College of Pharmacy | UAMS College of Pharmacy

Position Profile

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy invites applications for a 12-month, tenure-track faculty position at the rank of assistant, associate or full professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The faculty member will develop an independent research program in an area of biomedical or pharmaceutical sciences that is in line with or complements current research laboratories in the department and UAMS. While the primary focus of this position is scholarship, commitment to education activities and service to the College, University, and profession are also expected.

The successful candidate will provide functions in teaching, research/scholarly activities, professional development, academic citizenship, and administrative academic service. Candidates with research programs in an area of cancer research, including but not limited to cancer (molecular) biology, development of novel cancer therapeutics, cancer immunology, the tumor microenvironment, or the study of effects of cancer therapy on normal (non-cancer) tissues are especially encouraged to apply.

This is a tenure-track faculty position. Other research and/or institutional opportunities may be available depending on candidate experience and interests. The faculty appointment will be in the Department in the College of Pharmacy. Academic rank will be commensurate with experience.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. UAMS also ranked in the top 30% nationwide on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list and was the only Arkansas employer included. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health.

UAMS is an academic health science campus with Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, Health Professions, and Graduate School. The UAMS main campus is in Little Rock and has a regional campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Little Rock – North Little Rock communities consist of approximately 750,000 people and offer a high quality of life with a modest cost of living, excellent schools, and recreational opportunities. Clinical excellence, scientific translation, and practical applicability are found in abundance at UAMS. Faculty enjoy close collaboration among colleagues from seven research institutes, eight regional clinical centers across the state, the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Research interests align via the Translational Research Institute, founded in 2011 following a 2009 Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). UAMS BioVentures facilitates commercialization of inventions and services developed by UAMS researchers to benefit public health. In the last 5 year, UAMS and the Cancer Institute have seen an extraordinary expansion of their research facilities, programs and funding, as summarized on the homepage of the UAMS Office of Research and Innovation here.

The College of Pharmacy

The UAMS College of Pharmacy was established at the beginning of the 1951-52 academic year in response to the demand for well-prepared individuals in practical and theoretical pharmacy and interrelated subjects. The US News & World Report ranks the UAMS College of Pharmacy at 31 out of 134 pharmacy schools nationwide. The academic responsibility of the College of Pharmacy is to nurture an environment of excellence in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences, with communication and acquisition of new knowledge through teaching and the pursuit of new knowledge through research and study. The College of Pharmacy has approximately 55 full-time faculty members. The College offers a 4-year professional doctoral degree in pharmacy and Ph.D. degrees in two major tracks: Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is composed of 17 faculty members at the rank of assistant professor or higher, who oversee a total of 12 research laboratories. The Department incorporates a drug discovery group with state-of-the-art laboratories for chemical synthesis and analysis as well as in vitro and in vivo testing of new drug treatments. In addition, the Department houses the Division of Radiation Health which has a focus on identifying biological mechanisms of radiation response and interventions that prevent or reduce normal tissue radiation injuries. The Department is the home of the Center for Studies of Host Response to Cancer Therapy, supported by an NIGMS Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant, with the primary objective of supporting junior faculty in their research and career development. Many faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences are a member of and have leadership roles in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

Minimum Qualifications

The candidate will have a PhD and/or PharmD or terminal degree with expertise in a biomedical or pharmaceutical science.
Experience as postdoctoral fellow or independent researcher in academia or industry preferred.
Must have excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.

Application Process & Requirements

To assure full consideration, applications must include

1) a curriculum vitae or resume

Applications will be sought until the position is filled. Applications should be submitted to the UAMS Workday posting

Nominations and applicant inquiries can be sent to Robert Moore via e-mail at rdmoore@uams.edu or at 501-686-7272.

This is a safety sensitive position and is subject to pre-employment screening (criminal background, drug testing, and/or education verification). A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication alone shall not disqualify an applicant except as provided by law. Any criminal history will be evaluated in relationship to job responsibilities and business necessity. The information obtained in these reports will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

UAMS is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by telephone at 501-686-6432 and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

On a recent trip, Grazyna Nowak, Ph.D., was reluctant to switch rooms when the hotel management asked if she would, she said Aug. 18 at the White Coat Ceremony for the UAMS College of Pharmacy Class of 2021.

A professor in the college’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a recipient of the 2017 Pharmaceutical Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award, Nowak was the keynote speaker at the ceremony.

“I was happy with my room, enjoyed the surroundings, and appreciated the company of friendly birds that visited my balcony to ask for treats,” she said.

Despite her misgivings, Nowak decided to take a chance and embrace the possibility the room might be even better than her first one.

She started to regret her choice when she found the pathway to the new room was dull and also required passing by a noisy maintenance facility. Regret faded fast however when she opened the door.

“Across from me was a view I will never forget,” Nowak said. “It was a view of beautiful lush green mountains and tall waterfalls cascading down vertical cliffs; a view of nature free of any signatures of civilization, a view almost too perfect to be real.”

Because often we don’t like change and are uncomfortable with the unknown, we hesitate to recognize and seize opportunities, she said.

“Life presents you an opportunity now — one offered only to those who have been persistent and motivated, who have worked hard to learn a lot, who have the qualities necessary to become a health care professional,” Nowak said to the first-year students.

She said four years ago, the profession of pharmacist was ranked the third best profession in the nation based on 10-year growth volume, median salary, employment rate, future job prospects, opportunities for training and advancement, stress level and work-life balance.

Pharmacy isn’t limited to the retail environment, Nowak explained. Although rewards are there, too, pharmacy graduates have a variety of other career paths from which to choose, including chemotherapy pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, drug development, long-term care and education.

After Nowak spoke, the 123 students in the Class of 2021 one by one walked on stage to put on white coats to mark symbolically the beginning of their four years of study and their transition into the life of a student-pharmacist.

“Your white coat stands out because it is important to your patient care, it is a sign of caring, a sign of compassion for your patients,” College of Pharmacy Dean Keith Olsen, Pharm. D., said. “By donning the white coat, your patients expect the utmost professionalism from each of us. They expect the best every day. I have no doubt each of you will thrive in your white coat and in the College of Pharmacy.”

Sponsored by the Arkansas Pharmacists Association (APA), it was the college’s 15^th annual White Coat Ceremony. Representing the APA at the ceremony was Scott Pace, Pharm. D., the association’s executive vice president and CEO.

About 600 people attended, including college faculty and staff, and friends and family.

Following the keynote address, Meghan Petersen, president of the UAMS American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists UAMS Chapter, led the Class of 2021 in reciting the Student Pledge of Professionalism.

The average grade point average of the incoming class, which includes 49 males and 74 females, was 3.46.

Read full article in UAMS Newsroom >

Assistant/Associate Professor Position in Pharmaceutical Sciences