Congratulations to Dr. Trisha Branan, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, who has been named the 2019-2020 UGA College of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year. Dr. Branan coordinates and teaches courses in the PharmD program, and she also currently serves as President of the Georgia Society for Health-System Pharmacists. She has a clinical practice site at Piedmont-Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens.
A 2006 alumna of the college, Dr. Branan is a board-certified Critical Care Pharmacist, a passion she shares with her students and fellow colleagues. In 2017, was the recipient of the prestigious UGA Creative Teaching Award for her transformation of the Critical Care Pharmacy course PHRM 5370. Dr. Branan worked with course co-coordinator Dr. Anthony Hawkins and instructional designer Russ Palmer to create a virtual intensive care unit patient room that allowed students to interact with various healthcare disciplines and patient families. She also is a member of C3, or the college’s Critical Care Collaborative, which fosters critical care research and education across the state of Georgia.
Certainly, Dr. Branan’s students can attest to this deserving honor. Wrote Kelly Gamble, a student in the Class of 2020, “Her strength as a teacher is evident through her passion to pass along her knowledge to her students. She excels at simply lecturing a large audience and answering a variety of live questions but also her ability to aid students via a one-on-one basis. I was always comfortable asking her a question, even if I felt it was a ‘stupid’ question, during class or in lab. Furthermore, she never failed to answer a question or redemonstrate a technique without a smile on her face. Above all, she makes herself available for students outside of the classroom. Whether it’s responding quickly to emails or having an open-door policy, she is always accessible.”
Explaining her teaching philosophy, Dr. Branan said, “I have a passion for patient care. This passion forms the core of my teaching philosophy, which I apply by bringing enthusiasm and real-world examples into the classroom; implementing innovative teaching methods through the use of technology to simulate practice environments; and encouraging lifelong learning. I believe that by staying committed to these principles, I will create positive learning environments, connect with students on a deeper level, and inspire their own passion for pharmacy.”
In recognition of her achievements, Dr. Branan will receive the College of Pharmacy Golden Apple award; her name will be inscribed on a plaque in the RC Wilson Pharmacy Building; and she will be recognized at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Conference in July.
