USP'S ROTZ HONORED WITH RHO CHI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Courtesy of Bob Heller, USP SID

Philadelphia, Pa. – University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball player Melissa Rotz was recently honored by the university’s Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society with the Rho Chi Achievement Award at its annual induction ceremony and banquet.

The Rho Chi Achievement Award is given to a third-year pharmacy student with the highest class GPA for the first two years of the University’s pre-professional curriculum.

Rotz (Central Dauphin High School/Harrisburg, Pa.), is in her first professional year (third overall) in the university’s Doctor of Pharmacy program and recorded a 4.00 grade point average in her first two years of the pharmacy pre-professional curriculum. Melissa still maintains a 4.00 g.p.a. and has earned Dean’s List honors in each of her five semesters at the institution. In the fall of 2008 Rotz was awarded the Jules Ann Bravyak Keegan scholarship as an outstanding student entering their first professional year of the institution’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. Melissa was also inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society in the spring 2007 semester.

Academically, Rotz has earned several honors this year, including being named the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 Women’s Basketball team as a third team selection and to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team. Melissa will also be one of seven Philadelphia area basketball players that will be named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Area All-Academic Team when it is announced in the next couple of weeks.

Basketball wise, Melissa is a sophomore athletically, having red-shirted her first year, She moved into a starting role midway through this season after being the first guard off the bench. Melissa was second on the team in assists (63) and third in three-point field goals made (9) while playing in all 28 games this season. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native recorded a career-high 16 points against Nyack College earlier in season.

The former Central Dauphin High School athlete has completed two seasons of play for the Devils. She is slated to graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2012.