The Department of BioMolecular Sciences and its divisions are honored to present a variety of distinguished lectures and awards each year. These events are funded by endowments and donations from our faculty, alumni and the public.

The Joseph Sam Distinguished Alumnus Award

In the 1950s, Dr. Joseph Sam had a vision of offering a graduate program in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. His vision was to develop a program that would train and educate future scientist in the field of drug development and discovery. Dr. Sam served as one of the first chairs of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, the university’s Dean of the Graduate School, and eventually the Vice Chancellor of Research. At his funeral it was stated by an upper administrator of the university that Dr. Sam did more for graduate education and research development at the University of Mississippi than any other person in its history. In fact, the first graduate degrees of Ole Miss were offered under his tutelage.

While in industry, Dr. Sam had synthesized one of the earliest drugs to be used clinically for the relaxation of skeletal muscle spasms. That drug, chlorzoxazone (Paraflex), is still used today as a clinical muscle relaxant.

The success of our graduate program can obviously be attributed to the quality of its faculty and students. Yet no one has contributed more to the spirit and inspiration of these efforts that Dr. Joseph Sam. His service to our department and the university has reflected very well on us.

As a result of the impact Dr. Sam has had on each of us, in 2009 we created The Joseph Sam Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of Joe.

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Previous Joseph Sam Award Recipients

• • • • • • 2011-2012 (Inaugural) Dr. Michael Rogers
            Director, Division of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biological Chemistry, National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences
          • 2012-2013 Dr. Gary O. Rankin
            Professor and Chair Department: Pharmacology, Physiology and ToxicologyJoan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University
          • 2013-2014 Dr. Seth Y. Ablordeppy
            Professor of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A&M Universit
          • 2014-2015 Dr. Robert Magarian
            Professor Emeritus of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma
          • 2016-2017 Dr. Jimmie Valentine
            Medical Pharmacology & Toxicology Consulting, Retired Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Myeloma Research, University of Arkansas College of Medicine
          • 2018 Dr. C. Randall Clark
            Sandra Kent Gilliland and David Louie Gilliland Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
            Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy
            Auburn University

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      Ronald F. Borne Distinguished Lectureship

      In 2005 the Department of Medicinal Chemistry held its inaugural Ronald F. Borne Distinguished Lectureship. This lectureship was created to recognize the work Dr. Borne has provided to the department, school, and university. He came to Ole Miss in 1968 from the University of Kansas after receiving his PhD in medicinal chemistry. Ron served the university and school as department chair from 1979-1988 and interim vice chancellor of research from 1997-2001. Under his direction as the vice chancellor of research the university increased its extramural funding from $18.5 million to $73.5 million.

      His dedication to teaching was acknowledged by students who selected him as the School of Pharmacy Outstanding Teacher six times (1982, 1983, 1989, 1993, 1997, and 1998). In 1972, he was the first School of Pharmacy faculty member to receive the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award, which is the university’s highest teaching award. In 1996 he was selected as the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Distinguished Pharmacy Educator, which is presently recognized as the Robert K. Chalmers Distinguished Pharmacy Educator Award.

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      • • • 2005 Dr. Philip S. Portoghese, Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
          • 2006 Dr. Allen B. Reitz, Senior Research Fellow, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Editor of Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
          • 2007 Dr. Neal Castagnoli, Jr., Peters Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
          • 2008 Dr. Kenner C. Rice, Chief of the Chemical Biology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse
          • 2009 Dr. Duane D. Miller, Van Vleet Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, College of Pharmacy University of Tennessee Health Science Center
          • 2010 Dr. Peter Crooks, George A. Digenis Professor in Drug Design and Discovery University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy
          • 2011 Dr. Bruce E. Maryanoff, Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute
          • 2012  Dr. S. Michael Owens, Professor and Director, Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and a Wilbur Mills Endowed Chair in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
          • 2013  Dr. Kenneth A. Jacobson, Chief, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry & Molecular Recognition Section, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health
          • 2014 Dr. Chris M. Ireland, L.S. Skaggs Presidential Endowed Chair, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, University of Utah
          • 2014 Dr. Lawrence J. Marnett, Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacology, Mary Gheddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

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      Coy W. Waller Distinguished Lecture

      The Coy W. Waller Distinguished Lecture series was established in 2004 to recognize the former Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences director’s contributions to the field of pharmaceutics and to the pharmacy school. Each year, a department within the school hosts the lecture, and lecturers are selected for their contributions to the host department’s discipline.A native of Dover, N.C., Coy W. Waller earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of North Carolina, master’s in microanalytical chemistry from the University of Buffalo and doctor of philosophy in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Minnesota. In 1944, he joined Lederle Laboratories as a research chemist and was promoted to director of chemical research in 1954. At Lederle, Waller synthesized the vitamin Folic Acid. His team also developed Methotrexate®, Aureomycin®, Netropsin®, Nucleocidin®, and Puromycin®.He became the director of chemical research at the Mead Johnson Research Center in 1957. While there, he and a colleague patented Mucomyst® which is marketed for treatment of cystic fibrosis. Waller later became the vice president of pharmaceutical research and development. Waller joined The University of Mississippi in 1970 as director of the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition to reorganizing RIPS, he hired a number of scientists to devote all of their creative energies to pharmaceutical research and development. Under his leadership, RIPS began its internationally renowned marijuana research program.

      When Waller stepped down as director in 1979, he had imbued the institute with a spirit of discovery that still thrives today. That spirit is part of his legacy of achievement, which continues to provide vision for the institute’s research scientists who follow in his footsteps.

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      Previous Coy W. Waller Distinguished Lecturers

      • • • • • • 2004 Dr. Oakley S. Ray
                  Executive Secretary of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
                • 2005 Dr. Billy R. Martin
                  Chair and Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
                  at Virginia Commonwealth University
                • 2006 Dr. Jon Clardy
                  Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
                  at Harvard Medical School
                • 2007 Dr. Carlton E. Turner
                  Former President and CEO of Carrington Laboratories
                • 2008 Dr. Ashim K. Mitra
                  Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Missouri
                  Curators’ Professor of Pharmacy, and Chairman of the Division of
                  Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City
                • 2009 Dr. Marie Chisholm-Burns
                  Department Head and Professor Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Arizona
                • 2010 Dr. Marv Shepherd
                  Professor and Director, Pharmacy Administration Division,
                  University of Texas
                • 2011 Dr. Susan B. Shurin
                  Acting Director, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
                • 2012 Dr. Marilyn A. Huestis
                  Chief, Chemistry and Drug Metabolism Section, Intramural Research Program
                  of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
                • 2013 Dr. William H. Gerwick
                  Distinguished Professor of Oceanography and Pharmaceutical Sciences
                  Scripps Institution of Oceanography
                  Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
                  University of California, San Diego
                • 2014 Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn
                  Professor and Jack L. Beal Chair in Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy
                  The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
                • 2015 Dr. Mansoor A. Khan
                  Professor and Vice Dean of College Station Campus, Interim Department Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M University
                • 2016 John E. Murphy, Pharm.D.
                  Interim Dean and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Assessment
                  Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science
                  The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy
                • 2018 Dr. C. Daniel Mullins
                  Professor and Chair of the Pharmaceutical Health Services Research Department
                  University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
                • 2018 Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly
                  Co-director of the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Project

     

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