About the Award
The College of Pharmacy honors graduates of the past 20 years who have achieved early distinction in their field. Nominees include those who have made considerable contributions to the theory and practice of pharmacy or have demonstrated major accomplishments in a professional pharmacy practice or in pharmaceutical research and development. Recipients have also contributed truly exceptional service to their community, the college, the profession, or the public.
2024 Genesis Award Recipients
Jessica M. Frank
Jessica Frank, ’07 PharmD, is an experienced health care executive with expertise in government programs, health care quality measures, value-based care, and account management. As senior vice president for RxAnte in Virginia, she is recognized as a subject matter expert in Medicare Star Ratings, value-based payment models, and medication therapy management. Frank has experience managing performance-based networks and developing clinical pharmacy solutions for health plans in all market segments within the managed-care industry.
After earning her Doctor of Pharmacy, Frank completed a Managed Care Pharmacy Residency with Outcomes in West Des Moines, Iowa, and spent the next 14 years there in clinical services, operations, and business development. Industry boards and panels on which she has served include the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services MTM Technical Expert Panel and the National MTM Advisory Board.
Yogita Krishnamachari
Yogita Krishnamachari, ’11 PhD, is a director in Sterile Product Development at Merck & Co., Inc. She is responsible for CMC leadership toward Merck’s large molecule portfolio spanning all biologics modalities. Krishnamachari is considered a domain expert in the development of drug device combination product development for subcutaneous administration of biologics and antibody drug conjugate development and product tech transfer and commercialization. She also has a strong niche in oncology product development.
Krishnamachari has co-authored several publications and co-invented four patents, one stemming from her work at Iowa. She is active in the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, previously serving as Sterile Product Community chair, and currently sitting as chair of the IQ Novel Excipient Working Group. Krishnamachari is also a member of a cross-industry subcutaneous delivery consortium. She values mentoring junior scientists and enjoys cooking, baking, and dancing while trying to keep up with her two energetic sons.
Past Genesis Award Recipients*
2023 Genesis Award Recipients
Kristen Peterson, ’17 PharmD
Heidi Schwanz, ’12 PhD, MBA
2022 Genesis Award Recipients
Samm Anderegg, '11 PharmD, MS
Rubi Burlage, ’06 PhD
Brett Faine, ’07 PharmD, MS
2021 Genesis Award Recipients
Brand Newland, '05 PharmD, MBA
Ann Schwemm, '09 PharmD/MPH
2019 Genesis Award Recipients
Monica Fay-Azhar, ’03 PharmD, MBA
Scott Hynes, ’00 PharmD, PhD
2018 Genesis Award Recipients
Nicole K Brogden, '07 PharmD, PhD
Farah Towfic, '11 PharmD
2017 Genesis Award Recipients
Brett Barker, '08 PharmD
Karunya Kandimalla, '04 PhD
2016 Genesis Award Recipients
Deanna L McDanel, '01 PharmD,
Francisco Velazquez, BS, MS, '03 PhD
2015 Genesis Award Recipient
Mike Brownlee, '01 PharmD, MS
2014 Genesis Award Recipients
Kuberan Balagurunathan, '00 PhD
Nora Stelter, '00 PharmD
2013 Genesis Award Recipients
Kelly Brock, '02 PharmD
Joanne Reiland Wakeman, '02 BS, '09 PhD
*No ceremony was held in 2020.