2025 Award Recipients

Branden D. Nemecek, PharmD, BCPS

Class of 2011

Dr. Branden Nemecek is a 2011 graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy. He is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Duquesne University School of Pharmacy and a clinical pharmacy specialist practicing in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at UPMC Mercy Hospital. Dr. Nemecek has been a clinical faculty since completing his PGY1 and PGY2 Internal Medicine residency training in 2013 from the Medical University of South Carolina. At Duquesne, he is appointed as the Director of Residency Programs for all Duquesne residency programs while serving as the program director for the PGY2 Internal Medicine program in association with UPMC Mercy Hospital. He also serves as the chair of the International Pharmacy Advisory Committee which led to his travel to present at, and attend, three SIFO congresses in Italy while hosting multiple clinical pharmacy visits within the US for pharmacists from Italy, Armenia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Japan. In 2025, he will lead a Maymester study abroad trip to Italy for 17 students. His teaching focus is on gastroenterology/nutrition, inpatient management of endocrine disorders, clinical assessment, and co-directs the acute care concentration.  Dr. Nemecek has won three Teacher of the Year awards, one university-wide creative teaching award, and one “TOPs” award, which is given to the faculty who had the largest impact on a graduating class throughout their education at Duquesne.   

Dr. Nemecek’s research focus is on internal medicine and nephrology related topics while striving to include learners, both residents and students, in the publication process.  Over half of his peer reviewed publications include a learner as a co-author. As of 2024, he has published 17 peer reviewed articles, written 10 book chapters, presented over 50 posters, and served as editor of a book through ASHP Publications titled "Demystifying Drug Dosing in Renal Disease". He has presented at both ASHP Midyear and ACCP Annual Meeting as well as provided continuing education talks for ProCE and PTCE at AMCP Nexus meetings as well as virtually through live and recorded webinars.   

Within the clinical realm, Dr. Nemecek has been very involved in nephrology education and advocacy through recently serving as chair of the Nephrology PRN within ACCP, co-authoring a NephSAP (board certification continuing education for nephrologists), and co-presenting a podcast through the National Kidney Foundation on potassium management in dialysis patients.  He is active on a national level with both ASHP and ACCP through multiple committees including serving as co-chair of the ACCP Educational Affairs committee in 2023-24, being a member of the inaugural class of the ACCP Professional Leadership Development Program, serving as the Adult Medicine Roundtable Facilitator for ASHP Midyear on three occasions.  In addition to these roles, he serves as a clinical reviewer for Hospital Pharmacists Letter and has served as a clinical expert reviewer for Wolters Kluwer reviewing materials for both LexiComp and UpToDate.

Jack E. Fincham, Ph.D.

Dr. Jack Fincham is a pharmacist, graduating from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy in 1975. He obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. He also obtained a post-graduate degree in Health Economics from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. He has studied health policy, patient health outcomes, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and global public health issues during his career. Currently, Dr. Fincham serves as a special appointee to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) College of Reviewers. He served as Dean of Pharmacy at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy for 10 years and was the A.W. Jowdy Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. Dr. Fincham has published 260 journal articles and has authored or co-authored 14 books. He has been married to Melinda Ash Fincham for 50 years and they have two children and 5 grandchildren.