August 2021

Hello from Ole Miss Pharmacy!

I am excited to serve as the school’s interim dean and interim executive director of RIPS. I have officially been in the role for just over a month, and I have enjoyed learning about all the exciting happenings and opportunities available at the SOP.

Our incredible faculty, staff, scientists, preceptors and students have built an atmosphere within the school that supports academic and professional success. We have so much to be proud of, and I’m excited to expand on the strong foundation that this phamily has accomplished.

A quick introduction of myself: I received three degrees from the UM School of Pharmacy, including a Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacy Administration. After working as a faculty member at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, I returned to Oxford in 2008 to serve as Pharmacy Administration’s chair.

In 2017, I moved to the Office of the Provost as associate provost where my role oversaw a wide variety of faculty, student and administrative matters. Now I’m privileged to serve as interim dean at one of the nation’s best pharmacy schools and research centers.

I am excited to welcome back everyone this month as we make a full return to our campuses, and I hope to see all of our alumni and friends soon. Please reach out if I can ever be of assistance.

Thanks and Hotty Toddy!
Donna Strum

Pharmacy Professor Retires After 27-Year Career

Randy Pittman’s path at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy took him from graduate to resident to faculty member. During his time with the school, he has helped countless students find their future in pharmacy. After a 27-year career with the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Pittman retired earlier this summer.

Student Selected for Medicinal Botany Fellowship

Hayley Prescott, a graduate student in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences, has been named a recipient of the Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany by the Garden Club of America. Prescott received the award for her project, “Botanical Aphrodisiacs for Women’s Health.” She was awarded a $4,500 grant that will allow her to continue her research.

LandshaRx Swimming at Full Speed in New Academic Year

The 2021-22 academic year will be an important one for the School of Pharmacy, as the LandshaRx curriculum will be implemented in full. The curriculum was introduced in 2018, but this fall will see all classes of student pharmacists learning from LandshaRx.

Sharing the Positivity

Congratulations to our own David Colby, who accepted an invitation to serve on the Drug Discovery for the Nervous System Study Section of the Center for Scientific Review.Members are selected based on demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline.

Social Media Moments

The TODAY Show paid us a visit and spoke with Mahmoud ElSohly about the National Center for Natural Products Research’s work providing scientists with cannabis products that are standardized for research.

Vijayasankar Raman was announced as the winner in the Royal Microscopical Society’s Scientific Imaging Competition in the Electron Microscopy-Life Sciences category!

Eight of our graduate students were named recipients of Graduate Student Council Research Grants. Congratulations to this stellar group!

Announcements

Charmaine Rochester-Eyeguokan from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and Jeffrey Tingen from Virginia Commonwealth University Health talked to the PharmacyForward podcast about the ins and outs of collaborative practice agreements.PharmacyForward is produced by the Division of Pharmacy Professional Development at the School of Pharmacy.

Want to help aspiring pharmacists learn more about the profession? Join us on PharmChats, our new video series on YouTube! Watch our recent episodes, or contact lindsey@olemiss.edu to let her know how you want to help.

Be a Champion for Ole Miss Pharmacy and mentor future pharmacists! More information here: pharmacy.olemiss.edu/admissions/champion.