Thomas and Dorothy B. Latimer Endowed Pharmacy Scholarship established at Lipscomb University

The Thomas and Dorothy B. Latimer Endowed Pharmacy Scholarship has been established at Lipscomb University. Thomas and Dorothy’s daughter, Major Brittany Lattimer, was a member of the inaugural class of Lipscomb University’s College of Pharmacy who has gone on to have a successful military career. Her parents wish to set up a scholarship for the College of Pharmacy in order to help another hopeful pharmacy student find their own success as Brittany has.

According to an article on Lipscomb University’s website, Brittany was quoted as saying of her parents’ decision to endow a scholarship, “Lipscomb has played such an important role in shaping who I am — both personally and professionally. When I was a student, there weren’t many scholarships available specifically for those pursuing professional degrees. I’m thankful my parents want to help bridge that gap and support the next generation of student pharmacists in pursuing their calling.”

Brittany first became aware of Lipscomb University when she was in high school and attended a summer program on the university’s campus. She decided she wanted to attend a faith-based university, and chose to enroll as a pre-pharmacy student at Lipscomb University. She planned to complete her prerequisite classes and then transfer to another university’s College of Pharmacy. However, before that could happen, Lipscomb University opened its own College of Pharmacy.

Her dad, Thomas, said, “She called me one day and said, ‘Dad, Lipscomb is opening a pharmacy school.’ It was like watching God open one door after another for her. She was able to start pharmacy school right there, surrounded by the community she loved.”

She was among the inaugural class of the new College of Pharmacy and she graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2012.

Speaking of her experience, Brittany said, “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be part of the first graduating class. As with anything new, there were moments of trial and error, but the LUCOP faculty was (and still is) phenomenal. They built an excellent program from the ground up, and as a student, I appreciated the diverse pharmacy practice experiences they offered. Before attending Lipscomb, I had never even heard of Managed Care Pharmacy—but that exposure led me to pursue a Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY-1) residency in a managed care setting.”

After graduating, she decided to join the US Army to take advantage of its Health Professions Loan Repayment Program. Despite her initial belief that she would serve for only a few years, Brittany has had a long military career. She has been on assignments around the world, working in military medical center pharmacy departments. Brittany was chief of ancillary services at the U.S. Army Health Clinic in Vicenza, Italy, the chief of pharmacy during a NATO mission in Kosovo, chief of the Department of Pharmacy in Womack Army Medical Center in North Carolina and at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. She served as the chief of the Department of Pharmacy at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas. 

Brittany has received many awards, both civilian and military. She was named Alumni of the Year by Lipscomb’s College of Pharmacy in 2023, and her military recognitions include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the NATO Medal.

Tom Campbell, who serves as the dean of the College of Pharmacy, said, “Major Brittany Latimer embodies the Christ-like character, integrity, academic excellence, compassion, and commitment to life-long learning that we desire for every alumnus and student pharmacist. We are so thankful to the Latimer family for their generosity and commitment to helping others achieve their dreams through education.”

Brittany’s father noted that he believes God has had a hand in her career from the beginning. He said, “Brittany was able to earn her doctorate in six years instead of eight. That saved us two years of tuition, and we felt like this scholarship was a small way to pay forward what God did for Brittany and for us. We’ve been blessed, and we want to help another student pharmacist have that same opportunity.”

For more information about Lipscomb University, visit the school’s website.