DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, AND INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY

Florida A&M University seeks a dynamic and experienced academic leader to serve as the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute of Public Health (CoPPS-IPH). The right candidate is central to advancing Florida A&M University’s research enterprise, clinical training infrastructure, community health impact, and national standing in pharmaceutical sciences and public health education.

For more information please visit the full profile here:

https://myersmcrae.com/api/admin/create-job/file/Files/PDF/Florida-AM_Dean-Pharmacy_Final-1771008350111-876971303.pdf

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1887, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), located in Tallahassee, is the third oldest university in the State University System of Florida and is the state’s only public historically Black university. FAMU is an energetic and dynamic institution, acclaimed for the excellent achievement of its students, alumni, faculty, and its contribution to society in the pursuit of education and research. The university works every day to continue to propel itself to the forefront of innovation and scholarship.  In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates.

     With an enrollment of nearly 10,000 students, FAMU ranks among the nation’s Top 100 public universities in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” ranking, landing at #81; #3 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); #1 public HBCU; #20 for Social Mobility; and #152 among National Universities.

     FAMU’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of discovery propels it forward as one of the nation’s best public universities. Across disciplines, FAMU’s world-class researchers seek answers to some of humanity’s most challenging problems, addressing issues that impact Florida, the nation and beyond. With $112.4M (FY24) in research awards, FAMU is on the precipice to achieve Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s highest and most coveted Very High Research Activity status (R1) in the next few years.

     FAMU’s 14 colleges and schools, offering more than 60 undergraduate and 40 graduate degree programs, through its College of Agriculture and Food Sciences; College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Institute of Public Health; College of Education; College of Law; College of Science and Technology; College of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities; FAMU-FSU College of Engineering; School of Allied Health Sciences; School of Architecture & Engineering Technology; School of Business and Industry; School
of Graduate Studies and Research; School of Journalism & Graphic Communications; School of Nursing; and School of the Environment.

     The University offers more than 100 student organizations and several fraternities and sororities. FAMU is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and fields 14 NCAA Division 1 athletic teams.

     In addition to the main campus in Tallahassee, FAMU has several satellite campuses across Florida. These include the College of Law in Orlando and the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, which has sites in Crestview, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami as well as its primary campus in Tallahassee.

FAMU Vision

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University will be recognized as a leading national public university that is internationally renowned for its competitive graduates, transformative research,
and innovation.

FAMU Mission

FAMU is an 1890 land grant, doctoral/research institution devoted to student success at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional levels. FAMU enhances the lives of its constituents and empowers communities through innovative teaching, research, scholarship, partnerships, and public service. The University continues its rich legacy and historic mission of educating the nation’s best and brightest.

FAMU Values

FAMU is committed to the values of accountability, Inclusion, innovation, and integrity. The University also values and endorses the Board of Governors’ Statement of Free Expression and expects open-minded and tolerant civil discourse to take place throughout the campus community.

ABOUT THE CoPPS-IPH

FAMU’s College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute of Public Health program offers its students PharmD, BS, MS, PhD, MPH and DrPH degrees. With its main campus in Tallahassee, it is the only pharmacy program in the United States with a fully accredited Institute of Public Health. The College has additional practice centers in Jacksonville, Davie, and Tampa with a campus in Crestview, which support the infrastructure for the College’s statewide commitment to pharmacy and public health education through research, teaching, and community service.

     Founded in September 1951, the Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health has a rich history of producing high-caliber graduates. In keeping with the University’s mission, the College is dedicated to academic excellence, research superiority, and community service to prepare its students for leading pharmacy, research, and public health roles. The College is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. The Institute of Public Health is accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

     The mission of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and its Institute of Public Health, in concert with FAMU, is to transform lives through the advancement of health and wellness of all populations, with a special emphasis on the health equity of vulnerable and underserved populations. CoPPS-IPH is committed to supportive teaching, learning, and research environments that instill cultural competence, ethics, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and interprofessional skills. Its commitment prepares students for leadership roles as health care providers, practitioners, advocates, innovators, researchers, and life-long learners. The College promotes the provision of the population and patient-centered, evidence-based care, the discovery, and dissemination of knowledge, community engagement, and service-learning.

     CoPPS-IPH represents a large-scale, multi-campus academic and research enterprise with an annual operating budget of approximately $17.9 million. Supported by 74 faculty members and 29 professional staff, the College offers a robust platform for leadership in professional education, doctoral training, clinical partnerships, and health-focused research. This scale provides the next Dean with the opportunity to lead a complex, high-impact organization with statewide reach and significant capacity for growth, innovation, and national visibility.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The right candidate for Dean of FAMU’s prestigious College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute of Public Health will provide visionary leadership for one of the University’s most complex and strategically significant academic units. It is a critical institutional priority as this College continues to expand its academic, clinical, research, and public health impact across Florida and nationally.

