ChipChat - October 2001

A few leaves are starting to turn color here in Lafayette. I hope you have had a wonderful summer. Our Dean's Club membership keeps growing and I want to welcome our new readers. Our goal is to publish Chip-Chat every other month during the academic year to keep our most involved and supportive alumni and friends informed about the school. The last issue of Chip-Chat went out in April as we were preparing for graduation, and now we have a new batch of students and classes have been in session for a month. This past Saturday was Parent's Day at Purdue and I had the pleasure of talking with a couple hundred folks who attended the reception before the Purdue - North Carolina State game. The Boilermakers really played well and captured their first victory of the season. We hope their winning streak grows!

In July, I was installed as President of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy at their annual meeting in Reno. One of my first official acts was to form a commission to study the future of graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences. The commission is comprised of a number of top pharmacy educators. It is hoped that after many years of discussion of issues related to graduate education, this commission will provide an action plan that will expedite changes by pharmacy schools to better enable our Ph.D. graduates to address questions related to the pharmaceutical sciences in the 21st century.

After 26 years of operation, the Pharmacy Library received a face lift during the summer. The University provided a new ceiling, paint, wall coverings, and carpeting. Our alumni provided funds to rejuvenate some furniture and to buy selected new equipment. Since this project lent itself well to placing name plates on chairs and tables to recognize the donors, we wanted to give the first opportunity to regular supporters of the school. We decided to call only those folks who had already made a gift to the school in 1995-96. Bruce Hufford, director of development, informs me that our alumni responded so well through a special Phone-a-thon for this project, that our goal of $45,000 was reached by the time only half of our alumni and friends had been contacted. Thanks to all of you who were called and responded. Whether you participated or not, I hope you will attend our homecoming tailgate on Saturday, October 19 and take time to see the remodeled Pharmacy Library and meet our librarian, Vicki Killion.

It is always a great encouragement to see our alumni in positions of professional leadership. When I received my APhA election ballot I was elated to see so many Purdue faces. Professor Stan Shaw is running for election as chair of the Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management. Winnie Landis (BS'81) of Lafayette is seeking the chairmanship of the section on Community and Ambulatory Practice and Denise Dobek (BS'94) of Arlington, MA is a candidate for the New Practitioner position with the Section on Community and Ambulatory Practice.

Just last week two new appointments to the Indiana Board of Pharmacy were announced by the governor - both are Purdue graduates. Congratulations to Winnie Landis, a pharmacy manager with Osco, and Donna Wall (Pharm.D.'93), a clinical pharmacist at the Indiana University Medical Center. Donna earned her B.S. in pharmacy at Butler. Congratulations also to exiting pharmacy board member Judith Christensen (Pharm.D.'89) of South Bend who has diligently and energetically served several terms on the board. Winnie and Judy both serve on the Dean's Professional Advisory Council.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Richard Borch as the head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology effective October 1, 1996. Dr. Borch is a Ph.D. chemist and an M.D. who most recently was the Director of the University of Rochester Cancer Center. Dr. Borch is an outstanding educator, researcher, and administrator. The department faculty members are looking forward to his leadership. I am grateful to President Beering and the University for helping us recruit Dr. Borch to Purdue. You will receive a special announcement of his appointment in a few weeks.

I am pleased to report that Dr. Steve Abel has been very productive this summer after assuming the position of head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice in May. There are numerous exciting developments to report. We are negotiating much-needed office, classroom and laboratory space at the Indiana University Medical Center (IUMC) in Indianapolis. I appreciate the efforts of IUMC Dean Robert Holden and Dr. Craig Brater who are most supportive of our program goals at IUMC. Occupation of this space by our faculty will foster the development of valuable links between clinical and basic research, especially in the area of cancer research. In addition, we just received notification that the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Commission on Credentialing has accredited a new Residency Program in Drug Information Practice at the IUMC.

This fall our school has admitted 109 students into the new Pharm.D. curriculum (they will graduate in 2000). We also admitted 137 students into the B.S. Pharmacy program (1999 graduation). Of the 472 applications for admission to the School of Pharmacy, 70% indicated the Pharm.D. as their degree of first choice. Associate Dean Chalmers has done a magnificent job coordinating the entire admissions process. The school's Annual Report will give details of the admissions process along with statistical data. This is a very strong group of students.

The Purdue Pharmacist will have a new look. You should receive a copy in a week or two. I welcome your comments.

As a final note, I want to share with you the loss of four men this summer who have had a significant impact on the School of Pharmacy. Many of you may know Joseph E. McSoley, an Indianapolis pharmacist, who was very active with APhA, NARD, and the Indiana Pharmacists Association. Joe was a graduate of Butler University College of Pharmacy and was a recipient of the Glen Sperandio Award. Joe was a giant in advancing pharmacy in Indiana and will be greatly missed. Frederick J. Stock (Ph.C.'28) of Bronxville, NY was former general manager of E.R. Squibb & Son. In 1949 Dr. Stock received an honorary doctorate from Purdue. Over the years he has been a staunch supporter of the school. His favorite project was the Dean Jordan Scholarship Endowment which through his efforts will annually support many deserving pharmacy students for generations to come. Long-time Dean's Club member Drew E. Haskins, Jr. (BS'42) of Chattanooga, TN , a decorated WWII veteran, formed a chain of pharmacies in Chattanooga after the war. In recent years he was founder and chairman of Capital Bank in Fort Oglethorpe, GA. Mr. Haskins provided great professional and civic leadership in Tennessee and was very active with the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. Ray W. Fuller, a Research Fellow at Eli Lilly and Company, was an outstanding pharmaceutical scientist and a co-discoverer of the drug, Prozac. Dr. Fuller received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Purdue in 1961 and an honorary doctorate from the School of Pharmacy in 1990.