Arthur Jacknowitz

Arthur I. Jacknowitz, beloved husband, brother, uncle, friend and mentor, died on April 18, 2019. Born 75 years ago in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Miriam and Samuel Jacknowitz, Art and wife Linda made West Virginia their home since 1974, when he joined the faculty of the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy.
Art cherished his life, filled with loving relationships, a successful career, and fun. One of his greatest gifts was his ability to help others problem solve and succeed. During recent months, he received hundreds of communications from grateful former students and colleagues and friends acknowledging his impact on their professional and personal lives.
Art was a Professor and the Arthur I. Jacknowitz Distinguished Chair Emeritus in Clinical Pharmacy at West Virginia University. He was Chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy for almost 16 years, from 1985-2001. Prior to this, he was Director of the University’s Drug Information Center. In 1988, his efforts to disseminate drug information to consumers and health professionals won him the University’s Heebink Award for Outstanding State Service.
Author or coauthor of more than 100 scientific and technical articles and abstracts, and as many presentations, he was a monthly columnist for several years for the ‘US Pharmacist”, a recipient of the Merck, Sharp and Dohme Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Professional of Pharmacy, and for more than a quarter of a century a member of the editorial board of the “Drug Information Journal”. He served two five-year terms as a member of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention’s Gastroenterology Expert Committee. He is one of only 22 healthcare professionals nationwide to serve on the 2010-2015, Medicare Model Guidelines Expert Panel, where he and his panel colleagues received the 2011 USP’s Award for Innovative Response to a Public Health Challenge.
At the time of his death, he was serving a seventh three-year term on The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Licensure Test Review Committee. He is one of only 25 pharmacy practitioners and educators nationwide to achieve this recognition.
Art counted his decade of service as academic advisor to more than 260 pre-pharmacy and pharmacy honors students among his most important WVU activities. In recognition of these sustained efforts, the Honors College named him Faculty Advisor of 2012.
In 2001, to recognize his more than a quarter of a century of teaching, scholarship, and service, a former student endowed a Distinguished Chair in his honor; Art was named its first occupant. Art was inducted into the West Virginia University Health Science Center Academy of Excellent in Teaching and Learning in 2012. In 2004, the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy Alumni Association conferred honorary alumnus status on him. That same year he was named WVU’s Most Loyal Faculty Mountaineer.
Art retired after 38 years of service to WVU, but remained an engaged member of the university community. At the School of Pharmacy he continued to mentor students, coordinated its student ambassador program and was a member of the School of Pharmacy Visiting Committee. After serving on the WVU Retiree Association Steering Committee, he then served as the Association’s founding Chair.
In retirement Art became a member of the WVU Art Museum’s founding class of volunteer docents. Recently the WVU Creative Arts Center Visiting Committee honored Linda and Art by awarding them the College’s 2019 Alison Deem Distinguished Friends Award.
Visitation will be at the Dering-Henson Funeral Home, in Morgantown, from 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23, until the  1 p.m. funeral service hour. Shiva minyans will meet at the Jacknowitz home at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23,  Wednesday, April 24,  and Thursday evenings. A future memorial service is planned.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Morgantown Tree of Life Congregation Jacknowitz Fund; the Arthur I. and Linda M. Jacknowitz Scholarship (WVU School of Pharmacy); or the Abby Robin Jacknowitz Travel Fund (WVU Art Museum).
Caring services are provided by Dering-Henson Funeral Home.
Condolences: dering-henson.com