Our view: Pharmacy school's new leader brings strong credentials
The drawing power of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center was once again demonstrated this past week with the naming of a new dean for the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.
Grace Kuo will become the third person in the school's history to fill the role, moving to the Amarillo campus from her previous role as professor of pharmacy practice and public health at Oregon State University. She brings other impressive credentials as well, having been professor emerita in clinical pharmacy, family medicine and public health.
She will replace Quentin Smith, who served as dean for the past 10 years, providing outstanding vision and leadership for the pharmacy school. Smith built an enviable legacy during his tenure.
“I’m excited to be joining the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center team,” Kuo said in a news release from the school. “It’s a distinct honor for me to work with Provost (Darrin) D’Agostino, university leaders and the School of Pharmacy team to lead the school to the next phase of strategic transformation.”
Kuo appears to be perfectly suited for the new duties, possessing a strong academic background that stresses collaboration. Previously, she has served as associate dean for academic clinical affairs and associate dean for strategic planning and program development at the University of California San Diego as well as dean of the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State.
In Amarillo, she will lead a vibrant pharmacy education community that has built a reputation for excellence and for equipping students for a demanding and challenging profession. “We are very excited about the appointment of Dr. Kuo to lead our Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy,” D’Agostino said. “Her extensive experience in all areas of pharmacy practice, research and professional education will help galvanize our future growth – building off of the strong foundation and national reputation the school has developed.”
In other words, Kuo is the right person at the right time to lead a dynamic institution into and through its next phase of growth, employing a formula in which various groups (students, staff and faculty) work together in achieving the school’s missions.
“Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is fortunate to have Dr. Kuo joining our team,” TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman said. “She brings a wealth of experience and expertise, but she also has a great respect for and commitment to the school and our great university as a place of learning and working that puts people first.”
The pharmacy school’s new dean earned a bachelor of science in psychobiology from the University of California at Los Angeles and a bachelor of science in pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. Her doctor of pharmacy degree is from Oregon State. She also holds a master’s and doctor of philosophy in public health from the University of Texas health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.
We offer our congratulations to Kuo on this new and prestigious role in the community and look forward to the impact she will make on the pharmacy school campus and beyond.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Tech Pharmacy school's new leader brings strong credentials
