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Pharmacy scholarship to honor student, friend by Cindy Abole Public Relations To those who knew her, Margaret Mizzell Inabinett reveled in life.  To her family and friends, “Peggy” was vivacious and pleasant in character: eager and confident in all of her life's pursuits. Margaret Mizzell Inabinett  So when a traffic accident ended her life last fall, people grieved. The loss was not felt more deeply than among her newfound brothers and sisters - The College of Pharmacy's Class of 2001.  This morning, as 726 MUSC students step forward to receive their degrees, there will be one less diploma presented to the 27 College of Pharmacy's doctoral graduates. Margaret's diploma was presented posthumously to her husband and parents during the formal Hooding Ceremony held Thursday evening at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church.  With Margaret's death, one light was extinguished. Now seven months later another flame flickers and continues to burn. Through the remarkable acts of MUSC classmates, pharmacy faculty and staff, memorial gifts from family and friends, plus the special generosity of an alumnus touched by the tragedy, Margaret's memory will live on in the form of a new endowed scholarship to benefit future pharmacy students.  “It is nice to be a part of something that honors a dynamic individual like Margaret,” said Mary Stewart Sheppard, a 1982 College of Pharmacy alumna and entrepreneur/owner of Low Country Diagnostics, a compounding pharmacy company that supplies radioactive products to support medical diagnostic work in Charleston. Sheppard's company has pledged $50,000 to endow the Low Country Diagnostic Scholarship in memory of Margaret Mizzell Inabinett in the area of nuclear pharmacy.  Margaret had successfully completed her course electives in the college's distinct nuclear pharmacy track, working and studying under associate professor Kenneth Cheng, Ph.D. She had already fulfilled her requirements that would have earned her a nuclear pharmacy certification along with her degree.  “The field of nuclear pharmacy is very specialized,” Sheppard explained. “It's hard to attract people into this area of practice. It takes a special individual with the right personality and commitment to perform this type of service. We felt Margaret possessed these qualities and we looked forward to having her on board.”  But their meeting was never meant to be.  Tragically, Margaret was scheduled to work with Sheppard just weeks following her death on Oct. 14.  Instead, Sheppard made up her own mind about the petite and spirited 27-year-old with whom she instantly held an affinity based on stories and descriptions told by students, faculty, staff and friends. At a special dinner arranged by the College of Pharmacy, Sheppard was able to meet Margaret’s husband, her parents and family to announce the creation of this scholarship bearing Margaret’s name.  “For me personally, it is probably the most gratifying thing I’ve ever done. It has made me feel so proud,” Sheppard said. Sheppard had wanted to do something for the College of Pharmacy for some time and said, “I'm even happier that we’ve managed to make it part of a locally-sponsored effort that my colleagues at Low Country Diagnostics and I instantly wanted to support.”  Sheppard worked out the details of the gift and the future scholarship awards with the College of Pharmacy’s development director Rachael Durham. By creating an endowed scholarship fund at the MUSC Health Sciences Foundation, the original and subsequent gifts will be invested and only the net appreciation used. The first scholarship award will be made in the fall of 2001.  “Dr. Greenberg and I were pleasantly surprised that something like this was able to come together so quickly,” said John Cormier, M.S., Pharm.D., and dean of the College of Pharmacy. “By establishing this memorial scholarship, we can continue to tell Peggy’s story as well as supporting students interested in nuclear pharmacy.”  In 1997, Margaret along with her 35 class peers began the College of Pharmacy’s new entry level Pharm.D. program. Together, they adapted to the demands of a new curriculum, which consists of three years of pharmacy course work and a full year of clinical clerkship experience. For Margaret and all of these students, succeeding in this program would fulfill their lifelong academic goals. “Our class had been through so much together,” said Jill Vukovich, a graduating Pharm.D. classmate of Margaret and student member of the college’s curriculum committee. “We struggled through a lot in the early days of the program. That helped bond us together as a team, a family. We wanted to recognize Margaret as part of that family. Her involvement helped us through to where we are today.” “When a class begins the program together, they expect that they will finish it together. As a class approaching the completion of their academic studies, they have reflected on their time here and remembered that someone that was a part of their close group was missing,” Cormier said.  The final act in Thursday’s ceremony was the presentation of the class gift. For this close-knit group, the choice was easy. For the first time, the college received two final gifts—the customary monetary award and an engraved plaque bearing the etching of their friend and fellow student, Margaret Inabinett. The plaque will be permanently on display in the college's administrative offices.  “I think Sheppard's contribution is a way for all of us to remember Peggy and remind others that she will not be forgotten,” Cormier said. “It is also a wonderful example of what pharmacy practitioners can do to support students entering the profession. Recognizing the generosity of alumni such as Mary Stewart Sheppard is just one way to show alumni how they too can give back to the college in their own meaningful way.”