First-generation college student Eric G. Boyce, PharmD, professor emeritus, learned the power of perseverance from his family. The Boyce Family Endowed Scholarship honors this legacy.

“I’m an immigrant to this country,” said Dr. Boyce. “I was born in Canada. We came to California in 1963 with $2,000, all our belongings in a 4-foot by 8-foot trailer and no job lined up.”

The support of his sister, parents and wife, Clemmie King, in his pursuit of higher education and throughout his nearly 50-year career in academia inspired him to establish an endowed scholarship. This Powell-matched scholarship supports doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students, with a preference given to first-generation college students.

Dr. Boyce earned his bachelor of science in pharmacy and his PharmD from University of Utah. As a student, he learned the importance of caring for the individual.

“When I worked in a rheumatology clinic, I had people come in that had really bad arthritis,” he said. “I would see what they went through in their day-to-day lives. To watch these patients grapple with the frustrating nature of their disease and see how I could — and could not — help them, put the impact of the pharmacy profession into perspective.”

To this day, Dr. Boyce has a handmade quilt given to him in 1976 by one of the clinic’s patients.

Dr. Boyce joined the Pacific faculty in 2006 and served as associate dean of academic affairs until 2021. He retired in January 2024. During his career, which spanned four universities, he served on national panels for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. On several occasions, he was selected to lead the development of white papers that have made significant contributions to the advancement of pharmacy education nationally.

One of his proudest accomplishments is developing the PharmD elective course Social Determinants in Health Care, which was first offered in 2021. Drawing on the challenges and discrimination faced by his own family, Dr. Boyce developed the course to give future pharmacists a heightened awareness of health care disparities.

“Physical aspects, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender preference and gender identity, as well as the family you were born into and where you live — all of these factors can impact the level of care you receive,” he said.

Reflecting on his career, he expressed his overwhelming gratitude for the support he received from his family and colleagues. He hopes the students who receive the Boyce Family Endowed Scholarship will recognize and honor the individuals who have championed and supported them throughout their academic journey.