College of Pharmacy

Students in the Pharm.D. program at Union University have the opportunity to participate alongside faculty in a variety of research endeavors. We have designed a curriculum that allows students, not only the opportunity but also the time to participate in lab-based or pedagogical/educational research. Although, a relatively small liberal arts university, Union University has invested significantly in the acquisition of state-of-the-art research equipment including a Waters UPLC-MS system and a 400 MHz Bruker NMR, both equipped with autosampler technology.

Students in the Pharm.D. program at Union University have the opportunity to learn from faculty in the classroom and laboratories as well as in a variety of practice specialty settings on clinical rotations. Students also have the opportunity to complete clinical research alongside faculty during their time at Union University.

The Center for Population Health and Rural Medicine (PHaRM) serves as a research and service center of excellence that advances research, teaching, and service in the areas of population health, interprofessional collaboration, interpersonal communication, health literacy, health promotion, disease prevention, medication use, health outcomes, lifestyle modification and management.

The Center assists multiple institutions and their post graduate year one pharmacy residents with research projects each year. Center partners representing pharmacy, social work, optometry, dietitians, nursing, athletic training, business and others professionals are currently preparing publications for submission to top peer reviewed pharmacy and medical journals. We prepare multiple grants each year for submission to well-known funding agencies and are in the process of completing grants that were funded externally and internally from various agencies and programs. Center partners present posters and provide presentations at various national, regional and local conferences each year and participate in numerous award programs.

In 2018-2019, more than 20 pharmacy students assisted in various Center sponsored community health events, research projects, presentations and community service projects. The number of students assisting with these activities increases significantly when other disciplines are considered.

Currently, the Center for PHaRM is in the process of partnering with the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department and Lane College in a research/service endeavor aimed at better educating individuals about issues affecting heart health and diabetes. Students will be provided opportunities to assist with this collaboration in multiple ways including, survey data collection; the delivery of educational programming; providing blood pressure, lipid panel, A1C, body mass index, and health literacy assessments; data analyses; and dissemination of findings through poster presentation, podium presentation, and peer-review publication.

The dates and times of all research/service opportunities will be posted in advance. All students interested in participating should contact Dr. Sean King at sking@uu.edu.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of pharmacy has established a one-year fellowship in pharmacometrics. This fellowship is appropriate for a Pharm.D., Masters, or Ph.D. student or graduate with some training in pharmacokinetics. The student will work with Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty for training in pharmacometric data analysis. Training will be individualized to the student’s needs and interests, but will focus on skill sets useful for pharmacometric applications in drug development. Students will learn to model data with NONMEM and other related software. The fellowship will include a research project suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Successful completion of the fellowship and granting of the title “Fellow in Pharmacometrics, Union University College of Pharmacy”, will require the successful completion of a submission-ready manuscript for publication. Additionally the student will be required to demonstrate basic competency in data management and pharmacometric analysis. Competency will be demonstrated through the independent work performed during the research project.

For more information regarding this Fellowship, please contact:

Advisors: Dr. Ashley Snow & Dr. Bethany Murphy

The organization seeks to encourage all pharmacy students to become more knowledgeable about APhA and the profession of pharmacy.

Advisors: Dr. Luna Bennett

Our mission is to encourage spiritual growth among fellow pharmacy students, faculty, and staff through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship to in turn be as a city on a hill that cannot be hidden and the light to a darkened world (Matthew 5:4).

Advisor: Dr. Jenna Summerlin

The primary goal of this organization is to promote the development of leadership qualities, especially among pharmacy students. Through peer recognition, the Society encourages participation in all pharmacy activities. Since membership crosses fraternal and organizational lines, the Society does not compete with other pharmacy organizations.

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Byrd & Dr. Kacy Howell

Kappa Psi is founded on four pillars: high ideals, sobriety, fellowship, and industry. The mission of the Zeta Upsilon chapter is to expand the profession of pharmacy at UUCOP through fellowship, service, and professional networking. The Fraternity is composed of dedicated students, who willingly commit his or her time, energy, and resources, to enhance both personal and professional development.

Advisor: Dr. Kim Bowman

The Rho Chi Society is the Pharmacy National Honor Society; the mission of the Society is to encourage and recognize excellence in intellectual achievement, foster fellowship, encourage high standards of conduct and character and advocate critical inquiry in pharmacy. Students academically ranking in the top ten percent of their class are eligible for membership.

Advisor: Dr. Ashley Snow

The Society seeks to serve as the collective and representative voice of student pharmacists; to advocate for and improve the health and welfare of Tennesseans; to provide opportunities for personal and professional development; to advocate for the provision of quality of pharmacy education; to facilitate continued involvement and leadership upon graduation; and to envision and shape the future of pharmacy.

Advisors: Dr. Jenna Summerlin & Dr. Carson Cook

The purpose of the society is to make students aware of pharmacy practice in health systems, provide information to students about career directions in and credentials needed for pharmacy practice in health systems, and encourage membership and participation in the state society and national society as a student upon graduation.

Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Snow

NCPA Student Affairs offers pharmacy students a wide array of opportunities to broaden and enrich their educational experience, gain valuable real world skills, earn scholarships, and have fun in the process. Our mission is to encourage, foster, and recognize an interest in community pharmacy ownership and entrepreneurship among the future leaders of their profession.

Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Snow

The Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) is a committee of NCPA. The mission of the UUCOP LMIG is to empower individuals with evidence-based lifestyle interventions to promote and sustain positive behavior changes.

Advisor: Dr. Richard Addo

Union University College of Pharmacy provides a professional and exciting learning environment in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. Our mission is to advance our knowledge and assume significant leadership positions within the field of pharmaceutical sciences. Our primary goal is to work closely with the department’s faculty in an effort to advance our knowledge and learn about opportunities in the field. We spread the word about our chapter’s existence and enlighten our peers of the opportunities that exist within this organization. We strive to be active in our community and encourage participation in the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences activities at the local, regional, and national level.

Advisors: Dr. Austin Camp and Dr. Zac Halford

The purpose of the organization is to orient students to the practice of clinical pharmacy by providing information to students about careers and opportunities within the field of clinical pharmacy, promoting dedication to excellence in patient care, research and education, and encouraging skill development necessary to function within an interdisciplinary team. The organization will also advocate the role of clinical pharmacists within healthcare and encourage participation in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy at the national level and/or the local/regional chapters.

Advisor: Michael Renfrow

Student Ambassadors serve as representatives of the College of Pharmacy. The purpose of the Student Ambassador Program is to carry forward the mission and message of Union University and the College of Pharmacy to potential students and the community at large. The Student Ambassadors will also promote Pharmacy as a career through various activities. Activities of Student Ambassadors include, but are not limited to, providing tours, participating in community events, assisting with school events and mentoring pre-pharmacy students.