Team Member Spotlight | Amie Taggart Blaszczyk, Professor and Division Head

• By Clara McKenney
• January 20, 2022
• Campus Life

With five campuses stretching across 108 counties in West Texas and beyond, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) is a diverse and complex institution, and our success is due in no small part to our exceptional team members. 

At TTUHSC, everyone plays a vital role. Being part of the TTUHSC team means being part of a supportive community where you can grow and thrive in a values-based culture that puts people first. As ambassadors of our mission and culture, our incredible team members go above and beyond every day in exemplifying our values: Beyond Service, Kindhearted, Integrity, One Team, and Visionary. We are excited to share their stories.

Meet Amie Taggart Blaszczyk, Pharm.D., BCGP, BCPS, FASCP, Professor and Division Head of Geriatrics and Pediatrics for the School of Pharmacy

How long have you worked at TTUHSC, and what is your role?
I’ve been with TTUHSC in the School of Pharmacy (SOP) since 2005. I’m currently a Professor and Division Head of Geriatrics and Pediatrics. Our School has a great commitment to helping our learners best care for individuals at both ends of the age spectrum, and I lead this amazing group of individuals across all four of our campuses.

How did you come to work at TTUHSC? Can you tell us about your career journey to (or within) our institution?
I started working with the School of Pharmacy right after residency, back in 2005. When I was in pharmacy school, I really thought that I would spend my career as a retail pharmacist. But, during my last year of school, I had a really great preceptor who opened my eyes to the world of clinical pharmacy. It was this preceptor who encouraged me to go on and pursue residency. 

I did my first-year residency at a VA in Milwaukee, Wis., and it was there that I really caught the teaching bug. We had University of Wisconsin students on rotations with us and their questions and thirst for knowledge really solidified that I wanted to teach. After my first-year residency, I decided to pursue a geriatrics-focused residency at the University of Maryland where I could really hone my skills for teaching and pursue my love of geriatrics. 

When I went looking for jobs post residency, I was drawn to Texas Tech because of their commitment to giving every graduate of the SOP program a geriatrics-focused rotation. And that’s how I ended up here!

What do you enjoy about your work, or what excites you most about your job?
I absolutely love the fact that I get to learn as part of my job. I am expected to keep up with things and learn and grow so that I can better teach our learners. I think the best part about that is how the students continue to push me to do better, and I love that I can share my passion for working with older adults with these young pharmacy students.

Which of the values (One Team, Kindhearted, Integrity, Visionary, and Beyond Service) is most integral to your job or team? Why?
This is a tough one. Truly all of our values align really nicely with the many hats that I’m asked to wear as a faculty member and administrator. But, I feel like Kindhearted is so important, because If I don’t provide an environment where the students know it is okay to make mistakes and that they are supported, learning fails. I think, along with Kindhearted, the concept of grace is so important – to not only be kindhearted to others, but to be kindhearted to ourselves because we’re all works in progress.

What do you enjoy most about where you live, and what makes you proud to call West Texas home?
I’m on the TTUHSC campus in Dallas, so I call Dallas home. I love the big medical community and progressive thinking that is found in this area of Texas. However, having grown up in a small town, I really love that country feel when I visit our West Texas campuses. It reminds me a lot of home.

What do you wish more people knew about your team or department, or our institution?
Truthfully, I wish that more people knew that we have a big pharmacy school presence here in Dallas.  Every time I say I’ve worked for Texas Tech, they think I just flew in from Lubbock! We just purchased a big building in the medical district, so I am hoping that this won’t be an issue for much longer. I know that President Rice-Spearman and Provost D’Agostino really want to make sure that Dallas knows that TTUHSC has a huge presence in Dallas. 

I also wish more folks knew about the incredible geriatrics- and pediatrics-focused faculty we have here – they are truly amazing to work with and I love how dedicated they are to ensuring our pharmacy students, and other health professions students, understand the importance of the safe and effective use of medicines at each end of the age spectrum!

What most excites you about the future at TTUHSC?
I’m really excited to see what happens with the Dallas campus in the future. I feel our students get amazing training here, and I’m excited that we finally have facilities that reflect our Texas Tech aesthetic. 

They opened up a student lounge space the other day and I almost cried when I saw so many students so quickly take advantage of the study space. I’ve seen a lot of changes across the Dallas campus since arriving in 2005 – so, it feels like we’re ushering in a new era for the SOP in Dallas.

What would you tell people who are considering a position at TTUHSC?

You’ll work with some of the most amazing, smart, funny, and brilliant people you’ve ever met in your life.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
I owe my love of older adults to my mom. I am super grateful for the role model she provided me with. 

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Ready for a rewarding career where you can build relationships and make a real difference? View our current openings and apply now, or explore what makes TTUHSC such a great place to work.