     This position is a generational leadership opportunity for a Senior Research 1–caliber academic executive to lead one of the most comprehensive and mission-driven pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and public health enterprises in the nation and elevate it to its next level of national distinction, research scale, clinical influence, and global relevance. This position reports to the Executive Vice President for Health Science Enterprise and Research Innovation, with a dotted reporting line to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The next Dean will be a Research 1 strategist, national fundraiser, clinical enterprise builder, and doctoral research architect charged with accelerating:

Research & Doctoral Research Expansion

• Significant growth in research doctoral scholars (PhD, DrPH, translational sciences)
• Expansion of federally funded research portfolios
• Full leverage of existing institutes and centers for interdisciplinary discovery
• Elevation of national research output, impact, patents, and commercialization

Endowed Chairs & Faculty Distinction

• Expansion of endowed chairs and named professorships
• Recruitment and retention of elite research-active scholars and clinician scientists
• National academy-level faculty visibility

Community Impact, Population Health Leadership

• Strategic leadership of community-engaged healthcare initiatives to advance Florida’s Health Improvement goals
• Expansion of rural and community-based clinical programs and prevention focused interventions
• Development and expansion of population health programs addressing chronic diseases
• Alignment of community-engaged research and interprofessional education with value-based care models, and workforce deployment priorities

Fundraising & Revenue Acceleration

• Major philanthropic campaigns
• Corporate and foundation investment growth
• Alumni and legacy giving strategies
• Expansion of entrepreneurial and commercialization revenues

Public–Private & Industry Partnership Growth

• Expansion of partnerships with Eli Lilly and additional pharmaceutical, biotech, and health innovation firms
• Deepening health system integration and sponsored research pipelines
• Workforce-aligned research and clinical training economies

National Reputation, Rankings & Accreditation Excellence

• Strategic advancement of the College’s national standing and US News & World Report ranking
• Leadership in pharmacy and public health accreditation excellence
• National conference leadership, policy influence, and scholarly impact

FLORIDA BOARD OF GOVERNORS & LICENSURE MANDATE

The success of the Doctor of Pharmacy program is directly tied to the University’s performance funding and accountability metrics. As such, first-time licensure passage for the Doctor of Pharmacy is an institutional imperative and a formal mandate of the Florida Board of Governors. The next Dean must bring demonstrated experience in:

• Curriculum quality and assessment
• Student success infrastructure
• Accreditation compliance
• Licensure preparation strategy
• Workforce leadership

THE POWER AND PRESTIGE OF FAMU AS AN HBCU

As one of the nation’s most respected Historically Black Colleges and Universities, FAMU offers a mission-driven platform with global relevance. The candidate for Dean will lead within an institution that seamlessly blends:

• Academic excellence
• Scientific innovation
• Cultural legacy
• Workforce leadership
• Community-embedded public health impact

This deanship represents the opportunity to redefine what a modern health sciences enterprise can be at the intersection of mission driven work, innovation discovery, and national influence.

COMPENSATION

The salary range is commensurate with industry standards as benchmarked through the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and national market comparators for research-intensive pharmacy and public health executive leadership roles.

PREFERRED LEADERSHIP PROFILE

The University seeks a leader who brings:

• An earned doctorate or terminal degree in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, public health, or a related health discipline
• Senior executive academic leadership experience (Dean, Associate Dean, or equivalent)
• A record of success in Research 1 environments
• Demonstrated mastery of:
  • Accreditation (ACPE and public health accrediting bodies)
  • Complex budgeting and fiscal leadership
  • Externally funded research growth
  • Faculty recruitment at scale
  • Leadership and Faculty Development
  • Community Engagement
  • National rankings cultivation
  • Proven ability to command national respect across academia, healthcare systems, philanthropy, and industry.

WHY THIS DEANSHIP IS NATIONALLY TRANSFORMATIONAL

This is not simply a leadership role. It is the opportunity to:

• Lead one of the nation’s most strategically positioned health science enterprises
• Direct a multi-campus clinical education and research ecosystem
• Shape the next generation of pharmacists, researchers, and public health innovators
• Accelerate Research 1-aligned discovery and commercialization
• Influence national pharmacy and public health policy and workforce outcomes; and
• Build a lasting legacy at one of America’s most important universities.

Anticipated Start Date: September 2026

DONALD E. PALM, III, PH.D.

Dr. Donald E. Palm III is a transformative leader in higher education with more than 30 years of demonstrated academic excellence, student success, and research innovation. Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of education to change lives and strengthen communities, he has led with purpose, accountability, and a passion for excellence.

     Dr. Palm currently serves as the Florida A&M University (FAMU) inaugural Executive Vice President for Health Science Enterprise and Research Innovation, where he drives a bold vision integrating academic excellence, interdisciplinary research, and workforce readiness across programs in Pharmacy, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, and Public Health and positioning the university toward Carnegie R1 Classification.

