Texas A&M University has appointed Regents Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Presidential Impact Fellow, Mansoor Khan, PhD, RPh, as acting dean of the Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy. Khan will fill the role as Indra K. Reddy, PhD, the school’s dean since 2004, transitions into a new role as the interim chief operating officer and senior vice president of Texas A&M Health.
“Since Dr. Reddy joined Texas A&M in 2004, the School of Pharmacy has consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most affordable professional schools with continued growth in student enrollment. He was also integral in the successful launch of a pharmacy PhD program. This year, the school entered the top 12 percent nationwide for total research funding surpassing $10 million in grant awards in 2022, and holds the top position among pharmacy schools in Texas with the highest funding per faculty,” said former President Katherine Banks in a message to campus.
“My passion for advocating for pharmacists as essential and indispensable members of the professional healthcare team remains steadfast. Together with physicians, dentists, nurses, and public health advocates, we will continue to work for the greater good of our patients and our state,” said Reddy.
Khan has been serving as the vice dean of the Rangel School of Pharmacy since he came to Texas A&M in 2015. He served as the interim department head of pharmaceutical sciences and has received the esteemed distinctions of being named both a Regents Professor and a Presidential Impact Fellow.
In 2023 he was awarded the Distinguished Pharmaceutical Scientist Award, the highest honor given by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the Michael J. Pikal NIPTE Distinguished Scholar in Pharmaceutical Processing award, the highest recognition awarded by National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education.
He is a registered pharmacist and earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Kakatiya University, India. He went on to earn a master’s degree in pharmaceutical technology at Andhra University, India, and a second master’sin pharmaceutics at Idaho State University. He earned his doctorate in 1992 in pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics from St. John’s University, New York City.
|
|
MESSAGE FROM THE ACTING DEAN
Howdy!
Welcome to the new academic year! I always enjoy the start of a new year since a new year contains many new opportunities and possibilities. I hope that the first weeks of the new semester are going well, and that the transition has been smooth.
As we begin a new academic year, with all the excitement this time of year entails, we wish to extend Dr. Reddy the heartiest congratulations as he goes on to serve Texas A&M Health. While there is uncertainty with change, it is also a hopeful time as we envision our future and the ways in which we will build upon the remarkable foundation laid by Dean Reddy.
I am honored to serve as the acting Dean. I embrace the vision of the School to build a world class institution devoted to graduating excellent pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. I want to ensure the entire Rangel School community – our students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as our generous donors and valued partners locally and around the world – that I am committed to doing all that is necessary to advance this vision and fortify our position as one of the top schools of pharmacy in the nation.
|
|
I am also pleased to announce Dr. Allison Ficht has been named as Interim Vice Dean and Dr. Yinan Wei has been named Interim Director of Graduate Studies for the Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy. Both assume their new role September 1, 2023. |
|
Dr. Ficht has previously served as the Interim Vice Dean of the School of Pharmacy and was instrumental in the self-study for reaffirmation of the professional pharmacy degree program accreditation in 2015. Dr. Ficht is a Regent’s Professor of Molecular and Cellular Medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center. She is the Director of Center for Microencapsulation and Drug Delivery – a Board of Regents approved Center in the Reynolds Medical Science Building.
Her research focuses on the use of unique biomaterials for controlled release of live and subunit vaccines. She has been funded by the NIH, USDA and Texas A&M University. Dr. Ficht received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Auburn University in 1975 and earned her Ph.D. in microbiology in 1980 from Vanderbilt University.
|
|
Dr. Wei is a tenured Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She has graduated 14 PhDs as a major advisor and is very experienced in handling the affairs of a graduate program.
Her research interests include multidrug resistance in bacteria, host-bacteria interaction in infection and molecular mechanism of sepsis. Her research has been funded by the NIH and Texas A&M University. Dr. Wei received her bachelor’s degree from Peking University in 1996 and earned her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from Princeton University in 2003.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ficht and Dr. Wei on their respective appointments.
|
|
Pharm.D. Students
On July 31st the School of Pharmacy welcomed the Class of 2027 to the Kingsville campus for orientation. During the weeklong introduction to the school, the students had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the campus, and had the opportunity to get to know their peers and mentors, all while preparing for the start of their PharmD professional pharmacy education.
