Dr. Shankar Munusamy, Professor of Pharmacology and Director of Assessment at Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, recently received the 2025 ASPET Pharmacology Educators Award. This national honor from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) celebrates educators who advance pharmacology education through innovative teaching pedagogies and assessment methods.
Dr. Munusamy is devoted to continuously publishing work and creating innovative pharmacology instructional methods, and this accomplishment recognizes that. Throughout his career, he has been committed to fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and lifelong learning among students. He says that this recognition reaffirms his passion for teaching, mentoring, and advancing pharmacology education.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” said Dr. Munusamy. “I am grateful to my students, mentors, and colleagues who have inspired and supported me along the way. A heartfelt thanks to ASPET for recognizing educators who inspire excellence in pharmacology education!”
As a pharmacology educator, Dr. Munusamy utilizes diverse instructional methods, such as mnemonics, analogies, gamification, and student-response systems. His educational research has primarily focused on the following topics: Mnemonics and gamification in enhancing knowledge retention and clinical application, mindfulness exercises and wellness messages in promoting student well-being, and curricular interventions aimed at developing AI healthcare competencies among pharmacy students.
Dr. Munusamy’s innovative teaching approaches have won him many awards throughout his career, including the Excellence in Teaching Award from the AACP Biological Sciences Section as well as the Hartig Distinguished Professor, Teacher of the Year, and Mentor of the Year Awards from CPHS.
The College congratulates Dr. Munusamy on this highly distinguished achievement, which reflects well on the kind of educator and scholar that he has been in his service at Drake.