Awards and Recognition
Extraordinary Faculty Award
A faculty member who brings honor and distinction to The University of Arizona
Homecoming 2008 Award Winners
Kevin P. Boesen
Kevin P. Boesen’s contributions to The University of Arizona and the College of Pharmacy in a very short time, since September 2004, are truly extraordinary. His impact on the students, faculty, and culture of the college has been immense.
Just two years after his hiring, Kevin received the college’s Clinical Science Educator of the Year Award, and two years later, he won the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Innovation in Teaching Award for integrating techniques for listening and communications learned when he was a student of comedy improvisation at the famed Second City Conservatory in Chicago into a core class in patient interviewing and counseling.
In his role as director of experiential education, Kevin expanded the team of preceptors who mentor pharmacy students in clinical experiences to more than 400 pharmacists and health professionals in Arizona and other states.
Kevin also is the faculty advisor to the National Community Pharmacists Association, and has been a key element in building a strong chapter at The University of Arizona. His advising of students who compete in the national NCPA competition for pharmacy business plans has resulted in UA teams placing in the top 10 nationally for three years. In the 2008 competition, the UA team is one of three finalists, with the winner to be determined in October in competitive presentations.
When prescription drug coverage became a benefit under Medicare Part D, Kevin conceived and worked tirelessly to implement an idea that quickly became the Medication Management Center. This center is the first of its kind. Under Kevin’s direction, pharmacists and student pharmacists provide personal medication counseling, through a call center, to thousands of patients nationwide. In addition to its services to patients, the center teaches patient counseling to student pharmacists and is a revenue generator for the college and a source of research data for studying the effectiveness of medication counseling.
The University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Pharmacy are delighted to present the Extraordinary Faculty Award to Kevin P. Boesen.
Michael Mayersohn
Michael Mayersohn, professor in the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, is truly a remarkable and caring individual who is fully devoted to the education of our future pharmacists. He is well-known for his clear and concise teaching style in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, two difficult areas of pharmacology for students to master.
The overall objective of the course is to develop the student’s understanding of the basic pharmacokinetic principles and to teach about drug absorption and the designing of drug-dosage regimens to maximize therapeutic success.
The course tends to be a difficult one to conceptualize for most students. Michael has a talent for imparting the knowledge in a manner that is easy to understand, and does an exemplary job in instilling the fundamental concepts of drug absorption and disposition, which is no small feat.
Michael’s students not only understand the principles of these subjects — they master them. He thoroughly engages his students and has a deep concern for the success of each individual, spending whatever one-on-one time is needed to ensure their success.
In fact, Michael has received the Basic Sciences Teacher of the Year Award four times, an award that distinguishes him as the best in the eyes of the students of the college.
The University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Pharmacy are happy to present the Extraordinary Faculty Award to Michael Mayersohn.
Nancy Moran
Nancy A. Moran brings honor and distinction to The University of Arizona as one of the top-10 evolutionary biologists in the United States.
Nancy is a faculty member in the UA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology whose work in evolutionary genetics is recognized around the world. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences — one of the highest achievements that a faculty member can achieve in this country — and a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellow, also known as genius grant recipient. Nancy also is a Regents’ Professor, which is the highest award accorded to faculty by the UA.
As the world’s leading expert on the symbiotic relationship between a specific bacteria and its aphid host, Nancy’s research shows how bacteria evolve, including by gene transfer. Her work has great significance for medicine, as many diseases are caused by bacteria and the questions of how bacteria genetically develop to the extent that they are sometimes lethal, is important.
Nancy’s record of awards and accomplishments is long and well-deserved. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Microbiology. She also was named a Galileo Circle member and served as president of the Society for the Study of Evolution.
Nancy also is a great citizen. She is at the center of work to make the UA stronger and better-connected to our community, and how to help TUSD educate students in partnership with the UA. We cannot think of a better choice for this year’s Extraordinary Faculty Award than Nancy A. Moran.