May 15, 2023
One hundred ninety-three students came together Saturday, May 13 to mark their accomplishments during the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy commencement ceremony at Memorial Hall.
The School’s Class of 2023 included 22 Master of Science (M.S.) candidates, 155 Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) candidates and 16 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) candidates.
They were among nearly 6,500 Tar Heels, including undergraduate, graduate and professional students, to have their Carolina degrees conferred over the weekend.
Angela Kashuba, Dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, opened the ceremony by celebrating the Class of 2023. “This is your time to celebrate your accomplishments, your determination, your grit, your passion and most of all, your resiliency. Despite all the hurdles and setbacks, you have become a highly decorated group of graduates – winning countless awards and recognitions, publishing papers, presenting data at national and international meetings, and securing significant grant dollars,” she said.
The keynote speaker was Katy Moore ‘93, Pharm.D., R.Ph., president of clinical pharmacology, modeling and simulation at Allucent. She congratulated the graduates and encouraged them through her own story—revealing how their careers will lead them to places they never expected.
Moore also quoted President Theodore Roosevelt saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” She advised graduates to focus on their own journey. “Follow your own path and remember your choices, courage, character and capabilities will make a difference in your community, North Carolina, our country and the world,” she said.
Libby Powell, president of the Doctor of Pharmacy class of 2023, shared reflections with her peers highlighting their ability to adapt—particularly when COVID-19 shifted their studies online. “I’m proud to be part of this class. There is something engrained in these individuals that makes you confident they are going to do great things,” she said.
Dean Kashuba ended the ceremony by acknowledging the great support each graduate received from family, friends and the School’s faculty and staff during their studies.
“The completion of a UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy degree is a substantial accomplishment. We do not make it easy, but it’s the hard that makes it great. It’s the hard that has made you great,” she said.
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