Beloved PHSR Professor Retires from School of Pharmacy

Colleagues, family, and friends come together to celebrate the career and achievements of Dr. Francoise Pradel.

By Malissa Carroll
January 12, 2016

After dedicating 16 years of her career to teaching, conducting research, and mentoring students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Francoise Pradel, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research (PHSR), retired from the School at the end of December.

“Since joining the faculty at the School of Pharmacy, Dr. Pradel has proven to be an outstanding academic citizen,” says Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FCP, FAAPS, dean and professor of the School. “She has served as the chair of numerous committees as well as director of the PhD in PHSR program on two occasions. Her pioneering research examining the environmental, behavioral, and psychosocial factors that influence patients’ health care decision making has helped researchers around the world understand that it is patients who hold the key to ensuring that health care professionals are able to deliver effective treatments and care. I congratulate her on her retirement and wish her all the best as she begins the next chapter of her life.”

A native of France, Pradel is a graduate of the University Of Paris XI School Of Pharmacy. She and her husband owned and managed a community pharmacy before immigrating to the United States, where she earned both her master’s degree in pharmaceutical policies and evaluative sciences and her doctorate in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Pradel joined the faculty at the School of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in 1999. Her most recent research examined the role of health literacy and information needs on medication adherence among kidney transplant patients.

“I remember meeting Dr. Pradel when she was a graduate student, and have always been impressed by both her excellence in research and teaching as well as her unwavering commitment to helping others,” says C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, professor and chair of PHSR. “I was thrilled when she joined the faculty at the School of Pharmacy, and was honored to serve as a mentor to her early in her career. Our department will miss her friendly smile as well as her exemplary work in public health research, training, and outreach.”

Pradel was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2005, and later to professor in 2013. She has mentored more than 20 graduate students and provided support and guidance to numerous students in the School’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.

“It has been a pleasure having Dr. Pradel as a colleague over the years,” says Frank Palumbo, PhD, JD, professor in PHSR and director of the PhD in PHSR program. “She has been a great friend to many of us, and was always willing to assist or collaborate with us no matter the amount of time and effort required of her. I truly wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement.”

“I feel fortunate to have been able to work with Dr. Pradel in many capacities over the past decade,” adds Michelle Campbell, PhD ‘14, a social science analyst at the Food and Drug Administration and one of Pradel’s former graduate students. “As my professor, advisor, dissertation chair, and co-investigator, Dr. Pradel has mentored me both personally and professionally. She is one of the most influential people in my life, and I strive each day to be the person that she taught and expects me to be.”

In addition to her teaching and research commitments at the School, Pradel served as the state evaluator for the Maryland Strategic Prevention Framework initiative, which works to reduce underage and binge drinking and alcohol-related crashes among youth, as well as opioid misuse and overdoses. She was also involved with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), serving as a member at-large in the Pharmacy Information section of the organization’s Executive Committee.

“I have known Dr. Pradel for nearly 15 years, ” says Linda Simoni-Wastila, BSPharm, MSPH, PhD, professor and vice chair of research in PHSR. “She is a person of integrity and honesty. She also has a true public health heart, and has never lost sight of the true purpose of her work. I appreciate her generous spirit and her willingness to lend a helping hand to her colleagues when needed.”

On Dec. 11, a special reception to celebrate Pradel’s career was held at the School of Pharmacy.

“Deciding to retire after spending 16 years at this wonderful institution was incredibly bittersweet,” said Pradel. “The sense of friendship, collegiality, respect, and trust fostered among the faculty in PHSR is unlike anything that I ever experienced before coming to the School of Pharmacy. As professionals, we spend a lot of time in the office, and I feel fortunate to have spent my time at a place where I truly enjoyed coming to work each day. I hope that my colleagues continue their great work and know that I will miss them dearly as I begin the next chapter of my life.”

Related News Stories

More Stories About: Francoise Pradel PHSR Retirement