Details about the state budget are beginning to crystallize a bit more. We’re still facing a $700M deficit for the current fiscal year. We continue to be told that the UW System’s “share” (about $4M) will be managed at the System level and not passed down to the campuses. For the 2009-11 biennum, the UW System’s share of the projected $5.7B deficit is estimated to be $174M. There will likely be a percentage cut from each school/college budget, with differential cuts overlaid on that base. The situation actually looks a bit brighter for the SOP than originally anticipated, but we’ll see. The federal stimulus package will obviously soften the blow, but will do nothing to fix the long-standing structural problems with the state budget. Thanks to faculty and staff for working with me to identify creative solutions to ensure that we maintain our preeminence and continue to enhance all we do even in difficult financial times.
Speaking of the federal stimulus money... There are multiple facets to the package, most of which are not at all clear. Significant funds were provided to the NIH, NSF, CDC, and other federal agencies to shore up the research enterprise. Everyone should keep their eyes open for opportunities that present themselves and share with appropriate people. Notice is expected to be short and turn-around time fast. Sharon Vetter (Research Administration) will serve as the School’s point person for grant-related information and announcements, and the Research Admin staff (Sharon, Danuta Pyzalska, and Joan Palmer) is on high alert to assist with questions and submissions. There will undoubtedly be many requests to serve as reviewers as well.
Items on the “save the date” list include:
- New: The next meeting of the Executive Committee is set for Tuesday, March 3 at noon in room 1105…with lunch! 12 members and 9 advisory members are required for a quorum for regular business. In addition, the Committee will be considering a promotion to full professor, which requires 11 full professor members and 4 full professor advisory members for a quorum.
- Call for nominations for the 2010 Rennebohm Lecturer: Please provide a small amount of background and information about potential researchers, educators, and scientists from across the disciplines of pharmacy to your division chair that you’d like to be considered for this prestigious lectureship. I’d like the Dean’s Advisory Council to discuss the nominees and make a selection at the March 13 meeting, so get things into your chair in time for division discussion and ranking before then.
- New: Our fourth annual Staff Recognition Event will be held from 3:00-5:00 on Wednesday, April 8 in the Commons. I’ll make a few remarks around 3:30. Please come and thank our wonderful staff for their multiple and varied contributions to the School’s academic missions.
- New: An all-School forum to discuss emerging ideas about our current strategic plan and new priorities as we develop the Strategic Plan 2010-2015 will be held on Tuesday, April 21 at 12:00 in the Commons. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in this important revision and updating process. The session will be facilitated by Maury Cotter (Office of Quality Improvement).
- New: The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) annual meeting in San Antonio is rapidly approaching. All faculty, staff, and students in attendance are invited to Dinner with the Dean on Saturday, April 4 at the Saltgrass Steakhouse, 502 Riverwalk at 7:30. The UW reception for alumni and friends will be held on Sunday, April 5 from 5:00-7:00 at the Marriott Rivercenter.
- New: The Pharmacy Examining Board (PEB) will be holding a public hearing on April 8 on their decision to do away with the Consultation Examination required for licensure in WI. I have submitted my objections to their reasoning, as have other faculty. You are invited to share your position by attending and offering testimony at the April meeting.
- Don’t forget to get your new WISCARD to simplify and ensure access to all electronic systems in the building. Final conversion and repair of the security system will probably occur over Spring Break.
- Mark you calendars now for the Pharmacy Alumni Association (PAA) Golf Tournament scheduled for June 19. All proceeds benefit the PAA scholarship fund.
FYI…The process has just begun to conduct a 5-year review of my performance as dean. A review committee will be appointed and everyone will have the opportunity to be interviewed or provide input along the way. Stay tuned for additional information.
