New Associate Deans Appointed

Drs. Agnes Ann Feemster and Andrew Coop will lead academic affairs and graduate programs, respectively.

By Becky Ceraul
February 21, 2024

Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, dean of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, has made two associate dean appointments:

• Agnes Ann Feemster, PharmD, BCPS, associate professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research and assistant dean for experiential learning, has been named associate dean for academic affairs.
• Andrew Coop, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, has been named associate dean for graduate programs.

Both appointments are effective Feb. 26 with Feemster continuing oversight of the Office of Experiential Learning until a new assistant dean is appointed.

Agnes Ann Feemster, associate dean for academic affairs

As associate dean for academic affairs, Feemster will provide oversight of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum with a focus on continuous improvement to meet the needs of today’s students and the pharmacy profession. She will also oversee implementation of the forthcoming MPact PharmD curriculum in partnership with faculty, staff, and School leadership.

Feemster, a faculty member since 2014 and medication safety officer at Johns Hopkins Hospital, received a bachelor’s degree in pre-professional health studies from Clemson University, a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a PharmD from the University of South Carolina. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. She has more than 15 years of clinical, leadership, and management experience in health-system pharmacy practice at large teaching hospitals.

Before joining UMSOP, Feemster served as interim director of pharmacy at the University of Maryland Medical Center and assistant director of clinical pharmacy, investigational drug, and central production services. She leads the School’s pharmacy practice management and health-system pharmacy course and serves on the advisory board for the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Center for Global Engagement, where she has been instrumental in advancing the University’s global partnerships.

Feemster’s research interests include pharmacy practice management and leadership, medication safety, educational methods and outcomes, pharmacy informatics, global health, and interprofessional education.

As assistant dean for experiential learning since 2016, Feemster has overseen the recruitment and management of preceptors, rotation sites, and introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences for students, which account for more than 30 percent of the School’s PharmD curriculum. She has grown the School’s roster of preceptors, domestic and international rotation sites, the student and preceptor evaluation process, and was actively involved in developing and implementing a uniform student evaluation tool used by all Maryland schools of pharmacy.

She was the recipient of the 2021 W. Arthur Purdum Award from the Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacy.

“Dr. Feemster is a thoughtful and pragmatic leader with a tremendous sense of compassion who brings decades of pharmacy practice, curriculum, and student development experience to this associate dean role,” said Michel. “She has been a trusted and respected member of the School’s leadership team for many years and co-leads our Curriculum Reimagination Taskforce, giving her a unique perspective on the future direction of our Office of Academic Affairs.”

Andrew Coop, associate dean for graduate programs

Coop has been on faculty at the School of Pharmacy since 1999. He previously served as associate dean for academic affairs, interim associate dean for graduate programs, and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) from 2007-2015. As chair of PSC, he oversaw the development of the School’s MS in Regulatory Science program and oversaw a six-credit course successfully certified by Quality Matters. In his associate dean for academic affairs role, he was heavily involved in the development of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program and the design and approval of the program’s certificate courses.

Coop is a fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. He is a past chair of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s (AACP) Chemistry Section and is current chair of AACP’s Graduate Education Special Interest Group. He is a recipient of AACP’s Wynn Award for Teaching Excellence from the Chemistry section, was the 2019 Maryland Chemist of the Year, and has successfully mentored and graduated PhD students who subsequently became faculty members at other schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Coop received his PhD from the University of Bristol in chemistry of drugs of abuse, followed by a Fogerty post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. His research has focused on the design and synthesis of new opioid analgesics with reduced tolerance, and the development of novel antidepressants.

As associate dean for graduate programs, Coop will oversee certificate, MS, and PhD programs, stewarding and assessing current programs, and identifying and developing new programs. He will work closely with faculty academic program directors, as well as staff in the Office of Graduate Programs to support all aspects of the student lifecycle – recruitment, admissions, student affairs, and career development.

“Dr. Coop has been a long-time leader within the School and a champion of students in each of his roles,” said Michel. “His in-depth knowledge of UMB, the School, our academic programs, and the changing landscape of higher education will be invaluable in his role as associate dean for graduate programs.”

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