Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni News: Letter from the Chair

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Interim Chair and Professor Steven M. Firestine, PhD

Like everywhere, COVID has been a challenge for the Wayne State University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The pandemic caused faculty to almost instantly flip classes to online instruction, and the months away from the lab impacted the research of our students. However, our faculty, staff and students have done astonishingly well during this challenging time. Our students were some of the first to safely return to research labs and did so with empathy for others. Our faculty worked hard to meet the needs of the professional pharmacy students and redoubled their efforts to keep graduate students on track and focused on their degrees. Our staff worked tirelessly to make sure that the department was moving forward and that no one was left behind. I am in awe of their efforts.

One of the greatest changes to the department in the last year has been in leadership. After 25 years of unparalleled service, Dr. George Corcoran moved from the position of chair to become special advisor for college research initiatives. The department owes much of its success to his leadership and dedication. His vision was instrumental in the hiring of outstanding faculty members who have brought successful new research programs to the college. He has overseen a huge increase in extramural grants over the last decade. Dr. Corcoran substantially grew and modernized the graduate program, oversaw the start of the entry-level master of science degree, and was successful in increasing stipends, the number of domestic students and the number of underrepresented minority students in our program. His leadership provided a steady hand during challenging times. In recognition of his efforts, the George Corcoran Endowed Student Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences was created. Dr. Corcoran will be taking a well-deserved sabbatical in the 2022-23 academic year.

The move of Dr. Corcoran into the dean's suite left a vacancy. I am thrilled to have been asked to serve as interim department chair. I have always felt that our department is one of the jewels of Wayne State, and I am excited to continue the legacy of excellence left by Dr. Corcoran. I look forward to hiring new faculty, working and mentoring existing faculty, growing our research portfolio, and expanding the graduate program. I am excited to be working with the directors, faculty, staff and students. I wish to thank Dr. Zhengping Yi (Director of Research), Dr. Jiemei Wang (Director of Research) and Dr. David Pitts (Director of Curriculum) for their support and help during my first year.

The department is blessed to have outstanding faculty. During 2021-22, 10 faculty members received at least one new grant, which is an amazing achievement in this challenging funding environment. The department welcomed Dr. Andrew Lipchik as a new assistant professor. Dr. Lipchik joined us from Stanford University and his research is focused on the intersection of the immune system and diabetes. Our department is also lucky to have two deans as faculty members. Dr. Brian Cummings, who has served as WSU Applebaum's dean since August 2021, and Dr. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, who is dean of the Wayne State University Graduate School, have recently joined the department. We are pleased to recognize Dr. Timothy Stemmler as the university's interim assistant vice president for research enhancement and development. Dr. Stemmler's dedication to research at Wayne State makes him an excellent fit for this new position. Finally, we say goodbye to Dr. Fei Chen, who has left WSU to start a new position at Stony Brook University.

Our students continue to do exceedingly well. We had five students participate in pharmacy convocation, and our alumni continue to be employed and promoted in industry and academia. A few of their stories are below. Also shown below, eight students received scholarships in support of their education at the annual department awards ceremony. Like all our students, each of the award recipients has demonstrated the dedication and hard work necessary to be successful both in our program and after graduation. Our students are clearly the best part of our program.

On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, I want to thank you for your interest and support of our program. I look forward to hearing from you and continuing to let you know about the exciting work being done in the department.

Steven M. Firestine, PhD
Interim Chair and Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Wayne State University

Read the full June 2022 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni Update.

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