At the end of each spring and fall semester, each class of University of Iowa (UI) College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students enthusiastically nominate faculty members as their choice for Class Teachers of the Year. These educators are not only excellent teachers, but mentors as well. They engage and inspire students, using their passion to prepare our future pharmacists.
We are honored to announce Class Teachers of the Year award recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year. Congratulations to these outstanding educators!
John Swegle
Class of 2027 (P3) Teacher of the Year
John Swegle is a clinical associate professor for the College of Pharmacy. He is also a clinical pharmacy faculty member for the MercyOne North Iowa Family Medicine Residency in Mason City, Iowa. After earning his PharmD and completing a pharmacy residency in Family Medicine from the UI College of Pharmacy and Department of Family Medicine, Swegle returned to his alma mater to teach. He received the Class of 2024 Teacher of the Year award in 2022.
He is a member of the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA), American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and North Iowa Pharmacy, Inc.
Student comments included:
“Dr. Swegle has a way of making all of his lectures enjoyable. He genuinely cares about us and our learning and is always open to offering advice. He always makes time for questions and is consistently present throughout our education. He also dedicates a lot of time to offer students experiences with his rotation, along with his heavy workload as a practicing pharmacist.”
Jill Kauer
Class of 2028 (P2) Teacher of the Year
Clinical Assistant Professor Jill Kauer is an engaging and passionate teacher while practicing as an inpatient psychiatric clinical pharmacy specialist at UI Health Care Her areas of professional concentration include improving outcomes in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and management of delirium.
Kauer received her PharmD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MSPhr from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists.
Student comments included:
“Dr. Kauer was an excellent teacher in our psychiatry course, and her passion extended to all of us students. She took the time to learn our names and make sure that we really understood and that our voices were heard.”
Laura Knockel
Class of 2029 (P1) Teacher of the Year
Laura Knockel is a clinical associate professor and the director of Pharmacy Practice Laboratories in the college. She also maintains a clinical practice as a community pharmacist in the UI Health Care outpatient pharmacies. Knockel earned her PharmD from Iowa in 2005. Before joining the faculty in 2015, she practiced in community pharmacy for 10 years. She previously was recognized as the P1 Teacher of the Year in 2018 and 2022.
Knockel was named an APhA Fellow in 2026. She currently serves as president-elect of the IPA and chair-elect of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Self-Care Therapeutics/Nonprescription Medicine Special Interest Group.
Student comments included:
“Dr. Knockel was one of my favorite professors that I engaged with. She was such a helpful mentor and pushed every student to the best of their ability. Her professionalism and understanding was incredible. I'm very excited to continue to learn from her!”