New building: faculty feeling the excitement

Perhaps no one is more excited about the College of Pharmacy’s new facility than its faculty. They have the spiritual investment of alumni and the daily traffic of the students, and they will rely on its resources to deliver the education program.

Some have been at the college for decades. Most have invested their own contributions.

Kathy Chessman ’84 ’86 is a full professor, has earned two degrees from the MUSC College of Pharmacy, and has been a member of the faculty for 34 years.

“Dr. Golod said we would be getting a new building back when I was B.S. student at MUSC,” she said. “We’ve all waited for this day for a long time. The thought of actually breaking ground on a new building and having the construction begin is tremendously exciting.”

Chessman’s imprint on MUSC pharmacy includes everything from administration to strategic planning to residency to patients to students; she even had a stint as its webmaster. As much as anyone, she knows how much the new facility will mean for the College of Pharmacy.

“The MUSC College of Pharmacy has always had outstanding students and an extremely strong faculty,” she said. “This new facility is a great opportunity to have the quality of our physical appearance reflect the quality of the education experience.”

What faculty are saying

Shannon Drayton
Assistant dean of curriculum and assessment

“I love all the student space. And having a dedicated space for the CCET (Center for Clinical Evaluation, Teaching & Simulation) is a gamechanger. It will be amazing for students to be able to demonstrate all they know about patient care during an OSCE or OSLE in the same building where they’re hanging out.”

---

Anthony DeClue ’17
Assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and outcome sciences

In a practical sense, I love that it will keep a lot of faculty in close proximity and more accessible to students, with offices that are more inviting and open to encourage that sort of interaction. Symbolically, I’m excited that the new building is right in the heart of campus and shows how pharmacy has effectively integrated into the health care team.

---

Ed Soltis
Professor of drug discovery and biomedical sciences

To be quite honest, my initial response upon hearing that we were finally going to have a new College of Pharmacy building was, "It's about time!"  In all sincerity, I am very grateful for the hard work of our deans, faculty, staff, students, and donors over the many years in making this a reality.  It will be a physical reminder of our presence at MUSC, the quality of our program and all those involved in advancing the profession of pharmacy through excellence in the education and clinical training of future pharmacists.

---

Sandra Garner ’89
Professor of clinical pharmacy and outcome sciences

Some of the best memories of pharmacy school are the times you spend together with classmates or faculty. Being in a modern new environment with up-to-date amenities will create an inviting atmosphere for us to connect and collaborate.