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Pharmacy Dean Position Overview

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The Opportunity

The University of Kansas (KU) seeks a visionary, collaborative leader and scholar to serve as its next Dean of the School of Pharmacy.

Founded in 1865, KU is a major public research and teaching institution of 30,770 students and over 3,300 faculty on five campuses (Lawrence, Kansas City, Overland Park, Wichita, and Salina). KU is a center for learning, scholarship, and creative endeavors. Its diverse elements are united by its mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world.

The KU School of Pharmacy is a world-class research institution and one of the country’s premier pharmacy schools. It trains researchers who help solve the world’s most pressing medical problems and elevates workforce development through educating nearly 400 pharmacists who serve the people of Kansas and beyond. With 52 full-time faculty members and FY2023 research funding of over $12 million, the KU School of Pharmacy has been in the top 20 National Institutes of Health-funded pharmacy schools for over 20 years.

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, the next Dean of the School of Pharmacy is responsible for all school administration matters, including academic programs, research, personnel, budgets, alumni engagement, fundraising, and government and industry relations. The Dean is expected to be an innovative, collaborative leader and a strong advocate for pharmacological research, professional pharmaceutical education, and the school.

The ideal candidate will hold a Ph.D. or Ph.D./Pharm.D. and be eligible for the academic rank of Professor with tenure. The next Dean will have a track record of excellent academic accomplishments, credentials, and national recognition within their field. The successful candidate will have extensive executive and operational experience – including personnel administration, financial/budgeting, and strategic planning – successfully applied in a complex academic organization and have experience gained in a senior-level administrative role, such as Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair, or Center Director.

Please see the Procedure for Candidacy section at the end of this document to apply, submit a nomination, or express personal interest in this position.

Organization Overview

The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy

The KU School of Pharmacy, located on KU’s main campus in Lawrence, is a world-class research institution and one of the country’s premier pharmacy schools. The school trains the pharmacists who serve the people of Kansas and researchers who help solve the world’s most pressing medical problems. The Pharm.D. program offers a doctor of pharmacy degree for students who want to be pharmacy practitioners. Students enter the four-year program after completing two years of pre-pharmacy work. Current enrollment in the Pharm.D. program is 374 students. In 2023, the NAPLEX first-time pass rate was 91%, 13th nationally, and the MPJE first-time pass rate was 91%, 4th nationally.

In addition to the Pharm.D. program, the KU School of Pharmacy is home to the departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology & Toxicology, and Pharmacy Practice, as well as the Neurosciences Program. Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medicinal Chemistry, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry departments offer master’s and doctoral degrees. The Department of Pharmacy Practice offers a master’s degree and two residency programs. The Neurosciences program offers a Ph.D. There are currently 96 trainees across all graduate programs.

The school's current strategic plan runs through 2025.

Mission

The KU School of Pharmacy provides exceptional educational opportunities for professional, graduate, and postgraduate students. Through exemplary curricula and programs, the school encourages the advancement of patient-centered care to enhance health. The school maintains a leadership role in developing innovative technologies and pharmaceuticals and conducting drug therapy related research inclusive of basic, clinical and administrative sciences for the state, nation and world.

Vision

The School of Pharmacy will improve the health of our state, its residents and the world through excellence in didactic, experiential and interprofessional education, basic and applied research, service and the advancement of all aspects of patient-centered care.

Values

The school's values support a culture that exemplifies:

  • Commitment to excellence, innovation and integrity in education, research, clinical practice and service,
  • Dedication to the discovery of new knowledge and the advancement of the pharmacy profession,
  • Contemporary educational programs and research agendas,
  • Transparent communication to support inter-professional education and interdisciplinary research,
  • Respect of the dignity, rights, culture and diversity of each other and the populations we serve, and
  • Rigorous evaluation, assessment and professional development for our faculty, staff, preceptors and students, and support for their roles as active, self-directed lifelong learners.

Research

With 52 full-time faculty members and FY2023 research funding of over $12 million, the KU School of Pharmacy has been in the top 20 National Institutes of Health-funded pharmacy schools for over 20 years. The research portfolio across the departments within the school can be explored below:

Medicinal Chemistry

Discovery and development of new natural or synthetic organic compounds of biomedical utility are critical components of medicinal chemical research. Faculty research areas in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry include synthetic and medicinal chemistry, biochemistry and peptide chemistry, and natural products chemistry.

