Commencement 2024
Alum Neal Fowler’s keynote address to the newest UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy graduates
Story by Ryan McDaniel | photos by Nick Ricotta & Danny Alexander | Published May 14, 2024
Neal Fowler and the Clef Hangers sing “Hark the Sound” at Commencement 2024
“This old man’s voice gets to try this after forty years. So, here we go…” joked Neal Fowler, BSPhar ’84, MBA ’88, as he stepped away from the lectern to join the Clef Hangers in singing “Hark the Sound.” The gathered crowd of 157 graduating students, their families, and School faculty and staff clapped along in rhythm and cheered uproariously at the end of the performance. Thus concluded the keynote address at the 2024 UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Commencement.
Neal’s address had begun with his recollection of the last time he graced the stage in Memorial Hall, then a student and Clef Hanger himself. He recalled the time after his graduation, as he moved into his career, and recounted the things, now commonplace, that did not even exist forty years ago.
“Lesson 1: Darwin was right – change is inevitable,” he advised. “I don’t know what the next forty years of breakthroughs hold for you, but they are coming – you will have to be open and adaptable to change. Thus, continue to thirst for learning. Stay intellectually curious. Patients and society itself are depending on you for that.”
Neal’s second lesson for the Class of 2024 was one that faculty at the School try to instill in students from day one, but always bears repeating: “You are certain to face many and, in some cases, enormous decisions throughout your career. But here’s a hint: if you always keep the patient first, you will never go wrong. You will forget a few things you learn around here, I assure you, but don’t forget that patient . . . The patient is our true north.”
Neal also emphasized that the students are now part of something larger – the greater Carolina Pharmacy community that connects us all to this place. He emphasized that this network is always here for them. “Our alums and faculty are here to support you,” he said. “Think it’s just talk? Countless UNC colleagues – alums and faculty alike – have contributed significantly to my growth and my businesses.” Neal went on to name a few of those people, including some on stage with him that day. He concluded with, “I used to tell my kids, ‘you are who you hang out with.’ Well, you’re hanging out with some rock stars.”
Neal also expressed his pride in each and every one of the graduates; the 118 PharmD, 27 MS, and 12 PhD graduates. “I’d invest in you in a second,” he declared. “Why? As of today, you are a graduate of the single best pharmacy program in the United States…and in my opinion the best university. That implies you’re smart, hard-working, goal-oriented, and very likely a people person who’s eager to serve. I’m in.”
Finally, Neal encouraged the graduates to give back, as he has done and continues to do. “When you first graduate, it may not seem like you can do a lot for our program, but you’d be wrong,” he asserted. “I’m not talking about just dollars here. Jump in. Volunteer. Mentor. Provide input. We need you. It’s hard to stay #1 – we all know that – but I think you’ll find, as I did, that the return on your efforts is immense.”
To spark the spirit of paying it forward in the students, Neal declared a donation to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Foundation: $100 for each of the 157 graduates of the Class of 2024. “It’s my way of welcoming you to our alumni family and maybe, in some small way, creating a spark to ignite your involvement in the years ahead.”
Click here to watch the complete 2024 UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Commencement.