“I am absolutely ecstatic to be teaching here at St. John’s,”
says Diane Hardej ’95G, ’03Ph.D. Professor in the
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of St. John’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Having been a St. John’s
student herself, Dr. Hardej understands St. John’s commitment to
fostering its academic community, “I was eager to apply for a
position at St. John’s because of its pleasant work atmosphere and
the collegiality I observed while going to school.”
Dr. Hardej is currently teaching several courses including graduate
toxicology and believes that the most gratifying part of being
an educator is having a positive impact on the lives of her
students, “Hands down, the most fulfilling experience in my career
as an educator has to be having students come back and tell me how
my influence, my encouragement or my instruction has made a major
difference in the course of their lives.”
Dr. Hardej believes in pushing students to reach their full
potential, “I consider myself to be a rather demanding instructor,
but I try to do it in a way that will push them to be more
demanding of themselves and yet not totally overwhelm them. I
think I’ve been successful in accomplishing that, or at least I’ve
had many students tell me that the knowledge they’ve gained from my
instruction has been very valuable to them.”
Not only is Dr. Hardej an alumna and faculty member, she is a
financial supporter of the University as well as an active
participant in the University’s many community service projects:
“By participating in events like University Service Day, I’ve tried
to deliver the mission of St. Vincent to my students through
example. I always encourage my students to participate in service
events, such as “Relay for Life,” University Service Day, blood
drives and other events that give back to the University community
through donations or service.”