by Karina Brady, Student Public Relations Writer
A Cedarville University professional pharmacy student and U.S. military veteran has been recognized with two national honors.
Ankit Pandav, from Grove City, Ohio, received the 2018 Fall Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship and was nominated for the 2017-18 J.B. Hills Chapter President of the Year Award.
The Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship is sponsored by Sport Clips Haircuts and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to support veterans as they pursue education after transitioning back to civilian life.
Prior to attending Cedarville University, Pandav served in the Ohio Army National Guard for six years, including a deployment to Afghanistan. While deployed, he met two captains who were Cedarville graduates.
“Their influence, the small class size, being a Christian university and the passion for pharmacy led me to Cedarville University,” said Pandav. He arrived at Cedarville in 2014 to study pharmacy.
In addition to the Help a Hero Scholarship, Pandav was also nominated for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) President of the Year Award in June. The President of the Year Award is sponsored by the National Pharmaceutical Association and presented annually by the SNPhA.
Each SNPhA chapter nominates an eligible member deserving of the award. The nominees must show good academic standing; participate in national initiatives, events and webinars; meet 90 percent of report deadlines; and display extraordinary leadership.
Pandav received this nomination due to his exemplary leadership as president and co-founder of the Cedarville University SNPhA organization last year.
During his time at Cedarville, Pandav has also founded the Veteran Outreach Committee of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), co-chaired the Operation Diabetes Committee of the APhA and founded Cedarville University’s Military Service Organization.
Pandav attended the SNPhA National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. July 27-29 to represent Cedarville University as a guest panelist and participate in the awards ceremony. Pandav is currently finishing his pharmacy rotations at Cleveland Clinic. After graduation, he hopes to work for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,963 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.