Students participated in Introduction to HIPAA, Bloodborne Pathogen, Medicare Fraud Prevention training, Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone Administration training, a Texas State Board of Pharmacy - Intern License Application session and a student organizational fair alongside a meet and greet barbecue at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Center.
This year, for the first time ever, the First Lady of Aggieland, Reveille X visited the School of Pharmacy Kingsville campus. She was joined by the famous Texas A&M Yell Leaders. The group of A&M staples were on hand to provide the Aggie experience for the newest cohort.
“The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) made a slight adjustment to orientation week by reducing the typical 5-day orientation week to 4 days this year (July 31st through August 3rd). This allowed students to settle in on Friday on their designated home campuses prior to the first day of classes that kicked off on Monday, August 7th. In addition, each year the Office of Student Affairs will host a welcome BBQ and student organizational fair for the incoming class with the assistance and support from many college volunteers," said Dr. Amanda Galindo.
"My OSA team and I always try to find unique ways each year to bring in the Aggie traditions to our incoming cohort to feel the spirit of Aggieland and unique culture of Texas A&M University. To us, there was only one way to accomplish this…we had to invite the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Yell Leaders and our First Lady of Aggieland herself, REVEILLE! The Yell Leaders embody the unique Aggie Spirit for which Texas A&M is so well known for and Reveille the University’s official mascot.”
View more photos from orientation here. Pictures from the meet and greet can be found here.
|
|
Ph.D. Students
The School of Pharmacy also welcomed five new students into the Ph.D. program. Three will be completing their studies on the College Station campus and two will complete their studies in Kingsville. They participated in an orientation at the School on August 1, and completed the orientation for all graduate students on Friday, August 18 in College Station.
|
|
PHARMACY STUDENTS PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES WHILE SERVING SOUTH TEXAS |
|
Students took part in Operation Border Health Preparedness, an emergency preparedness drill that also provides free health care to South Texas communities
The Texas A&M University Health Science Center participated once again in Operation Border Health Preparedness, an emergency preparedness exercise that was held in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas July 24-28. The annual event is led by the Texas Department of State Health Services in coordination with local, county and city health departments, human service organizations, Texas Military Forces, medical schools and universities as well as out-of-state agencies. In addition to serving as an emergency preparedness training, the event brings free health care to areas of South Texas where access to care can be challenging.
This is the 24th year Operation Border Health Preparedness has been conducted and the fifth year Texas A&M Health has participated. Students, faculty and staff from the Texas A&M schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health took part in this year’s event, along with nutrition, clinical psychology and veterinarian students at Texas A&M. Last year’s clinics provided more than 30,000 services to just under 6,400 people.
The School of Pharmacy had the largest participation from Texas A&M Health this year, with second- and third-year pharmacy students working in multiple capacities. Some worked with health care providers in the medical clinics, counseling patients and helping the providers select the best medication for the patients. Others assisted Texas A&M Health Coastal Bend Health Education Center and Texas A&M Healthy South Texas personnel in the Medication Assistance Program, which identifies opportunities for patients to get the prescription medications they need when cost is a barrier. Students also had the opportunity to work in the dental clinic, an experience third-year pharmacy student Jessica Sierra said opened her eyes to the various arenas where pharmacists can apply their skills.
