Eddington Named New Dean
David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, today announced his appointment of Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, as dean of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
By Jeffrey Raymond
July 3, 2007
David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, today announced his appointment of Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, as dean of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
Eddington is a nationally renowned expert in pharmacokinetics, the movement of drugs among the cells of the body. She was chosen following a national search to replace Dean David A. Knapp, PhD, who is retiring as dean after leading the School to national prominence during his 18-year tenure. Professor Eddington, chair of the School’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is also an alumna of the School.
Her work has been supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the pharmaceutical industry. As department chair, she guided the launch of the Center for Nanomedicine and Cellular Delivery, which is bringing together a collection of scientists to find new and better ways of providing pharmaceutical treatment. As dean, she will advance education and research by fostering collaborations among disciplines.
“I am delighted to have Dr. Eddington aboard as our new dean,” says Ramsay. “The School of Pharmacy is deepening its commitment to leadership in education and research, and Natalie has proven herself as a first-rate teacher, researcher, and administrator.”
Her goals for the School include increased fundraising and utilization of distance learning to increase the number of students the School can educate. She also wants to build on the School’s record of leadership in community service, research, and health care delivery. “We’re going to set the standards,” she says.
Eddington has a lengthy history of achievements and honors. She graduated summa cum laude with a BS in pharmacy in 1982 from Howard University. She earned her PhD from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 1989 and, after working as assistant director of new drug development at Pfizer Inc., joined the faculty in 1991. She was appointed director of the Pharmacokinetics/Biopharmaceutics Laboratory in 1999, and became chair of the School’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2003. This year, the Center for Nanomedicine and Cellular Delivery, housed in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, became the first Organized Research Center at the School of Pharmacy.
“I’m proud that I rose through the ranks at the School of Pharmacy, from graduate student to faculty member, then to department chair, and now dean,” she says.
Her honors and awards include a “National Women of Color All Star Award” in 2006 from the National Women of Color in Technology Conference, a “Mentor Recognition Award” from the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society in 2005, and the “Outstanding Service as an External Scientific Advisory Committee Member Service Award” from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Minority Biomedical Research Support Program in 2004.
As dean, Eddington will oversee the expansion of the School to the Universities at Shady Grove this fall. In order to meet Maryland’s growing demand for pharmacists, 40 students have been added to the usual class of 120 at the Baltimore campus.
The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, founded in 1841, is the fourth oldest school of pharmacy in the nation and the only pharmacy school in Maryland. Through its education, research, and service programs, the School of Pharmacy strives to improve the health and well-being of society by aiding in the discovery, development, and use of medicines. Ranked eighth among all American pharmacy schools by U.S.News & World Report, the School engages in a wide variety of professional practice activities, partnering with over 200 community pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and other agencies to provide services to citizens and practitioners around the state and across the nation.