Wayne State University Assistant Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice Brittany Stewart has been honored with the 2020 Lambda Kappa Sigma Award of Merit, which recognizes a member who has distinguished herself or himself through academic achievement, professional advancement or community service within the pharmacy profession and who well-represents the fraternity. Only one Award of Merit is presented annually across all LKS alumni chapters in the U.S. and Canada.

"Dr. Stewart espouses LKS virtues - loyalty, knowledge and science - with passion, integrity and cheerfulness. Since her initiation in 2005, she has embraced sisterhood with her time, talent and ideas," said Professor Mary Beth O'Connell, who - along with four others - nominated Stewart for the award. "She is an excellent role model and advocate for what pharmacists can do for patient care in the community, and she is highly regarded by both collegiate and alumni members - a positive shining light of LKS."

A Wayne State alumna herself, Stewart is a clinical pharmacist in the university's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and its research-intensive Integrative Biosciences Center, working on vital public health initiatives with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease and the opioid epidemic. She brings to this interprofessional research the skills and expertise to enhance awareness and abilities of pharmacists to investigational medication control and clinical trials.

In March, Stewart trained and supervised WSU chemistry students in compounding more than 45 gallons of hand sanitizer for university and Detroit police departments, and she helped recruit volunteers to serve at COVID-19 testing operations in the city.

Stewart is active in efforts of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and Michigan Pharmacist Association to improve clinic and community pharmacists' roles in patient care, serving on committees that develop resources, programming and advocacy initiatives to help enhance pharmacy care within interprofessional teams and as solo practitioners. She is the faculty advisor for the APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists at Wayne State, always willing to support the chapter's extensive community engagement projects and professional development activities.

"When I joined LKS in 2005 as a first year student pharmacist at Wayne State, I had no idea the positive impact and value it would bring to my personal and professional life as a pharmacist," Stewart said. "LKS is an organization with a mission to elevate women in pharmacy with integrity, excellence and sisterhood. I am truly honored to receive this award from my LKS family and proud to be a lamb for life.

Lambda Kappa Sigma provides lifelong opportunities for women in pharmacy through professional excellence and personal growth. Since its founding in 1913, the fraternity has initiated more than 24,000 members, and has chartered 49 campus and 38 alumni chapters. The award will be presented to Stewart on July 26 in conjunction with the group's virtual annual convention.