“This is my first time participating in this event. I didn’t know all of this was offered for pharmacy students. This experience helped me, and other health care professionals here, understand that pharmacists are involved in a lot of areas people don’t realize. Here in the dental care clinic, I’m helping with data and consulting when medications like antibiotics are prescribed after a procedure,” said Sierra, who is from Edinburg, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley.
|
|
In June, staff members from the School of Pharmacy convened in College Station at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center for a staff development retreat. Members of the staff participated in wellness events, including walks across campus, team building skills, and listened to distinguished speakers from across Texas A&M. They also had fun during a game night, a tour of Kyle field, a traditions lesson from Aggie Yell Leaders and a dinner recognizing staff members for their years of service to the School.
|
|
ADVANCING DISCOVERY TO MARKET (ADM) FACULTY AWARDS |
|
Dr. Mahua Choudhury, Dr. Jayshree Mishra and Dr. Ziyaur Rahman are award recipients of the Texas A&M University Advancing Discovery to Market (ADM) Program. The purpose of the ADM program is to support the advancement of Intellectual Property from Texas A&M University toward commercial applications.
|
|
Dr. Choudhury's proposal entitled “Saving mother and newborn with miRNA-Epigenetic Method”, which was submitted and reviewed as a Type 2 proposal has been recommended for funding as a Type 1 proposal for up to $100,000 and a project duration of two years (September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2025). |
|
Dr. Mishra's proposal entitled “Developing a new class of Jac3-directed chemo therapeutics for the treatment of Triple negative breast cancer-brain metastasis” (Type 1) has been selected for funding in the amount of $58,000 for Year 1 (September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024) and $41,000 for Year 2 (September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025). |
|
Dr. Rahman's proposal entitled “N-nitroso Impurity Free Varenicline Stable formulations of Varenicline Hydrochloride for Smoking Cessation” (Type 2) has been selected for funding in the amount of $228,410 for Year 1 (September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024) and $267,707 for Year 2 (September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025). |
|
Texas A&M School of Pharmacy rises in national research rankings |
|
The Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy has soared 12 spots to claim the 31st position in the national rankings for total research funding during the academic year 2021-22, as announced by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). This year’s ranking considered a total of 113 pharmacy schools in the United States that reported extramural research funding.
The Texas A&M School of Pharmacy received $5,090,368 in annual research funding in 2021, which doubled to an impressive $10,312,127 in 2022. With regards to federal grants alone, the School of Pharmacy currently holds the 30th position with $9,269,981 in funding from federal sources.
Notably, among Texas pharmacy schools, the School of Pharmacy stands out with the highest funding density with $149,132.48 in funding per faculty member.
|
|
Aggie Way Engagement Program Highlights Aggies Who Exemplify the Core Values
The Aggie Way Engagement Program (AWEP) is a university-wide initiative focused on recognizing Aggies who lead by example and enrich both our learning and working environments by living out our Aggie Core Values. This program is about raising awareness of the things Aggies do every day that makes Texas A&M, TEXAS A&M!
Here’s how the program works.
It begins with you. Any faculty or staff member who wants to recognize a fellow employee for doing something above and beyond that aligns with the Core Values, can recommend recognition for that person by using the Core Values Form.
The process initiates. Trained members from your unit will review the Core Value Form and provide recognition recommendations to supervisors and executive leadership in the unit.
We celebrate the Aggie Way. Recipients are notified, recognized, and celebrated for their exemplary behavior within the units and across our university.
|
|
HSC Alert
Are you signed up for HSC alert? HSC Alert is the most important tool for our faculty, staff and students to receive important updated information during an emergency on HSC campuses. Although some HSC campuses use Code Maroon, many of our students and faculty visit and work on multiple campuses, so we are encouraging all Texas A&M Health employees and students to sign up.
This is the best way to keep our employees and students informed in times of an emergency.
|
|
Let's connect.
The School of Pharmacy is now officially on LinkedIn. Link, learn and shape the future with us.
|
|
White Coat Ceremonies
September is an especially exciting month for the School, as our first-year students are set to receive their white coats.
The White Coat Ceremony is a meaningful tradition that signifies a student’s transition into the clinical years of the pharmacy program. During the ceremony, students who have completed the first year of the program are donned a white coat; a recognized symbol of clinical service and patient care. Students also recite the Pledge of Professionalism to publicly acknowledge their willingness to meet the professional expectations established by the pharmacy community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
