Marisa Lewis: My initial inspiration was from the father of one of my friends in elementary school, Patrice Wooten. I remember when her family moved away in order for her father to attend medical school. Her father was a pharmacist, who later decided to further his education in medicine. Initially, I wasn't sure if I wanted to pursue medicine or pharmacy, but I knew like Patrice's father that pharmacy was a great place to start, and I could continue on to medicine later. I was the first in my family to become a pharmacist, and four of my five siblings followed in my footsteps.

How did you meet?
Marisa Lewis: We first met when I was a Pharm.D. student at Florida A&M. Henry was on faculty as the development director. It wasn't until nine or 10 years later that we discovered each other.

How does working together impact your careers?
Henry Lewis: Working in the same field gives us the opportunity to have dialogue on issues impacting what we do each day. We see things from a different vantage point. It's been very helpful to me. We are able to stay abreast on current issues because we have four eyes instead of two.

Marisa Lewis: Having Henry to consult with has been a blessing to me because of his extensive knowledge and vast experiences. I am always looking for a fresh approach, and it's very helpful to get Henry's perspective on things.

What is your specialty, and why did you decide to choose it?
Henry Lewis: Now it's education, but I have worked in community and hospital pharmacy. I have found academic pharmacy to be the most rewarding part of the profession for me. Having served over 30 years in pharmacy education has allowed me to impact many more people and lives than any other part of the practice of pharmacy.

Marisa Lewis: I have spent most of my career in academia, but I also have some diverse experience in retail, hospital and even corporate America as a medical information specialist. My varied experiences have been beneficial to me as the executive director of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, which was founded at Florida A&M in 1972. My true love is working with students. They motivate me. The association has 43 chapters and represents nearly half of the 90 colleges of pharmacy. A major goal of the association is to provide career and professional development opportunities, to better prepare students for the profession.

How long have you been involved in the profession?
Henry Lewis: 30 years; 1972 Florida A&M graduate Marisa Lewis: 24 years; 1980 Texas Southern University graduate

What is the one goal that you have set for yourself relative to your career?
Henry Lewis: I have been led by divine guidance. No one could have mapped out my career. My future goals will entail leading a major educational system and various entrepreneurial activities.

Marisa Lewis: I agree with Henry; I have been guided by divine intervention as well. In my life and career, many opportunities came to me miraculously. I will continue to promote the profession of pharmacy and mentor students.

What do you like best about working in the pharmaceutical field?
Henry Lewis: Seeing people succeed, whether students, alumni or staff. To see them achieve the goals they set is rewarding.

Marisa Lewis: I like the fact that pharmacy offers such a wide range of career options. It is a profession with diverse practice opportunities. Personally, I enjoy the opportunity to work with so many different people.

What are your most proud accomplishments in your profession? In your life?
Henry Lewis: The construction of the new pharmacy building; the development of health care clinics in Tallahassee and St. Petersburg, Florida, the development of new doctoral degree programs within the college; and increasing the size of the college to now the fourth largest in the nation.

Marisa Lewis: There are three major accomplishments that I am proud of:

1. The growth of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association. Since becoming executive director, our membership has more than doubled, from 350 to almost 900 members. It pleases me to see students develop and mature to become active members of the profession, and to do great things in their careers.
    
2. Serving as a spokesperson for two national campaigns, sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and McNeil Consumer Health Care. The "Partnership for Self-Care" campaign in 1999 focused on the safe use of over-the counter medications. In 2000, the "Medicine Cabinet Safety" campaign promoted the examination of medications in the home medicine cabinet for safe use.
    
3. Most recently, receiving the Chauncey I. Cooper Award at the National Pharmaceutical Association convention, July 2004. I was shocked to be awarded the association's highest honor, recognizing my sustained years of service to the organization.

What goes through your mind before you go to work each day?
Henry Lewis: What can I do today to better advance our call to educational excellence? Every day we have to move the organization to another level. We need to further our fund-raising because people give to people if they believe in your vision or cause. We need to continuously create friends in the business to get support.

