Generally, one First Year Graduate Fellowship is awarded annually to a student beginning their first year of graduate study. Details regarding the fellowship and application process can be found below. The deadline for receipt of applications is May 1.
- It shall be the policy of The Rho Chi Society to award on an annual basis to a qualified applicant, the Rho Chi, AFPE First-Year Graduate Fellowship, a cash award of $7,500.
- The award shall be presented to the successful applicant by action of the Rho Chi Graduate Fellowship Committee and the AFPE Board of Grants.
- The award recipient will be announced at the Annual Convention of The Rho Chi Society. The award stipend will be paid in two payments on September 1 and May 1 of the year of the award after it has been determined that the applicant has enrolled in the graduate program specified in the application.
- The award is not renewable.
- Exceptions to this policy shall be made only by the Executive Council of the Society.
- Applicants must be a member of the Rho Chi Honor Society.
- Applicants must be a pharmacy student in the final year of professional studies or a
professional pharmacy degree program graduate entering a pharmaceutical sciences
(including social/administrative sciences) Ph.D. program in an accredited U.S. school
or college of pharmacy as a full-time student. Pharmacy students who have initiated
graduate work through a dual Pharm.D./Ph.D. degree pathway are eligible if they
have completed their professional degree and will be pursuing full-time graduate
study in the year the award is made.* - Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
*Students who will not have completed their professional degree at the time of the award may be considered in specific and compelling situations. To be considered, a separate letter from the student’s graduate mentor/major advisor must be include and must:
- Provide assurance that the student is committed to continuing graduate studies following receipt of the professional degree.
- Indicate that at least 75% of the student’s effort will be dedicated to graduate studies during the year that the award is made.
- Confirm that, at the time of the award, at least two years of study or research remain to be completed in the student’s Ph.D. program.
The applicant shall have demonstrated high potential for success in a graduate program on the strength of:
- Academic achievement (transcripts, GRE scores if required by your program, academic awards and honors); Research achievement (previous research experience, presentations, abstract, publications); Personal achievement (challenges overcome, clarity of motivation, personal and career goals).
- Certification through a minimum of at least three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals directly familiar with the applicant’s academic achievements and capacity for success in graduate programs.
Past Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Chapter/University |
| 2024 | Kyle Rehrauer | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| 2023 | Alexcia Carr | University of Texas at Austin |
| 2022 | Christopher Godwin | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences |
| 2021 | No Recipient | |
| 2020 | Philip Melchert | University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC) |
| 2019 | Keito Hoshitsuki | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2018 | No Recipient | |
| 2017 | Corey J. Hayes | University of Arkansas |
| 2016 | Christopher D. Saffore | University of Illinois at Chicago |
| 2016 | Gena Maynelle Burch | University of Florida |
| 2015 | No Recipient | |
| 2015 | Julie Ann Rechel Patterson | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| 2014 | Blessy George | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
| 2014 | Izna Ali | Midwestern University |
| 2013 | Amanda Stolarz | University of Arkansas |
| 2012 | Corbin Thompson | Ohio Northern University |
| 2011 | Julieta Scalo | University of Texas at Austin |
| 2010 | Daniel J. Crona | University of Colorado |
| 2009 | Melanie R. Nicol | Ohio Northern University |
| 2008 | Daniel Hertz | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
| 2008 | Jasmine Talameh | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2007 | Nathaniel Page | University at Buffalo |
| 2006 | Katherine Francis | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2005 | Joshua Neumiller | Washington State University |
| 2004 | Ashley N. Albright | University of Texas at Austin |
| 2003 | Lisa Tang | University of Tennessee |
| 2002 | Lauren M. Aleksunes | University of Connecticut |
| 2001 | Michael D. Taylor | University of Florida |
| 2000 | Bernard J. Komoroski | University of Pittsburgh |
| 1998 | Carol E. Kopet | University of Connecticut |
| 1997 | C. Ryan Yates | University of Tennessee |
| 1996 | Melissa L. Flagg | University of Mississippi |
| 1995 | Karen L. Hackett | Creighton University |
| 1994 | Peter D. A. Angus | University of Michigan |
| 1993 | Sherry L. LaPorte | University of Connecticut |
| 1992 | Stephen M. Waters | Oregon State University |