F L O R I D A' S C O L L E G E S O F P H A R M A C Y
Larkin University College of Pharmacy As I am writing this article, with input provided from various student organization faculty advisors, department chairs, and assistant and associate deans, we are in the process of continuing our program virtually, along with the other six deans of the Florida colleges of pharmacy. We are using Microsoft Teams for teaching and Zoom for student and faculty interviews. As with the other colleges, our classes continue and our experiential program continues thanks to the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies that appreciate the need for student pharmacists to receive high quality training. In a few weeks to months, these are the pharmacists that we all want on the front lines of our health care system. So, thanks to all of you as we learn together how to manage the changing landscape of health care during this pandemic and beyond. I believe the profession will gain visibility and become stronger by embracing the opportunities to show how pharmacists are an integral part of the patient care team. I know that in many cases the decision to remove students was not at the pharmacy level, but the C-level. But as you read this, please let executives know the importance of preparing these student pharmacists for the front lines. The college also had our first intramural grants program which awarded more than $60,000 to seven faculty members. The article will focus on the growth of the college and the community events provided by our student organizations, which in most cases includes faculty and staff.
Chief Diversity Officer,” he is a global thought leader having worked with more than 1,000 colleges and universities, Fortune 100 companies, foundations and government agencies, as keynote speaker, strategist, educator and social impact leader. As the University of Michigan celebrates its 200year anniversary, he was recently awarded the Bicentennial Leadership Award, a one-time honor given to 20 trailblazing alumni who exemplify the best of the academic and leadership values of the university’s 200,000 living alumni. He is chief catalyst for the Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership & Social Innovation and a senior scholar and innovation fellow at the Wisconsin Equity and Inclusion Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he previously served as associate vice chancellor and inaugural chief diversity, equity, and educational achievement officer. Dr. Williams received his Ph.D. in organizational behavior and management from the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education, and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Miami University in educational leadership and sociology and Black world studies, respectively.
Inaugural Commencement, 2019 The academic year of 2019-2020 was major milestone for the LU College of Pharmacy. In May 2019 we graduated our first class. They are now our alumni working in various settings including residencies all over the nation, but primarily in south Florida. Our commencement speaker was Dr. Damon A. Williams, a visionary and inspirational leader, and one of the nation’s recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility and organizational change. For four years, he lead a $250 million social impact portfolio for the world’s largest youth development company, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, representing the interests of nearly 4 million diverse youth and teens as senior vice president for programs and chief education officer. One of the original architects of the inclusive excellence concept in American higher education, he is author of the best-selling books “Strategic Diversity Leadership” and “The
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FLORIDA PHARMACY TODAY
College of Pharmacy Growth The college welcomed a significant number of new employees in both administration, staff and faculty. Some of these were replacement positions as others moved to new challenges and some were due to the growth of the college. ■
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Jayesh Parmar, Ph.D. – promoted to Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs (previously, Founding Faculty, Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Clinical and Administrative Sciences (Social and Administrative Sciences) Antonio Perry, MS – Senior Director of Assessment Alexis Arango, Pharm.D. – Director of Clinical Services and Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical and Administrative Sciences Jonathon May, M.A., Ed.D. – Director of Student Services
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Debasish Basak, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Biomedical Sciences) Sandeep Sheth, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology) Mara Poulakos, Pharm.D., Associate Professor, Depart-