Marisa Lewis: I tend to think of my classes and ways to improve student learning. I'm teaching four classes this semester. Continuously, I try to explore alternative methods of teaching students.

What is your favorite part of the day?
Henry Lewis: I am an early riser. My creative juices are much better, and I am more productive in the morning.

Marisa Lewis: I don't know if I have a favorite. Henry will tell you that I am not a morning person. I usually peak around 11 a.m. or noon.

What, if any, barriers or challenges have you personally had to overcome?
Henry Lewis: I was classified as a slow learner in elementary school. That tag stays with you. As such, the expectations teachers had for me were different from the expectations I had for myself. I had to rise above so I could better myself. I did that by reading. I went to the bookmobile every Tuesday and checked out four books. When I was young, I worked for a white couple that used to read National Geographic magazine. They would give me copies when they were done with them. My socioeconomic status back then didn't allow me to leave my community. So I traveled through the magazines and books I read.

Marisa Lewis: My greatest barrier was my lack of self-confidence during most of my education. For some reason I didn't believe the praises that my parents shared. This hindered my progress. Then one day in junior high school, I received the highest grade on a math exam. I was so excited that I ran home and told my mother, and she said: "So, now, are you convinced?" From that experience and others, I learned to trust in my knowledge and abilities.

Are there challenges within the profession? If so, what are they?
Henry Lewis: There are numerous challenges with the pharmacy profession and health care today. They include providing access to prescription drugs for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, providing access to adequate and affordable health care, producing culturally competent health care providers, and increasing the number of minorities in all health professions.

Marisa Lewis: Yes, there are challenges in the pharmacy profession, one of which is providing affordable prescription medications for all patients. Today, many prescription medications are so expensive that patients have to choose between getting their prescriptions filled and paying their utility bills.

How do you address health care disparities among minority populations? Within your profession?
Henry Lewis: We are addressing health care disparities by providing pharmaceutical services in health clinics throughout the state of Florida, conducting research on diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans and other minority populations, training minority researchers and health care practitioners for the futures and educating the public about its responsibility for healthful behaviors.

Marisa Lewis: Primarily through the Student National Pharmaceutical Association. We address disparities in various ways through health education and awareness projects in minority communities, which target diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other similar diseases. These projects are carried out by the chapters.

Who is/are your role model(s) or mentor(s)?
Henry Lewis: Howard Roberts was my first mentor and then Dr. Charles Walker, who was the dean at Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and recruited me into academic pharmacy. He came with a vision that pharmacy schools should be a major player in biomedical research. My father, who was another mentor, was not an educated man, but gave me a Ph.D. in common sense.

Marisa Lewis: Arcelia Johnson-Fannin is one of my mentors. I met her when I interviewed for the Pharm.D. program at Florida A&M University. After beginning the program, she recognized my potential and took me under her wing. She taught me to assert myself and to have confidence in my knowledge. She continues to encourage me today. Throughout my life, my parents have been great role models. Margaret Smith, my mother, the mother of six, displayed humility, patience and perseverance. She has always been there to encourage us. My father, Ray Smith, a jack-of-all-trades, seemed to do everything well. I admire his determination and confidence. They continue to encourage and support me today.

What are your plans for the future?
Henry Lewis: I hope to be a university president someday. I served as the interim president in 2002 at Florida A&M. It gave me a capsule look at the university, and made me understand how great an impact a president can have on the overall operation and students.

Marisa Lewis: My plans depend heavily on Henry. If he were to become president of a university, I would embrace the challenge of being a first lady. I want to be supportive of Henry in every way.

What words of wisdom do you have for students just graduating?
Dr. Lewis: I try to get students to understand that they have a moral and professional responsibility to give back to the community they came from and the university they graduated from.

Marisa Lewis: My message to students "Always give your best at whatever you do. Always put God first, and God will direct and order your lives."

What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies, interests, sports, travel, volunteering)?
Both: We enjoy traveling. We also enjoy working in the community with the neighborhood association and other organizations.