Donald Fedder Retires after 35 Years at the School of Pharmacy

Teacher, researcher, and mentor celebrates on his birthday at a reception with family, friends, and colleagues

By Becky Ceraul
December 3, 2009

After 35 years of service to the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Donald Fedder, DrPH, MPH,BSP, FAPhA, retired as a professor emeritus at a special ceremony that also celebrated his birthday. Surrounded by his family, friends, and colleagues, Fedder was praised for the positive impact he has had on countless students, staff, faculty, and community health workers.

“I would venture to say that many of us in this room have been strongly influenced at some point in our careers or life by Don,” said Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “His contributions to our School are countless and he will need an entire room in his new condo at Harbor Court to display all of the honors and awards he has received during his career. Now, as a professor emeritus, we certainly will be filling Don’s calendar and turning to him for his expertise on so many issues that remain important to our School.”

Fedder came to the School of Pharmacy in 1947 – not as a faculty member but as a student. He graduated in 1950 with a BSP and took over a pharmacy on Wise Avenue in Dundalk. He operated that pharmacy for more than 20 years. It was the first in Maryland to carry orthotics and home health medical equipment.

In the early 1970s, Fedder was recruited to the School of Pharmacy by Drs. Ralph Shangraw and Peter Lamy. He had recently sold his pharmacy and “retired” so he was available. While working full-time at the School, Fedder went “back to school” himself and earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“As a teacher, Don has always tried to weave current practice issues into his teaching – he never lost touch with the realities of pharmacy practice,” said Dean Eddington. “As a researcher, Don has focused on the role of modifiable behaviors in reducing disease risk, increasing patient compliance with medication, and improving relationships between the patient and health care provider.”

While a member of the School’s Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, Fedder founded the ENABLE program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in the mid-1980s. For 20 years, it trained local community health workers to aid high-risk populations with chronic diseases to maintain control of their illnesses. This innovative program earned Fedder campus-wide recognition when he received UMB’s 2005 Martin Luther King, Jr. Diversity Award.

“More importantly, ENABLE became the foundation of community based programs that foster health seeking behaviors,” said Dean Eddington.

During the reception, Fedder was presented with citations from both houses of the Maryland General Assembly and received a congratulatory letter from Senator Benjamin Cardin. He was also presented with a telescope, “in honor and recognition of your vision of education, and so you can keep your eye on us,” said Ilene Zuckerman, PharmD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Health Services Research.

In his remarks, Fedder mentioned a favorite quote from Woody Allen: “Often, the major criterion for awards is just showing up.”

“During my career, I just kept showing up,” Fedder said. “And I am the one who has benefitted the most. My plan when I graduated in 1950 wasn’t to become a faculty member here and then to go to graduate school.”

He also cited baseball legend Yogi Berra, who said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

“The fork in the road saying is a metaphor for opportunity and challenge,” Fedder said. “I’ve confronted many forks during my life and the choices I made weren’t always perfect. But I’ve had the amazing good fortune to work with so many smart and creative people, especially my students.”