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Pharmacy Education Powerhouse
Pharmacy Education Powerhouse is Honored with Namesake Scholarship upon Retirement
On June 27 the UIC College of Pharmacy celebrated the retirement of Dr. Nicholas G. Popovich. In appreciation of the significant impact that Dr. Popovich has had on the profession and the lives of so many Pharmacists, Dr. Todd Chermak (PhD '09), and his wife Debbie, generously established the Professor Nicholas G. Popovich Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor this great educator while supporting current and future students.
“Nick is both a great teacher and mentor to many students,” Chermak said, “which I believe is his greatest legacy. My wife and I wanted to make sure others have the same academic opportunities that I experienced, and I believe a scholarship in Dr. Popovich’s name is one of the best ways to honor his great legacy.”
Though Dr. Popovich’s 50-year legacy has been filled with much success, when asked to reflect on his journey, he confessed his proudest moments are more personal.
For example, in 1982, Dr. Popovich found out he did not get a promotion at Purdue University. When he told his wife about his rejection, she responded, “Kids, let’s tell dad how much we love him and how we’re proud of him.” Once his children told him they were proud of him, his sadness went away.
Dr. Popovich counsels students in the computer lab.
“In that moment, I knew that it would be alright,” Popovich said. “Family is most important.”
And with Dr. Popovich, everyone was family.
“My students are my family too,” he said. “My goal was to get to know as many of them as I could. Some of them even call me dad!”
As Associate Dean for Professional Development at the UIC College of Pharmacy he developed numerous programs, ranging from a NAPLEX review course to career development workshops. But Dr. Popovich always made time for his “children.”
“So many students wanted me to be their advisor, which I, unfortunately, did not have the time to do,” he recounted. “But, I scheduled professional development lunches with them once a week, and sometimes I would bring in different friends who worked in different areas of pharmacy to show them that pharmacists have other opportunities outside of retail and academia.”
Dr. Popovich's class photo.
And his efforts were richly rewarded. He received the Golden Apple Award, for outstanding teaching twice, the Pharmacist of the Year recognition from the Illinois Pharmacist Association in 2012, the Rufus A. Lyman Awards from the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education a record six times, and most recently, being honored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Popovich left a tremendous impact on the lives and careers of a multitude of students, residents, fellows, faculty, and staff.
“Teachers (like Nick) can have such a powerful impact on a student’s academic path and future,” Dr. Chermak said. “We hope that those who ultimately benefi t from the scholarship will leave a memorable and positive mark in pharmacy and always remember Dr. Popovich as being part of that success.”
