Alumna Pamela Michaels’ persistence fueled a career of firsts

Pamela Michaels sits before a recruiter for Ortho Pharmaceutical Corp, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. She is one year into a mathematics doctoral program, and though she still loves numbers, she no longer has the passion to finish her degree. Instead, she’s hoping to jumpstart her career by getting hired as a sales representative.

The recruiter looks at her resume, then up at her and asks, “Are you sure you’re not too smart for this job?”

Michaels is stunned, but she doesn’t miss a beat. “If analytical skills and intelligence are considered deficits at your company, then we have nothing more to talk about.”

She rises from her chair and heads toward the door, but the recruiter stops her before she can exit and somehow convinces her to finish the interview. Twenty-four hours later, he calls Michaels to offer her the job.

“I learned that one of the main reasons I got that job was because I had the moxie to speak up during the interview,” Michaels says. “In those days you could count on one hand the number of female sales reps in the pharmaceutical industry.”

That job was the beginning of a 37-year career with Johnson & Johnson that has included many firsts. She was the first woman division manager at Ortho. Later, she became the first woman regional manager at the company and one of the first in the industry. She led her team to develop innovative solutions to challenges: devising a process for getting prescription drugs on California’s Medi-Cal formulary and creating the first sales rep positions for HMOs. And she has given back to her alma mater financially for a decade and a half.

“I’m always interested in figuring out ways to overcome roadblocks,” Michaels says. “That is my math background shining through.”

Michaels (A&S ’72) discovered her love for math under the tutelage of Sister Mary Coleman Conroy at St. Michael’s High School on Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes. While being praised for her math aptitude, she also nurtured her creative side through art. She was one of just two middle school students chosen to attend the Carnegie Museum’s long-running Tam O’Shanter Saturday art classes to study under renowned artist and teacher Joseph C. Fitzpatrick. Michaels was even selected as one of six from the class to participate in a live demonstration at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Despite her interest in art, Michaels never really considered it as a career, and when it came time for college, numbers won out. The real question Michaels faced, though, was how to pay for her education.

“I grew up in a household of limited means,” Michaels says. “So, I applied for a Pennsylvania state senatorial scholarship and was fortunate to receive an academic scholarship to cover my tuition for all four years.”

As a mathematician, Michaels thrived on campus. She was welcomed into the honors math program and was among the founding members of the math club that still exists today. The solid grounding in “pure math” that she built at Pitt carried through her career. She graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

“Over my 37 years at J&J, there were jobs that people couldn’t do or wouldn’t do … and I would eagerly take on these challenges,” Michaels says. “I always said, ‘I’ll figure it out.’ You learn to analyze, make decisions and problem solve. People saw these qualities in me and offered me opportunities.”

Michaels attributes her work ethic and tenacity to her parents, who instilled in her the values and confidence to succeed. The overachieving spirit that lifted her through the ranks at Johnson & Johnson soon showed up in another area of her life — philanthropy. She took advantage of her company’s gift matching program, making donations to Alzheimer’s disease research at Pitt. But she soon expanded her generosity, giving to dozens of Pitt funds in the last decade.  

She has supported student groups, the David C. Frederick Honors College and Heinz Memorial Chapel, among others, but Alzheimer’s is the cause that remains closest to her heart. Her mother suffered from dementia before her death in 2014.

“It stole her essence before it took her life,” Michaels says. “None of us is immune to the effects of this devastating disease.”

She encourages others to give to causes that are meaningful in their lives.

“I am conscious about what I support and why,” she says. “Ask yourself what is important to you. Obviously, Pitt is important, and I bet there is a group at Pitt doing something related to your passion and would be most appreciative of your help.”