Several alumni, students and faculty from the USC College of Pharmacy were honored at this year’s South Carolina Pharmacy Association’s annual meeting, garnering some of the group’s top awards.
Additionally, three alumni of the College of Pharmacy, William Wynn, 1999; Deborah Bowers, 2000; and Julie Sease, 2003, have been named to serve on the SCPhA Board of Directors.
Betsy Blake – Bowl of Hygeia
Betsy Blake, clinical associate professor and director of interprofessional education, received the Bowl of Hygeia award for her outstanding community service and professional contributions over the past 25 years.
Blake has served SCPhA in multiple leadership roles, including Speaker of the House and chair of the Education Committee. Her community service expanded after being diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, a progressive autoimmune disorder that caused her near-complete paralysis in 2014.
Following her recovery, Blake became a local liaison for the GBS-CIDP Foundation International, where she now serves on the board of directors. She holds support meetings, advocates for enhanced Medicare coverage, and presents at national conferences.
“My diagnosis with CIDP has led to incredible opportunities for me to continue to provide hope and support for others,” Blake says. She encourages others to follow suit: “Find your calling and serve – your profession, your community, your passion.”
Zoe Ayers – Young Pharmacist of the Year
Zoe Ayers graduated in 2021 and is the pharmacy manager at CVS in Ballentine, South Carolina. She was named Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year, an award that recognizes pharmacists practicing fewer than nine years who demonstrate passion for patient care and community involvement.
Ayers was greatly surprised by the recognition. “As a community pharmacist working for a large chain, it is easy to feel overlooked and unseen in the world of pharmacy,” she says. “Community pharmacy is the face of our profession and what many of the public think of as a pharmacist. I am honored to have been selected and hope to continue to impact the profession.”
She advises young pharmacists and student pharmacists to say yes to opportunities, noting that her involvement in the College of Pharmacy’s student organizations helped her to develop the leadership skills essential to her current management role.
Community pharmacy is the face of our profession and what many of the public think of as a pharmacist. I am honored to have been selected and hope to continue to impact the profession.
Emily Rudisell – Student Pharmacist of the Year
Emily Rudisell, a 2025 graduate, is this year’s Student Pharmacist of the Year. As a student, she received Ambassador of the Year and Outstanding Student Leadership awards before beginning her postgraduate residency with Prisma Health Richland in July.
Rudisell is grateful for the pharmacy community she discovered during her time in school. “When I started pharmacy school, I felt so small in a crowd of aspiring pharmacists. How could I ever be different and be recognized?” she says.
Rudisell believes effective leadership comes without the expectation of recognition. “The best leadership is the kind that is done with no intention of recognition. Once you are recognized, you know how much of an impact you have made.”
Jordan Ballou – Ken Couch Mentor of the Year
Jordan Ballou is the interim associate dean of student affairs and received the Ken Couch Mentor of the Year award, named for USC COP Alumnus Ken Couch and presented to an SCPhA member whose efforts have significantly contributed to promoting and encouraging students or pharmacists to attain leadership positions within pharmacy through example as a role model, mentor or preceptor.
Ballou believes that mentoring others is part of her professional obligation and credits her mentors, who supported her throughout her career, for inspiring her approach to leadership.
“I have had so many great mentors throughout my career, who have supported me and lifted me up, who have dragged me along with them. And so I try to do the same for others,” Ballou says.
Her mentoring philosophy centers on inclusive leadership. “The best thing that we can do is to turn around and say to somebody, ‘Why don’t you come with me? This is where I’m going. Why don’t you come along?’”
I have had so many great mentors throughout my career, who have supported me and lifted me up, who have dragged me along with them. And so I try to do the same for others.
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Alumni, Faculty and Staff