Deborah Sturpe, Pharm.D., MA, a UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy alumna, recently joined the School’s Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics as a faculty member. Sturpe’s research is based upon investigating ways in which curriculum, teaching methods, student assessment, and other educational programs. We asked her about her experience in academia:
Q: What is your hometown?
That’s actually hard to answer. I technically grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, but my family bought property on Lake Norman just north of Charlotte, N.C., when I was young. I spent all my summers there, and that was officially “home” by the time I got to college. So I tend to claim Terrell, N.C.!
Q: What got you interested in your field?
I was always good at science and math and my mom was a paramedic, so investigating healthcare fields seemed reasonable when I was young. At the time, several family friends had children in pharmacy school, so I started to hear more about the field. By my junior year of high school, I had pretty much decided on being a pharmacist even though I had never worked in a pharmacy. Luckily, I’ve never regretted the decision! As for being in academia, my amazing professors during pharmacy school here at UNC really encouraged and endorsed that as a career option and my residency training solidified my desire to not only practice as a pharmacist, but to also teach and perform research. Again, no regrets! I love what I do.
Q: What’s been your biggest challenge in your research?
My research [focuses on] the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. The challenge with this research focus is the lack of training that most residency-trained pharmacists have in educational psychometrics, thus designing valid and reliable research plans for educational interventions can be difficult. Luckily, I’ve had good partners and mentors over the years, and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is full of faculty with similar research interests!
Q: What are you the most proud of?
When I interviewed for my first faculty position, I was warned that “academia is a lifestyle, not just a career.” The interviewer was making sure I was ready for the difficulty that often comes with the 24/7 nature of working with students, performing research, and practicing as a pharmacist all at the same time. Indeed, it is for this reason that many young faculty “burn out” and leave academia. I’ve been lucky over the past 20 years to instead learn to flourish in this environment, and I truly look forward to going to work each day. I know too many people that cannot say the same, thus I’m honestly most proud of the fact that I have learned to love this “lifestyle.”
Q: What are you looking forward to?
Being back “home” at UNC is such an honor! As an alumna, I’m excited to now be part of this amazing University as a faculty member and couldn’t be prouder to be working for the No. 1 School of Pharmacy in the nation. The energy and enthusiasm around campus is palpable. It’s going to be fun to get involved!
Q: Is there anything else you think the UNC community should know about you?
If I pass you on campus and you have a dog with you, I’ll be the first to stop and fawn over it (and you can do the same if you see me with my Australian shepherd).