SPECIAL PROJECTS

College Inducts Second Hall of Fame Class

The University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy inducted four luminaries of the pharmaceutical profession into the college’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony May 13. Norma Owens

Norma Owens graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in pharmacy in 1977, followed by a Pharm.D. from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science in 1979. She completed a research fellowship at Hartford Hospital from 1979–1982 before starting her distinguished career at the University of Rhode Island as a faculty member, department chair and associate dean. A fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Owens is recognized nationally in the field of geriatric pharmacotherapy. She was honored for her leadership in promoting patientcentered care within Rhode Island nursing homes. Her leadership was equally impactful in the College of Pharmacy through academic program development, faculty mentoring, and student engagement.

Christopher T. Rhodes

Christopher T. Rhodes earned his B.Pharm. with honors and Ph.D. degrees from the Chelsea School of Pharmacy at the University of London. He was an internationally recognized expert in the formulation and analysis of drug products and devices and the clinical and regulatory aspects of their use. Rhodes served the college in many capacities, including chair of the applied pharmaceutical sciences department. He was a prolific author of nearly 300 publications, editor of several pharmaceutical journals, and a soughtafter scientific expert. Federal partners included the U.S. Pharmacopeia and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He was a fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. During his tenure at URI, Rhodes had an enduring impact on the career trajectories of dozens of pharmaceutics graduates.

Dean Paul Larrat and URI President Marc Parlange pose with Hall of Fame inductees Norma Owens and Lois Vars. Richard Youngken represents his late father, Heber Youngken.

Lois Vars

Dean Lois Vars earned a degree in mathematics and taught high school math before earning her B.S. in pharmacy from URI in 1962. She worked at her family’s Vars Brothers pharmacy in Westerly until inaugural Dean Heber W. Youngken Jr. recruited her in 1974 to establish a highly regarded pharmacy externship program. Given her educational background, Dean Vars was then appointed to the newly created position of assistant dean for student progress, where she remained until her 1994 retirement. Dean Vars was well-known for her high expectations of pharmacy students, instilling a sense of professionalism they would bring to their chosen careers, and as representatives of the University. Heber W. Youngken Jr.

Heber W. Youngken Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps with a faculty and research career in the field of pharmacognosy. After establishing himself as a leader in the field, he expanded his interests to academic administration roles. In 1957, he was recruited to establish the URI College of Pharmacy on the Kingston Campus. His strong influence was evident in every faculty member he selected and in the creation and establishment of an innovative curriculum. Applying his lobbying skills, he successfully raised funding for a modern building to complement his bold vision. In addition to the deanship, Youngken served for decades as provost for health science affairs, and his accomplishments created a bedrock foundation for URI’s College of Pharmacy today. The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden is a testament to his lasting impact on the University.

The University of Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Development Institute (PDI) held a weeklong open house in April, giving the campus community and the public a look at state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical education, development, manufacturing, and testing. The open house, to publicly introduce the PDI and begin its mission to enhance the biopharmaceutical training and production in Rhode Island and beyond, included hands-on tours of the Pharmaceutical Processing Suites and the Analytical and Stability Testing Laboratory; live demonstrations of established equipment in the process suites, including tablet- and capsule-making technologies; and access to some of the region’s foremost experts in pharmaceutical training and manufacturing. Located in the lower level of Avedisian Hall on the Kingston Campus, the PDI provides custom biopharmaceutical training for URI students and industry professionals already working in the field. Three processing suites in the PDI’s Good Manufacturing Practice lab provide space for pharmaceutical startup companies to work with PDI experts to develop and pilot new medication forms.

Grant Helps College Fight Opioid Deaths

The College of Pharmacy’s Community First Responder Program (CFRP) can buy thousands more NARCAN opioid overdose prevention kits to distribute across Rhode Island, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation.

The CFRP provides free NARCAN and educational training seminars, mostly to local rural communities that have traditionally not been as much of a focus for opioid mitigation as more urban areas. Trainees of the program receive a free naloxone (NARCAN) nasal spray kit—the medication to reverse an opioid overdose—and may request fentanyl test strips to help detect the lethal synthetic opioid. “Understanding how to recognize an overdose, and having these resources can help save lives when seconds are crucial,” said Clinical Professor Anita Jacobson, who coordinates the program. “We are excited to be the distribution partner with the Department of Health for this naloxone donation. This grant will enable us to go wherever there is a need. When it comes to the drug overdose and addiction crisis, there are no borders.”

