School of Pharmacy Hires New Associate Professor
On July 22, 2024 Pacific University School of Pharmacy hired a new Associate Professor, Dr. Eric Gilliam, PharmD, BCPS, MCPC. Dr. Gilliam received his PharmD in 2007 from Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Indianapolis, IN. He is an emergency medicine and critical care clinical pharmacy specialist, that is passionate about teaching others how to care for critically ill and injured patients. Dr. Gilliam also researches strategies to better support pharmacy student success using improved communication, a focus on professional identity formation, and socioemotional intelligence. We caught up with him and asked him some key questions to learn more about him, his background, why he wanted to join Pacific University and some interesting personal fun facts!
Q. Tell us a little about your background personally and professionally prior to becoming a faculty member here at Pacific University School of Pharmacy.
A. I’ve always been a nomadic person who loves to play outside. I grew up in the Ozarks of Missouri and the hills of Kentucky, and have since lived all over the US thanks to a variety of job opportunities and training. I moved here from Colorado and Oregon is now the 8th state to be called home. Living in a place with an abundance of outdoor recreation and exploration is important to me.
During my first year of residency in New Mexico, I was given the opportunity to work in the emergency department which inspired me to pivot my career to focus on Emergency Medicine. At the same time, I was lecturing and managing a class at a school of pharmacy. Since then, I’ve always had one foot in hospital clinical practice and one foot in a classroom. It can be really challenging to do both of these jobs well simultaneously, so I keep getting drawn back and forth. The COVID pandemic inspired me to explore new professional interests I never expected for myself – To start my own business as a professionalism coach for students and to expand my practice into critical care medicine. Now I get to use all of these skills in my new job at Pacific University.
Q. What about Pacific University led you to wanting to join our team?
A. When I think about the people I have known at Pacific over the years, I think about people who are passionate about teaching. I know many current and past faculty members who have been advocates for student development and innovations in teaching. I find this very inspiring. I am also excited to work at a university this size, where you can get to know your students and develop community across the school.
Q. As you enter the beginning of the 24/25 Academic Year, what excites you the most about the upcoming school year?
A. I’ll be teaching all the hospital acute care medicine topics in IST-4 in the spring, and co-directing the course as well. This is the first time I get to formally teach these topics in the classroom. I’m nervous and excited to transform what I would normally teach “on-the-fly-at-the-bedside” into lectures for students. I want students to feel prepared to see the most complicated patient scenarios when they are on their APPEs.
Q. Now it's time for some fun facts about yourself! For starters, what's your favorite movie and why?
A. My favorite movie is/was Twister. I was obsessed with the idea of being a tornado chasing meteorologist as a middle-schooler.
Q. What was the title of the last book you read?
A. The last book I read was "Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions" by Temple Grandin. This is an amazing book that forces you to consider how people think, learn, and communicate differently. It also inspired me to think differently about how I teach to a diverse group of people.
Q. What are your favorite hobbies?
A. My favorite hobbies range from cooking at home to spending time outdoors camping, hiking, and backpacking. My dream would be to teach people how to cook good food while camping in the backcountry.
Q. What is your favorite color?
A. My favorite color is blue. Not only is blue the color of the sky and water (great reasons), but also because it has a fascinating history and science compared to older colors.
Q. Okay Dr. Gilliam, you've been a good sport answering all of our questions. So last, but not least, what is your favorite animal?
A. My favorite animal is the humpback whale. Their intelligence is amazing, and they winter in Hawaii every year!
- by Amber Hieb, BA | Senior Manager of Administrative Operations | School of Pharmacy