Schwarz Signs Off

Champion of Integrating New Technology into Classroom, Adapting to Learning Styles into Teaching Retires from UHCOP

June 10 — Regarded as a champion of integrating new technology and adapting to changing student learning styles, UH College of Pharmacy's Lindsay Schwarz, Ph.D., instructional associate professor and director of Faculty Development, has retired after more than two decades at the college. 

"I feel blessed to have had a job that was fun and provided the opportunity of discovery every day," Schwarz said. "It's rare to see how cohesive, committed and generous our faculty are, and I can't say enough about how our students continued to impress me year after year. I'm proud of whatever part I've been able to play in shaping an environment that values and fosters a passion for learning."  

Schwarz, who received her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, joined UHCOP's Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty as a research assistant professor in 1995. 

Before leaving the laboratory research environment due to chronic asthma, Schwarz authored or co-authored research papers in such journals as the British Journal of Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Cancer Research and was awarded a patent in the U.S. and overseas for "Glucocorticoid enhancement of gene transfection and expression."

In 2011, Schwarz was appointed director of Faculty Development at the college with the mission of promoting and facilitating practical enhancement of teaching, assessment, peer/self-evaluation, and instructional technology among fellow teachers and researchers.

Schwarz was known for her advocacy and leadership in adopting and utilizing technology in and out of the classroom to enhance students' learning experience and retention, including hosting Sunday evening online review and Q&A "chat" sessions for students and piloting the use of "clicker" audience-response technology for real-time feedback on course comprehension. 

As co-chair of the Pharm.D. Curriculum Committee, Schwarz played a major role in the overhaul of the curriculum that was implemented in fall 2018. She also is credited for her significant contributions to the design/planning for the college's practice skills training and classroom spaces in Health 2 as well as many years of service on such committees as Assessment, Admissions & Progression, and Student Affairs.

During her time at the college, Schwarz was honored with awards for excellence in teaching from the University of Houston in 2011 and UH College of Pharmacy in 2009 and 2006. Schwarz was inducted into the Rho Chi Society Pharmacy Honor Society by the UHCOP Beta Omicron Chapter, which presented her with its Teaching Excellence Award in 2012 and its Certificate of Recognition in 2007. She also received the UHCOP Faculty Excellence Award for Service in 2012.