The College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center launched a new Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity Advisory Board this month.
The board includes a diverse group of students, staff, and faculty members representing the three College of Pharmacy campuses in Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville.
“The mission is to provide an empathetic, attentive, and healing environment within the College of Pharmacy,” said Bradley Boucher, PharmD, FCCP, MCCM, associate dean, Strategic Initiatives and Operations, who serves as chair of the advisory board.
He said this mission will encompass the entire college, from students to faculty and alumni, and will be accomplished by identifying programming and educational strategies focused on racial awareness, literacy, and unity, and building an inclusive infrastructure within the college.
Marie Chisholm-Burns, PharmD, MPH, MBA, FCCP, FASHP, FAST, dean of the college, said the formation of the advisory board is timely in light of the important racial issues across the nation.
“The advisory board has been hard at work the last few weeks putting the infrastructure in place to assist the college in addressing these issues,” she said. “Dr. Boucher is the perfect fit for the role of chair. He is tenacious, driven, and the type of person needed to get things done. I am excited to see what this group will do.”
In addition to Dr. Boucher, the advisory board includes faculty members Kenneth Hohmeier, PharmD; Tyler Kiles, PharmD, BCADM; Wei Li, PhD; and Brian Winbigler, PharmD, MBA. It also includes staff members Jenny Johnson, PhD; Kalon Owens-Jones, BA; and Andria White, MS, MBA; as well as students Kevin Darko, Shiyar Kapan, and Amelia Thompson.
Dr. Boucher said the advisory board will serve as a clearing house for educational opportunities related to equity, inclusivity, and diversity and will recommend these opportunities to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The board will also examine the infrastructure of the college and provide recommendations in areas such as recruitment and curriculum.
“The goal is environmental in nature,” Dr. Boucher said. “But we’re putting forward actions and initiatives that will help create that environment of equity, inclusivity, and diversity.”