OU College of Pharmacy Recognizes 2025 Alumni Award Recipients

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy hosted its Annual Pharmacy Alumni Reception on June 12, honoring outstanding alumni and celebrating the college’s achievements.

Melissa Medina, Ed.D., the college’s dean, opened the event, recognizing award recipients, milestone alumni, scholarship recipients and board members. The Alumni Association also had its annual meeting.

“We are proud of our 2025 honorees who represent the very best of the college. Their achievements demonstrate what can be accomplished with an OU College of Pharmacy education,” Medina said.

The OU College of Pharmacy Alumni Affairs Board presented five awards. This year’s award recipients are:

Distinguished Alumni Award: Gary E. Raskob, Ph.D. is senior vice president and provost at OU Health Sciences, overseeing the educational and research programs across its seven colleges, the Stephenson Cancer Center and the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. He serves on the boards of the University Hospitals Authority and Trust, OU Health, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, National Blood Clot Alliance and United Way of Central Oklahoma. He has academic appointments in the Colleges of Public Health and Medicine as a Regents Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine. His scholarly interests include the prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, as well as clinical trials, antithrombotic drug development, evidence-based medicine and public health with a focus on translating research evidence into practice. Raskob has participated extensively in clinical practice guideline development for many specialty organizations, such as the American Society of Hematology, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Acute Tubular Injury, and American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has served in advisory roles for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as chair of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee and the Oklahoma County Board of Health. He is author or co-author of over 200 publications, including 21 articles in the New England Journal of Medicine. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in pharmaceutical sciences from OU and his Master of Science degree in clinical epidemiology and health research methodology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.

E. Blanche Sommers Alumni Award: Dr. Kenny Nguyen is a regulatory affairs professional dedicated to advancing innovative and life-saving therapies. An Oklahoma City native, he earned his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from OU. He began his career through a postdoctoral fellowship in regulatory affairs with AbbVie Pharmaceuticals and the University of Southern California. There, he played a key role in bringing new therapeutic and aesthetic applications of Botox to global markets and ensuring the availability of essential medications like Survanta, Norco and Armour Thyroid. His expertise spans regulatory strategy, labeling and chemistry, manufacturing and controls, and includes negotiating with the Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency of Japan, the Ministry of Health of the European Union and Therapeutic Goods of Australia. As a strategic global labeling manager, Nguyen led Allergan’s ophthalmology portfolio through global regulatory pathways and championed AbbVie’s first Prescription-to-Over-the-Counter switch. In 2023, he returned to regulatory strategy in oncology, supporting the advancement of orphan drugs for rare cancers such as multiple myeloma and follicular lymphoma. Now a senior manager in early-stage oncology, Nguyen aims to advance experimental therapies from discovery through first-in-human trials, working to bring patients life-saving treatments. He is also passionate about mentoring students to help shape the next generation of regulatory professionals.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award: Dr. Aubrey Jones graduated from the OU College of Pharmacy in 2016 and completed a Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2) cardiology residency at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. She began her career as a clinical pharmacist at OU Health before transitioning to a role in pharmacy administration in 2020. She currently serves as the system clinical pharmacy manager for SSM Health, supporting critical care, cardiology and emergency medicine across Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin. Jones is chair of the Residency Project Advisory Board and a preceptor for OU College of Pharmacy students and SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital residents in Oklahoma City. Her professional interests include formulary management, anticoagulation and residency development. Outside of work, she enjoys scuba diving, reading and spending quality time with her family.

Ralph D. Bienfang Outstanding Practitioner Award: Dr. Jamie Miller is a professor at the OU College of Pharmacy and an adjunct professor at the OU College of Medicine. She completed a Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency and a PGY2 pediatric pharmacy residency at OU Pharmacy. Miller has served as a clinical pharmacist in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health for the past 17 years. She is also the PGY1 pharmacy residency program director. Miller is board certified in pediatric pharmacy and is a Fellow of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Her research primarily focuses on pain management and sedation in neonates and children, pharmacokinetic alterations in critically ill pediatric patients and the education and training of pharmacy students and residents.

Special Service Citation: Dr. Beth H. Resman-Targof is a clinical professor at OU College of Pharmacy. Since moving to Oklahoma in 1981, she has educated over 4,000 pharmacy students, 500 dental students and countless others in medicine, nursing and physician associate programs. Her role in course coordination and development has had a profound impact on the OU’s Doctor of Pharmacy and internal medicine programs. She earned notable preceptor awards throughout her practice at OU Medical Center. Resman-Targoff has served as faculty adviser for the Rho Chi Gamma Chapter since 1988 and is currently Region VI Councilor for the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society, who presented her with the 2018 National Faculty Advisor Award. She was also named Oklahoma State Hospital Pharmacy Pharmacist of the Year in 2011. Resman-Targoff received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed additional training at Buffalo Veterans Hospital. She is a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, a longstanding member of the Institutional Review Board, and chair of The Annals of Pharmacotherapy Editorial Board Panel on Rheumatology and Immunology. She is widely published in her field and has shared her expertise at numerous national pharmacy and rheumatology meetings, promoting lifelong learning and ensuring quality patient care.

About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.