Dr. Philip E. Johnston, Dean of Belmont University’s School of Pharmacy (BUSOP), announced today that he has completed the hiring process for the necessary faculty/staff team for the 2008-09 academic year. Anticipating a full first class of 75 students, the BUSOP program currently has ten full-time faculty members in place, all of whom boast impressive credentials in education, research and practice.
Johnston said, “Given the immense shortage of pharmacists across the country, finding such a qualified and committed group of faculty members for our first cohort makes a tremendous statement about the quality and potential of our Pharmacy+ program as well as the significant support we’re receiving from the administration and community. Our incoming students couldn’t find better educational resources than what they’ll receive from their faculty mentors.”
In addition to having faculty in place, BUSOP has also begun a new marketing campaign with a newly-produced, 30-second TV spot that highlights both the imperative need for pharmacists as well as the unique offerings of Belmont’s Pharmacy+ program. (A four MB .mov file of the spot can be e-mailed upon request). Billboards and radio spots can also be expected to appear throughout the region soon.
The first year faculty team for BUSOP includes the following:
Philip E. Johnston, Pharm.D.: Professor and Dean
Eric Hobson, Ph.D.: Professor and Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
Elinor Chumney, Ph.D.: Associate Professor and Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
Sal Giorgianni, Pharm.D.: Assistant Professor and Director, Experiential Education and Development
Marketa Marvanova, Pharm.D., Ph.D.: Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Julie S. Rafferty, Pharm.D.: Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Experiential Education
Steven P. Stodghill, Ph.D.: Associate Professor Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of Assessment
Cathy H. Turner, Pharm.D.: Assistant Professor and Director, Drug Information Services
Andrew Webster, Ph.D.: Professor and Chair, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Gordon A. Ireland, Pharm.D.: Chair of Pharmacy Practice (Will start April 1, 2008)
The American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) informed Belmont University leadership last week that its application package, which was presented at the council January directors meeting in Tampa, satisfies all established criteria, paving the way for ACPE to schedule a site visit on campus between mid-March and early April. ACPE is the official regulatory body that accredits all colleges of pharmacy in the United States, and the early spring site visit will be the last hurdle Belmont’s School of Pharmacy (BUSOP) must clear before seating its first class in August 2008.
