Jeffrey Baldwin, Pharm.D., professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, has begun a one-year term as president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).
Dr. Baldwin assumed the presidency at the AACP’s annual convention in Boston this week.
The AACP was founded in 1900 and is composed of all 110 colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. The organization advocates for pharmacy education and educators throughout the nation.
"For Jeff, this is a wonderful honor that serves as a culmination of all the professional investments and efforts he has made in his pharmacy education career," said Courtney Fletcher, Pharm.D., dean of the College of Pharmacy. "And for UNMC, Jeff serving as president is a testament to the leadership our faculty provides to national organizations."
Dr. Baldwin, who joined the UNMC faculty in 1973, deserves the post, Dr. Fletcher said,
as he is one of the finest pharmacy educators around.
The AACP’s role as the primary organization that represents academic pharmacy makes it an honor to serve in such a position, Dr. Baldwin said.
Key among the many issues Dr. Baldwin will tackle as AACP president is to help establish pharmacy’s role during this era of health care reform. He also will help the organization recruit the next generation of pharmacy educators.
"I’m thrilled for Jeff as he takes over as AACP president," Dr. Fletcher said. "I’m certain he will provide strong leadership for the group this year as the profession collectively faces major changes in the health care landscape."
Dr. Baldwin is the primary instructor and course coordinator in the College of Pharmacy’s course on substance abuse and an experiential course on recovering from addictions. He also is coordinator for a pharmacotherapy course.
His research focuses primarily on the characterization of substance abuse attitudes and behaviors in health professionals.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.