Dr. Beatriz Manzor Mitrzyk Earns AACP New Investigator Award

Beatriz Manzor Mitrzyk, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, clinical assistant professor, has won a 2022 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy New Investigator Award. Sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the New Investigator Award provides start-up funding for the independent research programs of early-career pharmacy faculty.

Funds from the award will support the creation of an objective and comprehensive inventory of all U.S. pharmacy schools’ diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and highlight successful DEI efforts that could serve as a model for pharmacy education.

“Evidence suggests that diversity efforts increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities within an institution – less is known about the effects of equity and inclusion efforts,” explains Dr. Manzor Mitrzyk. “However, data supports that overall, underrepresented individuals are more positive about their experiences when there is representation which comes with greater gender, racial, and cultural diversity. Many schools of pharmacy have predominantly white students and faculty – minoritized individuals are underrepresented in most pharmacy schools and practice settings. We know little about the structure of DEI efforts at schools of pharmacy, much less if these efforts make a difference.”  

“This research is vital now for several reasons,” notes Dr. Manzor Mitrzyk. “Numerous pharmacy publications and associations have called for increasing recruitment, hiring, and retention of underrepresented individuals in schools. It may be difficult for predominantly white faculty to prepare students to provide equitable care for underrepresented patients. As well, no consensus guidelines exist to inform pharmacy educators how to successfully foster DEI principles.”

“The first step to understanding the effects of DEI efforts in schools of pharmacy is to learn what is being done and to identify successful DEI efforts,” says Dr. Manzor Mitrzyk. “We hope that this information spurs all schools to commit to wholeheartedly pursue this work and to consider adapting some of the more promising goals, assessments, and practices.”

Dr. Manzor Mitrzyk earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy in 1992. She continued her education with a pharmacy practice residency at Michigan Medicine. Dr. Manzor Mitrzyk completed the U-M Clinical Pharmacy Translational Science Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and is now a clinical assistant professor at the College. She conducts qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research to assess and address medication-related health disparities among Latinx adults with chronic disease. Her research program involves assessing social determinants of health inequities and related discrimination among Latinx adults.