Giving Thanks
A tribute to the faculty and staff who make the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy the nation’s top-ranked pharmacy school
Story by Kelly Collins | Photo slider by Ryan McDaniel | Published November 22, 2022
As Thanksgiving approaches, we are thankful for the more than 300 faculty and staff who daily go above and beyond to move forward our mission. Without a doubt, we are the top-ranked pharmacy school in the nation because of our people. To all of our faculty and staff, thank you for your grit, ingenuity, passion, and commitment. Here we spotlight the dedicated faculty and staff who served the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy for more than 25 years.
Gail Moriarty (53 Years)
For more than half a century, Gail Moriarty has served the School. After a 30-year career as Student Services Manager, Gail accepted the challenge and opportunity provided by Wayne Pittman to help establish and provide administrative support to the National Office of the Rho Chi Society for 20 years. In the words of Wayne: “Gail Moriarty is a valued and reliable colleague, a team player, always willing and ready to help no matter how small or large the task. She is resourceful in identifying solutions and perseveres when the tasks at hand demand. Hers is a modest personality, and she is always respectful of others. Throughout her career, Gail has advised, encouraged, counseled, and supported countless pharmacy students, faculty, fellow staff, and administrators. Her earliest role in the School evolved to become that of School Registrar, lead staff for student support, curriculum manager, event organizer, and assistant to two associate deans. Those experiences and associated skills were exactly those needed to lead a newly created National Office for the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society and to become the close colleague of its executive officer. Her strengths earned the respect of faculty advisors, chapter officers and national officers from pharmacy schools throughout the United States, all that while theoretically working part-time! After “retiring” a second time, she continues to support her faculty and fellow staff, and serves as a repository for many of our institutional memories. Gail is a Tar Heel. (Read that in the context of home game video vignettes of renowned former UNC greats. Know too that her son was a UNC Tar Heel cheerleader and that she and husband John, as well, are Tar Heel faithful.) Movies (and an uncanny memory of many of those), reading, and occasional Broadway musicals are also favorites. Most who know Gail know too of her candy jar where a sweet treat and pleasant hello are always available.” Now, Gail works as a “floater” Business Services Coordinator providing administrative support in the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics.
Bob Shrewsbury (42 Years)
For over four decades, Bob Shrewsbury has taught countless students about the uniqueness of pharmacy compounding. An elected member of the USP Expert Committee on Compounding, he has authored over 100 book chapters and maintains an internationally utilized website for pharmacy compounding. In the words of colleague Heidi Anksorus, “If you walk into the Beard Hall compounding lab on any given day, you may find Bob dressed in a long white lab coat walking around and talking with students as he assists them in compounding the day’s prescription. You may also find him on a working call with USP, or with a chair pulled up out from behind his desk in deep discussion with a student or teaching assistant -- sitting with them as he listens and learns from them. Bob’s impact on our students and their education is immeasurable. Every student has spent a significant amount of time in ‘Dr. Shrewsbury’s lab’. He works tirelessly to create hands-on learning experiences for them and genuinely cares about his students. I am glad to know him as a colleague and a friend.”
Timothy Ives (41 Years)
A Professor of Pharmacy and Medicine, Tim Ives has made significant impact across campus and in his community. During his 40 years at UNC, he has served as Interim Chair of the Division of Pharmacy Practice Advancement and Clinical Education (PACE), Chair of the Orange County Board of Health, and currently directs the Chronic Pain Program in the Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology in the UNC School of Pharmacy. In the words of PACE Division Chair Stefanie Ferreri: “Tim’s passion for the university extends beyond the school of pharmacy. He has so many connections across the university and the state that have helped many individuals and the pharmacy profession. Anytime I am not sure how to solve a problem I turn to Tim. His vast knowledge and outside the box thinking always point me in the correct direction. He is an invaluable member of the faculty, and I will be forever grateful for his guidance, encouragement, and mentorship.”
