Morgan Herring, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, has received the 2023 College of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year Award.

“I feel really fortunate to have been honored with this award,” she said. “I automatically think of all the great teachers at the College and feel a bit awkward about receiving it since there are just so many awesome people I work with.”

Herring, a clinical associate professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science, attended pharmacy school at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy followed by her residency with the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Mercy Family Pharmacy (now MercyOne Pharmacy) in Dubuque, Iowa. 

After residency, Herring was on faculty at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy for a brief period before returning to the University of Iowa as a faculty member in 2012. 

Today, within the College of Pharmacy, Herring teaches dermatology, diabetes, and self-care throughout the didactic curriculum.

She also serves as the director of the Pharmacy Educators Preparation Program for Residents and Fellows (PEPPR) which provides a teaching and learning curriculum for pharmacy residents throughout the Eastern part of the state. 

Herring is passionate about teaching and precepting, which has been the focus of her scholarship and service during the past several years, including being the APhA-APPM preceptor special interest group coordinator in 2020-21. She was also recently named a fellow of the American Pharmacists Association.              

For Herring, mentoring is the highlight of teaching and being a faculty member.

“Ultimately, I want students to go out and represent the university well,” she said. “Be good ambassadors for our program and just awesome pharmacists. I love seeing students go out and be great in whatever path they choose. It is fun to see them excel, and if I had even a small part in helping them get there, then that is a job well done.”

"Ultimately, I want students to go out and represent the university well. Be good ambassadors for our program and just awesome pharmacists. I love seeing students go out and be great in whatever path they choose."  -Morgan Herring

Throughout her teaching endeavors, Herring strives to bring context for learning. 

“I like using examples of how students can use the information in day-to-day life,” she said. “This generation of learners has grown up in a time with easy access to all kinds of information, and I find that if you don’t make them see how important the information is, it can be easily discarded. It is also just fun to see the lightbulb turn on when they are synthesizing complex information.”

In addition to her faculty role in the College of Pharmacy, Herring practices at the Iowa Lutheran Family Medicine Residency in Des Moines, Iowa. At the practice site, she mentors medical residents, has an inpatient and outpatient clinical practice, and focuses on ambulatory care and transitions of care. 

“I have the joy of teaching in all aspects of my job: patients, medical students, pharmacy students, physician assistant students, primary care physicians, medical residents, medical assistants, nurses, and pharmacy residents,” Herring said. “I see it as a way to pay it forward for all the awesome teachers and mentors that I have had in the past.” 

No matter who Herring crosses on her path, her impact is deeply felt. 

Said one of her award nominators, “She would never accept such praise, but I feel that I owe my residency experiences, first publication, and my first job after residency (in academia!) to Morgan’s exceptional influence. I sincerely believe had it not been for Morgan, my pharmacy career would have never been as positive and fulfilling as it has been so far.”

Another of Herring’s former students wrote, “Through all my experiences with Dr. Herring, she has displayed numerous qualities of an outstanding educator: dedication to her student’s success and wellbeing, as well as promotion of evidence-based medicine and patient-centered care. In my opinion, her dedication to teaching the next generation of pharmacy educators highlights her clear commitment to lifelong learning.”                

Her fellow colleagues feel her influence, too. 

One College of Pharmacy faculty member shared, “There are many examples that I could provide that demonstrate Morgan’s interest in having our students succeed. She is one of the most caring and dedicated faculty that I have worked with. Her demeanor with our students is very gentle and disarming. Consequently, the students universally appreciate her expertise and aspire to become a pharmacist like her.”