The IDEA Faculty Scholars program concluded in February 2025, so we are taking this opportunity to check back in with the participants. This program, launched by Dr. Ashim Malhotra in coordination with ASPET’s Director of Education Catherine Fry, PhD, was created as a multi-module program to incorporate the principles of IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) into pharmacology education and training. Thirteen ASPET members were selected through a competitive application process and began their training in the fall of 2024. The program consisted of a series of four workshops.
Program Workshops
Designing Your Course Syllabus Using Principles of Psychological Safety and Competency-Based Tools to Promote Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Belonging (IDEAB)
Universal Design for Learning and the Ability Spectrum: Strategies to Diversify Your Teaching for Neurodiverse Learners and Learners with Differential Abilities
Strategies to Augment IIDEAB Principles in Laboratory Settings
Incorporating Evidence-Based IDEAB Principles: The Data and Learning Theories That Support Them
The concept of the IDEA Faculty Scholars was to bridge the disconnect between the benefits of an IDEA-enabled education in professional organizations and job sectors with the difficulty of designing, implementing, and assessing IDEA principles in pharmacology education. Those who completed the program were recognized at the ASPET annual meeting in 2025.
These sessions provided a valuable lesson for participants and, as the comments below reflect, immeasurably helped both the Fellows and their students. We asked Dr. Ashim Malhotra, Chair of the ASPET REACH Committee and Vice President of California Northstate University, about his work to design, implement, and assess this new program:
In 2024, working with the ASPET REACH Committee and Dr. Fry, I envisioned and launched the ASPET IDEA Scholars Program. The primary intent of this program was to provide a step-by-step blueprint that faculty could adopt locally to strengthen pharmacology classrooms and laboratories as environments where all trainees and scholars can thrive.
This national faculty workforce readiness program engaged prominent pharmacologists from across the country. It focused on applied strategies, including competency-based education, universal design for learning, and enhancing access to laboratories and research for differently abled researchers and technicians.
Members of the cohort of IDEA Faculty Scholars similarly shared their feedback on the program and their projects:
Dr. Gurnit Kaur
My participation in the ASPET IDEA Program coincided rather nicely with where I was in my career. As a junior faculty member, I was in the process of developing and restructuring several courses. As I look back over my notes to write this reflection piece, I am struck by how much I have gained from the program, and more importantly, how much of what I learned has been integrated into my current courses.
At the outset, the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into both course content and teaching practices can feel overwhelming. For me, the goal has always been to move beyond surface-level gestures towards thoughtful integration of DEI. This is not, and cannot, be reduced to a checkbox exercise, but rather an ongoing self-reflective practice of holding space for a diverse learner population. Some changes may be small, such as incorporating reflection assignments that connect course content to students’ lived experiences. Others may be more ambitious; we are developing an AI-based personalized learning tool to meet learners where they are. The key thing is that DEI integration remains consistent, ongoing, and meaningful.
As a dear mentor of mine always says: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” We build equitable and inclusive learning spaces the same way—one step at a time, where every thoughtful revision to the syllabus or an inclusive lab practice, contributes to a larger culture of belonging where every student feels seen and supported.
For me, it was especially gratifying to see the immediate transition of these strategies at the Scholars’ home institutions. I am proud that the ASPET’s Faculty Scholars program supported faculty advancement through promotion and contributed to scholarship of teaching and learning publications in ASPET journals centered on curricular restructuring to enhance student access, engagement, and success. – Dr. Ashim Malhotra, PhD, IDEA Program Director
Dr. Simone Brixius-Anderko
The ASPET IDEA Fellow Program was extremely valuable and educational for me, and gave hands-on advice to create an inclusive academic environment from teaching in the classroom to leading a research laboratory.
A particularly helpful session was on improving mentoring and teaching neurodivergent trainees. As a person on the autism spectrum, I found the provided guidance and diving into the different types of neurodivergence extremely helpful. The real-life examples and presented tools made it much easier to create a more inclusive and welcoming classroom and laboratory for neurodivergent students. In addition, one of my highlights was a session on competency-based learning and assessment. As a fairly new assistant professor, I didn’t have much experience in instructing in classroom settings and all the different ways to assess student learning other than traditional exams. The session helped me to adjust and tailor my teaching more to the students’ needs. I could implement what I have learned into the design and coordination of a new course for graduate students at my school with an emphasis on different competency-based assessment methods.
Overall, the IDEA Fellows Program contributed to my growth as scientific educator, my increased awareness for my trainees, and equipped me with sustainable and easy-to-implement tools which had a great impact on my approach to classroom instruction.
Drs. Hamid Akbarali and Margarita Dubocovich
Drs. Hamid I. Akbarali (Haag Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University) and Margarita L. Dubocovich (SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, SUNY at Buffalo) collaborated on a project to “Enhance Neurodivergence in Pharmacology Programs.” This initiative was to address the need for more diverse biomedical workforce by focusing on individuals with disabilities, specifically those who are neurodivergent. The major goals of the project were:
- Develop methods to attract and recruit neurodivergent students
- Establish mentorship and curriculum that facilitate learning
- Enhance retention of neurodivergent graduate students by creating inclusive and supportive academic and research environments
The strategies to address these goals include accessible admission processes, training faculty mentors to support students with various neurodivergent conditions, and creating an environment where students can fully develop their potential benefiting the scientific community.