Clinical Professor Anita Jacobson and Pharm.D. candidate Emily Lancor ‘24 distribute NARCAN at a community site in Hope Valley.

“I believe the most important part of recruiting students is building a relationship.”

Clinical Professor Erica Estus, who heads up the URI College of Pharmacy recruiting program, has faced major obstacles over the past two years establishing those relationships while the COVID-19 pandemic prevented prospective students from visiting Avedisian Hall. Coupled with a national downturn in college of pharmacy applications, the college’s leaders knew maintaining its historically impressive student numbers would be a great challenge. Despite the challenges, the URI College of Pharmacy attracted several hundred quality applications and met its class size goals for 2021–2022. “We always pride ourselves that people can come see the building, feel the building, talk to students. For all of last year, that was really restricted,” Estus said. “So, it was really kind of amazing that we were able to keep some of the events—remotely—and keep the numbers up. We just figured out ways to make our programs be as engaging as we could while following all the protocols.” Estus worked with manager of technology services Ian Lester to create group and one-on-one Zoom information sessions and Zoom tours of Avedisian Hall. Even the annual High School Day, when young students from across the state visit, was held virtually in 2020. Lester also arranged for potential students to Zoom into actual classes to learn exactly what they could expect from the college. “We went out of our way to make ourselves available any way we could,” Estus said. “Anything they could have done in person, we did our best to allow them to experience it remotely. So, whether or not you meet them in person, they still know you; we were still able to establish those relationships.”

Marks of Excellence

Pharm.D. Class of 2022 felt prepared to enter pharmacy practice 100%

(AACP)

Pharm.D. Class of 2022 TOP 10

match rate in the nation for Post-Graduate Year 1 residency placements (ASHP) Pharm.D. Class of 2022 employed at graduation

97%

(AACP)

Pharm.D. Class of 2021 passed NAPLEX at the first attempt 91%

(NABP)

TOP 5%

in the nation for federal research funding to pharmacy programs (AACP)

Big Ideas. Bold Plans.

Innovative and Distinct Programs

Pharmacy is at the front line of health-care delivery, meeting health needs across society. As program director of the Community First Responder Program, Anita Jacobson and her team confront the acute crises of opioid addiction, serving communities across the state. This would not be possible without funding from the Rhode Island Foundation and others like Rotary International.

College Dedicates Reading Room to Former Professor

“URI was a big part of what defined my dad as a professor and a pharmacist. One of the things he liked most was teaching and interacting with students, so he would really enjoy this being a student lounge to remember his life’s work,” said Jesse Lipson, who cut the ribbon on the David Lipson ‘70 Student Lounge in Avedisian Hall in honor of the former URI professor, after joining Dean Paul Larrat on a tour of the campus and meeting with URI President Marc Parlange.

Jesse Lipson and wife Brooks Bell cut the ribbon of the David Lipson ’70 Student Lounge on the first floor of Avedisian Hall, before hanging out in the lounge.

College Hosts 37th annual Seminar by the Sea

Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Transformative Faculty

Teaching and research excellence define the College of Pharmacy. Often, distinguished scholars mentor rising stars, who themselves become thought leaders. Such was the case for pharmacoeconomics professor Stephen Kogut, whose mentor, the late David Lipson, was honored by a gift to the URI College of Pharmacy Innovation Fund and naming of the David Lipson ’70 Student Lounge. Pharmacists from around the region earned valuable continuing education credits while discussing some of the most pressing current pharmacy and healthcare issues during the 37th annual Seminar by the Sea Northeast Regional Conference presented by the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Professional Development. The flagship professional development conference hosted by the college brings together about 300 pharmacists, students, and clinicians from multiple health-care disciplines for two days of presentations and discussions. This year’s conference, “Emerging from the Shadow of the Pandemic: Pharmacy Lights the Way,” included presentations on topics including asthma guidelines, leadership, diabetes management, sexually transmitted infections, social determinants of health, cannabis, pharmacy law, vaccines, COVID-19 treatments, dermatology, wellness, and resiliency. Planning is underway for next year’s conference, scheduled for March 23–4 at the Newport Marriot. Visit uri.edu/ pharmce for more information and to register.