Thomas Jefferson University Names Founding Dean of the School of Pharmacy

Jefferson Establishes Third School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia

Robert L. Barchi, MD, PhD, President of Thomas Jefferson University, announced today that Rebecca S. Finley, PharmD, MS, an accomplished leader in pharmacy education, will be the Founding Dean of the Jefferson School of Pharmacy.

“Dr. Finley’s nearly 30 years of experience within the pharmacy academe and profession make her the ideal choice for this key position at Jefferson,” said Dr. Barchi. “And as a resident of the Delaware Valley, she is keenly aware of the critical role this new school will have in helping to shape an industry that is experiencing challenges and facing unprecedented growth, both in Philadelphia and across the nation.”

In this new position at Jefferson, effective January 1, 2007, Dr. Finley will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School of Pharmacy and report directly to James. B. Erdmann, PhD, Dean of Jefferson College of Health Professions at Thomas Jefferson University.

As part of its strategic plan, Thomas Jefferson University is opening the School of Pharmacy—in the fall of 2008—in response to the continued shortage of pharmacists and as part of a new model of interprofessional education, where groups of physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers such as pharmacists learn together as integrated team.

Dr. Finley comes to Jefferson from Meniscus Educational Institute in West Conshohocken, PA, an accredited provider of medical, nursing and pharmacy continuing education. In her role as President there, she was responsible for developing interdisciplinary education initiatives in a for-profit setting.

Prior to her position at Meniscus, Dr. Finley served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy Administration and Associate Dean of Pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP), University of the Sciences.

For more than 18 years, Dr. Finley held a variety of leadership positions at the University of Maryland, where she was Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science. At both PCP and the University of Maryland, Dr. Finley had an active role in the development and implementation of new curricula, recruitment of new faculty and mentoring of numerous junior faculty, students and residents.

Dr. Finley is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Past President’s Award from the Maryland Society of Hospital Pharmacists. She has served in leadership positions in many national societies, including chair, Section of Teachers of Pharmacy Practice, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and President of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Dr. Finley has published regularly in leading academic and professional journals throughout her career.

She received her bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy in 1977, a doctor of pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati Graduate School in 1979 and a master of science in institutional pharmacy from the University of Maryland in 1986.

Jefferson College of Health Professions (JCHP) is an integral part of one of the nation’s oldest academic health centers, Thomas Jefferson University, which also includes Jefferson Medical College and Jefferson College of Graduate Studies. JCHP has three schools: a School of Health Professions (consisting of Departments of Bioscience Technologies, General Studies, Couple and Family Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Radiologic Sciences), a School of Nursing and a School of Pharmacy.

For more information about Jefferson School of Pharmacy, please request information or call 1-877-JEFF-CHP.

For information about faculty positions, please call the Jefferson School of Pharmacy at 215-503-9084.