College of Pharmacy Recognized by AACP with Designation, Individual Awards
| The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) recently recognized the UAMS College of Pharmacy with a prestigious designation and handed out national awards to two faculty members, one preceptor and a student.
The College of Pharmacy was one of only 17 schools of pharmacy nationwide selected as an inaugural Academia-Community Transformation (ACT) Community Pharmacy Center of Excellence. This designation recognizes schools and colleges of pharmacy that are committed to advancing community pharmacy practice.
Chris Johnson, Pharm.D., M.Ed., assistant professor of pharmacy practice, was one of four pharmacy faculty nationwide recognized as a national Emerging Teaching Scholar. Laura Lumsden, Pharm.D., a local pharmacy owner and longtime College of Pharmacy preceptor, was named a Distinguished Preceptor. Marty Perry, Ph.D., associate professor and vice chair for professional education in the college’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was named to the AACP’s prestigious Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP).
Amberly Clifton, MBA, a third-year pharmacy student, was selected to the AACP’s Aspiring Academics Program. The program aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of career paths in academic pharmacy.
College of Pharmacy Named Center of Excellence
The College of Pharmacy became one of a select few programs nationwide to be named an inaugural ACT Community Pharmacy Center of Excellence. The AACP program evaluates schools and colleges of pharmacy based on four areas of commitment: teaching, service, scholarship and leadership/partnership support.
“I’m so proud that the UAMS College of Pharmacy has been recognized as an inaugural ACT Community Pharmacy Center of Excellence,” said Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D., dean of the College of Pharmacy. “This recognition is a testament to the diversity of work that faculty and staff in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the Center for Implementation Research do, as well as the strength of community pharmacy practice in Arkansas.”
Recognition as a Center of Excellence opens the door to various benefits and opportunities for the college, including participating in semi-structured networking and collaborations with other centers on an annual basis, as well as roundtable events with community pharmacy employers and other stakeholders. Centers of Excellence maintain their designation for five years and serve as leaders across colleges and schools of pharmacy, helping to inform and inspire others.
Johnson Recognized as Emerging Teaching Scholar
Johnson joined only three other pharmacy faculty nationwide as an Emerging Teaching Scholar. The award recognizes individuals who make outstanding contributions and a significant impact in pharmacy education.
“I am so excited that Dr. Johnson is being recognized with this award,” said Amy Franks, Pharm.D., professor and chair of the college’s Department of Pharmacy Practice. “Since arriving here, he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to adopting evidence-based teaching and learning strategies, as well as contributing to best practices through his scholarly work. This dedication to excellence makes him an ideal recipient of this national honor.”
“I am very grateful to receive this award, and appreciative of my colleagues and current and former students who contributed to my nomination,” Johnson said. “This recognition is emblematic of the approach of our College of Pharmacy faculty in preparing high-quality pharmacists to provide care across Arkansas and beyond.”
Since arriving at UAMS in 2017, Johnson has been the faculty advisor for the college’s chapter of the Academy of Student Pharmacists, which is the student branch of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Under his leadership, the college’s APhA-ASP student chapter has received multiple Chapter of the Year awards for its division.
A native of Portland, Oregon, Johnson graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Education degrees from Concordia University-Wisconsin, where he also completed a 24-month residency.
Lumsden Named AACP Distinguished Preceptor
Lumsden, who has served as a preceptor for the UAMS College of Pharmacy for 30 years, is one of seven nationwide to be named a Distinguished Preceptor. The program recognizes preceptors who are not full-time employees of a college or school of pharmacy for their sustained commitment to excellence in experiential education and professional practice.
“The AACP Distinguished Preceptors program is a great way to recognize experienced preceptors who remain highly involved with our students and our college,” said Seth Heldenbrand, Pharm.D., the college’s associate dean of experiential education. “Dr. Lumsden is an outstanding preceptor and community pharmacy owner, and for her to receive this recognition is an incredible honor, both for her and the college.”
“It is astonishing to be honored for doing something that brings me such great fulfillment,” Lumsden said. “My teaching style has always been to encourage rather than to intimidate, and the team at Remedy Drug extends that philosophy exponentially. I am grateful to the UAMS College of Pharmacy for nominating me and for the excellent preparedness of the IPPE and APPE students they send my way.”
Introductory pharmacy practice experiences, or IPPE, are for second- and third-year pharmacy students as they prepare for advanced practice pharmacy experiences, or APPE, in their fourth and final year of school. These rotations at local hospitals and pharmacies serve as students’ official introduction to direct patient care as they prepare for careers after graduation.
Lumsden, a 1994 UAMS College of Pharmacy graduate, is co-owner and co-founder of Remedy Drug in Little Rock. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas in 1990. After obtaining her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the UAMS College of Pharmacy, she was a pharmacy manager and later pharmacist-in-charge for USA Drug in Little Rock for 22 years. When the company was sold in 2012, she, along with her business partner Philip Way, Pharm.D., opened Remedy Drug.
Perry Named to ALFP’s 21st Cohort
Perry was one of 35 pharmacy faculty nationwide to be accepted into the ALFP. Now in its 21st year, the program aims to support and contribute to the development of leaders in academic pharmacy and higher education. Of its more than 500 alumni, many serve in prominent leadership positions in academic pharmacy, higher education and other health care fields.
“I think ALFP is an excellent program that allows a faculty member to immerse themselves in a leadership development program both nationally and locally,” Stowe said. “Marty is an excellent educator who brings a diversity of experiences to his current role, and I believe the ALFP will expand his professional network and stretch him as a leader.”
“It is an honor to be selected for the AACP leadership development program and build on the foundations of many other College of Pharmacy participants,” Perry said. “I look forward to the professional development and networking opportunities with other academic pharmacy leaders from around the country and using these skills and connections to improve our own program.”
Perry joined the College of Pharmacy faculty full-time in 2021 after serving as an adjunct professor for two decades. Previously, he worked at Ouachita Baptist University for nearly 20 years, as well as stints as an associate professor at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Arkansas Tech University. He was also a visiting associate professor at the United States Naval Academy.
In 2022 he received the E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service for his longtime involvement with the American Chemical Society, a nonprofit scientific organization.
Clifton Named to Aspiring Academics Program
Clifton, a Malvern native now living in Hot Springs, will join more than two dozen students from across the country in the Aspiring Academics Program, which was created last year to inform and inspire students from diverse backgrounds interested in academic pharmacy.
The journey to a pharmacy degree has not been an easy one for Clifton. During her first time as a pharmacy student, she had difficulty studying and lost multiple family members to illness. Now, after seven years, she is back in the program and thriving.
“I am deeply honored to be chosen for this opportunity,” Clifton said. “I have always had a deep love for teaching and education. I come from a long line of public educators, and I have taken many opportunities to work towards academia. The Aspiring Academics Program immediately caught my eye, as I want to learn how to become the best educator I can be.”
The program encourages further pursuit of academic pharmacy through asynchronous learning modules, mentorship, networking, a group project, involvement with AACP and attendance at the AACP Annual Meeting and Teachers’ Seminar. Up to 28 student-faculty pairs from AACP member schools are accepted for the 2024-2025 program, which meets in Chicago on July 19-23, 2025.