Herb Patterson (41 Years)
Since joining the UNC faculty in 1981, Herb Patterson has advanced all aspects of our School’s education, research and service mission. A nationally renowned expert in optimizing the pharmacotherapy of heart failure, Herb has served as an investigator on more than 100 clinical trials, authored or co-authored over 120 publications, and trained more than 20 fellows and graduate students. He was appointed as the first pharmacist to the Heart Failure Society of America Board of Directors and was the first pharmacist to be designated as a Fellow in the Heart Failure Society of America. In the words of colleague Jo Ellen Rodgers: “Observing Herb’s interactions with various colleagues and learners has been one of my greatest inspirations. It is from him that I learned the value and reward of striving for excellence and being a servant leader. I have yet to work with a colleague as dedicated as Herb. He displays the highest degree of integrity and are respectful of everyone with whom he interacts. As such, Herb has garnered the respect and admiration of all who have had the privilege of working with him. Here at Carolina, I have admired his servant attitude and our School and University have benefited from it immensely. Our School has entrusted in Herb enumerable crucial tasks, and he has never failed to deliver.”
Dennis Williams (39 Years)
Repeatedly voted by students as instructor of the year, Dennis Williams has taught, supported, and guided multiple generations of UNC pharmacy students. He serves as associate professor in the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics (DPET). In the words of DPET Division Chair Craig Lee, “Dennis has made instrumental contributions to our PharmD program as an instructor in the classroom, preceptor in the clinical environment, and faculty leader in curricular oversight. I marvel at the breadth and depth of his teaching responsibilities across many topics and courses, and the enthusiasm he continues to bring into the classroom for our students.” Fourth-year student Libby Powell adds: “I cannot think of UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy without thinking of Dr. Williams. He is a student-favorite professor with his world-renown expertise to his use of pharmacy-karaoke when he teaches. He continually pushes every student to be the best they can be, and to leave UNC being a top pharmacist. I cannot begin to thank Dr. Williams for all his dedication and commitment to the school and to countless students over his 40 years.”
Kim Brouwer (36 Years)
Kim Brouwer is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor, associate dean for research and graduate education, and a professor in the curriculum in toxicology. Her breadth and depth of impact is significant, mentoring more than students, publishing more than 230 research papers, and co-inventing a technology to assess in vitro hepatic models. Kim was the first grad student of Former Dean Bob Blouin. In Bob’s words: “Kim Brouwer is one of the most extraordinary faculty members within the academy. I had the absolute pleasure of helping to recruit Kim to Kentucky when she enrolled into the inaugural clinical pharmaceutical sciences program at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. This program enabled Kim to simultaneously pursue the Pharm.D and Ph.D degrees along with a multi-year residency program; one of the most intellectually and physically demanding programs of its kind in the country. It was my personal honor and privilege to have the opportunity to be Kim’s Ph.D co-advisor with Dr. Harry B. Kostenbauder. Kim’s aspirational goal at that germinal moment was to pursue an academic career in pharmacy bringing rigor and credibility to the rapidly emerging field we now call translational science. How did she do? I would say – pretty AMAZING. It has been a joy for me to lend witness to Kim’s evolution as an educator, scholar, entrepreneur, and administrator. As I reflect on Kim’s career, the one aspect that has impressed me the most is her sustained commitment to excellence over these 40+years. Despite her many regional, national, and international achievements, awards, and distinctions received, Kim has remained a very humble, selfless, tireless, dedicated person with an unmatched work-ethic whose love for this School is surpassed only by her love for her family. Kim – thank you for all that you have done for our school, university, state, and profession.”
Alex Tropsha (31 Years)
Alex Tropsha is an expert in the fields of computational chemistry, cheminformatics and structural bioinformatics who works to develop new methodologies and software tools for computer-assisted drug design. His particular expertise lies in the field of cheminformatics, which combines chemistry and computer sciences to aid in the discovery of new drugs. In the words of UNC School of Data Sciences Dean Stan Ahalt: “Alex is one of those people who have a boundless enthusiasm, and optimism, for new projects and for new people. He is a delight to work with. Alex has, in many ways singly handedly drawn RENCI into the sphere of the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and done so with persistence and skill, and to the mutual benefit of both organizations. He’s accomplished this feat by using his droll and unrelenting humor and passion for excellence. We all the richer for having Alex as a colleague.”
