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South Dakota Pharmacists Association has selected ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ pharmacy educator Emily Van Klompenburg, of Bruce, as its Distinguished Young Pharmacist. Van Klompenburg, a 2015 Pharm.D. graduate from ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ, received the award at the association’s annual conference in Brookings Sept. 13. The award goes to a pharmacist less than 10 years in the practice who has participated in professional programs and community service.

Longtime ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ pharmacist Jodi Heins of Sioux Falls has been named pharmacist of the year by the South Dakota Pharmacists Association. Heins, a professor in the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions at ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ, received the Hustead Award at the association’s annual gathering in Brookings Sept. 13.

The South Dakota Perinatal Quality Collaborative was recently founded at ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ, making South Dakota the final state in the Unites States to have its own perinatal quality collaborative.

The Thompson Center, South Dakota’s most comprehensive counseling education center, and its supporters were celebrated at a grand opening event on the ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ campus Oct. 11.

Sierra Schmiedt wanted to stretch herself by learning in an unfamiliar setting. Tony Tran wanted to build on a favorable study abroad experience as a high school student and visit the country of his heritage. That is how the then-ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ pharmacy students ended up in Vietnam for five weeks for their final Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences rotation. For Schmiedt, getting there was the biggest challenge. For both of them, it was an unforgettable experience they wholly recommend to other pharmacy students.

ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ assistant professor Dakota Witzel has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how daily stressors and emotional reactions contribute to long-term inflammation and other related health issues.

A team from the Community Practice Innovation Center at ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ has been awarded a $3 million grant to expand and facilitate services for individuals transitioning out of South Dakota prison systems. The grant, which comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration, will continue the START-SD (Stigma, Treatment, Avoidance and Recovery in Time) work on prevention, treatment and recovery for substance use disorder in South Dakota.

ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ recently paid tribute to the university’s newest endowment holders. The third annual University Leadership Honors investiture ceremony — honoring six holders of endowed positions across three different colleges and ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ Athletics — was held Sept. 19 in Founders Recital Hall in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

Associate professor and Extension specialist Andrea Bjornestad is researching key mental health issues affecting individuals in the agriculture industry. Her research has gained regional attention, prompting others to take action and work to provide resources to farmers, ranchers and families. Learn more about her research, outreach and what's available in a critical time of need.

Stephanie Hanson, an assistant professor of public and population health at ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ, recently presented a poster at the International Marcé Society Conference in Barcelona, Spain.