As the college continues to grow and change through the strategic planning process, one area that is getting some attention is outreach and engagement. Our college faculty, staff and students have a track record of excellent service to the community.
Looking forward, we are ready as a college to take outreach and engagement to the next level. To facilitate this movement, Dr. Jennifer Rodis was appointed as assistant dean for outreach and engagement this fall. With her appointment, we are developing an office of outreach and engagement, which will foster local to global impact. I asked Dr. Rodis to share some highlights of what the Office of Outreach and Engagement has already been doing, as well as a little about new projects that will further extend our commitment to our community and our world.
People often ask, “What is outreach and engagement?” Simply stated, outreach and engagement happens when we take the great things happening at Ohio State outside the walls of the university to better the world around us. This may be through teaching, research, or service, the traditional three pegs of academia, or through extensions of those pegs with advocacy, connectivity, and empowerment.
Examples of the exciting outreach and engagement activities this semester include students helping in numerous free clinics, senior living establishments, and pharmacies providing hours of service to the community through Medication Therapy Management (MTM), vaccination, and diabetes awareness.
The Generation Rx initiative continues to lead the battle against drug misuse through the robust Lab at COSI, toolkits that are used across the globe, and the engagement of our students, faculty and staff in this important fight.
In addition to our internal work, the newly-created Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery has enlisted the expertise of the colleges of pharmacy (through Drs. Ken Hale and Nicole Kwiek), social work, and the Student Wellness Center to address drug misuse and recovery among college students.
Our Schweitzer fellows are leading initiatives to battle hypertension in patients with limited access to health care, and Partner for Promotion continues to mentor students and community pharmacists through development of novel services in community pharmacies.
As the college expands its knowledge transfer as part of outreach and engagement, we will explore new ways to share information and connect with professionals and the public. Dr. Bella Mehta has recently been appointed to head our continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives as director of CPD.
Another key example of outreach and engagement work will occur this spring with Ken Hale’s “Introduction to Pharmacy” MOOC starting its third session through Coursera.
Additionally, our international partnerships are growing, as the college supports pharmacy practice and research development in countries across the globe through training experiences for students and pharmacists.
We are excited for the opportunity to optimize and strategically enhance outreach and engagement efforts within the college. We encourage you to contact us if you have ideas or suggestions in this area. It is only through the efforts of our pharmacy students, faculty, and staff that we can offer so many outstanding programs that improve the lives of individuals at home and abroad.
Thank you to Dr. Rodis and all of the members of the outreach and engagement team who are helping these great initiatives become reality, making a difference for our local and global communities.
This is our last issue of Knowledge Dispensary for this year.
Happy Holidays and best wishes for 2015.
Until next year,
Katherine Kelley