University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is First Pharmacy School in the Nation to Join Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers

Consortium – administered by Rice University – is comprised of 350 schools and colleges that collaborate on advancing, strengthening, and celebrating the role of universities in teaching future entrepreneurs.

By Ashley Boston
November 20, 2024

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) has joined the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC), the premier academic organization addressing emerging topics of importance to the nation’s university-based entrepreneurship programs. UMSOP is the first pharmacy school in the nation to be part of the consortium, which places the School among some of the world’s top universities leading in entrepreneurship education and innovation.

Established in 1997, GCEC is the vehicle by which the top, established entrepreneurship programs, as well as emerging programs, work together to share best practices, develop programs and initiatives, and collaborate and assist each other in advancing, strengthening, and celebrating the role of universities in teaching the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. It is comprised of more than 600 individual members from 350 schools and colleges and hosts an annual conference and awards program and provides virtual webinars throughout the year. UMSOP is a new member of GCEC’s Leadership Circle.

“Joining this prestigious consortium marks an important milestone for the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Pharmapreneurship® initiative,” says Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, MS, FAPhA, FNAP, the School’s Felix Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship, associate dean for clinical services and practice transformation, executive director of the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions, and professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research. “Membership gives us the opportunity to showcase our work and to partner with some of the country’s top universities on solutions for critical health care challenges.”

The Pharmapreneurship initiative was founded at UMSOP in 2017. Since then, the School has created scholarships for students, developed a pharmapreneurship pathway in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, endowed a professorship, hosted student business pitching competitions, and facilitated entrepreneurial activities and events for faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Pharmapreneurship equips students, faculty, and staff with a mindset of innovation and problem solving and provides the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to tackle current health care challenges and those in the future. It prepares pharmapreneurs to lead health care transformation, fostering creativity, business expertise, and entrepreneurial leadership.

“The Leadership Circle is an esteemed group of schools who provide invaluable financial support and expertise to the GCEC,” says Holly DeArmond, MBA, executive director of GCEC. “These schools are leaders in higher education entrepreneurship and are vital to the future of our organization. We are so pleased to have the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy join the GCEC Leadership Circle as our first-ever pharmacy school member. The School of Pharmacy’s commitment to weaving entrepreneurship into everything they do whether inside or outside the classroom is inspiring and something that should be replicated.”

As part of its membership in the GCEC, UMSOP participated in the GCEC 2024 Conference hosted by Babson College in November, which brought together directors, faculty, and industry leaders to exchange ideas and explore new ways to strengthen the global entrepreneurship ecosystem.

“Participation at GCEC 2024 was an opportunity to showcase the School, Pharmapreneurship, and all that we have to offer and contribute to shaping the future of entrepreneurial education,” says Rodriguez de Bittner.