In the faculty and staff search arena... The Search Committee for the open position in Student and Academic Affairs has recommended a candidate, and an offer will be made early next week. Unfortunately, the offer for the ESP faculty opening was not accepted due to the economic uncertainty in the housing market...bummer. A letter of offer is out for a faculty position in the Drug Delivery Core of PharmSci, and one is just about ready to go out for the faculty position in the Drug Discovery Core. Simply stellar candidates. Keep your fingers crossed! My thanks to everyone who serves on the search committees and/or participates in candidate visits for this extraordinary level of effort so vital to the future of the School.
Terry Burton (Ebling Library) has stepped down from the Director position. Julie Schneider will serve as Acting Director as a search proceeds. The SOP liaison, Rhonda Sager, remains at your service for any library needs.
Chancellor Martin has announced a campus-wide “common book program” called Go Big Read. A book to be read by interested students, staff, and faculty will be selected soon and various discussions and related events about the book will be held in classes and other venues across campus in fall semester. Jump right in! For more information, see www.gobigread.wisc.edu.
It’s kind of been legislative month for me. Chancellor Martin hosted the first-ever reception for all members of the State Legislature at Olin House to build knowledge and understanding and get to know each other better. Attending the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin’s (PSW) Legislative Day led to several meetings with key members of State Legislature discussing issues of importance to pharmacy practice, health care reform, and the like. (I always manage to work in higher education as well.) There was also a reception before the conference honoring all Legislators, especially Representative Gary Hebl who was awarded PSW’s Legislator of the Year Award. Later in the month, I attended the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Interim Meeting in Washington, D.C. and met with staffers with Senators Kohl and Feingold and Representatives Baldwin and Obey. I must tell you how vibrant and electric the tone was in the city…very cool.
I also attended PSW’s Board meeting in February, and we hosted the Academic Work Group, focusing on improving the maldistribution of pharmacists in underserved areas of WI.
The PharmD Admissions Committee is in full gear to reviewing applicants and selecting the Class of 2013. Thanks to the faculty, staff, and alumni members who spend so much time and effort on this critical activity each year.
Get more involved with the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR)! There are many opportunities for pilot grants, student support, and reduced cost for certain facilities and services. Chris Sorkness (PPD and Senior Associate Director of ICTR) just did an “in-service” about ICTR for the PharmSci Division and can be contacted for more information.
Some recent faculty highlights that have crossed my desk:
- Mel de Villers and Glen Kwon (both PharmSci) edited an important new book entitled Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, which was recently published by Springer and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS). An on-line version can be found at www.springerlink.com/content/978-0-387-77667-5.
- Connie Kraus (PPD/Global Health) has been invited to serve as the International Academic Program Resident Director of the 2009 Thailand Global Health Summer Program in Bangkok.
- >Jeanine Mount (SAS/Academic Affairs) is off to Bangkok as well to spend 3 weeks teaching at Chulalongkorn University and assisting them as they transition to the all-PharmD degree.
- Al Hanson (ESP) traveled to Kuwait recently as an invited speaker at an international pharmacy conference at Kuwait University.
- Curt Johnson (PPD emeritus) and Karen Kopacek (PPD) will be heading to Nizwa University in Oman to continue to assist in their development of a PharmD program.
- Several of our faculty were commended for their contributions to the UW-Madison Undergraduate Research Scholars Program: Lara Collier (PharmSci), Mary Hayney (PPD), Warren Heideman (PharmSci), Jeremy Johnson (PPD), Jill Kolesar (PPD), and Weiping Tang (PharmSci). Thank you!
- Thanks also to those volunteering to participate in the Faculty and Staff Student Career Mentoring Program within the School: Michelle Chui (SAS), Jim DeMuth (ESP), Ed Elder (ZPES), Casey Gallimore (PPD), Al Hanson (ESP), Mary Hayney (PPD), Paul Hutson (PPD), Dave Kreling (SAS), Anna Legreid Dopp (ESP), Dick Peterson (PharmSci), Ron Sorkness (PPD), and Denise Walbrandt Pigarelli (PPD). Contact Melanie Schneider (SAA), who created and directs the program, to sign up!
