Pharmacy college construction to start in February
Article reprinted courtesy of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald - (hawaiitribune-herald.com)
Thursday, November 1, 2007 9:55 AM HST
By BRET YAGER
Tribune-Herald Staff Writer
Come next school year, the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy will have a whole new set of digs to welcome returning students.
Things have gone well for the school in its inaugural year, first with the swearing in of 90 pharmacy students in mid-October, then with the release of $6 million in funds by Gov. Linda Lingle last week. The money will be used to acquire as many as four new modular buildings to house labs, classrooms and offices on four acres near the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources in the University Park of Science and Technology.
Design work will finish this month, with construction slated to begin in February and wrap up by fall of 2008.
The new facilities will give the students a place of their own. Pharmacy students are currently sharing classrooms and labs with the UH-Hilo's biology and chemistry departments.
The school also has a $2 million per year operating budget allotted by the Legislature, and plans to be independent of state money within five years.
Lingle has said the facility gives Hawaii students a chance to enter a highly desirable career field.
About half of the students in the inaugural class are Hawaii residents, and the school intends to maintain that even split. Previously, any Hawaii resident interested in studying pharmacy had to travel to the mainland to do so.
Graduates of the four-year program can look forward to jobs that pay up to $100,000 a year amid a market facing a severe shortage of pharmacists. Prior to the start of the college this year, Hawaii was one of only five states lacking such a facility.
"This is a powerful statement that raises the profile of the College of Pharmacy," UH-Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng said in a statement. "We firmly believe it will help transform UH-Hilo by producing first-class pharmacists, establishing networks throughout the state, and enhancing our roles as a major economic engine. The approval and release of this funding sends a clear signal that the governor and Legislature share and support that vision."
College of Pharmacy Dean John Pezzuto said the buildings would help launch the research programs critical to the school's success. UH-Hilo officials estimate that permanent facilities are about five years and $40 million to $50 million away.
"The College of Pharmacy will still need a permanent site and building, but Phase I is important because it establishes a solid foundation for a full build-out," said Gerald De Mello, university relations director.
Competition is tight for limited enrollment slots; the school is anticipating 1,000 applications for next fall's freshman class and will be able to accept less than one in 10. The college will add to the enrollment each year for four years, for a final total of about 320 students served by 63 faculty, support staff and administration.
Pharmacy students attend classes for the first three years. The final year is centered largely on hands-on pharmacy experience, with students stationed at clinical practices throughout the state.