Erika Pixley
Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE, program director of the School of Pharmacy鈥檚 Master of Science and Graduate Certificates in Palliative Care, jokes that she sometimes feels superfluous in her role because of one person: Erika Pixley, MBA.
鈥淓veryone calls Erika,鈥� McPherson says of Pixley, senior academic program specialist. 鈥淚n fact, when someone calls in, both of our lines ring on both of our phones. I鈥檒l answer it and say, 鈥楲ynn McPherson.鈥� And someone will say, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 sorry, is Erika there?鈥� And I鈥檒l say, 鈥榃ell, this is Dr. McPherson, can I help you?鈥� And they say, 鈥楴o, I really need to speak to Erika.鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 indispensable to this program. She鈥檚 the glue.鈥�
鈥℉elping to manage the program since its inception in spring 2017, Pixley was rewarded for her efforts Dec. 7 with the 爆料公社, Baltimore鈥檚 (UMB) Employee of the Month Award for December. UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, presented Pixley with the award at the Saratoga Building, praising her professionalism, work ethic, and ability to meet the needs of students.
鈥淵our colleagues have said a lot of great things about you,鈥� said Perman, who gave Pixley a plaque, a letter of commendation, and news that an extra $250 would be in her next paycheck. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e helped to build up a whole new program and you serve the students exceptionally well. This award is well-deserved, and on behalf of the University, I want you to know that your work is very much appreciated.鈥�
The online program, which is open to other UMB disciplines such as medicine and nursing, is designed to meet the educational needs of those who already work or wish to work in hospice or palliative care environments and want to gain deeper understanding of the physical, psychological, spiritual, and social needs of patients and families involved in end-of-life care.
McPherson describes the program as 鈥渁 university within a university鈥� and says of Pixley: 鈥淓rika is the welcoming committee and the admissions committee and the student affairs committee and the graduation committee. She鈥檚 everything. And people adore her.
鈥淪he is extraordinarily professional in all her dealings 鈥� with faculty, students in the program, pharmacy students, and any other interested parties. She helps the students apply, enroll, develop their plan of study, pay their tuition, resolve technology issues, request graduate certificates, and does many, many more tasks.鈥�
Pixley, an employee of the school鈥檚 Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science who came to UMB in 2016 to help launch the palliative care program, takes great pride in its success, with the first cohort set to graduate next spring.
鈥淚鈥檓 with the students from Day 1 through graduation,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e are not even 2 years old yet and we have over 150 students, so I think that鈥檚 pretty successful. And we have great retention, because everyone who has started in the program is on their way to completion.鈥�
Pixley says she learned more in the first few months in this role than in seven years in her previous jobs in education enrollment and admissions, adding that she appreciates the creative freedom she鈥檚 given with tasks such as managing social media, producing the program鈥檚 newsletter, and assisting with marketing materials.
鈥淚鈥檝e been given the flexibility to utilize my own resources and the freedom to try different things,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f I have an idea that will aid students or the program, I can actually go to somebody with the idea, instead of just sitting in my cubicle.鈥�
Pixley collaborates with faculty, too, of course, but says the best part of her job is being in constant contact with the students.
鈥淚n previous positions I鈥檝e held, students are handed off to other departments after their initial enrollment has ended,鈥� she says. 鈥淗ere, I like that I鈥檓 our students鈥� main go-to person and that they know they鈥檙e with me from beginning to end, through thick and thin. They know I have their backs, that I鈥檒l handle all issues or changes that arise, and that they can come to me with any type of question.
鈥淥ur students feel comfortable with me, and many of them have said the students in this program and the support staff feel like a family. I鈥檓 very proud of that.鈥�
And McPherson is clearly proud of Pixley.
鈥淓rika is an asset and friend to our program, the School of Pharmacy, and UMB,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he program is an enormous success, and we cannot imagine that it would have been doing as well under anyone else鈥檚 care.鈥�
鈥� Lou Cortina