Pharmaceutical Chemistry

The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is home to some of the nation's most respected pharmaceutical researchers. The department offers a broad range of research projects for graduate and undergraduate students, ranging from traditional pharmaceutics to biotechnology.

Pharmacology & Toxicology

The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology combines world-class faculty with cutting-edge research to prepare students to teach, pursue a career in research, or both. Faculty research areas in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology include neuropharmacology, neurodegenerative diseases, and synaptic function.

Pharmacy Practice

Faculty members in the Department of Pharmacy Practice use modern scientific approaches to address questions critical to the expanding role of pharmacists in the evolving healthcare system. Current projects span outcomes research, health services research, and educational research.

Neuroscience

The Neuroscience program prepares students to practice research at a university, a pharmaceutical/ biotechnology company, or a government laboratory. Faculty research areas in the Neuroscience Program include molecular and cellular neurobiology, organism-based neurophysiology, behavioral neurobiology, and cognitive neuroscience.

The University of Kansas

As the state’s flagship institution, the University of Kansas is home to innovative research and the constant pursuit of knowledge. Together, Jayhawks power Kansas and transform the world.

Mission and Values

KU’s mission is to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world. KU advances this mission every day across its five campuses. Members of the university community are guided by IRISE values – Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Excellence. The IRISE Culture Charter articulates how we work with one another to achieve our individual and collective goals.

Strategic Plan

The University of Kansas strategic plan was officially launched in the fall of 2022 and established a university-wide vision, values, and metrics. Under the umbrella of that overarching plan, there are separate campus strategic plans for KU Lawrence and Edwards and the KU Medical Center.

Jayhawks Rising, the KU Lawrence and Edwards strategic plan, is the result of a highly engaging, multi-year planning process involving many groups and individuals. A dynamic plan, Jayhawks Rising benefits from regular assessment and alignment exercises that continue to advance us toward our vision to be an exceptional learning community that lifts each member and advances society. The plan is built upon three mission-based institutional priorities:

  • Student Success
  • Healthy & Vibrant Communities
  • Research & Discovery

Under the three priorities, five campus goals further refine desired outcomes and identify impacted communities. Each campus goal steering team includes at least one Dean and Vice Provost, as well as a governance representative and campus leaders with responsibilities aligned to the focus and outcome of the goal. The steering teams develop strategies and set targets and metrics. To ensure communication, advocacy, and input to resource allocation, at least one individual from each campus goal steering team serves as a senior leader on the Campus Steering Council.

Deans and Vice Provosts participate in annual strategic alignment presentations with KU’s executive and senior leadership and demonstrate how their initiatives and ongoing unit activities support and advance the campus goals, targets, and metrics.

Academics

In KU’s interdisciplinary research and learning environments, Jayhawks exchange ideas, discover new ways of processing the world, and address today’s grand challenges. KU, a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, has 14 schools, including the only school of pharmacy in the state, and it offers more than 400 degree programs. Special education, city management, speech-language pathology, rural medicine, accounting, clinical child psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, and social welfare are particularly strong. The College and Professional Schools at KU are:

  • Architecture & Design
  • Business
  • College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • Education & Human Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Journalism & Mass Communications
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Music
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy
  • Professional Studies
  • Social Welfare

In addition, Jayhawk Global, KU’s online platform, provides access to KU’s high-quality and engaging educational experiences. These programs meet students where they are, geographically, professionally, and personally.

Campuses

KU has a global reach with a Kansas focus. Its main campus overlooks the historic city of Lawrence. The KU Edwards Campus and KU Medical Center are located in the Kansas City Metro Area. Satellite campuses in Wichita and Salina support Jayhawks pursuing medical professions.

Main Campus | Lawrence. Considered one of the most beautiful in the nation, KU’s main campus occupies 1,000 acres on and around historic Mount Oread in Lawrence, a community of about 95,000 in the forested hills of eastern Kansas. Ten of KU’s 14 schools, as well as internationally recognized research centers and laboratories, are located on the main campus.

Roughly 10,000 faculty and staff based on the Lawrence campus address many of the central university administration responsibilities, as well as see to the educational pursuits of approximately  21,000 undergraduate and 6,000 graduate students pursuing programs originating here. Total enrollment in Fall 2024 exceeded 30,700 students across all campuses.

