July 2026
Dear Friends:
As I conclude my term as Chair of the Section, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to serve this incredible community. It has been a privilege to work alongside educators who are passionate about developing future pharmacists, advancing patient care, and continually moving our profession forward. Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving as your Chair.
Throughout this year, I often encouraged you to pause and recognize your own impact. Pharmacy educators rarely stop to appreciate the difference they make—not only in the lives of learners, but also in the countless patients those learners will ultimately serve. As my term ends, I want to leave you with that same reminder:
"You make a difference. You are important. And you deserve all the good things in your life."
Those words are just as true today as when I first shared them.
This year, our Section continued to foster meaningful collaboration through networking sessions at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Pharmacy Futures, discussions on emerging topics such as artificial intelligence, residency education, accessibility, learner wellness, and interprofessional education. We also continued strategic conversations about the future of pharmacy education through the Crystal Ball initiative, helping position SPE to anticipate and respond to the evolving needs of educators.
The true strength of SPE, however, lies in the work of our four Section Advisory Groups (SAGs). Their commitment and creativity resulted in an impressive portfolio of resources that will benefit educators across the profession. I extend my sincere appreciation to our SAG leaders and workgroup leaders:
Development of Student Education and Learning Experiences (SELE)
Chair: Megan Giruzzi | Vice Chair: Jared Sheley
Workgroup Leaders: Jessie Merlo, Stacy Reid, Jennifer Babin
This group developed interprofessional education videos, ADA Title II accessibility resources, a continuing education webinar, a preceptor wellness toolkit, and an AJHP Letter to the Editor addressing student wellness and academic rigor.
Development of Post-Graduate Education and Learning Experiences (PELE)
Chair: Carly Warner | Vice Chair: Pete Johnson
Workgroup Leaders: Leia Gaddis, Kelly Hoenig, Melanie Townsend, Kami Redecker
PELE created residency-focused resource documents, podcasts, webinars, mental health toolkits, ASHP Connect content, and partnered on a virtual roundtable exploring artificial intelligence and resident well-being.
Development of the Educational Workforce (DEW)
Chair: Tara Higgins | Vice Chair: Devin Lavender
Workgroup Leaders: Alexander Infante, Angela Su, Elizabeth Hageman
DEW advanced faculty and preceptor development through podcasts, updates to the Preceptor Toolkit, an AI experiential education survey, and discussions on new ACPE standards and faculty career progression.
Collaboration Between Health-Systems and Academia (CHSA)
Chair: Brittany Bates | Vice Chair: Carrie Oxencis
Workgroup Leaders: Scott Nei, Elizabeth Monson, Stephanie Conaway-Allen
CHSA strengthened academic-practice partnerships through podcasts, educational programming, collaborative AI initiatives with PELE, and development of internal processes to support future Section initiatives.
Collectively, these groups produced podcasts, webinars, publications, toolkits, educational resources, virtual roundtables, and scholarly work that will continue to support pharmacy educators long after this year. To every SAG member, volunteer, and Section Executive Committee member, thank you for your dedication, leadership, and countless hours of service. Your work is the foundation of this Section's success.
This reinforces the fact that the strength of SPE has never rested with one leader—it rests with all of you. Every member who mentors a colleague shares a teaching innovation, volunteers, presents, or simply supports another educator helps move our profession forward.
As I transition to the role of Immediate-Past Chair, I have complete confidence in our Chair, Jodi Taylor, as well as the entire executive committee to continue to shape and secure the future of SPE. I encourage you to stay engaged by serving on a SAG, pursuing leadership opportunities, recognizing deserving colleagues, or simply sharing your ideas. Your voice matters, and our Section is stronger because of your involvement.
Finally, as a charter member of original SPE executive committee I want to thank you for your kindness, encouragement, and trust throughout this journey as we built a new section within ASHP to address our needs as educators. Serving as a leader within SPE has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside you as a colleague and fellow pharmacy educator.
Until we meet again, remember:
"You make a difference. You are important. And you deserve all the good things in your life."
As always, the battle cry – “Go forth and conquer, friends!”
Warm regards,
Tim Brown, PharmD, BCACP, FASHP, FNAP
Immediate-Past Chair, Section of Pharmacy Educators
sections@ashp.org
