Whether they have been at Pacific for a few years or decades, Pacific’s professors are making a marked difference.

Read on to learn how three faculty members are serving their students and the community.

Professor of Law Ederlina Co
2022 Unity Bar Community Service Award from Women Lawyers of Sacramento 

As a leading scholar in reproductive rights and justice, Co is often called on to share her expertise. 

Her outreach increased significantly in 2022 due to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark legal case which protected a woman’s right to an abortion.

Throughout the year, Co has given presentations on the decision and its effect. 

In recognition of her work, Co was presented the Community Service Award from Women Lawyers of Sacramento at the annual Unity Bar dinner, an association of legal affinity groups.

“Women Lawyers of Sacramento was honored to present Professor Co with our Unity Bar Community Service Award for her work in educating the community and fellow lawyers on reproductive rights,” said Lauren Jones, president of the organization. “Her work in education is imperative to support and continue the fight.”

Co said she is deeply grateful for the recognition.  

“It is nice that they wanted to recognize the work I have put into the issue in partnership with Women Lawyers of Sacramento,” Co said. “(Reproductive rights) are so central to women's equality and their ability to be equal participants in our society.”
 

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Experiential Learning and Professor of Law Mary-Beth Moylan
Frances Newell Carr Award for Professional Excellence, Women Lawyers of Sacramento

Moylan’s impact on the community and legal profession can be felt throughout the region, from long-lasting relationships with students to establishing a free legal support program.

Women Lawyers of Sacramento recently recognized her long-time dedication with their most prestigious honor — the Frances Newell Carr Award for Professional Excellence.

The award is given to an outstanding lawyer, judge or scholar who has achieved professional success while also furthering legal opportunities for women in law and making a difference in the lives of women and children.

“Mary-Beth is a force of nature as a leader, mentor, and role model for countless women students and lawyers, colleagues, and the larger legal community,” said Professor Emerita Cary Bricker. “I know she will continue to have this positive impact on others for years to come.”

Moylan co-founded a program in which volunteer attorneys and law students provide guidance to people representing themselves in federal court. Her time and recruitment efforts have helped hundreds of people who could not afford counsel.

Since joining Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in 2000, she also has served as a mentor to women as they begin their legal careers.

“It's really important for lawyers to have someone they can talk to and bounce ideas off of, but it's also important for me,” Moylan said. “I invest a lot of time and care into my students, so to see them thriving, enjoying practice and progressing personally and professionally gives me a lot of happiness.”

Senior Deputy City Attorney for Sacramento and alumna Kourtney Burdick, ’06, described Moylan as everything you want in a professor: knowledgeable, articulate and connected to her class.

“Without a doubt, the skills I learned in her class shaped the way I approach legal issues today … But beyond the classroom, when I think back on that time, I think of her unwavering support and endless encouragement,” Burdick said.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Martha Ndungd’u
2022 California Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ New Practitioner Achievement Award

The California Society of Health-System Pharmacists describe Ndungd’u as “the epitome of a bright new practitioner.”  

The award is given annually to one new member who has made significant contributions to the society, pharmacy profession and as a mentor.

Ndung’u graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2019. She joined Pacific as an assistant clinical professor in 2020 and serves at least twice a month as a preceptor—a pharmacist who oversees students and provides guidance at practice sites.

“Martha gives generously of her time and talents to our students,” said Berit Gundersen, dean of the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy. “She is a gifted educator both in the way she inspires students and empowers patients. She is very deserving of this award.”

Ndung’u said working with students is one of her passions. “They are inspiring, intuitive and curious, which is all we ask for as a professor,” she said. “I learn from my students every day. It is amazing to see their growth.”

Ndung’u also conducts research on the scholarship of teaching and learning and is an inpatient pharmacist for Highland Hospital in Oakland, California.