Dean, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Buffkin / Baker•Chapel Hill, NC

16d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (School), the nation’s leading school of pharmacy and a recognized innovator in pharmacy education, research, practice advancement, and translational science. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Carolina) was the first public university in the nation. Today, Carolina enrolls over 18,000 undergraduates and over 11,000 professional and graduate students. The University offers 77 bachelor’s degree programs, 111 master’s degree programs, 65 doctoral degree programs, and 7 professional degree programs. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a member of the Association of American Universities, is one of the world’s premier research universities, with a highly collaborative culture among faculty of all disciplines and over $1.5B in annual research expenditures supporting endeavors with local, national, and global significance. Carolina is uniquely situated as one of the only U.S. universities that houses six highly rated Health Affairs schools on its campus, together with its College of Arts & Sciences and multiple outstanding professional schools. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Established in 1897, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is the only public pharmacy school in North Carolina and one of the oldest in the nation. Today, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy advances the teaching, research, and public service mission of Carolina as the nation’s No. 1 school of pharmacy. Globally, the School is ranked No. 3 among pharmacy schools and No. 5 overall in the QS World University Rankings. Its mission is to prepare leaders and innovators to solve the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges. With campuses in both Asheville and Chapel Hill and partnerships throughout the state, the School serves North Carolina by collaborating with business, healthcare, industry, education, and local government leaders to elevate and advance research, practice, and education. The School operates across five primary academic divisions: Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry (CBMC) Pharmacoengineering & Molecular Pharmaceutics (DPMP) Pharmacotherapy & Experimental Therapeutics (DPET) Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy (DPOP) Practice Advancement & Clinical Education (PACE). The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks a strategic, collaborative, and innovative leader to serve as the next Dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. This is an extraordinary opportunity for a forward-looking leader to build upon the School’s legacy of excellence while shaping the future of pharmacy education, research, and healthcare innovation on a national and global scale. The next Dean will join a premier public research university at a moment of significant opportunity across artificial intelligence, drug discovery, workforce development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and healthcare transformation. The Dean will inherit a highly regarded school with exceptional faculty, incredible and deeply committed staff, strong student outcomes, nationally recognized research programs, and distinctive assets such as innovation initiatives and global partnerships. The School community is defined not only by excellence and impact, but also by authenticity, collegiality, and a human-centered culture. The next Dean must embrace and advance this culture while positioning the School for continued growth and national leadership in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving healthcare, research, practice, and higher education landscape. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy has earned a national reputation for innovation, leadership, and impact across education, research, and practice. The School’s distinctive assets, interdisciplinary partnerships, entrepreneurial mindset, and commitment to improving human health uniquely position it to define the future of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. The next Dean will have the opportunity to lead a highly respected academic community and further elevate the School’s role on a national and global scale. Reporting to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, the Dean is the School's Chief Executive Officer and will provide academic, intellectual, and administrative leadership to the School. The Dean leads the effort in creating a vision and advancing the mission of the School, with responsibility for the academic and research enterprise, advancement and development functions, personnel, general administration and management, compliance and risk management, and budget. The appointment is reviewed every five years.

Requirements

An earned terminal degree
Record of exceptional leadership success
Evidence of scholarly, professional, or creative achievement
Extensive experience in pharmacy professional and graduate program administration and executive leadership
Progressive academic leadership experience
Strong track record of independently-funded scholarship
Demonstrated record of fostering excellence in research, teaching, and service

