UConn School of Pharmacy Renamed to School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
核心洞察
The UConn School of Pharmacy has officially changed its name to the UConn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (搜索) following a Board of Trustees vote.
The new name reflects the school's broader mission in pharmaceutical sciences research, graduate education, and innovation beyond its professional PharmD program.
The change carries no fiscal impact and does not alter academic programs, accreditation, or external relationships, but is expected to elevate the school's reputation.
The UConn School of Pharmacy has entered its second century under a new name, becoming the UConn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (搜索). The change went into effect Wednesday with a vote from the Board of Trustees, which joined the school's administration, faculty, alumni, and others in supporting the decision.
The new name better reflects the school's comprehensive offerings in training future pharmacists and advancing pharmaceutical sciences through research, graduate education, and innovation that translates into advances in the field. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences houses robust programs in pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, outcomes research, regulatory science, and related disciplines, along with the professional Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.
"The new name more accurately reflects the school's academic breadth, research intensity, and societal impact while positioning it for continued growth, innovation, and national leadership," said Philip M. Hritcko (搜索), the school's dean and a clinical professor of pharmacy practice.
The new name also aligns with goals in the school's Strategic Plan, along with those in the University's overarching Strategic Plan to amplify UConn's work in innovation, economic development, public impact, and global engagement. The school's faculty voted unanimously in September in support of the name change, which also garnered the enthusiastic support of the school's alumni board and advisory board.
"We concur that the name more accurately reflects the school's comprehensive academic mission and its significant contributions to the university's research and innovation portfolio," said Mary Inguanti, chair of the Dean's Advisory Board and president of the school's Alumni Board.
No Impact on Programs or Accreditation
The change has no discernible fiscal impact, nor does it alter academic programs, students' degree paths, accreditation status, faculty and staff appointments, the school's organizational structure, or its relationships with external stakeholders such as industry partners and funding agencies.
However, the school expects the new name to better capture the breadth of its academic and scientific enterprise, which in turn is expected to elevate its reputation among potential new students, philanthropic supporters, grant funding sources, and prospective faculty hires. It will also strengthen engagement with the school's thousands of alumni.
"(It) provides clarity and distinction for more than a century of graduates whose careers span clinical practice, industry, academia, and government service," Inguanti said.
A Century of History
The school has a long and distinguished history of education, research, and service dating back 100 years to its start as the Connecticut College of Pharmacy, which opened its doors in October 1925. The school held its first Commencement in 1927, later changing its name and awarding its first master's degree in 1951. That was quickly followed by its first Ph.D. in 1953, and later, the school graduated its first Pharm.D. class in 2001.
Recent Philanthropic Support
The school enjoys strong affection and support from its alumni, faculty, and staff. Last year, Dean Hritcko and his wife, Lorraine, pledged a $5 million planned gift, one of the largest in the school's existence, to support scholarships and other programs. Earlier this month, pharmaceutical leader and philanthropist Jane Hirsh (搜索) '65 (PHARM) made a $250,000 gift to the school to seed non-animal research in drug discovery and development, including organ-on-a-chip innovations.
Both gifts advance the historic $1.5 billion Because of UConn campaign, bringing the campaign closer to its goals to ease students' financial burdens and boost academic research.