Hygeia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy Established
USC School of Pharmacy Newsletter, January 1, 2003
By Alexis Bergen
Prominent alumni and friends contribute to the perpetual endowment
A group of dedicated alumni and friends have provided the funding for a matching grant program to create the Hygeia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy. The Chairperson of the Department of Pharmacy will occupy the Centennial Chair. The inaugural holder will be Gilbert Burckart, Pharm.D., who will join the School in 2003. By supporting Dr. Burckart’s scholarly activity, this endowment will enable students to learn cutting-edge practice and research techniques in clinical pharmacogenomics.
“By establishing a research and education program in clinical pharmacogenomics, Gil’s work will focus on individualized drug therapies based on a patient’s genotype,” said Dean Timothy Chan, Ph.D. “This discipline will allow pharmacists and physicians to forecast tolerability and potential adverse reactions, ultimately changing the way that medications are administered.”
The Hygeia matching gift program will be structured similarly to the Heeres Challenge grant that raised over $1 million from 1998 to 2002. Through an initial pledge of $300,000, the Heeres Challenge raised funds for the complete renovation of teaching facilities with multi-media upgrades.
With a lead gift of $375,000, the School intends to raise $1,875,000 over the next three years to endow the Hygeia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy. The endowment will commemorate the School of Pharmacy’s 100-year anniversary in 2005.
“The lead gift of $375,000 will allow up front funding for equipment and staffing, as well as ensuring that the position is endowed in perpetuity,” said Chan.
By contributing to the Hygeia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy, donors will have the opportunity to change the way that students learn about the pharmacy profession, enabling them to stay informed about important advances in clinical pharmacy research.
Through the matching gift program, alumni and friends are invited to become new or upgraded members of the USC Pharmacy Associates at the Dean, Provost or Presidential levels. Donors to the USC Pharmacy Associates become partners with the University and receive special benefits and recognition.
For more information on the Hygenia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy, please contact Mary Wackerman, director of major gifts, USC School of Pharmacy, (323) 442-1360; mwacker@usc.edu.