Summer 2011 [pdf] - University of Kentucky - College of Pharmacy

Alumni Honors
Alumnus Receives Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship
Jordan Covvey still gets goose bumps when she thinks about opening
that letter. The envelope – emblazoned with the iconic Fulbright logo –
seemed to be staring at her, begging to be torn apart. Still, it took a few
moments before she built up enough nerve to dive in.
And the moment did not disappoint.
Covvey, a 2010 PharmD graduate of the University of Kentucky College
of Pharmacy, was named a 2011-12 Fulbright Scholar this spring. Covvey
received the prestigious Fulbright-Strathclyde Research Award, which will
allow her to pursue her PhD at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow,
Scotland.
“This is a dream come true,” said Covvey. “As a scholar, having your name
associated with the Fulbright Scholarship is the pinnacle, and I am
humbled to have this opportunity to represent our country and the UK
College of Pharmacy on a global stage.”
The Fulbright Program is named in honor of U.S. Senator J. William
Fulbright and is “the largest U.S. international exchange program offering
opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake
international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and
teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.” The program
was created by the U.S. Congress in 1946 to “enable the government of
the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people
of the United States and the people of other countries.”
Most Fulbright awards are one-year grants. However, Covvey received
a more competitive scholarship. The University of Strathclyde offers
five, three-year scholarships in each of the institution’s four schools
(one Faculty of Science award, one Faculty of Engineering award, one
Strathclyde Business School award, and two Faculty of Humanities &
Social Sciences awards). Covvey received the only Faculty of Science
award provided by Strathclyde this year.
patient outcomes and cost-effective delivery
of healthcare. This project will involve
collaborative research between the University
of Kentucky, the University of Strathclyde, and
NHS Scotland.
“This Fulbright opportunity is directly tied to
the UK College of Pharmacy’s commitment
to provide international educational
opportunities for its students,” said Covvey.
“My APPE experience changed my career
trajectory. I thank Melody and Stephen Ryan
for their belief in me and for providing me this
opportunity.”
Covvey was a standout student at the UK
College of Pharmacy. She was president of UK’s
“This Fulbright opportunity is directly tied to the UK College of Pharmacy’s
commitment to provide international educational opportunities for its students.”
“Every Fulbright Scholarship is prestigious,” said Lisa Broome-Price,
Director of UK’s Office of External Scholarships. “But Jordan received the
only Faculty of Science Fulbright given out by the Strathclyde Institute,
and you can be sure that she competed with the best-of-the-best across
the nation to earn such an honor.”
Covvey’s interest in international study was piqued during her fourth year
in pharmacy school. She received the Melody and Stephen J. Ryan Travel
Award from the College of Pharmacy and traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland
on one of her APPE rotations. The experience not only provided her with
a terrific educational experience, it inspired her research focus.
Her doctoral project will focus on comparative medicines utilization in
respiratory disease patient populations within Kentucky and Scotland.
Through a comparison of practice standards and prescribing statistics,
Covvey is seeking to determine if differences in clinical guidelines
and medicine use between similar populations result in differences in
chapter of the Rho Chi Honor Society, and was
a member of Kentucky Alliance of Pharmacy
Students, the Student Advisory Council,
Lambda Kappa Sigma, Phi Lambda Sigma,
and the American Society for Health-System
Pharmacists.
“We are very proud of Jordan’s achievement,”
said Timothy S. Tracy, Dean of the UK College
of Pharmacy. “And her research focus is a
perfect example of the type of scholarly
activity that is taking place within the UK
College of Pharmacy. Jordan is leveraging this
international opportunity to learn more about
a significant issue that is facing Kentucky, the
nation, and the world.”
14 focus on pharmacy