Howard University News July 25, 2012 College of Pharmacy Center of Excellence Approved for Continuation Funding The Center of Excellence at Howard University College of Pharmacy was approved for continuation funding by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant provides over $3.4 million in financial support to the center through 2017. Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D., R.Ph., the program director and interim dean of the College of Pharmacy stated that the center has been integral to the student support and faculty development activities of the College of Pharmacy. "This grant will help the college maintain a pipeline of promising students and help to nurture their interest in health professional careers," Wutoh said. "We are grateful for HRSA's continued support and acknowledgement of the successes that we have accomplished as a program." The Center of Excellence was established in the College of Pharmacy in 2000 through a grant from HRSA. Soon Park, Pharm.D, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, is the co-program director. While the focus of the grant is on pharmacy as a profession, the program also supports health professional careers in other fields including medicine, dentistry, nursing and allied health professions. The center provides resources that help the college address the nation's shortage of pharmacists, particularly in underserved areas and areas with high rates of health disparities. The center of excellence will also increase diversity within pharmacy and other health professional areas. Many racial or ethnic groups continue to be underrepresented in the field of pharmacy, said Canute Knott-Malcolm, director of development for the College of Pharmacy. "The Center of Excellence stands as evidence of the College of Pharmacy's steadfast commitment to educating diverse students with high academic, scholarship and leadership potential who will then use their skills to address racial and ethnic health disparities," Knott-Malcolm said. ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY The College of Pharmacy's mission is to provide pharmaceutical education of excellent quality to students with high academic, scholarship and leadership potential, with particular emphasis on the recruitment, retention and graduation of African-American and ethnically diverse students. The principle goals of the college are to recruit, train and educate those students to assume leadership roles in pharmacy; to produce skilled pharmaceutical care practitioners, proficient pharmaceutical scientists and competent educators to meet the challenges of the profession and society; to recruit and retain faculty dedicated to teach and mentor students, conduct research and pursue other scholarly activities, and to provide postgraduate and continuing professional education and community services that will enhance the quality of pharmaceutical care. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.