West Virginia University School of Pharmacy student pharmacist Dianne Techwei is a 2020 United States Public Health Services (USPHS) Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award recipient. This prestigious award recognizes pharmacy students who have made significant contributions to public health by promoting wellness and healthy communities. 
Techwei, a P3 student from Silver Spring, Maryland, is among 80 students nationwide to receive the honor. "I am honored and privileged to be chosen as a recipient for this award," said Techwei. "I am deeply thankful to the West Virginia School of Pharmacy for their continuous, utmost support and encouragement. Public health is a vital, integral facet of pharmacy practice, and I plan on organizing and partaking in endeavors that improve health outcomes while spearheading diversity and inclusivity throughout the practice of pharmacy."
Techwei regularly seeks to combine her passions for socio-economic empowerment and pharmacy by establishing community-based health outreach initiatives. She is also very active in global health drives. Her list of volunteer activities is long. Some of her more recent efforts include co-chairing a medication supply drive that benefited more than 32,000 Cameroon refugees and providing malaria testing and medication dispensing to more than 500 citizens of the "Efutu" community in Cape Coast Ghana. Also, she administered point of care testing to more than 100 of WVU's international students and their families during an International street festival and educated more than 120 West Virginia middle school students about mental health and coping strategies at a school health fair.
Upon receiving her PharmD from WVU, Techwei would like to attend a PGY1 and PGY2 residency of Health Systems and Leadership Administration. Techwei will graduate in May 2021.
The Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award is presented by the Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee of the USPHS – a team of highly-qualified healthcare professionals charged with public health leadership and clinical service within the federal government and have a passion for serving the underserved.
