Gloria Meredith, founding dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS), is stepping down.
According to a Dateline announcement, Meredith’s resignation will be effective Monday, Jan. 31. Donald Nieman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, will serve as interim dean.
Meredith had joined Binghamton University in 2015, recruited to found the new pharmacy school. SOPPS saw its inaugural class in BU’s main campus in 2017, before opening a $60 million, 15-acre Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City to greet students entering in 2018. Meredith said she was satisfied with the growth of the school, from its development of a modern curriculum to its acquiring of full accreditation.
“I feel that with the considerable help of the University and the state of New York, my team and I have achieved all that I had promised, and I believe we all can take pride in the progress we have made over the last seven years,” Meredith wrote in an email.
Over the course of her seven years as dean, SOPPS grew from six staff members and faculty to over 50.
Eric Hoffman, associate dean of research and research development, described his experience meeting Meredith in the school’s early years.
“I remember interviewing with Dean Meredith as one of her first hires, and thinking, ‘This is a nice challenge, and Dean Meredith has a clear vision for how to go about this!’” Hoffman wrote in an email. “She then went about accomplishing all this, including successfully opening a new building, graduating the first class and successful accreditation!”
SOPPS offers a Doctor of Pharmacy degree as well as both Master of Science and Ph.D. programs in pharmaceutical sciences. According to its website, the school can have 390 Doctor of Pharmacy students and 30 Master of Science and Ph.D. students when fully enrolled.
Meredith said students were “vital” in the development of SOPPS, lauding their adaptability through uncertain times.
“Student input and experience has helped us define and refine the program and the student role in the community has significantly helped us establish a local and statewide reputation,” Meredith wrote. “The development of the school could have been disrupted by [COVID-19] but I’m particularly pleased and appreciative of the way the students worked with the faculty to continue delivering a high-quality program, especially considering the student resilience with all the ever-changing scenarios.”
According to the Dateline announcement, the search for Meredith’s replacement is expected to end in March, with Nieman working with SOPPS leadership to ensure a smooth transition.
Laura McDuffee, assistant dean for administration, finance and operations, said the school looks forward to continuing Meredith’s legacy.
“[Meredith] has worked tirelessly to establish an innovative, research-focused program and has always demonstrated a great passion for pharmacy education and our students,” McDuffee wrote in an email. “We are proud to be a part of this accomplishment and we will continue to strive to uphold the high standards that Dean Meredith has put in place at [SOPPS].”
Meredith said she was thankful for support from those in the University, who supported her as she pioneered the new school. She particularly thanked SOPPS students, noting their efforts over the years.
“I want to personally thank our student deans and our co-student deans at the Clinical Education Center on Long Island at Northwell Health [Vivo Health Pharmacy] for their dedication and focus on the road ahead,” Meredith wrote. “It has been a great pleasure to have worked with all students. I have been amazed by their versatility and skills and am continually reminded of how talented they all are. Thank you for being the heart and soul of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.”