KU’s 11 largest research centers are recognized as University Research Centers and report to the KU Lawrence and Edwards Office of Research. They include:

  • Achievement & Assessment Institute
  • Biodiversity Institute
  • Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis
  • Center for Remote Sensing & Integrated Systems
  • Hall Center for the Humanities
  • Institute for Information Sciences
  • Institute for Bioengineering Research
  • Institute for Policy & Social Research
  • Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research
  • Kansas Geological Survey
  • Life Span Institute

In the Fall of 2024, NSF announced a new Engineering Research Center—the Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub—a multi-university, multi-disciplinary team to be led by KU scholars and headquartered on the Lawrence campus.

Other centers and programs include three NIH-designated Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) programs, the Center for Genomics, and the Kansas NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research:

  • COBRE: Chemical Biology of Infectious Disease
  • COBRE: Center for Molecular Analysis of Disease Pathways
  • COBRE: Big Data / Women’s Health
  • Center for Genomics
  • Kansas NSF EPSCoR

The Lawrence campus is also the center of Jayhawk activity, culture, and spirit, featuring a robust student government and extracurricular scene. The Jayhawk Welcome Center is a world-class student recruitment collaboration between the university and the KU Alumni Association. Lawrence is also home to fabled sporting venues, including Rock Chalk Park and the esteemed Allen Fieldhouse. Museums and cultural venues include the Spencer Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, the Lied Center of Kansas, and the original Naismith “Rules of Basket-ball.”

KU Edwards Campus | Overland Park. Established in 1993, the KU Edwards Campus provides KU’s high-quality education, research, and public service to greater Kansas City. It is home to the School of Professional Studies. Through its graduate and undergraduate programs, the Edwards Campus provides working learners with the necessary tools to further their careers and advance industry goals. Programmatically and administratively, the Edwards Campus reports to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor serving KU Lawrence and Edwards.

KU Medical Center | Kansas City. This nationally recognized biomedical research center offers educational programs through its schools of Health Professions, Medicine, and Nursing. These academic units operate collaboratively with the University of Kansas Hospital, which provides opportunities for clinical experience and residency positions. The University of Kansas Hospital is a separate entity governed by The University of Kansas Health System.

KUMC is also home to The University of Kansas Cancer Center, one of the nation's 72 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers, as well as a National Institutes of Health-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. More than 20 major research centers and institutes at KU Medical Center are leading the way in biomedical research to advance health care. Discoveries at KU and KUMC lead to new treatments and cures that benefit the health of people in Kansas and beyond.

The medical center is also one of 60 institutions in the nationalClinical and Translational Science Consortium, where researchers are working to accelerate the translation of basic science discoveries into cures and treatments. The University of Kansas Medical Center is also launching a Midwest consortium as part of the National Institute of Health’s All of Us Research Program. The medical center and its partners, including the University of Kansas Health System, will receive $6.3 million in initial funding, with the potential to renew the award every year for four years.

Medical Campus | Wichita. The Wichita Biomedical Center is a collaborative venture between Wichita State University (WSU), WSU Tech, and the University of Kansas (KU). The building will host WSU’s and WSU Tech's College of Health Professions programs, while KU will bring its Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine. The first four floors will primarily serve WSU students, with the fifth floor housing an anatomy and simulation center. Floors six through eight will be dedicated to KU students.

On the sixth floor, KU Pharmacy will have three large classrooms (each seating 40 students), one smaller classroom for 30 students, and a pharmacy skills lab accommodating 24 students. Additionally, this floor will feature a standardized patient center shared by pharmacy and medicine students. Study spaces, including single and quad study rooms, will be available on floors six through eight. There will also be outdoor patios for students to utilize.

The seventh floor will house the pharmacy faculty suite, with a library study area and student lounge located between floors seven and eight. Completion of the Wichita Biomedical Center is expected between late 2026 and early 2027, with the first cohort of students set to enter in fall 2027.

Medical Campus | Salina. Designed to address the critical shortage of rural physicians in the state, this program is ideal for self-motivated students, independent learners who work with a small group of peers, and those who strongly desire to practice primary care medicine in rural Kansas. It is housed in space provided by the Salina Regional Health Center.

