Associate Dean, Interprofessional Education and Special Projects
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Dr. Lydia Aguilera Phone: 956-665-5255 |
Dr. Lydia Aguilera, Clinical Associate Professor, serves as Associate Dean for Interprofessional Education and Special Projects for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s College of Health Professions. She is the former director of the Cooperative Pharmacy Program, a Co-op with UT-Austin College of Pharmacy. She maintains an adjunct faculty position at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy.
Dr. Aguilera, a first generation high school and university graduate is a native of the RGV. She graduated from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy with a Bachelor’s in Pharmacy degree in 1980. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2008.
Her pharmacy career includes: hospital, chain, community, ambulatory care and academia. Her almost 40 years of community pharmacy experience includes thirteen years as an entrepreneur and independent retail pharmacy owner. Throughout her career she has devoted time and energy as a preceptor to many pharmacy students.
Dr. Aguilera holds certifications in immunizations, Medication Therapy Management (MTM) She provides MTM certificate training to students and pharmacists in the Rio Grande Valley and Central Texas. She is Board Certified in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy.
She has presented at local, state, national and international research symposiums. The majority of these presentations have been collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students. Her 2016 presentations at IFIC in Edinburgh, Scotland were based on interprofessional education
- Awards include: The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Alumni Award for outstanding contributions to the Pharmacy Profession, 2019;
- Student Engagement amd Service Learning Award, UTRGV College of Health Affairs, Aug 23, 2018.
- UTPA’s College Excellence Award in Mentoring 2015;
- Dedicated Service to Texas Pharmacy Association July 2013;
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars Distinguished Member 2012;
- Professional Leadership Award, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, 2008.
Dr. Aguilera is married to Dr. Juan A. Aguilera…and has three children. Her daughters Elena and Veronica are community pharmacists in the RGV and her son Johnny is an Emergency Medicine Physician at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.