Dr. Karunya Kandimalla Named New Associate Dean of Graduate Education

Dr. Karunya Kandimalla has been selected as the new associate dean of graduate education for the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

Kandimalla received his Bachelor of Pharmacy from Gulbarga University in India; his master’s in pharmaceutics from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida; his PhD in pharmaceutics from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa; and he completed a neurology fellowship at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.

He is currently an associate professor and the director of graduate studies for the Department of Pharmaceutics. In his role, Kandimalla will be accountable for providing vision, direction, oversight and management of collegiate-level graduate student activities and services. He will also provide leadership and oversight of the college’s Office of Graduate Education and the Graduate Education Policy Committee. 

“Dr. Kandimalla’s demonstrated leadership and commitment within the Department of Pharmaceutics will be a tremendous asset in his role as associate dean of graduate education,” said Dean Lynda Welage.

In welcoming Kandimalla to the new role, Welage also recognized the contributions of Dr. Carolyn Fairbanks for her oversight of graduate education during academic years 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023. 

“Dr. Fairbanks’ strong leadership, research experience and organizational skills have served our graduate education programs very well. She has continued to strengthen the foundation of our programs and expand connections.”

Fairbanks will continue to serve as associate dean of graduate education through the remainder of the academic term and commencement, and will help support Kandimalla’s transition throughout the summer. She will remain the associate dean of research for the college.