Dean’s Message
We are Accelerating!
A building project gains pace, a new President is inaugurated, presides over his first commencement then heads off to do business in Africa. He is also going to close a deal of collaboration for the College and University in Delhi, India. A cornerstone of the College leadership sets the date for her retirement, we break a new high water mark of funded research, and another most beloved class of highly skilled professionals graduates moving into practices and some of the most exciting opportunities ever captured by our alumni. The pace is picking up in Kingston, and the exciting times at your College of Pharmacy in the new decade have only just begun.
Hopefully many of you have visited www.uri.edu/pharmacy and seen the progress of our building project through one of 5 new real time web cameras available through the site, two of which you can actually control! The Biological Sciences Center (BISC), where many of us experienced early biology classes, is history. In time a health and life sciences quadrangle will emerge from the piles of earth. As the planning and demolition phase of the two year building project ends, our spectacular new facility takes shape. This advanced and green facility will accelerate our efforts in student training, faculty recruitment, research and outreach to our community. We continue in our fund raising efforts for this project, and would appreciate any and all help, as the urgency to build the best URI has to offer grows.
We honored our dynamic new President Dr. David Dooley recently, and pointed out the unique and significant contributions that our faculty and alumni have made to advance and improve the URI community, and the health of citizens of the state, nation and indeed, the world. We pledged to work toward his inaugural address goals by transforming ourselves to develop an even broader global perspective in our work, and by committing ourselves and our students to overcoming the challenges of the world by embracing change, diversity, equity and justice. Our college and our alumni and friends will work to make the University a key asset in transforming our state, enhancing our economic influence and advancing partnerships in our education, research, and service.
At an alumni gathering in Augusta, Maine, hosted by Joe McVety (’86) and Jessica Pooler Gosselin (’02), Professor and Associate Dean, Dr. Joan Lausier (’67, ’71) announced she will retire in June 2012. It was appropriate that these Maine based alumni hear this from Joan first, as her roots in and love for Maine are well known by the thousands of alumni, colleagues and administrators she has mentored in her near 40 years of tenure at URI. We have about a year and a half to build a team to replace her, and that will be no small feat. Our College and so many of us owe a great deal to her. We can point to her encouragement, fairness, no nonsense direction, and in some cases discipline as one key to our success. We have set up a sub segment of the building campaign to honor Joan, and we need to build the fund to name our Student Affairs Suite in her name. When you think back about what she may have done for you in scholarship support, emotional support, advice, mentoring or just feeding you when your funds were low, I hope that every alumni will contribute to that effort.
Next, as noted, our research is accelerating. We involve more undergraduate and professional degree program students in research, as we grow our graduate program, launch a new BSPS program, and recruit quality post doctoral fellows and faculty. Great things are happening! You need only scan our web pages or read the paper now and then to hear about these accelerating efforts. We will be announcing new significant contributions to the pharmaceutical industry and health care soon.
Finally a word or two on the beloved class pictured in this commemorative issue. In an historic first, three of our URI faculty had children graduate in the Doctor of Pharmacy Class of 2010. Professor Norma Owens hooded her son Kevin McConeghy, who will be doing a residency in Illinois, Dr. Celia MacDonnell sent her daughter Molly off to a great Public Health Service commission posting, and Dennis Hilliard, Director of the RI State Crime Lab, saw his daughter Nicole graduate, who will be entering community practice. On the Saturday we also celebrated with Michael Simeone, our Coordinator of Experiential Education Programs, as his son Jason Simeone received his Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Only five times in the 52 year history of the college had we seen faculty offspring graduate from the College. In addition, our entire faculty, including Teacher of the Year, Professor Anne Hume, developed special relationships with this outstanding class that captured some significant and competitive residencies, fellowships, public health and armed service commissions. We had a beautiful commencement speech by Dr. Andrea Pannagio (’76, ’78, ’82) who delivered a heartfelt message about keeping a patient focus and making a difference in patient care no matter where your practice takes you. Their Senior Banquet was most memorable with a talented and thoughtful display of humor and camaraderie. They will surely reach new heights of success in our rapidly changing profession and health care system. Besides our faculty who were so important to their development, we listed their preceptors in the commencement program, as they are a critical and highly valued part of our education. We are proud of these students and what they will do to enhance patient care, and we hope they will stay connected to the College, give back to those who follow in their footsteps, and wear their Rhody Pride with enthusiasm.
I’m also so proud and thankful of all the support indicated on these pages and in our Commencement Program, and of alumni and friends who are giving back their talent, time and treasure to the College and University. Your example and generosity of support is the key reason why we are able to accelerate into this new decade despite adverse economic conditions. Thank you for all you have done, are doing, and will do to help keep your College one of the best in the nation.
Dean Ronald P. Jordan ‘76