Amid the cold blue glare of computer screens and the solitude of asynchronous learning, Nathan Seligson, Pharm.D., manages the impossible: creating a warm, inviting and inclusive environment for online learners to advance their skills.
The clinical associate professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research teaches two courses in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy’s online Clinical Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine program. His supportive teaching style was recognized by students and colleagues alike with the inaugural Online Teacher of the Year Award.
Seligson said he feels honored to be recognized for his work building and instructing the courses Clinical Applications of Precision Medicine: Oncology and Advanced Concepts in Oncology.
“Our college’s online programs are exceptional and provide opportunities for people who are already in the workforce, or preparing to enter it, to gain specialized training that is not widely available elsewhere. It has been an honor to teach in this curriculum and share topics I’m passionate about,” said Seligson, who is based at the UF College of Pharmacy’s Jacksonville campus.
Though physical distance separates Seligson from his students, he strives to build individual connections with each of his learners, deciphering their unique strengths and opportunities for growth in order to ensure each student receives an optimal education.
“One of the hardest things to do with an online curriculum, even more so with asynchronous learning, is developing relationships and connections between the teacher and the learner. I believe these personal relationships help identify areas where each student can grow. That’s why I have tried to build a curriculum that reaches students at their individual level of experience to make sure that everyone gains something they can use in their career. I am fortunate to get to know many of the fantastic students we have in this program on an individual basis,” he said.
Seligson’s approach resonated with his former student, Nadia Sethi, who commended his pairing of academic rigor with supportive feedback in her nomination materials for the award.
“Dr. Seligson emphasized rigorous critical thinking. His live, online sessions were intellectually demanding, calling on students to interpret and discuss complex research. While challenging, this approach truly accelerated my ability to analyze unfamiliar material with confidence,” said Sethi. “He brought deep knowledge and was always open to meeting with us to offer support. I observed noticeable growth in students across both classes.”
When Seligson isn’t teaching, he’s conducting research to apply precision medicine approaches to improve medical therapies for patients with rare cancers, including sarcomas. He also serves as a clinical pharmacogenomics specialist at Nemours Children’s Health in Jacksonville, providing pharmacogenomic therapy guidance for pediatric patients. Seligson said his role as an educator, researcher and clinician carries a deep personal relevance.
“One of the reasons I entered this field was because a family member developed pancreatic cancer. At the same time, I was an undergraduate student learning about how genetics and molecular biomarkers could be used to provide personalized care for patients with cancer. Yet I wasn’t seeing this reflected in my family member’s care,” recalls Seligson, who completed a postdoctoral fellowship in translational hematology/oncology focused on precision medicine in sarcoma. “That awoke a passion in me to bring precision medicine to patients, particularly those with rare and under-addressed cancers. As I continued in my training, practice and research, I have enjoyed working with patients who have these diseases and working with clinicians and researchers who have further developed my love for this science, its application and how it can actually improve human lives.”
Whether it’s instructing students on how to simulate a molecular tumor board or ushering them through the process of submitting peer-reviewed manuscripts for publication, Seligson leads with heart and humility, traits he picked up from his own academic mentors.
“It’s probably no surprise that the faculty and trainers who left the greatest impact are the ones who made the emotional effort to build relationships with me. Those experiences certainly affected how I teach students today: as a way of helping them develop as individuals,” he said. “My goal for my classes is that students feel like they grew during their time with me, and I pushed them to be better than they were when they entered the class.”
The UF College of Pharmacy also recognizes the outstanding contributions of Khoa Nguyen, Pharm.D., a clinical associate professor, and Nancy Toffolo, M.S., an instructional associate professor, to online education. Both were selected as finalists for the Office of Lifelong Learning’s Online Teacher of the Year Award, which honors faculty members who demonstrate excellence in online instruction.