A current of excitement and anticipation flowed through the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center the afternoon of Friday, May 12, as more than 185 College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences’ students and their loved ones gathered for the 28th CPHS Commencement Exercise.
“This is one of the most exciting times of the academic year,” said Michael L. Adams, PharmD ’96, PhD, dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. “It’s a joyful blessing to see our students who have spent countless hours in didactic and hands-on learning cross the finish line and realize their goal of walking the stage and receiving their diploma. I look forward to seeing them continue to lead purposeful lives of meaningful service.”
Among the graduates are brothers Andrew and Bryan Darkow from Washington, N.C. Andrew is graduating from the PharmD/MBA dual degree program and will soon begin a pharmacy practice residency at Duke Regional Hospital in Durham. Bryan is graduating with a bachelor of science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and plans to enter the field of drug research in the RTP area. 
“Sharing a graduation day with my brother is exciting, not just for the two of us, but for our parents, Craig and Ann, too,” said Bryan. “It’s also awesome that we’re in similar health related career tracks. We’ve been able to talk about classes and experiential activities. We also have some of the same classmates and friends. It’s been a great experience here at Campbell.”
Andrew shared, “It has been truly meaningful to be able to grow alongside my brother over the last 4 years. I will always cherish the friends and memories we've made together at Campbell University.”
The Challenge
Dr. Robert M. Califf, professor of medicine at Duke University and former FDA Commissioner, gave the commencement address. He spoke about the tripartite mission of delivering first class healthcare, teaching the art of science, and advancing knowledge through scholarly research.
His fundamental question for graduates to consider was, “given the changes occurring in our society, should this tripartite mission of patient care, research and education be your life mission that you embark in earnest during your careers?”
Dr. Califf also challenged the graduates to consider three key issues as they embark on their next life journey:
- That people have lost faith and confidence in our institutions
- Access to information has out structured our ability to assimilate data
- We live in a country that has experienced its first decline in life expectancy since 1918
As he closed his remarks, he congratulated the students on entering a fascinating new world.
The Degrees and More
Forty-three bachelor degrees, 42 master degrees and 101 doctorates were conferred on the CPHS students by Campbell University President, J. Bradley Creed.
He said, “Campbell students are smart, talented, passionate, and just plain fun to be around. I’ve seen first-hand your compassions, talents, experiences and perspectives you bring to campus. You’ve worked hard and now you celebrate your amazing accomplishment.”
Creed continued, “You’ll always be a child of your alma mater, and I’ll look forward to welcoming you home often. Class of 2017, congratulations! I can’t wait to see where you go and what you’ll do next!”
In addition to graduation, CPHS has held several pre-graduation events including honor cord ceremonies, class photos, fraternity photos, and the PASA hoodie ceremony.
Click here for more photos of pre-graudation events and of the commencement ceremony.