Faculty and Staff

Department Chair

Janene L. Marshall, PharmD, is the Department Chair and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP).  Dr. Marshall received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois, and her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, in Atlanta, Georgia. She also completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency with Atlanta Medical Center and is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist.  Her research interests include examining evidence-based medicine practices in internal medicine, examining the role of the pharmacist clinical intervention in improving patient safety and therapeutic outcomes, and examining health disparities among African-American and Latino patients. She is a member of Kappa Epsilon Pharmacy Fraternity, Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Fraternity, the National Pharmaceutical Association, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the Illinois Council of Health Systems Pharmacists, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

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Faculty

Luba Burman, PharmD, BCPS, CDE is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practiceat Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Burman received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and completed her residency at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. She is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and a Certified Diabetes Educator.

Prior to joining CSU, Dr. Burman practiced as a clinical pharmacist at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Her areas of interest and research include anticoagulation as well as transitions of care and patient safety outcomes. She is a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists.

Dr. Heather Fields, PharmD, MPH, BCACP is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy since 2011. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health from the University of Illinois, in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois (2002), Masters of Public Health from University of Illinois, in Chicago, Illinois (2005), and Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, in Chicago, Illinois (2009). She completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency in Community Care with The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and the Clinical Partners Program, in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Fields practices as an ambulatory care pharmacist at Access Community Health Network in Chicago. She manages patients with chronic disease states such as hypertension, asthma, and opioid use disorder. Located at the Ashland Family Health Center in the Englewood community, her patients are predominately from minority and underserved backgrounds. Interests include substance abuse, public health, health disparities, and community outreach. Also, she has recently participated in medical mission trips to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. She is a member of the Chicago Pharmacists Association and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and the faculty advisor for Phi Lambda Sigma and Student National Pharmaceutical Association.

Deborah Harper-Brown, PharmD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practiceat Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-

COP). Dr. Harper-Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts from Earlham College and both the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (1983) and the Doctor of Pharmacy (1985) degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy. She also completed an Advanced Residency in Drug Information Practice from the University of Illinois Medical Center (UIMC) in 1986.

Prior to joining the faculty at Chicago State University, Dr. Harper-Brown served on the faculty of the UIC College of Pharmacy in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, was Assistant Director for the UIMC Drug Information Center, a Clinical Pharmacist at the Mile Square Neighborhood Health Center in Chicago and a member of the Clinical Formulary Department at CVS Caremark. Her research interests include ambulatory care pharmacy practice, the application of adult learning theories in the development of individualized education material for patients with chronic illnesses and the use of reflective writing/journaling as an instructional technique for Doctor of Pharmacy students.

Dr. Harper-Brown has authored and co-authored several articles in peer-reviewed, professional publications and is currently a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. She has received a number of awards and accolades, the most recent being the Urban Health Program Alumni Trailblazer Award from the University of Illinois.

Sabah Hussein, PharmD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Hussein received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy in 1991.She also completed a Community Pharmacy Practice Residency in 2004 with Dominick’s Pharmacy and Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Hussein has held academic appointments at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy and South Suburban College. She has been actively involved in the education of student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for several years. Dr. Hussein has served the Chicagoland community through her clinical and staff positions at Dominick’s Pharmacy and Rush University Medical Center and through her dedicated participation in numerous outreach, disease prevention, and health education activities and events.

Dr. Hussein’s research interests include evaluating the impact of patient-centered pharmacy care services on patient health outcomes and determining the causes of low enrollment rates of Hispanic students in Illinois pharmacy schools. Dr. Hussein was awarded an Incentive Grant for Practitioner Innovation in Pharmaceutical Care in 2003 by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation for the development of a weight management program at Dominick’s Pharmacy. Dr. Hussein is a member of several pharmacy professional organizations including the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the Illinois Pharmacists Association. She currently serves on the Professional Affairs Committee of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.

Haley Ilcewicz, PharmD, BCPS is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy. Dr. Ilcewicz received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree with a specialization in pharmacy education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy in 2017. Following graduation, she pursued a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency with the St. Louis College of Pharmacy at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in 2018 and subsequently completed a PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at West Virginia University Medicine in Morgantown, West Virginia in 2019. 

Dr. Ilcewicz currently maintains a practice site at Rush University Medical Center where she practices as a clinical pharmacy specialist in internal medicine. Her clinical and research interests include diabetes management, anticoagulation, nephrology, transitions of care, and academia. Dr. Ilcewicz is an active member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Antoine T. Jenkins, PharmD, BCPS, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Jenkins received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2005 from the University Of Tennessee Health Science Center located in Memphis, TN. In 2006, he completed a pharmacy practice residency at Methodist University Hospital also located in Memphis. He became a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist in 2007. Prior to joining CSU, he worked as a clinical pharmacist. His duties included providing pharmaceutical care services to general medicine and cardiology patients, precepting students, and participating in several community outreach programs.

