Dr. Heather Knych was recognized with the school’s 2023 Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award for excellence in teaching pharmacology at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. As Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences, Knych received her DVM (2005) and Ph.D. (2008) from UC Davis. She completed a Residency in Clinical Pharmacology in 2010 and is Board Certified in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. She joined the Faculty in 2010.

Knych has a substantial teaching load and receives high praise for her teaching effectiveness across undergraduate, professional, and graduate courses. In addition to teaching in a number of other courses, she is a co-block leader for VET 406 Pharmacology, Nutrition & Toxicology, co-IOR for PTX201Principles of Pharmacology & Toxicology and IOR for VMB 255 Pharmacokinetics. Professional students highly appreciate her lectures noting the organization and clarity of presentation, ability to distill complex pharmacology and pharmacokinetics/dynamics information into readily understandable material and reinforcement through interactive in-class quizzes, application of knowledge in discussions, and Q&A sessions.

Knych uses novel approaches in her teaching to enliven presentations and cultivate deeper learning. Considering that pharmacology and pharmacokinetics/dynamics are topics that are challenging for many professional students, her teaching effectiveness is laudable as exemplified by this student comment: “Dr. Knych did an awesome job helping us understand very complex mechanisms in ways that we were able to comprehend as first year students.” Another student commented: “Dr. Knych is an excellent instructor, and the integration of her material into lectures, practical discussions, and Q&A sessions helped me understand pharmacology—a subject I was really dreading.” 

Graduate students enjoy the interactive nature of her sessions, her approachability, and the logical explanations she provides. Knych is also a graduate advisor for the Pharmacology Toxicology Graduate Group (PTXGG). She has been major mentor for Ph.D. and Master’s degree students as well as serving on the dissertation committees for other Ph.D. candidates. Knych is also involved in mentoring precollege students through STEM for girls, the UCD Pre-College Equine Science Course, and the Authentic Science Research Program (NY). Knych has also served as chair of the SVM Curriculum Committee. Overall, her record of contributions to teaching is excellent, demonstrating dedication, leadership, and innovation.