Research and Discovery at the University of Kansas

KU is committed to conducting broad, high-impact research that addresses key challenges facing the state, the nation, and the world. As a leading research institution and member of the AAU, KU has a proud and distinguished history of innovation. KU researchers work at the cutting edge of science, education, business, social science, engineering, and the arts and humanities to transform the way we understand and experience the world. The university is in the midst of Research Rising, a five-year, $18 million investment in four interdisciplinary projects addressing critical challenges. KU researchers also pioneer new paradigms in cancer treatment, scour ancient Antarctic plant life, and forge actionable paths toward a sustainable future. KU researchers work and collaborate in a range of settings, including laboratories, archives, museum collections, field sites, studios, stages, and startup incubators, among others. Additions to research infrastructure on the Lawrence campus in recent years include new buildings dedicated to research and learning.

The university recognizes that faculty are part of a network of scholars and academicians who shape and teach a discipline. Research and teaching at KU are mutually reinforcing; scholarly inquiry underlies and informs the educational experience at the undergraduate, professional, and graduate levels.

The university has five strategic research themes that align with global challenges and represent opportunities to build upon KU's research strengths:

  • Development Across the Lifespan
  • Earth, Energy and the Environment
  • Human Experience in the Digital Age
  • Molecules and Medicines
  • Safety and Security

Position Summary

As the chief academic and administrative officer of the school, the Dean reports directly to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of the University of Kansas. The Dean is responsible for the management and coordination of the school and for implementing its plans, programs, services, and scholarly and research endeavors. The Dean collaborates with fellow Deans across the University and leadership at KUMC to leverage opportunities afforded the school to support the growth and quality of research and education within the health sciences. The Dean supervises associate and assistant deans and department chairs in the school.

The Dean is expected to provide strong leadership to advance the school's education, research, and service missions. The Dean promotes excellence among faculty, staff, and students, oversees the school's operations, research portfolio, and finance and human resources functions, and plays a critical role in fundraising, advocacy, and alumni relations.

Goals and Objectives

Vision for the Future

While the school currently has educational programs of distinction, a statewide and national presence, and a significant research portfolio, the next Dean will be a leader in defining the future of the school and will secure its place among the top pharmacy schools in the country and have influence nationally. They will face the continued changing landscape of the pharmacy profession, requiring new strategies and innovation. One challenge for the school is student recruitment and enrollment due to national trends, as well as ensuring the school remains a competitive option for highly qualified students. The next Dean will convene faculty, staff, alumni, students, and colleagues in the other health sciences, the health system, and across the university to create a strategic path forward that ensures the school is:

  • Growing and strengthening the school’s research portfolio and reputation,
  • Adapting to the changing profile of Master’s, Pharm.D. and Ph.D. students,
  • Addressing the evolution of the profession within the health care continuum, and
  • Ensuring that research and discovery keep pace with disciplinary advances and align with federal and external funding opportunities.

Collaborative Leadership for the School

It will be critical to maintain and build important external relationships while providing leadership within the school and university, including the KUMC campuses. Working with leadership, faculty, and staff, the next Dean will assess the current processes and programs in the school and build a culture of transparency and consistency with established priorities and resource support. They will further the university’s IRISE values and support the ideals of Access, Belonging, Respect, and Success for each member of the community. They will recruit leaders and faculty to the school who will be empowered to implement decisions to move the school forward in innovative and creative ways.

Research and Scholarship

Building on the school's strong record of research accomplishments, the Dean will grow the research portfolio, including expansion of efforts into established and emerging opportunities. They will strengthen collaboration between faculty and programs within the school, across the Lawrence campus, with KU Medical Center, and at the University of Kansas Hospital System. They will be a leader in integrating research and discovery into the School of Pharmacy academic programs. The Dean will promote research success by supporting a system that reduces roadblocks and bureaucracy and creates clear paths for research growth and development. They will build new models of partnerships across the university and with outside entities.

Education and Curriculum

In collaboration with the faculty, the Dean will define the future of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education, articulating emerging needs in the pharmacy profession and research and addressing difficult challenges that require sustained new thinking. They will be responsive to student needs and provide thoughtful and creative leadership that advocates for community-building while leveraging technology and innovative curriculum in appropriate ways that consider the future of pharmacy. The incumbent will promote and enhance interprofessional education and practice in partnership with the health system and other community health partners.

