August 2017 Commencement Speaker

2017 WILLARD R. SPARKS EMINENT FACULTY AWARD RECIPIENT

Dr. ABBY PARRIL-BAKER
Associate Dean/Professor - Department of Chemistry

Dr. Abby Parrill-Baker has distinguished herself as a research scientist at The University of Memphis as evidenced by over $5.3 million in shared external research funding, co-authorship or co-editorship of 100 publications, co-inventor on 6 patents, and contributions to over 200 scientific presentations. Dr. Parrill's research has focused on the characterization of three-dimensional structures and the application of such structures in the drug discovery process.

Parallel to her outstanding research career, Dr. Parrill has excelled in teaching as reflected by her receipt of teaching awards from all three academic institutions at which she has been involved in teaching (The University of Arizona, Michigan State University, and The University of Memphis). Dr. Parrill has additionally made important administrative contributions to the University of Memphis, first as Chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2010 to 2014 and now as Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences.