Welage reflects on the college’s collaborative efforts during her tenure as dean

While Lynda Welage stepped down from her role as dean of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy earlier this fall, her service to the college continues as a faculty member. Following the transition, she took some time to talk about the collaborative work that happened alongside students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners that makes her most proud.

“As many people have heard me say, I felt one of my key roles as dean was to facilitate the dreams of others,” said Welage. “In my seven years as dean at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, I am proud of the commitment to excellence each member of our community has brought to the college, to the health care professions, and to each other. Together, we accomplished a great deal.”

Strengthened our organization in countless ways

• Refinement of the college’s organizational values and the behaviors associated with them. The values and behaviors serve to create common standards for the community and are embedded as part of hiring processes, performance management systems, recognition programs, and the daily lives of community members. This work continues today through a values task force tasked with further refining the values.  
• Through the development of collegiate values and accompanying behaviors, there was a concerted decision to strive toward the embedment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all the college does. Efforts have included promoting educational training to faculty, staff, preceptors, and students; enhancing communication in this area; listening to and supporting student concerns; promoting affinity groups; developing best hiring practices; launching new pipeline programs aimed at increasing diversity; and creating new programs aimed at enhancing a sense of belonging and offering new courses to our students. 
• Fostered the development of a more inclusive community, including giving contract faculty a greater role in faculty governance by having a right to vote.  Similarly, the college’s new constitution and bylaws provide a framework for inclusivity of individuals in medical laboratory sciences and occupational therapy. 
• The college showcased its commitment to excellence and innovation via the integration of the Center for Drug Design (2018), and the Center for Allied Health Professions (Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) and Occupational Therapy (OT) (2022) into the college. “The integration of the Center for Drug Design, along with our strong medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutics departments make us an unparalleled powerhouse in drug discovery and development,” said Welage. “The integration of MLS and OT, demonstrates our commitment to interprofessional education and practice and brings us opportunities to shape health education and practice in new ways.  Importantly the talents of all of these individuals (faculty, staff, students, and alumni) enrich our organization across three University of Minnesota campuses (Duluth, Rochester, and Twin Cities).”

Navigated and are working to overcome some challenging times

• Managed to continually address the market challenges the College of Pharmacy has faced due to a national decline in pharmacy enrollment. “We must all continue to work together to enhance recruitment and admissions to all of our educational programs,” said Welage.
• Supported one another and the community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The college played a critical role in community COVID-19 vaccination efforts. 
  • Students, partners, and faculty created unique ways to serve on vaccination teams and/or educate communities throughout the state. These efforts not only support the health of our community but led to the transformation of our profession with expanded roles for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Minnesota and throughout the country (i.e., vaccination efforts, point of care testing, etc.). 
  • Many faculty expanded their research to address issues associated with the pandemic (i.e., antiviral and health care needs) while also continuing their important research during the difficult times of the pandemic. 
  • Created new models of remote and hybrid work and learning. Despite the challenges, Welage points to the ways everyone adapted quickly, and the ways the experience has shaped how everyone lives, works, and learns today.
  • Together, the college served students and communities. Some individuals continued to serve patients, others created new remote/hybrid learning experiences for students, others made face masks and/or helped to make hand sanitizer, and others helped neighbors and communities during this time.  
• Following the tragic death of George Floyd, many helped support individuals and communities who were affected by social unrest. Others helped to educate themselves and each other about the injustices in today’s society and how individuals can work together to address and overcome these injustices, striving toward social justice for all. 

Built and supported a bold, new strategic plan

• Developed a new and bolder strategic plan using a highly engaged, iterative process that sought to be aspirational. The plan was approved in 2020 in alignment with the University’s MPact 2025 strategic plan. This plan served as a guide for many of the college’s collective initiatives and successes, including:
• Advancing the commitment to world-class educational experiences
  • The strategic plan helped to catapult the development of the new MNspire curriculum for pharmacy students, which boldly aims to provide an enriched student learning experience while simultaneously improving the faculty experience. This evidence-based, distinctive curriculum aims to provide students with unique experiences that enable them to become future leaders who will shape the pharmacy profession.
  • Developing a new undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences builds on the tremendous expertise in pharmaceutical sciences and showcases the college’s commitment to addressing changing workforce needs.
  • All of the college's educational programs (undergraduate (MLS), professional (MLS, OT, and PharmD), and graduate programs (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Social and Administrative Sciences, MLS, and the Integrated Bioscience Graduate Program) are considered top in the country, with strong graduation and placement rates. 
• Accelerating and investing in our research enterprise:
  • The research enterprise has continued to grow despite challenging times of tight funding lines for grant awards. “This is a tribute to our talented, creative faculty and staff,” said Welage. In 2017, the college’s research enterprise had $13.8 million in NIH funding. That number grew to $25.6 million in FY2023. The college ranks fifth in NIH funding compared to the other pharmacy schools across the country. 
  • Importantly the research done by faculty and staff throughout the college aims to improve health and make a difference in the lives of individuals throughout Minnesota and the world.  “Whether that be the development of a male oral contraceptive (in clinical trials), the development of a camera to detect Alzheimer’s disease via an eye exam, the development of new anticancer agents, designing new approaches to address substance use disorder, or designing new models of care, or many more, I am so proud of the ways faculty and staff are addressing wicked health care problems we face.  Together we are making a difference!” said Welage.
• Expanding and empowering partnerships to advance the pharmacy profession. 
  • A more formal collaborative alliance (Minnesota Pharmacy Alliance) was created by working with former Dean Emeritus Marilyn Speedie and leaders from state organizations. This alliance serves as a nexus for Minnesota pharmacy to produce a powerful and unified leadership voice on top strategic issues, with an overall aim of improving the health of Minnesotans.
  • Served as the conveyor that brought together partners to tackle difficult issues. Welage notes it’s a critical role because it not only supports and expands partnerships, but these engaged discussions often move the profession forward. Examples of this work include the Align Summit, the MN provider/payer summits, and graduate student conferences. 
• Philanthropy to support students, faculty, research, and practice transformation
  • In alignment with the University, the college launched a capital campaign in 2017. Campaign priorities included enhancing support for students, faculty, their research, and practice transformation. The college met its $30 million goal. “We are so grateful for the generosity and support of donors. They have provided the fuel to ignite and support the college’s bold initiatives,” said Welage.

Welage notes there are many wonderful things the college has accomplished through the tremendous efforts of faculty, staff, students, preceptors, alumni, and partners. 

“This is a wonderful place, and because of each and every one of the people I’ve had the fortune of working with as dean, we have accomplished a lot. As a faculty member, I look forward to continuing our journey and seeing what more we can accomplish.”