2023 Alumni Awards Gala
Sunday, February 26, 2023
WestDrift Manhattan Beach Hotel, Manhattan Beach, CA
All proceeds from the 2023 Alumni Awards Gala will support the development of the new, state-of-the-art USC Pharmacy in South Los Angeles.
2023 Alumni Award Recipients
Jimmie L. Overton, PharmD
Honorary Alumni Award
Jimmie L. Overton, PharmD, will receive the Honorary Alumni Award. He is co-founder and managing partner at Govise Inc. and previously served as vice president of global medical information and medical promotional review at Allergan. A recognized medical affairs subject matter expert, he has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare.
Jeffrey S. McCombs, PhD
Innovation in pharmacoeconomics
Jeffrey S. McCombs, PhD, will be presented with the Innovation in Pharmacoeconomics Award. In 1994, he and colleagues established the nation’s first—and now most prestigious—graduate program in pharmaceutical economics. Earlier this year, McCombs retired after more than three decades on the faculty of USC Mann.
Charles W. Stark, PharmD '82
Research achievement award
Charles W. Stark, PharmD ’82, will receive the Research Achievement Award. He is senior vice president of research and development at Emmaus Medical Inc. He previously held roles at immunotherapeutic companies Bavarian Nordic and Dendreon and at pharmaceutical company Pfizer. He is an adjunct lecturer at USC Mann and has been an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience preceptor since 1991.
David Truong, PharmD'07, MS Regulatory Science'07
Distinguished Alumni Award
David Truong, PharmD ’07, MS Regulatory Science ’07, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. He is director of global regulatory affairs at Jazz Pharmaceuticals in San Diego. Previously he was director of regulatory affairs at Greenwich Biosciences and at Teva Pharmaceuticals. He also practices in a community pharmacy setting at Costco Wholesale. Truong has precepted and mentored students and serves as an adjunct faculty member at USC Mann. He is also a trustee of the California Pharmacists Association and a board member of USC’s QSAD Centurion.
Richard Dang,PharmD'13
Dean's Medallion award
The Dean’s Medallion Award will be presented to Richard Dang, PharmD ’13, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and director of the community-based pharmacy residency program at USC Mann, and president of the California Pharmacists Association. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dang was a leading voice for testing and vaccination, notably heading the Los Angeles COVID-19 program that resulted in well over 1 million vaccines administered across the city.
Duane Mauzey, DRSC'12
Innovation in Regulatory Science Award
The Innovation in Regulatory Science Award will go to Duane Mauzey, DRSC ’12, director of regulatory affairs for CMC at Glaukos Inc., where he oversees quality of clinical and marketing applications for novel pharmaceuticals that treat chronic eye diseases. He also is an adjunct assistant professor at USC Mann.
Lilia Xu, PharmD'12
Young Alumni Award
The Young Alumni Award will go to Lilia Xu, PharmD ’12, vice president of business development for 986 Degrees Corporation, which operates several pharmacies in San Gabriel Valley and has provided more than 40,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to the community. Xu is a member of the boards of the San Gabriel Valley Pharmacists Association and QSAD Centurion at USC Mann.
Vaccination Volunteers
Community service award
The Community Service Award will be presented to all those who volunteered at the vaccination clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic, in honor of their outstanding work in the community. USC faculty, students and alumni played a key role in vaccinating Angelenos against COVID-19. They joined fellow volunteers in inoculating more than 1 million Angelenos during the height of the pandemic, selflessly volunteering many hours at vaccine points dispensing throughout Greater Los Angeles.
Past Honorees
Community Service Award
2022: Reda Alhoussayni
2019: Ken Thai
2018: Lisa Gunther Lum
2017: Roslyn Blake
Dean's Medallion Award
2022: Edward Martin Lieskovan
2019: Leonard D. Schaeffer
2018: Dong Koo (D.K.) Kim
2017: Rita Shane
Distinguished Alumni Award
2022: Linh Lee
2019: Sohail Masood
2018: Irv Sitkoff
2017: Charles Leiter
Honorary Alumni Award
2022:Hattie Rees Hanley
2019: Mr. Tony Kuo
2018: Shushma Patel
2017: Michael Hochman
Innovation in Pharmacoeconomics Award
2022: Robert Popovian, PharmD
2019: Parvez Mulani
2018: Craig Cheetham
2017: Yong Yuan
Innovation in Regulatory Science Award
2022:Weicheng Wu
2019: Martin (Marty) Solberg
2018: Susan McCune
2017: Peter Lassoff
Research Achievement Award
2022: Hovik Gukasyan
2019: Li-Jiuan (Rita) Shen
2018: Jason (Jiansheng) Wan
2017: Eric Q. Wu
Young Alumni Award
2022: Grace Cheng
2019: Debrina Johnson
2018: Gustavus A. Aranda Jr.
2017: Danielle C. Colayco
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
2017: Mel Baron