On March 27, members of the UBC Pharm Sci community convened at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre to honour the accomplishments of Dr. Diana Chow, MS, PhD’81, the 2023 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni Agent of Change, and Dr. Tarique Benbow, PhD’22, the Alumni Future Agent of Change. The occasion was presided over by Dean Michael Coughtrie and included presentations by the awardees followed by a reception.
Dr. Diana Shu-Lian Chow is Paula & John J Lovoi Endowed Professor in Drug Discovery and Development, Professor of Pharmaceutics, and Director of the Institute for Drug Education and Research (IDER) in the University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP). Dr. Chow has been active, well-funded, and accomplished in research, education, and administrative services at the UHCOP for 42 years. Her research endeavors have resulted in an FDA approved product of Busulfan®, which is used in all continents and serves as the gold standard protocol for preparative regimen of blood, bone marrow, or stem cell transplant. Her innovative research in drug discovery and development led to multiple patents in various stages of development for clinical applications, for which she was inducted as a Fellow of National Academy of Inventors in 2016.
Recipient of the 2023 Alumni Future Agent of Change, Dr. Tarique Benbow, has always been an avid innovator and critical thinker. His professional journey began as an industrial pharmacist after completing his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 2014 at the University of Technology Jamaica. In his native country, he worked at P.A. Benjamin Manufacturing Company Ltd, where he helped the firm achieve ISO certification and optimize its manufacturing processes and quality management systems.
Currently, Dr. Benbow is a management consultant at Bain & Company, where he drives change on an international scale by designing sustainable solutions for the most pressing business challenges of diverse public, private, and non-profit organizations. Dr. Benbow credits his time at UBC for preparing him for his current role.
Please visit the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences website to read more on the achievements of Dr. Chow and Dr. Benbow.
Through Strategy 18: Alumni Engagement, UBC is working with alumni UBC, together with targeted efforts across faculties and departments, to broaden and deepen engagement through programs that cultivate pride, empower personal growth, support professional development and enable contribution.