Nice To Haves

Former experience in pharmacy school administrative role
Ability to think strategically and build effective institutional partnerships
Demonstrated administrative experience, a high standard of professional integrity, and strong team-building skills
Ability to articulate effectively the School's vision and mission to the students, faculty, alumni, practitioners, external funding agencies, and other decision-making bodies
Strategic, visionary, and relational leader with the experience and credibility to lead the nation’s top pharmacy school through its next era of growth and transformation.
Shepherd the School’s rich culture of collaboration, community, and connection.
Demonstrated academic leadership experience
Strong understanding of research, education, and pharmacy practice advancement
Business and financial acumen
Experience with fundraising and external engagement
Ability to lead strategic planning and organizational execution
Track record of building collaborative partnerships
Experience navigating complex institutional environments
Commitment to innovation and thoughtful risk-taking
Understanding of evolving healthcare and higher education trends
Commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and translational impact
Authenticity and humility
Empathy and emotional intelligence
Transparency and honesty
Active listening skills
Openness to diverse perspectives
Strong communication and relationship-building abilities
Collaborative and empowering leadership
Commitment to supporting faculty, staff, and students
Ability to inspire trust across constituencies

Responsibilities

Serves as chief executive officer of the School of Pharmacy.
Plans for, and stewards, the fiscal and material resources needed to offer the educational, research, and service programs of the School.
Administers the School's educational, research, and public service programs.
Consults and collaborates with faculty and administrators on decisions related to school strategy, including academic affairs.
Recommends to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost the appointments, promotions, and tenure of School of Pharmacy faculty members.
Serves as the School's representative on various University policy and decision bodies and is the official representative of the School to external constituencies.
Leads the School's advancement and development activities to promote the School's vision, mission, values and strategic plan.
Stewards advancement/development by serving as a voting member of the Board of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Foundation and presents the School's accomplishments and needs to that body.
Collaborates with individuals, groups, schools, programs, alumni, and organizations within the University, the broader pharmacy and healthcare community and the public at large to promote the goals of the School.
Assures compliance with the general policies and practices of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill including affirmative action policies and regulations governing academic standards and faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure.
Assures compliance with the regulatory standards of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy and with the professional standards of educational accrediting bodies.
Oversees the School's risk management plan.
Stewards the management and viability of the School's satellite campus in Asheville, NC at UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC (Mountain Area Health Education Center).
Leads strategic planning and policy development activities of the School.
Specific responsibilities include leading and partnering with the following: development/fundraising, marketing and communications, compliance/policy/ethics, external and government relations, finance/budget management, faculty and staff leadership, research administration, strategic planning, and student administration and academic program oversight.
Advance Innovation in Education, Research, and Practice: Foster innovation across all domains of the School, including educational delivery and curriculum design, translation of research discoveries in to real-world impact, practice advancement and care delivery, interdisciplinary collaboration, and workforce development and industry partnerships.
Lead in Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies: Help establish a strategic vision for how the School can lead the profession in leveraging AI while thoughtfully addressing its risks and implications.
Expand Research and Industry Partnerships: Lead the School and expand collaborations with industry and external partners, create additional internship, fellowship, and experiential learning opportunities, grow translational and interdisciplinary research initiatives, and advance pharmacoengineering and related fields aligned with University initiatives.
Strengthen Statewide and Health System Collaborations: Expand team-based care delivery models, strengthen engagement with Medicaid and Medicare populations, advance policy and practice innovation, increase student exposure to communities across North Carolina, and foster collaborations that improve healthcare access and outcomes statewide.
Lead the Next Campaign and Expand Philanthropic Support: Serve as an externally engaged and highly visible fundraiser capable of articulating an inspiring vision for the School, building relationships with donors, alumni, industry, and University leadership, advancing campaign priorities, and securing resources to support strategic initiatives, facilities, research, and student success.
Immediate Priorities for the Next Dean: Learn, support, and advance the School’s existing strategic plan
Sustain and strengthen the research enterprise
Support graduate education and funding stability
Advance strategic growth areas, including AI and pharmacoengineering
Address facilities and space modernization needs
Promote the PharmD program and curriculum, which features a vanguard approach to active learning
Maintain and elevate the School’s national and global standing and impact
Preserve and strengthen the School’s distinctive culture, including promoting an environment that positively contributes to the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff
Partner with the UNC Chief Development Officer and President of the Eshelman School of Pharmacy Foundation to develop and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy in preparation for the upcoming campaign