     Previously, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at FAMU, Dr. Palm provided executive oversight of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Research, and Strategic Planning, leading record gains in national rankings, student outcomes, and research funding. At Virginia State University, as Executive Vice President and Provost, he launched innovative academic programs, grew enrollment to historic levels, and secured unprecedented state investments in capital and operational funding.

     Dr. Palm earned his B.A. in Chemistry from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Neurosurgery at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital. His leadership development includes the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program and Harvard’s Management Development Program.

PROVOST ALLYSON L. WATSON, PH.D.

Dr. Allyson L. Watson has served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Florida A&M University since 2023, where she functions as the institution’s chief academic officer, providing executive oversight of academic strategy, faculty affairs, and student success across multiple colleges and schools. She has previously served in senior leadership roles including dean of the College of Education at Florida A&M University from 2019–2022, before becoming interim provost and then accepting the provost position in 2023. She has also served as interim chief academic officer, dean at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, assistant dean, and as Northeastern State University’s inaugural named endowed chair.

     Dr. Watson holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Oklahoma, where her academic preparation emphasized educational leadership, educational policy, institutional strategy, and systems-level reform in higher education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bethune-Cookman University. Earlier in her career,
Dr. Watson served in administrative leadership at the University of Oklahoma Center for Educational and Community Renewal (now the K–20 Center), supporting statewide and cross-sector technology-access initiatives focused on educational pipelines and institutional collaboration.

     Across her career, Dr. Watson has led large-scale academic enterprises, advanced faculty development and research capacity, and strengthened partnerships among universities, industry, and community stakeholders. She has directed institution-wide initiatives that align academic programs with regional and national workforce priorities, grown externally funded research, and improved student progression and degree completion outcomes. Her leadership is characterized by a focus on academic quality, student success, operational effectiveness, and measurable institutional performance.

     Dr. Watson is an inaugural Gates Millennium Scholar and served as national alumni president of the Gates Millennium Scholars Alumni Association from 2010 to 2013. She brings a leadership philosophy grounded in accountability, strategic execution, and the belief that strong institutions create pathways for sustained individual and collective achievement.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

Tallahassee is the site of the Florida State Capitol, Supreme Court of Florida, Florida Governor’s Mansion, and nearly 30 state agency headquarters as well as Florida A&M University.

     The city is a recognized regional center for scientific research, and home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. In 2015, Tallahassee was awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League for the second time.

     Close to the Gulf of Mexico, there is a plethora of things to do in Tallahassee. Great adventures and sites include the beaches, the Tallahassee Museum, the Florida History Museum, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Mission St. Luis de Apalachee, St. Marks Lighthouse, the Tallahassee Automobile Museum, the Florida Historic Capitol Museum, Railroad Square Art District, the Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum at FAMU, the Goodwood Museum and Gardens, Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, Cascades Park, and many more walking and biking trails, outdoor exploration, and activities. Restaurants and shops are plentiful and superb.

     Tallahassee is also known for its fabulous festivals and events, such as the Tallahassee Food and Wine Festival, the Greek Food Festival, the Harambee Festival, Springtime Tallahassee, First Friday festivals
at Railroad Square, and Downtown Getdowns.

     Educationally, the population of Leon County, of which Tallahassee is the county seat, is the most highly educated population in Florida. Tallahassee is home to countless public schools, charter schools, private schools, and even a virtual high school. FAMU is home to the distinguished Developmental Research School, a K–12 school. While Tallahassee boasts many hospitals and clinics, it also has numerous family physicians and well-qualified specialists.

APPLICATION & NOMINATION PROCESS

Confidential inquiries are welcomed, and nominations are invited.

Applications

1) All application packets must include the following:

a) A letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and qualifications of the position

b) Current résumé

c) At least four references with full contact information including e-mail (References will not be contacted without consent from applicant.)

A background and criminal report will be conducted on the finalists selected for campus interviews.

2) Submit application materials online, preferably as PDFs. Additional information is requested with the submission of materials. Review of applications begins immediately. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Nominations

Submit nominations with complete contact and e-mail information for the individual being nominated.

Consultant

FAMU has retained Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting to assist the College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Institute of Public Health (CoPPS-IPH) in its identification and review of candidates. Becky Herman, a consultant for Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting, is conducting this search. Request a conversation at beckyherman@myersmcrae.com.

The Florida A&M University (FAMU) is committed, as evident in our policies, principles and practices, to an educational environment and equal opportunity workplace wherein each member of the University community is free from any form of harassment and discrimination. Therefore, the University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, genetic information, and veteran status, or any other legally protected group status (including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972), in accordance with state and federal laws. Discriminatory conduct in the form of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking, is also prohibited.