What I did on my summer vacation…

How do you complete this sentence? As I embark on a new school year I take pause at the speed with which the last few months have gone. “Vacation,” is analogous to tackling a variety of initiatives and projects in three short months. Whether from a faculty, staff, or student perspective, each completes that sentence a bit differently, but all with an urgency for items that need to be in place prior to the beginning of a new semester. In a nutshell,

Faculty may complete it this way:

… submitted a new grant.

… attended a professional conference.

… fine-tuned my course materials.

… mentored a student in my lab.

… explored curriculum changes.

… participated in strategic planning efforts.

Staff:

… coordinated the logistics for the transition to a rolling admissions process for Pharm.D.

… hosted high school students for the first pharmacy summer program.

… supported alumni events and initiatives.

… participated in strategic planning efforts.

… made progress on the redesign of the school’s web site.

… supported faculty and students in their efforts.

Students:

… worked in a community pharmacy and gained valuable experience.

… worked in a research lab.

… served as an ambassador at school and campus events.

… passed the State Boards and received my license!

… completed an experiential education rotation.

In addition to many of the projects noted above, my focus included items such as the State budget, tuition changes, philanthropy efforts, and engaging with our alumni near and far.

The halls of Rennebohm are abuzz as we begin the 2015-16 year and I welcome opportunities to engage with students, faculty, staff, and alumni of this great school.

Welcome back and On, Wisconsin!

Steven M. Swanson, Dean