MEET THE PRESIDENT

Mary M. (Peggy) Piascik

doi:10.5688/ajpe776110

The 2013-2014 President of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) is Mary M. (Peggy) Piascik, PhD, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science and Associate Chair for Professional Education Advancement at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy in Lexington. Peggy received a bachelor of science in pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University and a doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in pharmacology from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. At The Ohio State University, she was a University Fellow and a Fellow of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education.

Following graduation, Dr. Piascik worked at the Drug and Poison Information Center at the University of Cincinnati while her husband completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular pharmacology. In 1986, she joined the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy faculty and established the Nontraditional PharmD option, one of the first programs for practitioners to earn a PharmD degree via distance technology, in collaboration with Dr. Ann Amerson.

Peggy has been an active member of AACP since 1988. Before her service as President she served as Chair of the Council of Faculties from 2002-2003. She has also served on many AACP committees and task forces. She completed the Academic Leadership Fellows Program in 2005-2006 and served as the Donald Brodie Scholar-in-Residence in 2009-2010 where she studied the value of the scholarship of teaching and learning in the promotion and tenure documents of schools and colleges of pharmacy. Peggy has extensive college and university service to her credit including curriculum and assessment committee chair, college of pharmacy faculty council, and the university senate and senate council.

Dr. Piascik has published many peer-reviewed papers in the areas of scholarship of teaching and learning. She served as a contributing editor for the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association from 1992-2008 and she developed a monthly feature entitled Biotechnology Update. Peggy is a frequent speaker at continuing education conferences speaking on new drugs, women’s health, dietary supplements, biotechnology drugs, and pharmacogenomics. Her pharmacy practice experience is in community pharmacy, long-term care, and psychiatric hospital practice.

Dr. Piascik is a four-time recipient of the UK College of Pharmacy Senior Class Award, and she received the University Great Teacher Award from the UK Alumni Association in 1991. She received 2 AACP Innovations in Teaching Awards with UK colleagues in 1998 and 2002. In 2006, Dr Piascik received the Michael J. Lach Innovations in Teaching Award from the UK College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Piascik has a passion for learning and stimulating learning in others. Peggy has been on the forefront of active student-centered learning. She is committed to preparing students for high quality patient-centered practice, and develops in- and out-of-class activities that drive home important content messages in a way that is both enjoyable and enduring.

Peggy’s success can be attributed to her personal characteristics. Friends and colleagues say that she has a wonderful spark in everything she does be it at work, professional meetings, or watching her beloved Kentucky Wildcats basketball team. She readily builds relationships with people and spends time determining their strengths in order to work with them most effectively. She is able to place people into groups that work well together and are productive. Peggy has an ever-present sense of humor with quick wit, and knows just how to use these to defuse tense situations, enliven a gathering of friends, or cheer someone up. Outside of the office, Peggy most enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, sons and daughters-in-law, John (Brittany) and Chris (Carrie), and granddaughters, Aubree and Rylee.