For 20 years, service has been at the core of what Rajul Arvind Patel '01, '06 aims to do in his role as director of patient care clinics and professor of pharmacy practice in the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy.

From receiving over $4.3 million in external funding to support patient care clinics and research to helping the Class of 2023 achieve the highest passage rate in California on the national pharmacist licensure exam, he's made a significant impact on students and the community.

His dedication is being recognized this year with University of the Pacific’s Distinguished Faculty Award. Presented since the 1970s, it is the university’s highest faculty honor, recognizing exemplary accomplishments in the areas of teaching, research and service.

One of his most impactful contributions is overseeing the Medicare Part D community outreach program, which is targeted to Medicare beneficiaries. The program aims to lower out-of-pocket prescription medication expenses, improve drug therapy outcomes and enhance the quality of life of assisted beneficiaries.

The Medicare Part D Outreach Clinics, which Patel launched and has led since 2007, have assisted more than 13,700 beneficiaries since 2007, helping them save nearly $15 million in out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses. In addition, students have provided comprehensive medication reviews to more than 9,700 individuals to ensure their medications are safe and effective to take together. Student pharmacists have earned more than 50,000 experiential hours through their service to the community through these clinics.

“Dr. Raj Patel is deserving of the award because he is the consummate teacher-scholar who serves the university and community,” said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert. “The graduating class of 2025 recognized him as the Pharmacy School's Teacher of the Year, and his student evaluations consistently demonstrate that he is an outstanding teacher and mentor.” 

“Many community members know him through his leadership of the Medicare Part D clinics at the school, and I have been fortunate to visit one of the clinic days, where I witnessed the valuable care he brings to the community, while training our students, both Pharm D and undergraduates, to engage with patients and their families. He is a compassionate leader who models pharmacy practice for our students,” she said.

As a double tiger, Patel has insight on what Pacific students need to succeed in classes. 

“In any capacity that I'm working with students or teaching them, I always try to ask this question: how would I want to be treated if I was them? I try to do everything predicated on that. If I'm in the classroom, how would I want to be lectured to? How would I want to be engaged? If I'm outside of the class working in a patient care setting, how would I want to be precepted and mentored?” 

Patel’s ‘Pillars of Success’ approach centers on five principles: attention to detail, hard work, empathy, humility and having fun. 

“Those five things, every one of us can control,” he said. “Some people are innately intelligent, but that's a gift. We can't control that. We can all be hardworking, attentive to detail, humble and empathetic and not take ourselves too seriously. That's what I try to convey to my students. I also try to illustrate that through my actions,” said Patel.

For Patel, the honor isn’t just a title or a distinction; it’s an accomplishment that encompasses his professional career and one he hopes his family will be able to hold close for years to come. 

“I lost my dad when I was very young, and my mom before I started pharmacy school. As the decades go by, you start wondering if you have actual memories of them, or if you are fabricating them because it’s been so long. Back then, when they passed away, the internet was nonexistent, so there's no way for me to get additional information about them. 

“I have an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old. What this award means to me is that years from now when they hopefully have children and their own families, if I'm gone, maybe they'll look me up and find something about my professional career. It means a lot in terms of what it might mean to my family.”

Patel and his wife established the Arvind and Kumud Patel Endowed Pharmacy Scholarship, named for his late parents, which supports pharmacy students who have overcome personal hardship and who demonstrate a commitment to community service.

“Dr. Rajul Patel exemplifies an extraordinary commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service to the school, the profession and our communities,” said Berit Gundersen, dean of the pharmacy school. “His work continues to shape the profession, expand our students’ understanding of what is possible and improve lives. 

“This well-deserved recognition celebrates his passion, leadership and unwavering dedication to advancing the profession of pharmacy. His achievements are truly inspirational and bring significant distinction to the university.”

Patel is also the Director of the Diabetes Care Clinics and has helped plan and operate the pharmacy school’s annual community Diabetes Care Clinic Health Fair as part of Pacific’s Black History Month programming. 

The health fair provides diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure screenings, vaccinations, device (blood pressure machines and glucometers) distribution in partnership with an African American church in Stockton every February and typically has more than 80 professional students providing free health services, health devices and screening for Social Determinants of Health to community members during the event.

“There’s a quote I look at every day on a gift a student gave to me early in my professional career, and it says, ‘the mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, and the great teacher inspires,’” Patel said. “That quote inspires me to try to get better each day and to never lose sight of what a privilege it is to teach our students.”