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A generous donation from Sobeys National Pharmacy Group will support students from underrepresented groups in their pursuit of pharmacy education at Dal. The $30,000 gift will be directed toward the Faculty of Health's priority area of advancing and supporting inclusion and equity in the College of Pharmacy. The Director of the College says the donation is a welcome gift that will go towards providing financial assistance for deserving students. 

"The College of Pharmacy is grateful for the new annual Sobeys National Pharmacy Group Scholarship, focusing on students from underrepresented groups. This gift will assist students in attending the College of Pharmacy and alleviate some of the financial constraints, so they can more fully concentrate on their studies," says Prof. Susan Mansour, Director of the College of Pharmacy.

“We believe that success comes from bringing diverse thoughts, experiences and perspectives to the table,” said Jim Johnston, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations at Sobeys Inc. “We are proud to work with Dalhousie University to provide an award that emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion in pharmacy education and the pharmaceutical field.”

The gift will create an annual scholarship of approximately $1,000 and the first recipient is expected to be chosen in 2022. Preference for the award will be given to students who self-identify as belonging to historically underrepresented groups, including students of Indigenous ancestry (especially Mi'kmaq) and persons of African descent (especially African Nova Scotians). Also eligible for the scholarship are members of the dis/Ability, Acadian and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

"The Faculty of Health at Dalhousie is a leader in integrated and transformational health education. We are committed to the principles of inclusion and diversity, which inform all that we do. We are grateful to Sobeys National Pharmacy Group for this generous gift, which will support the access and success of underrepresented groups in Pharmacy and help us to recruit and retain talented students who reflect the diversity of our communities," says Dr. Brenda Merritt, Dean of the Faculty of Health.

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• Normalizing inclusive community pharmacies
• How pharmacy education is changing to meet the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ patients (Profile: Dr. Kyle Wilby, Dal Pharmacy - University Affairs)