Dr. Jenkins clinical areas are internal medicine and cardiology. His specific areas of interest include inpatient anticoagulation and ensuring appropriate management of hospitalized patients with heart failure, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and stroke. His research interests include minimizing health disparities among African-Americans and promoting preventative health measures. Dr. Jenkins is a member of several organizations including American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Health-System Pharmacy, National Lipid Association, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Anticoagulation Forum, and the North American Thrombosis Forum.

Charisse Johnson M.S., PharmD, is the Assistant Dean of Experiential & Professional Education and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practiceat Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU COP).  Dr. Johnson received both her Doctor of Pharmacy degree (1998) and Master of Science degree in Pharmacy Administration (2003) from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy (UIC-COP). Possessing formal teaching experiences in both didactic and experiential arenas with student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, Dr. Johnson has served in various capacities as a guest speaker, course instructor, and graduate teaching assistant lecturing on topics such as regulatory policy, patient safety, and the pharmacist’s role in community health. In February 2018, Dr. Johnson received her teacher certification from the Center for KORU Mindfulness.  Prior to joining Chicago State University, Dr. Johnson was the Professional Affairs Manager at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. She has alsopractice experience in community and health-systems pharmacy.  Dr. Johnson has served as a board member for both the National Pharmaceutical Association and Chicago Pharmacists Association. She is also a member of Rho Chi Honor Society, Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Fraternity, and Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. She has received a number of awards and accolades, including the UIC COP Sister Margaret Wright Graduate Award, the UIC COP Urban Health Program Distinguished Alumni Award, the CSU COP Dean’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Service, and the CSU Academic & Student Affairs Excellence Award.

Darilyn N. McClain, PharmD, is the Director of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. McClain received her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree in 2005 from Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FAMU-COPPS) located in Tallahassee, FL. In 2006, she completed a pharmacy practice residency at Veterans Affairs Medical Center located in Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining CSU, Dr. McClain practiced as a clinical/staff pediatric pharmacist at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., consultant pharmacist for a pharmacist-led non-profit The Center for Minority Studies, Inc. in Washington, D.C., and clinical/staff pediatric pharmacist at Comer Children’s Hospital at The University of Chicago Medical Center. Her areas of interest include pediatrics, anticoagulation, and HIV/AIDS. Dr. McClain is a member of the American Pharmacists Association, Illinois Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc

Tatjana Petrova, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP).  She holds both a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and a Specialist in Clinical Pharmacy degree from the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Macedonia (1996 and 2005).  She completed her Doctorate in Pharmacy Care Systems from Auburn University, in Auburn, Alabama (2011).

Prior to joining Chicago State University, Dr. Petrova worked as a community pharmacist, marketing and sales representative for Abbott and Becton Dickenson and as a state inspector in the Ministry of Health-Health Insurance Fond of Macedonia.  During her graduate program, she was a teaching and research assistant at the Department of Pharmacy Care Systems at Auburn University.

Dr. Petrova's research interest include health behavior change and improving treatment adherence, as well as developing a new role of the pharmacist, putting an accent on the relationship between the pharmacist (health care provider) and the patient, and using motivational interviewing as a consulting technique.  She is interested in identifying the factors affecting adherence to prescribed medication from the patient perspective and health care systems perspective. Dr. Petrova's research focus is oriented toward the role of the pharmacist in behavioral changes and adherence to medication when counseling patients. Specifically, she is interested in increasing medication adherence in patients with chronic conditions or illnesses.  Her clinical research interest is in the area of COPD and asthma.

Lalita Prasad-Reddy, PharmD, MS, BCPS, BCACP, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy.  Dr. Prasad-Reddy received her PharmD degree from Creighton University, in Omaha Nebraska,  in 2006, and her Masters in Health Communication (with an emphasis in public health) from Boston University.   After working as a staff pharmacist, she went back to pursue residency training, and completed a PGY1 residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center and a PGY2 specialty residency in ambulatory care at Butler University College of Pharmacy/Indiana University Health in 2010.  After residency completion, Dr. Prasad served as a pharmacy practice faculty member at Sullivan University College of Pharmacy in Louisville, Kentucky from 2011-2013.

Dr. Prasad’s clinical interests include disease state management, cardiovascular risk reduction, endocrinology, women’s health, health communication and outreach, and patient adherence.  She is actively involved in global pharmacy initiatives and most recently traveled to Peru and China on pharmacy mission trips. She is a member of several pharmacy organizations including the Rho-Chi Honor Society, American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).

Betty Vu, PharmD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP) specializing in Infectious Diseases. Dr. Vu received her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine, then obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy from University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, in 2015. She then went on to complete a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, then subsequently completed her PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency in Infectious Diseases at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy with her clinical practice site at Rush University Medical Center.

