Buies Creek, N.C.-From christening a new pharmacy teaching facility to suffering the loss of a fellow student, the class of Campbell University’s School of Pharmacy for 2009 has experienced triumph and tragedy over the past four years. Sharing these events was Dr. Thomas Holmes, director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program at Campbell. According to class president Justin Adams, Holmes’ ability to be a sounding board, provide guidance, act as a mentor, academic advisor and general wiser older brother prompted the class to endow a scholarship in his honor. The scholarship was presented at the school’s graduation ceremony on May 8. Holmes was also named Pharmacy Professor of the Year by the Class of 2012.
The Dr. Thomas J. Holmes, Jr. Class of 2009 Endowed Pharmacy Scholarship Fund was established with a total contribution of $30,800 collected from individual class members.
“Dr. Holmes has been an instrumental figure in the development and preparation of the Pharm.D. Class of 2009 as future pharmacists,” Adams said. “Over the last four years, he has continuously worked to meet the innumerable individual student needs, as well as the needs of our class, the program and university and the profession of pharmacy as a whole.
“As a class, we wish to recognize his selfless commitment to the students and our School of Pharmacy. Our hope is that our gift will be a testament to his efforts to current and future Campbell University School of Pharmacy ‘family’ members. He never offered us less than his utmost and for that we are forever grateful.”
In addition to the scholarship, the class presented Holmes with the book “The Giving Tree,” by Shel Silverstein, which accurately describes his attitude toward service, the class explained. The book was signed individually by members of the class.
“I have had the pleasure of sharing so much with individual members of this class over the past four years,” Holmes remarked. “Establishing this scholarship in my name is an extraordinarily generous gift which will bind me to this class for years to come.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Holmes completed his B.S. degree in pharmacy at Duquesne University in 1971 and became licensed to practice pharmacy at that time. He completed his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan in 1975. Holmes spent three years as a postdoctoral research associate in the Chemistry Department at the University of Chicago before joining the research staff at Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation in New Jersey as a senior research scientist in the departments of Chemistry and Immunosciences. After two years in the industry, he accepted a position as assistant professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy. In 1987 he moved to the newly established Campbell University School of Pharmacy. Holmes has served in numerous leadership positions at Campbell, including Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
In addition, Holmes has served as a reviewer for the “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” and the American Pharmacists Association “Handbook of Non-Prescription Drugs.” He is the recipient of the NIH New Investigator Research Award, the Lilly Achievement Award, the Galen Society Award in Pharmacology and the Galen Society Award in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.