June 14, 2010 | Colin Poitras - UConn Communications

School of Pharmacy Launches Academic Partnership with University of Bridgeport

Students who complete UB’s two-year pre-pharmacy program can apply to the UConn pharmacy program.

<p>David M. Brady, vice provost for the Health Sciences Division at the University of Bridgeport and Robert L. McCarthy, dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy, sign a partnership between the schools. Photo by Department of Publications, University of Bridgeport</p>
David M. Brady, left, vice provost for the Health Sciences Division at the University of Bridgeport and Robert L. McCarthy, dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy, sign a partnership between the schools. Photo by Department of Publications, University of Bridgeport

A new partnership between the University of Connecticut and the University of Bridgeport will qualify more students from Fairfield County for UConn’s highly competitive School of Pharmacy.

“This unique partnership between UConn and UB – a public and a private university – opens the doors for a broad range of students to prepare for one of the finest pharmacy programs in the nation so they can obtain jobs in the expanding field of health care,” says University of Bridgeport President Neil Albert Salonen.

Officials from both universities launched the partnership today with the official signing of a memorandum of understanding between the schools in the University of Bridgeport’s Wahlstrom Library.

Beginning in fall 2010, UB will offer a two-year pre-pharmacy program that complies with the rigid curriculum standards for UConn’s Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Students who complete their pre-pharmacy requirements in Bridgeport will be eligible to apply to the UConn doctoral program in pharmacy as part of the new partnership agreement.

<p>Robert L. McCarthy, dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy, addresses a crowd of students, university officials, and Bridgeport city officials during the launch of a new pharmacy partnership between UConn and the University of Bridgeport. Photo by Kazuhiro Shoji</p>
Robert L. McCarthy, dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy, addresses students, university officials, and Bridgeport city officials during the launch of a new pharmacy partnership between UConn and the University of Bridgeport. Photo by Kazuhiro Shoji

“We are very excited about this partnership with our colleagues from the University of Bridgeport and having a UConn presence in the city of Bridgeport,” said Robert McCarthy, dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy. “UB attracts a diverse group of students – many of whom are first-generation college students – and we look forward to providing these students with an opportunity to pursue a career in pharmacy.”

The UConn School of Pharmacy, with its Doctor of Pharmacy degree and research-intensive graduate programs in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, and pharmacology/toxicology, has a reputation as one of the best pharmacy education programs in the nation and attracts some of the best and brightest national and international students.

<p>Marian Merced, vice president of UConn's Pharmacy Student Government and a third year pharmacy student, welcomes her Bridgeport peers into the UConn School of Pharmacy family at the official launch of the UConn-UB pharmacy partnership. Photo by Kazuhiro Shoji</p>
Marian Merced, vice president of UConn's Pharmacy Student Government, welcomes her Bridgeport peers into the UConn School of Pharmacy. Photo by Kazuhiro Shoji

Marian Merced, vice-president of UConn’s Pharmacy Student Government and a third year pharmacy student, urged her Bridgeport peers to get involved in school organizations in order to gain valuable insight into the profession and hone their leadership skills. She described UConn’s School of Pharmacy as a close-knit bunch of students and “a little school with a lot of heart.”

“The most important thing that pre-pharmacy students will gain, however, are relationships with the current pharmacy students, who will act like mentors throughout the entirety of their pre-pharmacy years,” Merced said about the new partnership. “We are very excited for the UB pre-pharms to become involved in our professional student organizations, and we look forward to working closely with the students for a peer mentoring program in order to connect prospective students to the School of Pharmacy.”

David Brady, vice provost for the health sciences division at UB, said the collaboration “will expand pre-pharmacy education in the state of Connecticut and allow new opportunities for a wide diversity of well-qualified students to pursue pharmacy as a career. The UConn School of Pharmacy has been wonderful and enthusiastic in supporting the University of Bridgeport’s desire to include expanded, quality pre-pharmacy education as part of its offerings in the health sciences.”