Dr. Vu currently maintains a practice site at Rush University Medical Center, serving as a clinical pharmacy specialist in pediatric infectious diseases. Her clinical and research interests include the epidemiology and treatment of multi-drug resistant pathogens, the impact of antimicrobial stewardship, HIV/AIDS pharmacotherapy, and global health. Dr. Vu is an active member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, and the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists.

Daniel Kerner, PharmD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Kerner received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN in 2015. After graduation, Dr. Kerner completed a PGY-1 Community Pharmacy Practice Residency at Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions in Omaha, Nebraska. He then went on to complete a PGY-2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency with Community Health Network in Indianapolis, IN.

Dr. Kerner currently maintains an ambulatory care practice site at Access Community Health Network. His clinical and research interests include cardiovascular risk reduction and chronic disease state management. Dr. Kerner is an active member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Trishia E. Shaw, PharmD, BCPS, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice  at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Shaw earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from Loyola University Chicago (2004) and her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy (2009). She completed the Non-Traditional PGY-1 residency program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. She is also a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Prior to completing her residency program, Dr. Shaw practiced as a clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in several capacities, including neonatal, women’s health, psychiatry specialties as well as staffing as an overnight pharmacist.

Dr. Shaw’s clinical interests include diabetes, anticoagulation and HIV/AIDS management in the ambulatory setting and her research interests include pharmacist’s impact on diabetic patient outcomes, barriers to healthcare outcomes in underserved patients and impact of healthcare disparities in minority and underserved populations. She is a member of the National Pharmaceutical Association, the Chicago Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, the American Pharmacists Association, Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Fraternity, and the Illinois Council of Health-Systems Pharmacists.

Paul Fina, PharmD, BCACP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy.  Dr. Fina earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Cellular Biology and Chemistry from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.  After graduation, he completed a Community Pharmacy Residency with Jewel-Osco and Midwestern University College of Pharmacy in Downers Grove, IL.  He worked for Jewel-Osco Pharmacy for several years before pursuing additional training by completing a second year residency in Medication Use Safety at the Pharmacy Benefits Management Veterans Affairs Center for Medication Safety.  Dr. Fina’s areas of interest and research include adverse drug event reporting, healthcare economics, healthcare equity, patient safety, and patient outcomes.

Rahul Garg, PhD, M.Pharm, B.Pharm, is an Assistant Professor of Social and Administrative Sciences at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Dr. Garg received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Delhi University, India (2008) and Master of Pharmacy in Pharmaceutics from Banaras Hindu University, India (2010). He then worked for 2 years as a Junior Manager to develop generic drug formulations at Dr. Reddy’s Pharmaceuticals ltd. in Hyderabad, India. Following this, Dr. Garg completed his PhD in Health Economics and Outcomes Research from West Virginia University (2017). After his doctorate degree, Dr. Garg worked as a post-doctoral research fellow at Novartis, New Jersey and completed a research fellowship with the National Sleep Foundation. 

Dr. Garg’s expertise includes data analysis of large secondary databases such as health insurance claims and national health surveys. He is also trained and experienced in conducting survey research by designing survey scales to collect primary data. Dr. Garg’s research interests include understanding the factors associated with opioid abuse, dependence, and overdose among high-risk individuals in the US. He is also interested in increasing the rates of adherence with medication assisted treatment (MAT) among individuals addicted with opioids. Dr. Garg is a member of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

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Staff

Naomi Simwenyi, M.S., is the Director of Continuing Professional Educationat Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP). Ms. Simwenyi has over 12 years of experience in medical education accreditation combined with continuing medical education both in the academic and hospital setting. She has extensive experience in all components of education program management that include: design, marketing, delivery, and assessment. Her leadership is focused on the delivery of exceptional customer service and quality of programs, accomplished through an internal team approach with an emphasis on external outreach collaboration.

Ms. Simwenyi received her Masters of Science degree in corporate communication from Northwestern University, and her Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Eastern Michigan University. Prior to joining Chicago State University, Ms. Simwenyi worked as the Residency Education Program Administrator for the University of Illinois/Metropolitan Group Hospital Residency in General Surgery where she oversaw all aspects of operations as well as providing implementation support for new initiatives and was instrumental in the programs reaccreditation process.

Tamaria Thomas, B.S., B.A., is the Program Specialist for Chicago State University College of Pharmacy(CSU-COP) Office of Experiential and Professional Education.  Ms. Thomas holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Management from Chicago State University in 2007 and was also a member of the Business Honors Laboratory Program.  Ms. Thomas served as a Program Coordinator and Test Prep Instructor at the University of Chicago for over 10 years helping Chicago land area elementary and high school students’ transition, graduate and obtain a college degree. She also worked as an Administrator and Liaison within the Chicago Public Schools.  Ms. Thomas joined the College of Pharmacy in 2011.