MU | From the Dean
Message from the Dean
W . Thomas Smith , Dean of
Health Sciences and Pharmacy
Dear friends and colleagues ,
I ’ m excited to share with you the latest developments in Manchester Pharmacy and Graduate Life Sciences . In this issue , you ’ ll see evidence of a year of growth and validation of our programs .
In reflecting on our stories , I ’ m struck by how far we have come in only 10 years . We ’ ve transitioned from our beginning as a startup pharmacy school and joined the ranks of our academic peers as a highly respected institution . These stories illustrate the strength of our programs , and the passion and dedication of our faculty , staff , students and alumni .
Our new distance pathway for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree is officially underway this fall . Distance students are learning in pace with their peers on campus . Our first cohort is made up of academically strong students whose life situations presented barriers to relocating to pursue their academic goals . One of the things we did well in response to the pandemic was retool our curriculum for online delivery of our Pharm . D . programs . Our institutional investment in that technology positioned us to build on and improve on our content delivery .
Recognized as one seamless program that offers two modalities for learning , our Pharm . D . program accreditation was successfully renewed this year inclusive of the new distance pathway .
Accreditation is an external validation of the quality of our programs ensuring that students are provided an exemplary education . We also received approval for accreditation of our newest master ’ s program launching next fall . The MS in Nutrition and Nutrigenomics degree trains health practitioners and adds to the pharmacy portfolio , connecting health , nutrition , medicine with a deeper understanding of food-gene interactions .
In fact , this fall our pharmacy and graduate life sciences have come together with health professions to form a new , blended academic unit called Health Sciences and Pharmacy . Manchester prioritizes interdisciplinary education and training future health professionals to learn alongside members of other professions , because that ’ s the way health care is practiced . As a health sciences campus community , students will have greater opportunities for interprofessional development as part of a health care team .
In reflecting on the achievements and growth of our Pharmacy and Pharmacogenomics Program , I ’ m compelled to express my deep gratitude to Raylene Rospond , associate dean of clinical affairs and outreach , and former pharmacy dean , who is retiring in early January . I first met Raylene in 2013 when I was accepted into the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Academic Leadership Fellows Program . As one of the dean mentors for our cohort , she helped shape me as an academic leader . I was impressed by her as a leader , and the way she viewed leadership and strategized ways to optimize a team .
It was Raylene ’ s skilled leadership that later drew me to Manchester as assistant dean of assessment and accreditation . I became dean when she transitioned to a vice president of academic and student affairs at Manchester University . A testament to her leadership strength was in her eventual return to Manchester Pharmacy . Our roles had reversed , and she was now an associate dean of the college she once led . But it made no difference to her where she was positioned on a team because she understood that we can all be effective leaders from wherever we serve . That ’ s why I ’ ll always count Raylene as an important mentor in my life .
W . Thomas Smith , Pharm . D ., J . D . Professor and Dean of Health Sciences and Pharmacy
4 Manchester University | ManchesterRx