Gary A. Lesher, PhD, FAAO, who taught pharmacology at ICO for over 35 years and retired in 2019, has been selected as the commencement speaker for the 178th Commencement Ceremony scheduled for May 15th.
A professor of pharmacology and toxicology and Assistant Dean for Didactic Education, Dr. Lesher taught more than 5000 students the nuances and complexities of pharmacology. Dr. Lesher's skilled method of teaching has been reflected in the success of ICO's students' NBEO pharmacology scores – which were consistently higher than the national average.
His passion for teaching garnered Dr. Lesher numerous awards throughout his career. He has been recognized as Outstanding Faculty of the Year by numerous class years and received the Excellence in Education Award from ICO in 2013.
For those alumni who have been taught by Dr. Lesher, you may recall his drug-related cartoons or videos at the start of class, the drug of the day questions, or the "Jeopardy" game at the end of the year. And who could forget his love of national parks!
The Class of 2021 was the last class that Dr. Lesher taught, and they will remember him fondly. Thank you for your many years of dedicated teaching, Dr. Lesher.
