School of Pharmacy Mourns Passing of Retired Faculty Member, Alumnus
Robert Michocki, PharmD ’75, BCPS, is remembered for his 43 years of service as a teacher, role model, and mentor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
By Becky Ceraul
October 17, 2019
Robert Michocki, PharmD ’75, BCPS, alumnus and professor emeritus of pharmacy practice and science (PPS) at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, passed away on Oct. 15.
“During his career at the School, Dr. Michocki impacted the lives of thousands of faculty, staff, and students,” says Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FCP, FAAPS, dean and professor of the School of Pharmacy. “His contributions to the School and the pharmacy profession live on in the actions of our alumni, who so ably care for their patients, and in those faculty members who were fortunate to call him a colleague and who looked to him for mentorship and guidance.”
Michocki first graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1971, and immediately joined the faculty. While on faculty, he once again became a student, pursuing his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) in the School’s post-baccalaureate PharmD program — a program he helped launch. Michocki served the School of Pharmacy as chair of PPS from April 2003 to August 2006, as well as interim chair from July 1991 to September 1992, and January 1996 to July 1997. He maintained practice sites in internal medicine, geriatrics, and emergency medicine, as well as a long-running family medicine practice site at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He also had a 35-year career as a consultant in the primary care and geriatrics clinics at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Throughout his career, Michocki gave numerous presentations at professional conferences, published in peer reviewed journals, authored book chapters, and co-authored a book on drug use patterns. He retired from the School of Pharmacy in 2014, after 43 years of service as a teacher, role model, and mentor.
“Dr. Michocki relished the time he spent with students, learning just as much from them as they learned from him,” says Eddington. “So strong was his connection to our pharmacy students that he was the School’s Teacher of the Year a record-breaking 10 times.”
Michocki’s impact as an educator was not only felt at the School of Pharmacy, but across the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. In 2011, the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine honored him with its Excellence in Teaching Award. He was also named the School of Pharmacy’s Evander Frank Kelly Honored Alumnus in 2003.
A memorial mass will be held on Friday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. at St. Margaret Catholic Church, located at 141 Hickory Ave., Bel Air, MD 21014. In lieu of flowers, Michocki’s family is asking for contributions to be made to the School of Pharmacy.
Michocki is survived by his wife Corinne, his daughter Melinda Michocki, son-in-law Jay Fratta, granddaughters Lucy and Daisy Michocki, his sisters Pat Appley and Bernadette Thoman, and his brother Dennis Michocki. He was predeceased by his brother Thomas. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
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