Congratulations to this year's Founders Week Winners!

Entrepreneurs of the Year

WILLIAM BLATTNER, MD
Associate director and co-founder, Institute of Human Virology
Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine

ROBERT REDFIELD, JR., MD
Associate director and co-founder, Institute of Human Virology
Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine

Drs. Blattner and Redfield are recognized for their global impact on treating and preventing HIV/AIDS. As a result of their success in building a sustainable business model and infrastructure in nine developing nations, nearly 500,000 patients have been treated with antiretroviral medications and close to 3 million people have received prevention interventions and HIV testing. A foundation of their success is a high-impact service delivery model that has trained 35,000 in-country health care professionals who have delivered more than 100 million doses of medication.

Public Servant of the Year

RICHARD "DICK" COOK, MSW
Director, Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS), School of Social Work

Cook creates and implements innovative models of social work education and service that strengthen individuals, families, organizations, and communities. In addition to his University duties, he volunteers for many community causes to reduce crime, improve sanitation, and help low-income residents secure health care.

 Researcher of the Year

ALEXANDER MACKERELL JR., PHD
Grollman-Glick Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy

Dr. MacKerell’s superior research is reflected in substantial funding, more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, and many patents and patent applications. As director of the Computer-Aided Drug Design Center, he has facilitated the identification of novel compounds for development into therapeutic agents for the treatment of pain, cancer, and bacterial infections.

Teacher of the Year

MARY LYNN MCPHERSON, PHARMD, BCPS, CPE
Professor and vice chair of academic affairs, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, School of Pharmacy     

A faculty member in the School for more than 20 years, Dr. McPherson has led the development and/or redesign of numerous courses and receives outstanding course evaluations from her students. She developed the first nationally recognized Palliative Care Residency by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and has applied her expertise in palliative care and pain management to interprofessional education.

To learn more about our winners and events, visit founders.umaryland.edu. 

For extended bios, click on the winner's name.