Marilee N. Chapman, a third-year pharmacy student at the Marshall University School of Pharmacy and a Native American from the Dine (Navajo) tribe, is a 2017 recipient of an academic award from the Indian Health Services (IHS).
The scholarship will assist Chapman with tuition, school fees and living expenses. It carries with it a two-year commitment to return to an underserved area of the country to practice pharmacy.
“Leaving the reservation and my family to pursue higher education has been one of my greatest challenges, but when I received the IHS award it gave me more motivation to work towards my ultimate goal of returning to the Dine Nation as a pharmacist,” Chapman said. “I hope my determination to achieve this goal shows how important the Dine culture and the Dine people are to me.”
Chapman is a native of Kayenta, Ariz., which is located in the Navajo Nation, and is of the Salt People Clan. She did her undergraduate work at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo., where she played college volleyball and studied biochemistry.
Jeremy McAleer, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the School of Pharmacy, recommended Chapman for the scholarship.
“Marilee is quite deserving of this honor,” McAleer said. “She is a dedicated student and genuinely cares about providing health services to underserved communities. Her participation in this program will enrich her educational experience at the School of Pharmacy.”
Marshall University School of Pharmacy opened its doors in 2012 and graduated its inaugural class in 2016.