Rockville, MD – USP honored exceptional volunteers with awards at its Joint Volunteer Leadership meeting, held in Phoenix in February 2018. Awardees included former volunteer Charles G. Thiel and members of the expert panel that worked on issues related to surveillance and screening technologies.
Charles G. Thiel received the inaugural USP Jacob Bigelow Award, which acknowledges the outstanding contribution by an individual USP Volunteer. Mr. Thiel was recognized for his dedication and exemplary leadership as a member of the former USP Aerosols Expert Committee and the USP Advisory Panel on Aerosols. During his time with the panel, he worked on standards for a number of innovative and widely-used devices that increased the ease and precision of particle measurement and improved inhaled drug delivery to patients.
“Mr. Thiel’s depth of knowledge was a foundation for the Expert Committee and its activities for more than 20 years,” said Jaap Venema, Ph.D., USP chief science officer & chair, USP Council of Experts, who presented the award. “He is uniquely deserving of this first-ever individual award for his commitment to USP’s standards-setting process, passion for quality, innovation and outstanding contributions to global public health.”
The 2017 USP Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Standards, which recognizes the exceptional contributions of a team of Volunteers to USP’s standards-setting activities, was presented to the Expert Panel responsible for evaluating portable screening technologies. Andy Stergachis, Ph.D., accepted the award as chair of the panel. The Expert Panel was honored for its work evaluating screening technologies that assess the quality and authenticity of medicines and the widespread dissemination of those findings. “Portable screening technologies are an increasingly valuable tool in combatting the growing global problem of substandard and falsified medicines,” said Dr. Venema. “The Expert Panel’s work helps ensure the quality, safety and benefit of medicines around the world.”
Members of the Review of Surveillance and Screening Technologies for the Quality Assurance of Medicines Expert Panel include:
- Andy Stergachis, Ph.D., Chair
- JaCinta Batson, M.B.A.
- Stephanie Crawford, Ph.D.
- Facundo Martin Fernandez, Ph.D.
- Eliangiringa Kaale, Ph.D.
- Ravi Kalyanaraman, Ph.D.
- Wilberforce Kwiringira, M.S.
- Paul Newton, Ph.D.
- Bernard Olsen, Ph.D.
- Jason Rodriguez
- Benjamin Wilson, Ph.D.
- Stephen John Young, B.Sc.
- Anthony Zook, Ph.D.
The USP Volunteer Awards and Recognition Program recognizes the remarkable contributions of USP volunteer bodies and individuals who work to advance USP’s mission to improve global health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods. Nominations may be submitted by any USP staff, volunteer or stakeholder.
About USP
USP is an independent non-profit organization that collaborates with the world’s top health and science experts to develop high-quality standards that set the bar for manufacturing and distributing safe and effective medicines, supplements and food around the globe. Two billion people world-wide have access to quality medicines, dietary supplements and food as a result of USP’s standards, advocacy and education.
Through initiatives like the Promoting the Quality of Medicines Program, funded by the US Agency for International Development and implemented by USP, and the USP-APEC Center of Excellence in Securing Medicines Quality in the Supply Chain, the organization strengthens medicines quality assurance systems, increases the supply of quality-assured medicines, and develops capacity to detect and remove poor-quality medicines from the market. By sharing scientific expertise and providing technical support and leadership, USP helps local regulators improve and sustain local health systems, and enables manufacturers to supply quality-assured essential medicines for years to come. Through these efforts, USP is able to help prevent and treat diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases, and improve maternal, newborn and child health.