Three outstanding faculty have earned the inaugural Excellence in Research & Publication Awards.
The new awards honor faculty who made significant contributions that advance knowledge, technique or expression in their professional fields. This year’s recipients are Drs. Elias Chahine, professor of pharmacy practice; Chris Hickey, assistant professor of biology; and David Smith, professor of management.
Professor Dr. David Compton, fellow for research in the sciences, organized the awards, and an ad hoc committee from the Office of Academic Research reviewed the nominees and selected recipients. Provost Dr. E. Randolph Richards and Associate Provost Dr. Nathan Lane presented the recipients with engraved glass crystal plaques. Future recipients will be recognized at Honors Day and the provost’s welcome speech for the fall semester.
Scholarly research is considered an integral part of the mission of the University, said Lane. The University’s commitment to exceptional teaching includes fostering an excitement for the process of discovery, he added.
“Regardless of their academic discipline and spheres of interests, these individuals have something essential in common — they love their jobs and do their best to serve the academic community,” Lane said. “Through the research process, each has sought to contribute to the advancement of society. Thus, these fine members of our academic community are truly the role models for those who follow.”
Chahine, who also serves as a clinical pharmacy specialist at Wellington Regional Medical Center, has written more than 90 articles on infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, immunizations, geriatrics, pharmacy education, global pharmacy and medical missions. His articles have been published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Christianity & Pharmacy and Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, among others. He has written seven book chapters on infectious diseases and immunizations.
Chahine received several teaching, practice and service awards including: ASCP Armon Neel Senior Care Pharmacist Award, ACCP Education Award, Parata Systems/Pharmacy Times Next-Generation Health-System Pharmacist of the Year Award and ACCP Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network Clinical Practice Award. He completed the Academic Leadership Fellows Program through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
Hickey is a cancer molecular biologist specializing in leukemia experimental therapeutics with a sub-specialty in breast cancer experimental therapeutics. He has an active cancer research laboratory and teaches PBA undergraduate students during his investigations into anti-cancer properties associated with bioactive molecules in oregano. He was invited to present his scientific contributions at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) in 2020 and 2021.
Additionally, Hickey is involved in clinical cancer research with Dr. Dipnarine Maharaj at the Maharaj Institute of Immune Regenerative Medicine. Hickey established a PBA student internship program with the Maharaj Institute, allowing PBA students the opportunity to gain experience while working in a clinical setting. He and a PBA undergraduate student who served as an intern at the Maharaj Institute co-authored a scientific publication that appeared in the peer-reviewed Journal of Personalized Medicine.
Smith’s application of computer modeling to net marketing contributions across multiple countries represents a strong use of quantitative empirical research in business planning operations. His research portfolio is regularly used in undergraduate and graduate courses. Of the 18 published journal articles across the Rinker School of Business’ entire faculty, Smith authored or co-authored nearly a third, wrote Dr. G. Lane Cohee, associate dean of the Rinker School of Business.
Among institutions with Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation, one annual faculty publication in a high-quality peer-reviewed journal is normal. Five such publications within one academic year represent a “monumental feat,” said Cohee, PBA’s AACSB accreditation committee chair. PBA is pursuing AACSB accreditation. Smith’s publications reflect clarity, managerial relevance and precision, Cohee wrote in his nomination.
