School of Pharmacy News & Media Center
The University of Mississippi

Student Successes Allow UM Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Program to Flourish

Posted on: August 16th, 2018 by herman

August 16, 2018

By Whitney Tarpy

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery is making a strong commitment to students’ futures. Whether a student goes into the pharmaceutical job market or wants to further their education, students of the master’s program are prepared when graduation arrives.

The success of the program is evident in its numbers, as the department had its largest graduating class of 17 students hooded at the 2018 commencement ceremony.

“At Ole Miss I had the opportunity to work with best in the field of pharmaceutical research,” said Gauri Shadambikar, one of seven incoming Ph.D. students to the Ole Miss program this fall. “I could interact with people on a global level and meet representatives from the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, the research environment is very nurturing and it helps you be independent and productive.”

Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Graduates

Mike Repka, chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, stands proudly with some of the 2018 graduates.

The pharmaceutical industry has a need for more scientists and engineers with formulation development, regulatory affairs and manufacturing expertise. To prepare for these jobs, students work directly in the labs with more senior graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, gaining experience in advanced pharmaceutical technologies such as hot melt extrusion and nanotechnology.

Students also participate in the school’s Hands-On Course in Tablet Technology and are encouraged to present a poster at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists annual meeting.

“We really want to get our students involved and prepared for challenging positions in academia, government and industry,” said Mike Repka, chair of the department and director of the Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology. “What they are involved in beyond the classroom with the Tablet Course and conferences will help them network with UM alumni and friends as well as seek future job opportunities.”

With the knowledge gained from the program, students are competitive in the job market or for acceptance into Ph.D. programs. Recent graduate Sagar Sawant felt like the coursework made him think critically and understand the importance of his hard work, lessons he will use while working in the pharmaceutical industry.

“I expected the program to give me a practical understanding of formulation development,” Sawant said. “I wanted to get global exposure of how the pharmaceutical industry works and certainly got it.”

The addition of a non-thesis industrial pharmacy master’s degree track this fall will continue the success of the program by providing opportunities for students who wish to obtain broader, applied skills in formulation development, regulatory affairs and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Pharmaceutics

The program will add a new non-thesis option this fall with an industrial pharmacy track.

Walt Chambliss, interim associate vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs and professor of pharmaceutics, noted that the new program will provide more team-based assignments to mimic industry jobs.

“These students will complete small practical projects that will enhance their problem-solving skills and expose them to the type of research they will be conducting when they obtain a position in the pharmaceutical industry,” Chambliss said.

Along with the new program, the department will look for ways to expand its continued success. A collaboration with an external advisory committee consisting of scientists and engineers will help provide an overall direction. Their industry expertise will allow some members to lecture in courses and help identify potential internships opportunities in their companies.

The department’s commitment is helping students find opportunities that reflect their interests and goals. It’s also helping students grow personally through education and research, a quality 2018 graduate Rahul Lalge saw in the program.

“The program required both theoretical understanding of formulation development accompanied by quality research work, which turned out to be a great learning experience,” said Lalge, who enters the University of Minnesota’s Ph.D. program this fall. “It was a lot of hard work, but looking back, I realize that pushing my boundaries definitely helped me to acquire the skill set that will help me in my future career.”