Resources

The Dean will assess and evaluate the financial status of the school and develop an understanding of the budget model and fund flow within the university. They will continue to cultivate and sustain relationships with current and potential donors and collaborate with the KU Endowment team to advance financial opportunities. In considering future needs, the Dean will prioritize and consider the impact from programmatic changes in the overall budget processes, resulting in a visionary roadmap to success.

Relationships and Visibility

The next Dean will be a positive and collaborative leader who will enhance the visibility of the school, both internally and externally. Through effective messaging, they will articulate the school's many accomplishments and distinctions and seek avenues to promote the quality and impact of the school's programs, faculty, students, and staff. These endeavors will continue to foster great pride across the school, university, and among community partners, as well as attract the attention of prospective students, faculty, partners, employers, alumni, and donors.

Candidate Qualifications

Education/Certification

  • An earned doctorate in a pharmaceutical sciences discipline (or discipline complementary to the School of Pharmacy).
  • A record of distinguished scholarly research, teaching, and professional accomplishments that merits appointment as a full professor with tenure.

Knowledge and Work Experience

  • Track record of excellent academic accomplishments, credentials, and national recognition within their field.
  • Administrative leadership experience in an academic environment, including personnel management, budgeting, grant management, and donor and foundation relationships.
  • Extensive executive and operational experience, including financial/budgeting and strategic planning, successfully applied in a complex academic organization; experience gained in a senior-level administrative role, such as Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair, or Center Director.

Leadership Skills and Competencies

  • A record of building productive and collaborative relationships with a broad variety of key stakeholders.
  • A passion for excellence in all aspects of the school's mission, including research, education, and clinical.
  • An outstanding track record of academic accomplishment in administrative, scholarly, educational, and clinical endeavors, including navigating a complex clinical enterprise.
  • A vision to develop innovative programs that build and integrate multiple strengths within the school and throughout the university.
  • Strong evidence supporting the growth of an ambitious research program.
  • Ability to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff.
  • A track record of careful stewardship of institutional resources, including a commitment to compliance with all laws, regulations, and policies.
  • Experience implementing interprofessional education and practice activities. Demonstrated facilitation and support for the success of all reporting personnel through comprehensive talent development.
  • A national and international perspective on issues in pharmacy education, training, research, and public service.
  • A strategic thinker with enthusiasm and willingness to build partnerships and experience with fundraising; ability to raise funds from interested donors.
  • Ability to be a representative for the school and the university; diplomatic, persuasive, and credible to a wide variety of audiences.
  • Regional and national presence in pharmacy professional societies and accrediting boards.

The Community

Lawrence, Kansas

Lawrence, KU’s hometown, is a historic, thriving community 40 minutes west of the Kansas City metropolitan area and also home to Haskell Indian Nations University, a key research and academic partner. The town began as an abolitionist haven amid the Kansas-Missouri border wars in the pre-Civil War era. Famous past residents include poet Langston Hughes, runner Billy Mills, basketball star Wilt Chamberlain, avant-garde writer William S. Burroughs, and activist Erin Brockovich. A complex history of protest, collaboration, and engagement has made Lawrence a crossroads of culture and innovation.

With the University of Kansas as a thriving central enterprise, the city offers a wide range of events and activities for a dynamic population. Students keep the city bubbling for nine months of the year, but the university's influence is year-round in the cultural offerings of the city, Spencer Museum of Art, Lied Center of Kansas, the food and restaurant options, and the broad range of outdoor activities appropriate for both young and seasoned residents.

Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence consistently ranks as a top destination. Between the surrounding blocks, one will find varied music venues, world-class dining, eclectic shopping, and arts venues such as the Lawrence Arts Center, Liberty Hall, and Theatre Lawrence. For outdoor enthusiasts, the city and its surrounding area offer lakes, hiking trails, and bike routes. Lawrence has an award-winning school district, is easy to navigate, and offers plentiful and often free parking.

Learn more about Lawrence.

Procedure for Candidacy

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include a CV/resume and a letter of interest as separate documents. Review of applications has begun, and candidates will be considered until an appointment is made.

Please direct all applications, nominations, and inquiries to the WittKieffer consultants assisting The University of Kansas with this recruitment, preferably via e-mail, to KUPharmacyDean@wittkieffer.com.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities.