On Thursday, March 14, members of the UBC Pharm Sci community convened at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre to honour the accomplishments of Suzanne Solven, BSc(Pharm)’87, the 2024 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni Agent of Change, and Dr. Sumreen Javed, PhD’22, the Alumni Future Agent of Change. The annual event was hosted by Dean pro tem Larry Lynd and included presentations by the awardees followed by a reception.
With over 29 years of leadership experience across a broad range of organizations within BC’s healthcare system, Suzanne Solven is a dynamic and strategic leader with a passion for health policy. Suzanne currently leads the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia as its registrar and CEO. In this role, she provides overall strategic and operational leadership, advises on health policy, and promotes and builds positive relationships with key partners to ensure the provision and access of safe and effective pharmacy care for British Columbians.
"I am deeply honoured to be the recipient of the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences 2024 Agent of Change Award," says Suzanne. "This recognition reinforces my passion and commitment to driving positive change in the profession of pharmacy in support of public safety, optimal health and culturally safe and equitable care free from Indigenous-specific and other forms of racism. I am truly grateful for the acknowledgment of the meaningful strides we are making together towards a brighter future in healthcare."
Before her current position at the College, Suzanne worked as the associate vice president of audit, investigations and quality assurance at Pacific Blue Cross. Suzanne also spent 13 years working with the Government of British Columbia as both executive director and senior pharmacist of the BC PharmaCare program. Suzanne is currently a member of the Alumni UBC Advisory Council and UBC Therapeutics Initiative Oversight Committee.
Dr. Sumreen Javed's academic journey began with a doctor of pharmacy degree from Pakistan. She transitioned into the research world and earned a master's degree at the University of Northern British Columbia before pursuing a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences at UBC, focusing on breast cancer metastasis under the supervision of Dr. Karla Williams.
Beyond her research endeavors, she passionately advocates for awareness and prevention of breast cancer through leading workshops emphasizing the importance of early detection and prevention strategies, particularly within immigrant and minority communities. Her efforts have garnered recognition within her community, including the prestigious 2020 Muslim Achieving Excellence Award and the 2023 Rising Muslimah Award.
"I am profoundly grateful to be recognized as the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences 2024 Alumni Future Agent of Change," says Dr. Javed. "This is more than a personal achievement—it’s a reflection of the enduring impact our alumni community strives to make in advancing the landscape of pharmaceutical sciences for the betterment of global healthcare."
The UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni Agent of Change awards were created to acknowledge our alumni who have made significant contributions in a clinical, community, education, or research area with a local, national, or global impact. A selection committee is responsible for evaluating the nominations. To learn more, click here.
Image credit: Justin Lee Ohata, UBC Pharm Sci.