April 12, 2022

Jewel Konja and Paige Hanke earn national Lambda Kappa Sigma education grants

Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Doctor of Pharmacy candidates Jewel Konja and Paige Hanke have been awarded Cora E. Craven Educational Grants from the Lambda Kappa Sigma (LKS) Educational Trust. Students from 83 LKS chapters across the U.S. apply for these highly competitive scholarships, which reward leadership, scholarship, and dedication to the LKS fraternity and the profession of pharmacy.

Konja and Hanke were nominated by Professor of Pharmacy Practice and LKS Omicron chapter faculty advisor Dr. Mary Beth O’Connell. “They have worked extremely hard for LKS and other student pharmacy organizations while keeping good grades and being positive, upbeat, and respectful of classmates and their education,” O’Connell said.

Jewel Konja ’23 is president of LKS Omicron. She has also served LKS as chair of the scholarship committee, which focuses on the academic success of chapter members through its “no lamb left behind” philosophy. Konja leads by example, currently pursuing three separate research projects and two internships in addition to her PharmD curriculum work. On campus and in the Detroit community, she participates in wellness events, including health screenings, vaccinations, non-opioid pain management and more, and she has worked with young women timing out of the foster care system. A member of national pharmacy leadership society Phi Lambda Sigma, Konja plans to specialize in pediatrics and/or critical care pharmacy.

“Jewel sets very high goals, can create a plan to achieve them, and usually does,” O’Connell said. “She sees the world as good and finds opportunities to make it better. She is positive with a can-do attitude and stellar work ethic.”

Paige Hanke ’23 is vice president of LKS Omicron. As a member of the LKS sisterhood and professional committees, she has brought opportunities for bonding, self-improvement, leadership development and career planning to the chapter. She is engaged in an award-winning research project, two internships, and maintains an exceptional GPA, while also serving as a mentor to students in Wayne State’s pre-pharmacy program. Hanke commits much time and talent to improve the health of the Detroit community, from vaccinating frontline workers to presenting medication safety information at assisted living facilities. She is involved extensively with pharmacy student organizations and is the Phi Lambda Sigma historian. Her goal is to become a cardiology or critical care pharmacy specialist.

“Paige embodies the concept that a fraternity is a family, and she really cares about the success and happiness of each member,” O’Connell said. “She is respected and valued by our membership, and each sister knows they can go to Paige for any type of help.”

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About us

The Doctor of Pharmacy program at Wayne State University is a four-year curriculum in the heart of Detroit. Approximately 100 students are enrolled in each year of the program. WSU Applebaum information meetings for prospective students take place at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. The application process for the Doctor of Pharmacy program begins in July.

An anchor in urban health care, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels – from undergraduates to veteran faculty members – translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 25,000 students.

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