Strategic Plan 2026 and Beyond

Pharmacy education must anticipate and prepare learners for the future of healthcare. This focus area emphasizes an agile curriculum, which is practical and relevant to emerging trends. We will streamline content to ensure learners focus on essential knowledge while incorporating necessary themes such as artificial intelligence, leadership, and resilience. Experiential opportunities will be expanded and diversified across traditional and non-traditional practice settings, ensuring 100% access for graduate students and broad exposure for PharmD students. We will also explore micro-credentials, transferable modules, and interdisciplinary collaborations that allow flexible pathways for learning.

By embedding future-focused content and reducing redundancy, we aim to graduate pharmacists who are not only job-ready but adaptable, innovative, and prepared to thrive in the changing healthcare environment.

The School of Pharmacy is uniquely positioned to contribute solutions to pressing healthcare challenges. This focus area is about leveraging our research, teaching, and community connections to address high-impact problems that matter to patients, health systems, and policy. We will grow external collaborations, foster networks of excellence, and increase funding success to support innovative research. Graduate and undergraduate learners will be actively involved in research through co-ops, independent projects, and experiential opportunities that align with real-world needs.

By emphasizing knowledge mobilization and policy impact, we want to ensure that our discoveries translate into meaningful outcomes. This focus area reflects our commitment to leadership in advancing healthcare for society at large.

The School of Pharmacy is home to outstanding faculty, staff, students, and alumni who contribute meaningfully to pharmacy practice, education, and research. This focus area is about amplifying that expertise so it is visible locally, nationally, and internationally. We aim to strengthen recognition of our community’s accomplishments by increasing awards, invited presentations, media engagement, and online presence. Showcasing high-impact stories from faculty, staff, and alumni will highlight the unique value of our work and reinforce public trust. At the same time, we will ensure students are prepared to represent the School through co-op placements and experiential learning in patient-facing roles.

By promoting our expertise broadly, we will continue to build our reputation as a leader in innovative pharmacy education and research, helping to shape the profession and inspire future learners.

Partnerships are essential to our success in education, research, and service. This focus area prioritizes deepening relationships with alumni, experiential partners, industry, government, and donors. We are committed to expanding alumni engagement opportunities, while also strengthening ties with healthcare organizations and interdisciplinary collaborators. Growth in external funding and advancement initiatives will sustain scholarships, research, and innovative programming.

By developing engagement plans, recognition systems, and communication tools, we will create meaningful opportunities for partners to remain invested in our mission. These partnerships will not only increase our reach but also enhance the student and faculty experience, ensuring we are connected to real-world practice and positioned to lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Our people—faculty, staff, and learners—are at the heart of the School of Pharmacy. This focus area emphasizes creating a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We are committed to enhancing mentorship opportunities, embedding professional development into performance reviews, and ensuring clear pathways for career growth. Initiatives such as onboarding improvements, professional development touchpoints, and structured mentorship plans will build resilience, collaboration, and engagement.

By valuing diverse voices, prioritizing wellness, and supporting work–life balance, we will foster a culture of belonging where individuals feel connected and empowered. A strong, supportive environment enables us to attract and retain exceptional talent, ensure faculty and staff sustainability, and deliver the best possible learning experience for students. Ultimately, by taking care of our people, we ensure the long-term success of our mission.