MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS (August 21, 2025) — The Saturday morning of Monmouth's Homecoming weekend in October will mark the official induction of Debra Jackowniak Scarlett ('95) into the college's Fraternity and Sorority Hall of Fame. Her plaque will note such things as her employer, Madison Medical Affiliates, her lofty status in the medical profession, and her service to her community and, of course, her sorority, Pi Beta Phi.
But there are also a few stories — too wordy for a simple plaque — that shed more light on why Scarlett is such a worthy recipient of a prestigious honor from her alma mater.
Learning to volunteer and give
The first stories took place while she was living in Bridgeview, a western suburb of Chicago.
"I grew up in Chicago, the child of immigrants," she said. "The reason I got to go to Monmouth was a Presidential Scholarship. Someone gave money to let me go to college. I don't like to owe anyone, so I want to give back financially and through service."
She stuck with that mindset even in her earliest career days when she was fairly deeply "in debt. Even when we were at our lowest, we gave back. And I've always felt it was important to donate my time, as well."
That includes her alma mater, as she's a frequent donor to Monmouth, including a significant gift to support the Center for Science and Business, as well as a gift toward the construction of the Pi Phi house. The college, in general, and Pi Beta Phi, specifically, are proud to be in Scarlett's web of worthy causes.
Donating her time is something she can also trace back to her pre-Monmouth days.
"My volunteering began in [Argo] high school with my English professor, Mr Johnson," she said. "He took us to a soup kitchen to volunteer on Thanksgiving, and that started my love for volunteering."
'I like adversity and challenges'
A Monmouth biology professor sparked another flame that still burns brightly in Scarlett.
"My first day of zoology, I was in a class with about sixty students, which was actually very large for Monmouth," she said. "But I remember the professor, Ken Peterson, saying that only three of us would likely get A's. Well, I took that as a challenge, and it's something that I still carry with me today. I like adversity and challenges. I got that A, and it was a good start to my academic career."
Chemistry professor Richard "Doc" Kieft was also a positive influence, as were a pair of summer research experiences at the University of Chicago and Washington University in St Louis. Scarlett also threw the shot put and discus on the Fighting Scots track team for two seasons, but her challenging pre-med schedule led her to focus on academics during her junior and senior years.
Scarlett's love of challenges was certainly present in graduate school.
"Medical school at Rush [in Chicago] was a great experience for me," she said. Scarlett eventually decided on a residency in dermatology, which she called the "most difficult one," adding that her mother told her that's the reason she chose it. The residency was at one of the top ten programs in the nation for dermatology at the University of Michigan, which is where she met her husband. The couple has twin children, and Scarlett has always enjoyed supporting their activities, from being a "spirit mom" to serving as co-chair of the middle school holiday boutique three years running.
Professional success
Next up was a return trip to St Louis, where Scarlett was a faculty member in Washington's department of medicine, which she called "a full circle moment for me." For the past seventeen years, she and her family have lived in Milwaukee. Madison Medical Affiliates is a private practice with around seventy physicians in multiple areas, including a dozen in dermatology.
"We see the worst, including burns," she said. "One of my patients had a life-threatening rash. I just checked in with her and she's doing well. That's a rewarding part of the work I do."
Scarlett may see the worst, but she's one of the best. She's been honored as one of the "Top Docs" of Milwaukee for over a decade. And she's found a way to give back within her profession, organizing and providing her expertise in annual skin cancer screenings, at no cost to the participants.
Lifelong connections
Even though Scarlett quit throwing the shot put and discus, she's remained a lifelong athlete, which includes completing eight marathons, the first a week before graduating from medical school.
"But my favorite marathon was one with Brandy Hidalgo Vargas," said Scarlett of her 1995 classmate and Pi Phi sorority sister who had battled and beaten Hodgkin's lymphoma twice. In an effort to prioritize her health and wellness, Vargas began working out and running and asked Scarlett to do the Houston marathon with her.
Pi Beta Phi sisters, including Scarlett on the left in the back row, have supported the family of Brandy Hidalgo Vargas since her passing in 2023. They plan to do so again at this fall's Homecoming
"As we got to the start line, she was expecting me to run it at my own pace and just see her at the finish line, but I was not going to let her do it by herself. I told her I will always stick by her and always have her back."
That sentiment continued as the two Pi Phi sisters neared the end of their 26-mile run.
"We completed it in about seven hours," said Scarlett. "At that pace, we were some of the last to finish. Brandy didn't want to be the last finisher, and I said I will always have her back. After that, I stayed behind and watched her hold hands with her four kids, crossing the finish line. Thinking about it still brings me to tears. As I reflect on it, it's the work and the process that are more important than the finish line sometimes."
Vargas died suddenly in December 2023.
"I believe it was around fifteen years after her diagnosis, and she lived life to the fullest until her last day," said Scarlett. "That day, her mom called me, and quickly we mobilized all of our Pi Beta Phi sisters. We started a GoFundMe for her children. Amy Bradshaw ('95) and I are working on doing a memorial for Brandy at our thirty-year reunion" at this year's Homecoming.
More Pi Phi stories
During her undergraduate years at Monmouth, Scarlett was very active in Pi Phi, holding the executive positions of secretary, social chair and recruitment chair. She's remained very active since.
"I've really enjoyed the diversity of friendships I have through Pi Phi," she said. "One of my best friends is my mom's age, and I met her through Pi Phi. I've joined alumnae clubs in the cities I've lived [including serving as president of the Milwaukee club], and I've always found it's a great way to connect with people."
Another Pi Phi connection is Scarlett's volunteer work with the Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, an eighty-year-old organization that strengthens children and families in the city's most underserved neighborhoods.
Scarlett is pictured with her family at a fundraising event in Milwaukee
"Its first director was a Pi Phi," she said. "That's a cool tie-in. It's in one of the roughest neighborhoods of Milwaukee, but I've always felt safe there."
Her numerous contact points with the sorority over the years include attending multiple national conventions, serving in multiple positions on Marquette University's Alumni Advisory Committee, and co-chairing the college's 150th anniversary celebration of Pi Beta Phi. The sorority was founded at Monmouth in 1867.
The dermatologist's green thumb
In addition to running, Scarlett has another escape from the rigors of her profession. She identifies as "a self-taught gardener," and she apparently is a very good teacher, as her garden has been showcased on multiple local tours and with the Nature Conservancy, helping to raise money for a variety of organizations.
"I'm proudest of the design element of my gardening," she said. "I've got a good visual eye — dermatology has done that for me."
But even though she said she "loves being around and enjoying beautiful things," that doesn't include cosmetic work as part of her dermatology practice. "I don't put Botox on people's faces," she said.
When she's not working, gardening, serving or enjoying her family, Scarlett even has time for what she called her "side hustle" of planning parties and getting people together, a skill she developed during her time leading Pi Phi's social and recruitment efforts.
In short, said Scarlett, "I'm a very loyal person to things I'm passionate about." In addition to her undergraduate alma mater, she is also a frequent donor to Rush University Medical School, the University of Michigan, and the University of Notre Dame, among other organizations.
Also in short, it's pretty clear that Scarlett is a shining example of Monmouth's mission statement — an alum who's realizing her full potential, living a meaningful life, pursuing a successful career, and shaping her community and the world through service and leadership.
