Founding Associate Deans of UT Tyler Fisch College of Pharmacy Announced

TYLER — Dr. L. Douglas Ried and Dr. Kathleen Snella have been named founding associate deans of the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Tyler, Dr. Alisa White, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced. Both associate deans will join the leadership team under the direction of founding dean Dr. Lane J. Brunner with the goal of accepting the first class of UT Tyler pharmacy students in fall 2015. “We are delighted to attract such highly talented, seasoned administrators into our developing college of pharmacy,” said Brunner. “Drs. Ried and Snella will be instrumental in establishing a strong foundation for our doctor of pharmacy program.”

Effective Feb. 1, Ried’s appointment as associate dean of academic affairs will play a key role in the development and implementation of a comprehensive array of academic policies and procedures in support of student success, according to a UTT news release. Officials say Snella’s appointment as associate dean of student affairs, effective May 28, will help develop and implement services in support of student excellence.

Ried joins UT Tyler from the College of Pharmacy at California Northstate University in Sacramento, where he served as senior associate dean for academic affairs. A licensed pharmacist since 1972, Ried has a longstanding research interest in patient reported outcomes, especially psycho-geriatric pharmacy practice. He is currently conducting research into the effects of medications on patients’ quality of life and the psychosocial aspects of elderly patients psychotropic medication use.

Snella previously served as the associate dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy Satellite Program, which is based at the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. Snella has published more than 30 manuscripts, book chapters, abstracts and monographs and has given more than 40 presentations at local, regional and national meetings. She has also received several teaching awards for her team-teaching approaches to pharmacotherapy.

The college’s accreditation process is currently underway. Last year, the Texas Legislature passed legislation authorizing the UT System to establish a college of pharmacy at UT Tyler. Gov. Rick Perry signed the legislation in June. Officially establishing the school last August, the UT System Board of Regents is expected to approve the conceptual drawing of W.T. Brookshire Pharmacy Building next month, with construction scheduled to begin in March. A groundbreaking ceremony will be announced. According to the release, the UT Tyler Fisch College of Pharmacy is an innovative, self-sustaining program that will provide East Texas students access to a course of study not currently available locally or regionally. UT Tyler will partner with UT Health Northeast on the new college’s conducted research.