William M. Heller Mentor of the Year Award

The William M. Heller Mentor of the Year is a highly visible award. Mentors are an integral part of AFPE’s mission. The Mentor of the Year is given to the AFPE mentor who exemplifies the characteristics of valuing ongoing learning, a willingness to share expertise, exhibiting enthusiasm in their field, providing guidance with respect, and is nominated by their mentees and colleagues.

William M. Heller (Bill) is a dedicated AFPE Fellow, mentor, global visionary, Remington awardee, Harvey A.K Whitney lecturer and, former AFPE board member, and the former Executive Director of USP. Bill has dedicated his career to drug quality and safety. His outstanding skills as a mentor have impacted those who are fortunate enough to have worked with him throughout his career.

AFPE requests nominations for the William M. Heller Mentor of the Year Award in April, and the winner is announced July. The Mentor of the Year receives an etched glass commemorative sculpture and a $1,000 award.

The 2025 Mentor of the Year Recipient is Mark Bounthavong, University of California San Diego – CLICK HERE to read about the press release

The William M. Heller Mentor of the Year Award honors faculty members nominated by students and colleagues for their exceptional mentorship, commitment, leadership, teaching, and support.

Mark Bounthavong, PharmD, PhD, MPH, is a professor of clinical pharmacy at University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; the national clinical program manager at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Academic Detailing Services; and a health economist at the VA Health Economics Resource Center.

Mark values the importance of scientific inquiry, critical thinking and optimal decision making, particularly when there is limited evidence. To that end, he has made it his mission to teach the next generation of pharmacists to learn the skills to perform meaningful studies and develop the intuition to apply their findings to their practice and community.

Mark received his PharmD from College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences; MPH from the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University; and PhD from the Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute, University of Washington. He has also completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at the Veterans Affairs Loma Linda Medical Center and a pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research fellowship at Western University of Health Sciences.

Upon being informed of the recognition, Mark shared: “It’s been an honor to share my knowledge and experiences with our pharmacy students and to help prepare them for the awesome responsibility that awaits. Our students and their motivation for pursuing a pharmacy career remind me each day why I enjoy being a part of UC San Diego. They are an inspiration for any mentor. It’s only natural for a mentor to feel great joy in witnessing the achievements of their mentees. But the greatest reward is knowing that our students will carry on the mission and values of our profession.”

Past Mentors of the Year

2025: Mark Bounthavong, University of California San Diego

2024: Anna Schwendeman, University of Michigan

2023: Carol S. Lim, University of Utah

2022: Peter W. Swaan, University of Maryland

2019: Kimberly Garza, Auburn University

2018: Kathleen Giacomini, University of California, San Francisco

2017: Gordon Amidon, University of Michigan

2016: Francis Szoka, University of California, San Francisco

2015: Lauren Aleksunes, Rutgers University