The Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy has awarded the professor emeritus distinction for the first time.
Drs. Wagdy Wahba and James Mitroka received the designation, which is reserved for faculty who are especially deserving of the honor and who will continue their relationship with the University through part-time teaching. Both hold the title of associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences emeritus.
Associate Provost Dr. Nathan Lane described the men as “pillars in the Gregory School of Pharmacy for many years.”
“They both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience into the classroom, and I am delighted that they’ll continue teaching and mentoring the next generation of PBA-educated pharmacists,” Lane said.
Wahba retired from full-time teaching in 2013 and continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member. He joined the GSOP faculty as an associate professor and director of spiritual programs in August 2001 and taught pharmacology, clinical toxicology and spirituality in healthcare courses. He will hold the title associate professor emeritus. He also serves as the prayer coordinator for the Christian Pharmacist Fellowship International.
“It has brought me great joy to have served as teacher, professor and mentor to many GSOP students who are now serving the Lord by extending the compassion, love and care of Christ in their many fields of practice,” Wahba said.
Dr. Wagdy Wahba, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences emeritus, smiles for a photo inside the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy’s Wahba Chapel. The faculty, staff, students and alumni of the school dedicated the chapel in 2010 in recognition of the “profound spiritual impact” he has had in their lives.Wahba earned a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy and pharmaceutical chemistry from Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt, where he bought a drug store and practiced retail pharmacy after graduating. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in pharmacology and toxicology from the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, where he worked as a research associate and graduate student.
Wahba went on to work as a forensic toxicologist in the crime lab of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, for more than a decade, including as manager of the toxicology section. Also, he established and managed the first Drug Information Center at McMaster University Medical Centre in Ontario, Canada. Wahba is a diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (DABFT).
Wahba and his wife, Amgad, attend Church in the Gardens, where they lead one of the church small groups, and he serves as an elder and teacher of Bible classes.
Mitroka joined the University in 2008 and taught pharmacology and medicinal chemistry, as well as an online course in healthy lifestyles. He retired from full-time teaching as an associate professor in pharmaceutical sciences in 2020. He continues to teach part-time. He retired from Bristol Myers Squibb, where he was a research group leader and conducted studies on experimental drugs, to go into teaching full-time. As a faculty member, he conducted research with students to evaluate the relationship between genetics, metabolism and stress. He is thankful for the opportunity to work with students and share with them how medicine and lifestyle can work together to optimize health.
His goal as a professor has been to follow the example of Christ and help students develop into all that God meant for them to be — intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually. He believes wholeheartedly that the Bible is the inspired truth of God and he depends on it, along with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for answers and direction in life. He finds that the study of the natural world presents compelling evidence for faith in the God of the Bible.
In his free time, Mitroka enjoys rollerblading, aerobics, body surfing and digital photography. He and his wife, Rosemary, have been married for more than 30 years and have three adult children.