- Warren Rose (PPD) was an author of a paper published in Pharmacotherapy that ranked 5th among the top 10 most downloaded manuscripts in 2008. See www.accp.com/report/?iss=0209&art=9.
- Connie Kraus (PPD) functions as a field editor for the on-line journal Evidence-Based Practice, which serves the Family Physicians Inquiry Network. Casey Gallimore (PPD) has recently published an article there and Anna Legreid Dopp (ESP) is becoming involved as well. See www.fpin.org.
- The Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative (WPQC) is gaining national recognition as the practice and payment model of the future. The effort continues to be a very meaningful collaboration between the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW) and many faculty at the SOP... Michelle Chui (SAS), Beth Martin (PPD), Dave Mott (SAS), Mike Pitterle (PPD/IIT), and probably others. DPH-4 students are participating while on advanced pharmacy practice experiences, curricular elements have been incorporated in the Service Management and Pharmacotherapy Lab courses, and the Sonderegger Research Center in SAS is heavily involved in data collection and analysis.
- Ben Shen and coworkers’ (PharmSci) recent work on identifying two new potent natural product antibiotics and engineering the South Africa soil microbe to make large amounts of the compounds was recently published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. This discovery is viewed as a huge advance in augmenting the depleted antibiotic arsenal.
In terms of staff news:
- Kudos to Joni Mitchell (PharmSci) for receiving one of only five campus-wide Classified Employee Recognition Awards. Way to go, Joni!
- Congratulations to Amy Childs (ESP) on the birth of Freema Rose on February 24.
- Congratulations also to Sally Griffith-Oh (IIT) for her promotion to Information Processing Consultant.
Relating to students, residents, and trainees:
- As mentioned last month, I referred a student dismissal back to the Student Promotion Committee (SPC) for reconsideration. They again recommended dismissal, and I upheld their decision. There remains the possibility of an appeal of my decision to the faculty as a whole.
- Grad student Michael Smanski (PharmSci, Shen group) has been awarded a 2009 American Society of Pharmacognosy travel grant to attend the ASP annual meeting in Hawaii in June.
- Part-time grad student Robert Sanchez (SAS, Kreling group) is the proud father of Greydon Cole, born on February 6.
- Hailey Anderson (DPH-3) and Angela Karls (DPH-4) recently published “Spotlight on Pharmacy” articles in the on-line journal Evidence-Based Practice. Several other articles by our students and residents are on their way. According to Connie Kraus (PPD), mentioned above as a field editor for the journal, it’s going to be a record year for UW SOP contributions.
- Ted Grabarcyzk (DPH-3) received the Student Good Government Award from PSW at their recent Legislative Day conference.
In the alumni, donor, and friend category:
- The People & Programs Campaign will be running at full speed until the end of 2009. As of February 1, 2009, we have gifts, pledges, and planned gifts exceeding an amazing $19.5M with only more progress to come!
- A recent addition to P&P was a commitment from alum Leon Lachman to take his already generous gifts to the School up to a full graduate fellowship in PharmSci.
- Linda Halsey (Development) and I had the pleasure of hosting alum Sandy Stiers and her husband, Jeff, alum Brian Jensen and his wife, Barb, and alum Paul Cesarz and his business partner, Frank, at a men’s hockey game in the Chancellor’s suite. Alum (and former UW hockey player) Bill Reay and his wife stopped by the suite as well.
- Alum Corky Stoxen was recently awarded the Good Government Award from PSW.
- Alum Marla Ahlgrimm, founder and CEO of Madison-based Women’s Health America, was recently highlighted in the Wisconsin Woman Business & Resource Directory.
- Congratulations to alum John Neumeyer, who was recently named to the American Chemical Society’s Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame. Our own Dan Rich (PharmSci emeritus) was the first member of this prestigious group established in 2006.
Remember…I don’t know about things unless you tell me! All the best...Jeanette