Her love of pharmacy and academia started in Brazil.

Brunella Martinelli de Medeiros Fiuza enjoyed helping patients in her role as a pharmacist at a local clinic in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, but she also enjoyed helping students at various levels learn Spanish and Latin American culture while pursuing graduate studies in Latin American literature.

After moving to Johnson City, she and her family faced many hardships, including a serious car accident and the challenge of learning English. She said those experiences taught her “resilience and adaptability.”

“These experiences heightened my awareness of how structural barriers, such as language and limited access to healthcare, affect students and patients,” she said. “They also reinforced my commitment to cultivating supportive spaces where others feel seen, encouraged and empowered to succeed.”

Those experiences have helped shape Martinelli de Medeiros Fiuza’s path at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, where she has now earned national recognition. She was selected as one of 29 student pharmacists nationwide to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's (AACP) 2026-27 Aspiring Academics Program, a yearlong initiative that prepares future pharmacy faculty through mentorship, professional development and scholarship.

She enrolled at Gatton through one of the college's flexible admissions pathways, allowing her to pursue her goal of practicing pharmacy in the United States.

The opportunity also allows her to combine the two passions that first took shape in Brazil — pharmacy and teaching.

“Teaching became more than delivering content,” she wrote in her application to the program. “I found myself drawn to meeting people where they are — helping them build confidence, make connections, and move forward.” 

That philosophy has continued during her time at Gatton. As a tutor and peer mentor, Martinelli de Medeiros Fiuza has worked with struggling students to help them master Pharm.D. curriculum material and recognize their ability to succeed in the profession. 

She has also pursued research involving underserved populations. Her experiences include work with the Latino community in East Tennessee and collaboration with the Butterfly Collaborative on research involving vulnerable and orphaned children in southern Malawi. 

Those experiences have helped clarify her long-term aspirations. 

“My goal is to become a clinician-educator in ambulatory care committed to patient care, teaching, and mentorship,” she said. “I want to contribute to the development of future pharmacists who are not only clinically skilled but also compassionate and responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.”  

Dr. Ralph A. Lugo, professor and senior associate dean at Gatton, will serve as her faculty mentor during the Aspiring Academics Program. 

“Brunella brings an incredible combination of clinical experience, teaching experience, scholarship and life experience to her interest in academic pharmacy,” Lugo said. “What stands out to me is that she already thinks about teaching as more than transmitting knowledge. She is interested in helping students develop confidence, judgment and a commitment to the people and communities they will ultimately serve.  

“Those qualities have the potential to make her an outstanding clinician-educator.” 

Through the Aspiring Academics Program, Martinelli de Medeiros Fiuza will explore curriculum development, scholarship, faculty roles and responsibilities, and strategies for integrating clinical practice with teaching. She identified those areas in her application as important next steps in determining how she can build a sustainable career combining patient care and pharmacy education.  

Participants also work with faculty and students from other colleges and schools of pharmacy, creating a national professional network and collaborating on scholarly activities. 

The program will culminate with participation in the 2027 AACP Annual Meeting and Teachers’ Seminar in Toronto, Canada. Gatton will support her participation and travel, while Lugo plans to attend as her faculty mentor. 

This summer, Martinelli de Medeiros Fiuza was among four student members of Gatton’s Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) chapter who attended the SNPhA/NPhA National Convention in Rockville, Maryland. They completed the SNPhA Leadership Academy and Social Determinants of Health Certificate, gaining valuable leadership and professional development experiences. In addition, she received the Dr. Kathy Etale Student Enrichment Award. 

ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy is one of the university’s five health sciences schools that comprise Tennessee’s largest public Academic Health Sciences Center. ETSU prepares future health professionals through an interprofessional model that brings together students and faculty from multiple disciplines to learn with, from and about one another. 

Learn more at etsu.edu/pharmacy.