UH BOR approves appointment of Carolyn Ma as UH Hilo dean of pharmacy

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) approved the appointment of Carolyn Ma to be the second dean of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) at a meeting held on Maui on September 22.

Ma has served as interim dean since Founding Dean John Pezzuto left UH Hilo in August 2015. UH Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney said he asked UH President David Lassner to appoint Ma as permanent dean because “important work will be required” to prepare for an accreditation visit in March 2017 as well as to “continue ongoing efforts to enhance recruitment.”

“The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy plays a critical role for our campus, our communities and our state,” Straney wrote in a letter to DKICP faculty and staff about the decision. “Dr. Ma has successfully guided the College in her year as interim dean. The College finances are secure and construction of a permanent facility has begun.”

Born and raised on Oʻahu, Ma earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Santa Clara in California, and her doctor in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from the University of California-San Francisco. She was awarded a residency in clinical pharmacy practice at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Department of Pharmacy in Philadelphia. She went on to become an advanced oncology resident in the Department of Pharmacy and Drug Information at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

With an extensive background in clinical pharmacy practice, pharmacy and hospital administration, Ma is a registered pharmacist with licenses in Hawaiʻi, Nevada and California and remains boarded in Oncology Pharmacy. She joined DKICP in 2007 as the clinical education coordinator and designed, constructed and implemented 4,200-square feet of space in what is formerly known as the Gold Bond building in Kakaako on Oʻahu. Additionally, in preparation for the advanced rotations, or internships for student pharmacists, she helped place numerous faculty in residence at Oʻahu, Maui and Kauaʻi hospitals and clinics.

Former Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed her Director for Oʻahu on the Hawaiʻi State Board of Pharmacy from 2011- 2015 and Governor Ige re-appointed her to a 2015-2019 term. She also is past president of the Hawaiʻi Pharmacists Association (HPhA).

“Dr. Ma’s impeccable credentials give us a strong foothold as we take the College of Pharmacy to the next level,” Straney said. “Meanwhile, this milestone comes at a timely juncture as bulldozers are currently at work on the construction of the permanent building. This is truly a testament to Senator Daniel Inouye’s dream of making the College the ‘center of excellence’ for Hawaiʻi Island.”