Jenny Lo-Ciganic

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. I was born and raised in Taiwan. In 1993, my friend shared the gospel with me and she gave me a Bible. I refused to read the Bible because many Taiwanese, including my family, worship idols. I didn’t know what was true. Also, I came from a poor, divorced family. To compensate, I sought to be well- behaved and to live a moral life. I got good grades and studied in the best schools. I thought I had to, and I could do everything by myself. In this state of mind, it was easy to resist God. When I was studying for my masters degree in clinical pharmacy, I witnessed the lonely death of a rich patient in the hospital where I worked. His death made me reflect on the meaning of life. I questioned myself, “Do I really want my life to be about pursuing money and making a name for myself like this rich patient?” I wondered, “Is there a true God in the world”? Then I remembered my conversation with my friend. This was the same friend who had given me the Bible and taught me to pray. So I prayed a simple prayer, “God, I don’t know you. If you are the only true God in the world, please let me know your Presence.” Soon after I prayed, out of the blue, I got a call from this friend inviting me to go to church with her, which I accepted. As my understanding about Christ grew, I saw how prideful I was to think I could work out everything in my life with my own effort. Recognizing my brokenness, I wanted to ask Jesus Christ to enter my life; so I did. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in June, 2006. I will always remember the day that I became a follower of Jesus Christ. I cried because I felt like a lost child who had come back to God’s home. In August 2006, I came to US to pursue my PhD degree at the University of Pittsburgh. I worried that my busy schedule wouldn’t allow me to study the Bible and attend church. There was no cause for worry because once I became a Christian, God gave me a new heart and new desires to know Him. Through the Bible studies offered by the International Student Ministry and the help of my spiritual parents, Bruce and Elena Lewis, I grew spiritually. The more I read, the more I desired to know; I was like a baby that hungered for milk. This is a major change in my life. From one who threw away the Bible that was given to me, I became one whose greatest joy is to consistently meditate on God's Word. This habit is foundational in my daily life. Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ was the best decision I have ever made in my life. The truth that God loves me and treasures me as His beloved child has anchored me. I do not want to go back to a life without Jesus! Therefore, no matter where I am in life, and what I do with my life, my desire is to obey God, honor Him, and give glory to Him.

My Life

Favorite Quote

“The real calling is not a certain place or career but to everyday obedience. And that call is extended to every Christian, not just a select few.” From The story of Brother Andrew - God's Smuggler

Friends describe me

Loving, caring, hospitable

My hobbies

Swimming, hiking

Best advice I ever received

Take a break!

My undergrad alma mater

National Taiwan University

My worst subject in school

Physics

In college I drove

Motor scooter

If I weren't a professor, I would

Open a bubble tea shop

Favorite books

Boundary by Henry Cloud

Favorite movies

Fireproof

Favorite city

Prague

Favorite coffee

Gautemala

My latest accomplishment

Raising four children 🙂

Current Research

I am a pharmacist and pharmacoepidemiologist and have been involved in research since 2003 in the areas of pharmacoepidemiology, health services and outcome research, medication adherence and quality improvement. My research focuses on conducting pharmacoepidemiologic, comparative effectiveness, and health service research to better understand the patient, provider, health system, and regional factors that impact drug utilization to inform clinical medicine, health promotion, and health policy, and ultimately to improve health outcomes and quality. Specifically, I have extensive experience using real-world big data (e.g., administrative claims data, electronic medical records) to study medication adherence (or nonadherence) and unsafe or inappropriate medication utilization to inform polices and target interventions and ultimately improve quality of patient care. https://pharmacy.ufl.edu/profile/lo-ciganic-wei/