From the first day of orientation, Carly A. Ranson ’13, ’18, PharmD, MS, BCGP, associate professor of pharmacy practice, director of the Pre-Pharmacy Advantage Program and director of pharmacy co-curricular programming, treats her students like future colleagues. As a proud alumna, she also welcomes them as future alumni and emphasizes that they are part of a rich legacy.

“Students are the entire reason I’m here,” said Dr. Ranson.

Dr. Ranson was selected by the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) Class of 2026 as Teacher of the Year.

“It reaffirms that I’m doing the right thing, that I’m able to do what is expected of a good faculty member at Pacific,” she said. “I credit them with helping me stay true to the path.”

Dr. Ranson characterizes the PharmD Class of 2026 as resilient and diverse — representing unique personalities and backstories.

“This was a really creative and supportive class,” she said. “Their unique outlook and viewpoints challenged me to look at things differently.”

Interacting with this class reignited Dr. Ranson’s passion for asking “why” questions. She believes that better outcomes in both education and patient care are achieved by strategically simplifying processes and embracing creative thinking. Positive change, she notes, “is not going to happen by sheer force, it happens by approaching things differently.”

Dr. Ranson’s area of expertise is geriatric care. This year’s graduating class challenged her to reimagine how she teaches material, including the Beers Criteria. Published by the American Geriatrics Society, this widely used tool helps pharmacists and other health care providers identify Potentially Inappropriate Medications, promoting safer prescribing for adults aged 65 and older. By changing how she approached teaching students to use these types of resources, she empowered them to think critically and apply tools such as the Beers Criteria as intended: a guide to nuanced, patient‑centered clinical decision‑making.

As a faculty advisor to Pacific’s student chapter of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, Dr. Ranson helps students explore consultant pharmacy, a field dedicated to patient‑centered care, expert medication use and advancing geriatric health care. Every May, the chapter hosts their signature event, the Senior Citizen Prom, which uses the nostalgia of a high school dance to bring together approximately 150 senior citizens and pharmacy students. In addition, Dr. Ranson is the advisor for the Bone Mineral Density health care outreach committee, which provides osteoporosis screening and falls risk prevention services.

She is also passionate about fostering connections between undergraduate pre-pharmacy students and PharmD students through the Pre-Pharmacy Society.

“We integrate the pre-pharmacy students into the school’s culture early on to encourage connection, community and resilience,” she said.

Dr. Ranson encourages her students to make time for things that help them recharge. This year she has started taking her own advice by prioritizing going on adventures and to concerts and Broadway shows. Outside the classroom, Dr. Ranson challenges herself to learn new skills to renovate, rather than only deconstruct, her house. She also enjoys keeping her 1957 GMC Stepside pickup truck running.