Riley Evans named recipient of national award for contributions to public health

Class of 2023 PharmD candidate Riley Evans will receive a 2023 Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award. Evans was nominated for the award for his commitment to expanding access to health care for patients across Ohio.

The Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award is issued by the Pharmacist Professional Advisor Committee of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS). The prestigious award recognizes pharmacy students who have made significant contributions to public health by promoting wellness and healthy communities. To be considered for the award, students are evaluated on their contributions that advance the goals of Healthy People 2030.

Evans has had significant accomplishments throughout his educational career that have been focused on serving underserved communities by enhancing access to care. After being selected as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow in 2020, Evans planned and implemented monthly blood sugar screenings at a local food bank. Through the fellowship, Evans helped to refine a college point-of-care testing program and assist with the development of training resources for pharmacy students.

During the 2021-22 academic year, Evans served as the student pharmacist coordinator for Physicians Care Connection, a free clinic where he led efforts with student volunteers and pharmacists to provide free medications and care to those with limited health care access in Columbus. In addition, Evans responded to the emergent public health crisis, COVID-19, by volunteering to immunize Ohioans against the virus.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the globe, Evans joined a team of faculty and students who partnered with OSU Extension to address vaccine hesitancy among Ohio farmers and members of the state’s rural communities and to provide vaccinations to this population. He also developed and implemented a diabetes care program in an independent pharmacy in his rural hometown working with the college’s Partner for Promotion program.

“Riley’s leadership in community service and public health has spanned his entire academic career from his undergraduate studies through his PharmD education,” said Henry Mann, PharmD, FASHP, FCCP, FCCM, dean and professor of the College of Pharmacy. “He is a servant leader among his peers and is incredibly deserving of this honor.”