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About
Overview:
Kathryn M. Sawyer, PharmD, MEd, MBA, BCACP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Patient Care Skills Lab Coordinator at the University of Illinois Chicago Retzky College of Pharmacy. With a passion for innovative teaching and active learning, Dr. Sawyer brings a student-centered approach to pharmacy education, guiding learners through immersive skills-based training that builds clinical confidence and critical thinking.
Dr. Sawyer’s professional journey includes serving as a clinical pharmacist and director of pharmacy at a tribal facility in Alaska, where she provided care in a resource-limited setting. Her teaching philosophy, inspired by Albert Einstein’s quote—“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn”—reflects her commitment to fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments.
She holds advanced degrees in education and business, which inform her approach to curriculum design, assessment innovation, and strategic leadership. Her scholarly interests include specifications grading, professional identity formation, interprofessional education, and critical service-learning in pharmacy practice.
In addition to her academic and research efforts, Dr. Sawyer is a passionate advocate for animal welfare and actively rescues and rehabilitates pigeons in Chicago. Her work inside and outside the classroom is grounded in equity, compassion, and a deep commitment to meaningful impact.
Research Interests:
Dr. Kathryn M. Sawyer’s research focuses on professional identity formation in pharmacy education, with an emphasis on transformative learning, reflective practice, and the use of disorienting dilemmas as developmental tools. She explores innovative pedagogical strategies that support student growth, including specifications grading, interprofessional education, and feedback-driven learning environments. Her work also examines equity in educational structures, particularly how systemic barriers influence the experiences of students with individualized learning plans as they transition into higher education. Dr. Sawyer is committed to advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning through qualitative and mixed-methods research aimed at enhancing learner engagement, self-awareness, and professional development.
Teaching Statement:
Dr. Kathryn M. Sawyer is a dedicated pharmacy educator who creates supportive, active learning environments where students are empowered to think critically, make mistakes, and grow into competent, compassionate professionals. She coordinates and teaches in skills-based laboratory courses, blending real-world practice with innovative, student-centered instruction. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that learning flourishes when students are challenged within a framework of trust, reflection, and clear expectations. Through layered learning models, and thoughtful use of educational technology, Dr. Sawyer prepares students not only for exams—but for lifelong professional success.
Teaching and Supervision
Pharmacy Practice: Hospital (PHAR 413), 8/25/2025 – 12/5/2025
Undergrad Resrch Pharm Pract (PMPR 380), 8/25/2025 – 12/5/2025
Introduction Pharmacy Practice (PHAR 411), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
Foundations of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice – 2024, 1/8/2024 – 4/26/2024
Foundations of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice – 2023, 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
Evidence-Based Medicine (PHAR 440), 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
Foundations of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice – 2022, 1/10/2022 – 4/29/2022
About
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Selected Grants
Utilizing Transformative Learning Theory to Enhance Professional Identity Formation, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy., 3/1/2023 - 8/31/2025, Obligated Amount: $8500; Anticipated Amount: $8500
Selected Publications
Sawyer, Kathryn, Dave, Vivek S, Gonyeau, Michael J, Cain, Jeff. (2025). Teaching Tomorrow’s Pharmacists in an AI World: Risk, Responsibility, and Reflection. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 89, (12), 101905. doi:10.1016/j.ajpe.2025.101905.
Sawyer, Kathryn, Kopale, Mary Sullivan. (2025). To the Editor: TikTok as a Tool for Learning Top 300 Drugs. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 89, (11), 101879. doi:10.1016/j.ajpe.2025.101879.
Kilroy, Susan, Marks, Beth, Sawyer, Kathryn M, Vanderzwan, Kathryn, Karczmar, Christopher, Koronkowski, Mike, Brown, Blase P. (2025). Utilizing simulation-enhanced interprofessional education to identify differences in healthcare students’ collaborative practice behaviors: A mixed method study. Nurse Education Today, 147, 106569. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106569.
Ives, Amy L, Maes, Marina L, Sawyer, Kathryn, Bergbaken, Jessica M, Van Hooser, Jared, Fravel, Michelle, Cook, Kristen. (2024). Charting a course: Use of Electronic Health Records in skills‐based pharmacy education. JACCP JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CLINICAL PHARMACY, 7, (11), 1099-1106. doi:10.1002/jac5.2042.
Geders, TW, Gustafson, K, Finzel, BC. (2012). Use of differential scanning fluorimetry to optimize the purification and crystallization of PLP-dependent enzymes. Acta Crystallographica Section F: Structural Biology Communications, 68, (5), 596-600. doi:10.1107/s1744309112012912.
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Professional Leadership
Lab SIG Professional Identity Formation Committee, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 9/1/2024 - Present
Technology Special Interest Group Board, 7/24/2024 - 7/22/2026
Technology Special Interest Group Networking Committee, 7/24/2024 - 7/22/2026
Experiential Education Section Awards Committee, 7/22/2023 - 7/23/2025
Laboratory Instructors Special Interest Group Strategic Planning Committee, 7/22/2023 - 7/23/2024
Technology Special Interest Group Strategic Planning Committee, 7/22/2023 - 7/23/2024
Leadership Special Interest Group Scholarship Committee, 7/22/2023 - 7/23/2024
Laboratory Instructors Special Interest Group Mentoring/Networking Committee, 7/22/2023 - 7/23/2024
Junior Faculty Connect Community Leadership Group, 7/22/2022 - 7/23/2023
Notable Honors
2025, Laboratory Innovation and Teaching Excellence (LITE) Award, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
2023, Frederic P. Siegel Innovative Teaching Award, University of Illinois Chicago
2020, Heroes in Health Award, National Indian Health Board
2018, Employee of the Month - April, Norton Sound Health Corporation
2018, Excellence in Innovation Award, Alaska Pharmacist Association
2017, National Director's Award, Indian Health Service
2017, Customer Appreciation Award, Norton Sound Health Corporation
2017, Cardinal Health Generation RX Award, Alaska Pharmacist Association
2017, Immunization Champion Award, American Pharmacists Association
2015, National Director's Award, Indian Health Service
Education
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