From Bill Campbell

We are shaped by the people in our lives. When these people have a transforming effect on us, either by the example they set, or through a close personal relationship, they become mentors.

Dr. Richard E. “Rich” Johnson was my first mentor. He was a professor at Oregon State University when Karen and I were pharmacy students, and he stood apart from other faculty with his concern for students, his commitment to teaching, and his dedication to academic values. After completing a master’s degree under his guidance and then a PhD at Purdue University, my first academic appointment was back at Oregon State where Rich and I were to be faculty colleagues. As an assistant professor, my limitations were beyond measure, but Rich steered me through the university maze, opened doors for research collaborations, helped me strike a balance between personal and professional life, and most importantly, set an example of uncompromising integrity in all matters. Most remarkably, he assumed personal responsibility for my success as an assistant professor. All this he did in a completely selfless manner, devoting infinite wisdom, energy, ideas, and time solely for my benefit. Without his support and guidance my academic career would have been much different—and likely much shorter!  

My second academic appointment was at the University of Washington (Seattle) as department chair of pharmacy practice. The dean, Dr. Milo Gibaldi, was a brilliant scientist and one of the founders of the discipline of biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. Milo demonstrated how a bold vision and commitment to develop each person to their fullest potential can create excellence in an academic program. He also taught me that humor, respect for differences, and joie d’vire can be as important as dollars and space in creating a climate of achievement. Despite Milo’s fragile health and the enormous demands on his time, he was always available to me on both a scheduled and unscheduled basis. His advice ranged from the personal to the professional, from the administrative to the scientific, and was offered with but one objective in mind: to help me. Milo’s death in 2006 was a loss to all of pharmaceutical science and education, but his courage and dedication in pursuit of excellence are enduring lessons.

Karen and I have shared an academic life that has been rich beyond our imagination, a life transformed by the generosity of Rich Johnson and Milo Gibaldi. Through the faculty mentoring program at the UNC School of Pharmacy, we hope to provide future faculty with the benefits of mentoring that we were so fortunate to receive. Those benefits include a commitment to junior colleagues, an understanding of the need for uncompromising integrity, a dedication to excellence, and permission to be yourself. This program honors not just our mentors but all mentors who commit themselves to the success of junior colleagues. We look forward to its success in helping new School faculty members achieve their full potential. And in time, they will become the next generation of mentors.