with the master’s degree recipients, Eman Gabel, Pharm.D., stepped to the podium to deliver remarks as this year’s student speaker.
“To our faculty and staff, thank you for creating an environment that challenged us, supported us and gave us memories we’ll be talking about for years,” Gabel said. “Today, we are joining the 1% of the global population that holds a doctorate degree. And that’s not just an accomplishment, it’s a responsibility.”
The ceremony concluded with Meredith Diamond, Pharm.D., ’19, a member of the college’s Young Alumni Council, administrating the Oath of the Pharmacist.
May 9, 2026
UF College of Pharmacy 2026 Commencement Ceremony
View a gallery of images from the ceremony held at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainesville.
