PATIENTS Professors Academy Advisory Board Recognized for Fundraising Efforts

The advisory board received UMB’s Catalyst of Excellence Award.

Bruce Jarrell, DeJuan Patterson, Gail Graham, Hillary Edwards, and Sarah Michel pose with an award.

By Emily Parks
May 28, 2024

Feature image (left to right): President Bruce Jarrell, DeJuan Patterson, Gail Graham, Hillary Edwards, and Dean Sarah L.J. Michel at the awards ceremony.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Foundation honored the advisory board of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s PATIENTS Professors Academy (PPA) with a Catalyst of Excellence Award on May 2 in recognition of its role in fundraising and supporting the PPA.

An annual summer event since 2022, the PPA is a free, five-week online program on community-engaged research to advance health equity held by the PATIENTS Program. PPA has weekly interactive components led by patient advisors, known as PATIENTS Professors, who co-teach with researchers. PATIENTS Professors share their expertise as individuals who have lived with medical conditions, while researchers share expertise designing research and engaging patents and communities.

The work of the PPA advisory board is a testimony to the PATIENTS Program’s dedication to continuous engagement and health equity. Catalyst award honorees exemplify powerful advocacy for success, achievement, and philanthropy for their respective schools. Each school within UMB recognizes those who devote their talent and resources to improving the lives of the citizens of Baltimore City and the state of Maryland.

“The commitment from West Baltimore patients and community members to initiatives such as the PATIENTS Professors Academy reflects authentic community-academic partnership,” said Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, who nominated the advisory board for the award. “I am proud of the tireless efforts from the PPA advisory board to make the program accessible and keep the conversation going on health equity.”

The advisory board’s efforts generated more than $2 million in sponsorships over a three-year period to ensure that the five-week program remains free for participants and provides continuous engagement opportunities throughout the year. Graduates play an instrumental role by sharing their “PATIENTS Voice” and lending their lived experience to transform research to be patient centered. Many of the academy’s 200 graduates serve on stakeholder advisory boards, present at conferences and events, and inform policy.

Advisory Board Members Gail Graham and DeJuan Patterson, MPA, attended the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of the board, along with Hillary Edwards, PhD, MPH, director of methodological research and evaluation at the PATIENTS Program, and C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, executive director of the PATIENTS Program and professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research.

“This award is not only a part of my legacy,” Patterson said. “It reflects the community partnership legacy that shows the fruits of continuous engagement, empowering diverse voices, and a pathway toward mutual benefits between communities and institutions.”

Learn more and apply to the 2024 PATIENTS Professors Academy.