Serving a Community, Transforming a Region
New School of Pharmacy drives research, scholarship and economic impact
Just as Binghamton University has grown into a major research university in less than one lifetime, its newest addition — the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science — has enjoyed a similar lightning trajectory.
In 2014, President Harvey Stenger, with state funding in place to establish a new school, faced a decision: which field would best serve Binghamton students in charting successful career paths for decades to come? “One in five jobs awaiting our graduates is in health care,” Stenger explains. “That percentage will only grow, and pharmaceutical sciences is at the leading edge of discovery and innovation.”
Fast forward to 2021. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences graduated its first class and the next month gained certification, allowing the school to begin its ascent in the rankings. “We have built tremendous capacity from the ground up,” says Eric Hoffman, Associate Dean for Research and Development and a renowned research who founded the gene that causes Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy.
School of Pharmacy graduate candidates pursue fields ranging from drug discovery to the economics of healthcare, and are often immersed in collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to health care. For example, The Rural and Underserved Services Track places students on interdisciplinary teams with CCPA and Decker students; together they act as primary health care providers in our region, which faces a shortage of medical professionals.
The School serves many overlooked communities beyond rural populations — from veterans and LGBTQ+ residents to differently abled residents and the homeless. This focus has always been a part of Binghamton’s plan for the School: to serve all local residents, while becoming a key driver of an economic engine that will help to invigorate the Southern Tier.
Beginning in its Johnson City home, this expanded mission is building momentum and creating a more hopeful future for many neighbors.
To have a conversation about investing in Binghamton’s School of Pharmacy, please contact Rebecca Benner, Associate VP for Advancement and Campaign Director, rbenner@binghamton.edu.