Phil Smith (30 Years)
Phil Smith joined the UNC faculty in 1992 and now serves as Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics. He participates as a reviewer for the journals Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Biochemical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Research, the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and others. In the words of Kim Brouwer: “Dr. Phil Smith has been a long-time pharmaceutics faculty member in the School of Pharmacy at UNC. His research expertise includes drug metabolism and applied pharmacokinetics with an emphasis on glucuronidation, including the reactivity of acyl glucuronide metabolites, and the role of glucuronidation in the intestinal toxicity of drugs. His laboratory is internationally recognized for quantitative targeted absolute proteomic (QTAP) analysis of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters, which has direct applications in drug development and clinical pharmacology and is a unique resource for our School. We are fortunate to have Phil’s expertise in targeted proteomic analysis!”
Betsy Sleath (26 Years)
On any given day you will find Betsy Sleath traveling across the state connecting with alumni, partners, collaborators, and prospective students. Prior to stepping into her current role as Regional Associate Dean for Eastern NC, Betsy served as Chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy. She also holds the George H. Cocolas Distinguished Professorship and maintains a strong research program while also teaching ethics, communications, grant writing, and research methods. In the words of Former Dean Bill Campbell: “Betsy is the definition of ‘genuine.’ She gives you the unfiltered truth as she sees it, and she respects you enough to share her deepest beliefs and values. As a result people trust her and know that…as a colleague, as a teacher, as a friend, as a leader…she will always give you her best. That’s why she is able to put together these teams of talented and diverse people who achieve remarkable results across a wide spectrum of teaching, research and service. Betsy’s academic background is in the social and behavioral sciences, so she has a unique set of ‘tools’ with which to attack problems, and her ‘laboratory’ is the interface between patients and the health care system. From that perspective she has been a key architect of the University’s capacity to understand and improve health care; she has led DPOP to international prominence; she has tirelessly advocated for a focus on patients within ESOP. And just as important, she has modeled the role of Badass Woman Professor to countless women students and faculty!”
Angela Kashuba (25 Years)
Angela Kashuba serves as Dean of the nation’s top-ranked pharmacy school and North Carolina’s only public pharmacy school. Joining the UNC faculty in 1997, Angela went on to be named the John and Deborah McNeill, Jr. Distinguished Professor in 2013 and was appointed chair of the School’s Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics in 2015. She also serves as Director of the UNC Center for AIDS Research Clinical Pharmacology and Analytical Chemistry Core. In the words of Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Health Mike Cohen: “I have had the privilege of working with Angela since she first joined the faculty at UNC. She quickly became recognized as one of the most important pharmacologists working on antiretroviral drugs, contributing greatly to UNCs recognition as an exceptional place for HIV research. Of all Angela’s many strengths I have most valued her creativity, honesty, and truly incredible work ethic. On a personal note, 25 years ago I convinced Angela to help me with some slides (since she is also a genius of communication) and I still turn to her to this day.”
Carla White (25 Years)
Carla White is a pharmacist, associate dean of Organizational Diversity and Inclusion, and clinical assistant professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is a highly regarded thought leader, educator, influencer, and pragmatic disruptor in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space. In the words of her former student and Chair of the Alumni DEI Committee Vicki Gardin (PharmD ’03): “Carla’s contributions to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy have and will earn her a spot in our history books and along the walls. Her work across decades, with various leaderships, and to countless students shows her commitment to the profession and UNC. She wears her heart and passion on her sleeves and she genuinely delights in the success of any student she’s helped, wins for the School, and strategic gains for our profession. When I speak about those who’ve had an invaluable impact, she is mentioned right along with the other well-known greats like Dr Hadzija!”