Three faculty receive promotion and tenure

Three members of the DKICP Department of Pharmacy Practice have received tenure and promotion, based on the high quality of their teaching, service and research. Drs. Bryce Fukunaga and Aryn Meguro have been promoted from assistant to associate professors and both received tenure. Dr. Michelle Kim was promoted from assistant to associate specialist and received tenure.

All three are alumni of DKICP. Both Fukunaga and Meguro joined DKICP as assistant professors in 2017, after completing their Pharm.D. degrees in 2016 and a PGY1 residency with the DKICP and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health (HPH).

Fukunaga specializes in ambulatory care and has worked with and overseen student practice sites at Keaʻau Family Health & Dental Center and East Hawaii Health Clinics in Pahoa and Keaʻau. He has published numerous papers and posters on the state and national level; received research grants on topics including diabetes education, drug overdose prevention, and primary care access; helped organize community health screenings and COVID vaccine clinics; served as faculty advisor to multiple student organizations; and received several teaching awards.

Meguro specializes in acute-care pharmacy and precepts students during their IPPE and APPE rotations at Hilo Benioff Medical Center. She has organized, implemented and secured grants for a variety of community outreach and educational projects on topics including pain management, opioids and diabetes; has published in national journals and completed many poster presentations at state and national conferences; served as faculty advisor for student organizations; and received teaching and preceptor of the year awards.

Kim received her Pharm.D. in 2014, did a PGY1 residency with the DKICP and HPH, then joined the college as a junior specialist in 2015. She was promoted to assistant specialist in 2019 and became clinical education coordinator for student ambulatory care rotations at the East Hawaii Health Clinic. She has published papers in state and national journals and presented many posters at professional conferences; received grants for research on integrating pharmacy into primary care, glucose monitoring sensors and drug overdose prevention. She has volunteered to help with student mentoring and advising, as well as community events, and received the faculty preceptor award last year.