College of Pharmacy Honors Pilar Murphy, Pharm.D., with Memorial Scholarship
| The UAMS College of Pharmacy has established the Pilar Murphy Memorial Scholarship to honor the beloved alumna and faculty member who died Nov. 2.
Murphy, a 2010 College of Pharmacy graduate, returned to UAMS in 2021, joining the Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty as an associate professor. She is survived by her mother, Patricia Ann Murphy, son, Zion Vincent Murphy and sister, Erica Pleshette Murphy.
“Dr. Pilar Murphy’s life was full of impact that extended to the lives of her colleagues, students and patients,” said College of Pharmacy Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D. “She cared deeply for and about others and stayed committed to challenging herself and those around her to be better and do better. Dr. Murphy brought energy and hope to every room she entered — it was palpable. This memorial scholarship honors her legacy and impact by supporting student pharmacists who exemplify her same commitment to caring about patients, colleagues and the broader community.”
The Pilar Murphy Memorial Scholarship aims to recognize and support student pharmacists who come from a disadvantaged background and embody a deep sense of caring and love for their fellow humans. Students must demonstrate exceptional openness and commitment to a service mindset and dedication to improving the health and wellness of all Arkansans. The scholarship will be awarded annually as determined by the College of Pharmacy Scholarship Committee.
Several photos of Murphy with friends and family.Courtesy Murphy Family
Murphy will be remembered for her happy smile, energy and love for the pharmacy profession, and for the special role she played in the lives of many students and faculty.
With a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Oklahoma, Murphy taught middle school and high school science for six years before receiving her doctorate in pharmacy from UAMS in 2010. After graduating, she completed a pharmacy practice residency at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by an additional residency in psychiatric pharmacotherapy at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She then returned to Samford, where she later became an associate professor.
With her passion for students and helping others, she taught didactic and experiential courses at Samford for nearly a decade and served as co-advisor for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association. Murphy continued her training as a faculty fellow for the Samford University Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, later earning a master’s in public health from the university.
She joined the College of Pharmacy faculty in 2021 and held a secondary appointment as an assistant professor with the College of Medicine’s Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, maintaining her clinical practice at UAMS Family Medical Center in Little Rock, working day-to-day on the interprofessional family medicine team caring for patients at the primary care clinic.
She said the relationships she built with UAMS peers and professors made her want to return here to teach.
“I always felt comfortable and at home at UAMS. I was a nontraditional student, and there were faculty members who always saw something in me and supported me,” she said in 2021.
Murphy was passionate about helping students succeed and was a constant presence with the college as a preceptor, advisor and member on multiple committees. She remained involved in research and was a frequent presenter and speaker on topics including cardiovascular health, antimicrobial stewardship and careers in pharmacy.
She often used her own experience to encourage students to succeed. Once she was asked about her motivation as a faculty member and said her passion was to help others.
“I want to be a mentor to other young pharmacists, helping them develop their career paths but also being open to new ones,” she said. “I also want to be an example to other minority students to let them know that pharmacy is a career path that’s open to them. I think when you see somebody who looks like you achieving that goal, it makes a huge difference.”