Who could have guessed?

 The class of 2009 leaves The University and the College at a historic moment from many perspectives. This was the first class to hold commencement exercises indoors at the Ryan Center. Who could have guessed the wet summer in the Northeast that cancelled the traditional ceremony on the quad would last well into July! The indoor event was managed without a hitch. The Doctor of Pharmacy graduates made us proud with their cheers when President Carothers conferred their degree, the last group of degrees he would confer as our 10th President before his June 30 retirement. Many of our graduates family members had to watch the ceremony on closed circuit TV displays in Edwards Hall as the tickets into the Ryan center were limited.
This class also enters a world economy struggling to regain its footing and a national health care delivery industry that is awaiting congressional and presidential administration overhaul and reform. All our graduates headed off to their first job, but that was not the case, for the first time, with every college of pharmacy nationwide. The slumping economy has slowed some community pharmacy growth and even hospitals are struggling as elective procedures are delayed. Some nurses even had trouble finding work as fewer retired during a well documented shortage of these and other primary care practitioners. Who could have guessed that we would ever reach that point, even if turns out to be short lived?
The University and College leadership was also in a historic state of change when this class graduated. Since then, a chemist from Montana State, Dr. David Dooley was selected as the 11th President of URI and Interim Dean Jordan was selected as the 4th Dean of the College. Who could have guessed that?
This issue of our newsletter commemorates your final step from our professional curriculum toward licensure and independent practice. As you were told at our hooding ceremony, you have received the most advanced education ever delivered by our college. You are better prepared to deliver advice and medication therapy management counsel to patients than any previous graduates. You take on this practice role when pharmacist’s advice has been proven to improve health outcomes and when the majority of other health practitioners have clear knowledge of and respect for your role in optimizing drug therapy. It is truly an historic time to practice pharmacy.

You will be shaping the future of health care delivery if you stay involved as you were taught. If you proactively advocate for change that improves patient care as was stated in Pharmacist’s Oath you took and were provided with your diploma, you can make history by advancing practice to new levels of sophistication and effectiveness. Your photographs and the stories of your accomplishments in this newsletter are just the first we hope to publish about you as alumni. We want and need you to stay connected to your college. We want to hear about the best of your career and family highlights from now on and we are here to help you find solutions should have problems or find yourself unhappy with your career pathway. Seek us out, as we were during your six years here, our excellent faculty and staff will be here for you as our alumni well into the future.
Someone asked why this issue of the newsletter includes a list of alumni donors to the college. In closing, We wanted to explain that too. Just as we are proud of the Class of 2009 who are our latest and best products of our nationally renowned program, we are equally proud of previous alumni and especially those who give back to help those who follow them at the College. Your oath as a pharmacist said that you will “…utilize (your) knowledge, skills, experiences, and values to prepare the next generation of pharmacists.” These alumni listed in your commencement newsletter have done this. Like many of you, they probably received some help with the costs of traveling to a professional meeting or maybe they received a centennial or other scholarship to help reduce college costs. They have taken a key step and have given back. Many of them are doing this regularly and we encourage you to think about doing that too. We must sustain the excellence of the URI College of Pharmacy and in the changing world it is clear we cannot do that without the help of generous alumni. Who could have guessed about the level of success that many of you and other graduates achieve? We could and do believe you will be successful beyond your hopes and dreams.
On behalf of all the faculty and staff at the college we wish you all the best in your career and life. Be happy at your daily work, love what your do, stay involved and pay attention to others around you who need your leadership, caring attitude and help. We look forward to seeing you at professional meetings and please come back to visit the college whenever you are in the area. Certainly, in two years, we’ll expect you to visit our new facility which will make you even more proud of your Rhody heritage.
Dean Jordan & Associate Dean Lausier