James R. Halpert, Ph.D., dean of the School of Pharmacy announced the appointment Dr. C. Michael White, professor of pharmacy practice, to a second 5-year term as head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, effective July 1, 2016. White is also co-director of the Health Outcomes, Policy, and Evidence Synthesis (HOPES) research group at the University of Connecticut. HOPES includes an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality designated Evidence-based Practice Center, one of only 13 centers in the United States and the only one headquartered in a School of Pharmacy.
During his first term as head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, White worked on specific faculty development plans leading to individual excellence, reassignment of faculty and clinical sites to exploit emerging areas or to create critical mass for shared success, and faculty advocacy to support and promote their success. Faculty in the department have reached the leadership pinnacle of numerous national and state pharmacy organizations, and according to Academic Analytics, UConn’s pharmacy practice department ranks in the top 10 in both publications and citations per faculty member.
White has nearly 300 publications including several in premier journals such as JAMA, Lancet, and the Annals of Internal Medicine. His research focuses on preventing drug, device, or surgical induced diseases. His sentinel work on post-cardiothoracic surgery atrial fibrillation prevention led to the national use of prophylactic amiodarone, and his natural product work on ephedra supported its being banned from the U.S. market. White’s work has been featured on the Today Show, CNN, Good Morning America, and NBC Nightly News and has been funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality, national and state foundations, and the pharmaceutical industry. He is an ACCP Young Investigator of the Year, AACP Lyman Award Winner, and five time ASHP Drug Therapy Research Award winner.
White is a dedicated teacher. He has directed the first ACCP approved post-Pharm.D cardiovascular fellowship training program in the country, is a three-time School of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year, and has received UConn’s highest teaching honor – being designated a UConn Teaching Fellow.
