To have one faculty-student pair accepted into the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Aspiring Academic Program is a point of pride. To have two pairs is unprecedented. That’s exactly what happened this August, when third year pharmacy student Kiri Carmody and Dana Hammer, PhD, RPh, Senior Instructor and Co-Curriculum Faculty Lead at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CU Pharmacy), became the second consecutive pair from the school accepted into the prestigious national program.
“It was surprising and exciting to get into the AACP Aspiring Academics program, especially since a CU Pharmacy student was in the program last year,” Carmody said. “Dr. Hammer and I knew that it was a possibility that they wouldn't choose a student from the same school two years in a row, so it is exciting to be able to work with Dr. Hammer at another level.”
Program Goals
Dr. Hammer and Carmody are one of only 28 faculty-student pairs in this years’ program, designed to inform and inspire students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing an academic pharmacy career. Through asynchronous learning modules, mentorship, networking, a group project, involvement with AACP, and attendance at the AACP Annual Meeting and Teachers’ Seminar, the AACP’s Aspiring Academics program aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of career paths in academic pharmacy.
“This program is really about identifying and helping fulfill student’s potential, using a variety of experts from different fields to be able to do that, and increase networking opportunities,” said Hammer.
Hammer and Carmody were already working together in a curriculum update for the CU Pharmacy co-curriculum and service-learning education. During a mentor event, Hammer approached Carmody with the idea of applying to Aspiring Academics.
“From my interactions with [Carmody], conversations we had, it made me think that she would make a really good future faculty member,” Hammer said. “When I saw the announcement come out, I thought ‘Oh! I know who would be really good for that!’”
“Dr. Hammer pushes me to do things that are out of my comfort zone in a way, exposing me to different things,” Carmody said. “Then I realized the impact the program could have on me, I could meet people nationally, I could network, I could get a lot of experience.”
The Aspiring Academic
Carmody is the adult child of two teachers, and education has been a strong influence on her life. In undergrad, as a pre-health major, she learned that one of her professors was also a pharmacist and it clicked that she could be a pharmacy educator.
“I learned the different career paths – I could be a faculty member in a medical school, in a pharmacy school, I could work in curriculum,” she said.
Carmody hopes to learn more about what she describes as the “business side of things.” “Grants, funding, running a clinical practice site and being a professor,” she said. “There is a lot to learn. Having that background going into a career in academia will be helpful.”
Which is good, because Carmody sees her future in academia and would also like to practice clinical pharmacy. She enjoys internal medicine and patient education.
“I worked in the DAWN Clinic last year, and there is a lot of continuity involved with the patients,” she said. “The ability to be able to spend more time with them and be able to see them over the course of time and allow that to build a relationship with the patients, is the most fulfilling part of it.”
As part of the mentorship program, Hammer and Carmody will be working together on a few projects this academic year, including continuing their assessment of the impact of the CU Pharmacy co-curricular activities, a collaborative poster presentation, and interviews with faculty and administrators in the school.
“Dr. Hammer’s excitement for education, and her presence in the classroom, makes me excited to work with her on this program,” Carmody said. “She works a lot with activities outside of the classroom, and how that impacts education. I can learn a lot from her.”
For Hammer, a life-long learner, having a close relationship with a student of a different generation allows the opportunity to learn.
“Kiri is super organized, she’s really motivated, she’s a good listener,” Hammer said. “She likes to engage in a variety of things. I try to be a student-centered faculty member, and I can learn more from Kiri on her perspective.”
The pair are currently working on the monthly Aspiring Academic modules, , and Carmody has her first meeting a national group of students with an AACP mentor, which she will follow through the year.
The program is a major commitment for both, and Hammer sees it as part of her role as a faculty member.
“At CU Pharmacy we work to help students be amazing pharmacists and fulfill their potential,” Hammer said.