UMSOP Faculty Member Selected for Prestigious Elkins SoTL Fellowship

Fellowship project explores TILT strategies to improve pharmacy student readiness for experiential rotations.

By Pam Carder
June 23, 2025

Mandee Booth, PharmD, BCIDP, assistant professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), has been awarded a 2025–2026 Elkins Fellowship for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

The Elkins SoTL Fellowship, administered by the University System of Maryland’s (USM) Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, supports faculty-led research projects that aim to enhance student learning and contribute to institutional improvement. Booth’s selection followed a competitive application process open to faculty across USM’s 12 institutions.

Her fellowship project focuses on applying Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) strategies to pharmacy experiential education, particularly the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations. The project seeks to better prepare students for real-world pharmacy practice by improving clarity around learning objectives and expectations during clinical rotations.

“I’ve been interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning since transitioning to academia in 2022,” said Booth. Prior to that, Booth worked full time as an infectious diseases clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), where she continues to practice and precept students on rotation. “During a UMSOP PharmD curriculum retreat in December, I learned about the TILT framework, and I saw potential to apply it in a new way—specifically within experiential education, which hasn’t been explored widely in the literature,” she said.

The TILT model emphasizes transparency by structuring assignments and learning activities around three core elements: Purpose, Task, and Success. Booth’s project will begin by surveying UMSOP’s APPE preceptors to identify barriers students face during clinical rotations. These insights will inform redesigned teaching strategies within her own elective rotation on infectious diseases, followed by pre- and post-rotation student surveys to measure the impact on student preparedness and professional identity formation.

“We’re so proud of Dr. Booth for being awarded an Elkins SoTL Fellowship,” said Jill Morgan, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, FNAP, professor and chair, Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research. “Her passion for improving pharmacy education and her dedication to helping students succeed really shine through in her project. Using the TILT framework to make experiential rotations clearer and more meaningful is a smart, innovative approach that will benefit students and preceptors alike. I’m excited to see how her work will influence pharmacy education here at UMSOP and beyond.”

The fellowship officially began in April 2025 with a virtual kickoff meeting, where Booth and 10 other fellows presented their project ideas. Throughout the 2025-2026 academic year, the fellows will meet regularly to offer peer feedback. They will present final findings in May 2026.

“There’s already a strong sense of collaboration and innovation among the cohort,” Booth said. “Some of the other projects involve using AI to create new forms of simulated learning, which I am excited to learn from. This fellowship offers a wonderful opportunity for both mentorship and growth.”

For more information on the Elkins SoTL Fellowship, visit the Kirwan Center website.

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