John Beale Receives Outstanding Educator Award from the
St. Louis College of Pharmacy Alumni Association
ST. LOUIS – While completing his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, John Beale received a pleasant surprise. He’d done such an outstanding job teaching organic chemistry, his students showered him with praise. That unexpected moment in 1989 was the confirmation Beale needed; he would pursue teaching.
“After my last class, the students gave me a standing ovation,” said Beale, who at that time had several career options; among them the opportunity to become a pharmacy industry researcher. “I realized at that point, I could do this (teach).”
Today, as a professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Beale has the best of both words; he’s teaching and conducting research. More importantly, he’s still earning recognition from students and his colleagues.
Just recently, he was named 2010 Joe E. Haberle Outstanding Educator Award by the College’s Alumni Association. The annual award is given to a faculty member who is enthusiastic about his or her work, projects a positive attitude about students’ ability to learn, and uses innovative teaching techniques.
Beale had been nominated several times during his 13 years at STLCOP; this is the first time he won the award. It ranks among the top of his career achievements, which includes similar recognition in 1992 at the University of Texas. A humble and soft-spoken person, Beale said his passion is about helping students learn and realize their full potential.
“It’s very rewarding when you talk to a class and all of a sudden you see people nodding; you know they understand what you’re saying. It’s fulfilling to know the message you’re conveying is getting across,” Beale said. “Another neat aspect of teaching is that I’m touching the future. I’m teaching students who will be the future of our profession.”
Beale earned his bachelor’s in pharmacy, and master’s and doctoral degrees in medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy from the University of Iowa. He has also worked at Ohio State University.
About St. Louis College of Pharmacy: Founded in 1864, St. Louis College of Pharmacy is one of the oldest and largest colleges of pharmacy in America. The College admits students directly from high school and integrates the liberal arts and sciences with a six-year professional curriculum leading to the doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. More than 1,150 students attend, and more than 72 percent of practicing pharmacists in the St. Louis metropolitan region are alumni.
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