In a video tribute to Paul Dobesh, PharmD, professor of pharmacy practice and science, several students cracked open aluminum cans in celebration.
The gesture was nonalcoholic; it’s a running joke that Dr. Dobesh will kick off a lecture by opening the first — of many to come, no doubt — of his trademark Diet Mt. Dews.
The students were toasting what was at least a three-Dew announcement: that they’d named Dr. Dobesh the 2020 winner of the College of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Teaching Award. It is voted on annually by P2s, P3s and P4s.
“In a year of a lot of disappointments, this is a very bright moment for me,” said Dr. Dobesh, who accepted the award without ceremony, or an applauding crowd. Like many things in 2020, the trophy presentation was virtual-video and socially distant.
But that’s just one more reason the students were impressed by Dr. Dobesh this year.
“This year has been full of unprecedented challenges,” said P4 class president Matt Mallisee. “Each and every one of us has had to face a combination of personal, professional and academic problems.”
Through it all, Dr. Dobesh continued to connect and educate as he always has.
“It’s very humbling,” he said. “There are so many great educators in this college.”
But the students singled him out this year. Mallisee read a few comments from the nominations:
Dr. Dobesh is “very humble and has always treated me in a way that made me feel respected and intelligent,” one student wrote.
Another said that Dr. Dobesh is “approachable, engaging, passionate and genuinely wants students to succeed.”
Dr. Dobesh is responsible for teaching pharmacy students, as well as pharmacy and medical residents, and lectures on ischemic heart disease, antithrombotic therapy, and other cardiology and critical care topics.
“Thank you to everyone that I work with who makes me better,” he said.
New NPA student representative
UNMC’s new student representative on the Nebraska Pharmacists Association’s (NPA) Board of Directors, Michael Popkov, was sworn in last week in a video induction. Student representatives retain full voting rights on the board.
“He will certainly do our college proud,” said Ally Dering-Anderson, PharmD, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice. Dr. Dering-Anderson also is NPA’s immediate past president.
Popkov replaces Cory Durbin, who is in his P4 year.