Rate My Professor Randall Tacket

Randall L. Tackett, Ph.D., served as Professor and Associate Department Head of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy until his retirement on May 31, 2025. He received a B.S. in Biology from Jacksonville University in 1975, an M.S. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Auburn University in 1977, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the University of Georgia in 1979. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology at the Medical University of South Carolina from 1979 to 1981, he joined the UGA College of Pharmacy faculty in 1981 as Assistant Professor of Pharmacology. His career advanced through positions including Associate Professor (1986-1994), Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (1989-1994), Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology (1995-1997), Professor and Graduate Coordinator in Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy (1997-2025), Director of Graduate Studies and Research for the College (1985-1989), and Director of the Clinical Research Trials Program in International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences (2006-2025). He held adjunct appointments as Professor in the Department of Psychology at Alliant University (2005-present) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (2000-present).

Tackett's research specializations encompassed cardiovascular pharmacology, hypertension, substance abuse, vascular reactivity, psychopharmacology, endothelial dysfunction, and racial differences in cardiovascular disease. He authored or co-authored 84 publications, accumulating over 1,390 citations, with key contributions including "Cerebroventricular Propranolol Elevates Cerebrospinal Fluid Norepinephrine and Lowers Blood Pressure" (Science, 1981), "Prazosin Alters Free and Total Plasma Digoxin Levels in Dogs" (American Heart Journal, 1985), and "Obesity affects short-term folic acid pharmacokinetics in women of childbearing age" (2013). Among his honors are the Dean's Award for Outstanding Teaching (1987), Outstanding Teacher of the Year from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (1987), Phi Delta Chi Teacher of the Year (1983-1984, 2004, 2018-2019), Fellow of the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks (1996), and American Heart Association Southeastern Affiliate Board of Directors Leadership Award (2006). Tackett developed the Abused Drugs course and "Tackett Packet" teaching materials, mentored generations of students and faculty, and served on numerous university committees, American Heart Association peer review panels, and editorial boards, significantly influencing pharmacy education, research, and professional development.