Two College of Pharmacy faculty members received Diversity and Inclusion Mini-Grants from the UTHSC Office of Equity and Diversity.
Dr. Kirk E. Hevener, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received a grant for his project “Minority Student Recruitment into UTHSC Graduate Programs.” The project will direct recruitment efforts for the Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate program toward increasing the number of minority applicants through a state and region-wide recruitment campaign focused on undergraduate Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
Dr. Hevener will present formal scientific seminars at HBCUs to interested students about the program. He will work alongside Dr. Hassan Almoazen, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Graduate Program Director, to develop recruitment materials, interact with interested students, and facilitate applications and placement in the program. Dr. Isaac Donkor, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and associate dean for Students & Recruitment at the UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences, will act as a liaison with that college.
Dr. Kenneth Hohmeier, associate professor and director of Community Affairs in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, received a grant for his project “Promoting Inclusion and Engagement for Online Learning.” The project was inspired by the leadership of the UTHSC Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) and their vision to engage members through digital content.
Dr. Hohmeier will work alongside the SNPhA chapter as well as College of Pharmacy Dean Marie Chisholm-Burns, Dr. Tyler Kiles, assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, and Andria White, Executive Administrator for the College of Pharmacy.
In this project, SNPhA will develop online learner support focused on inclusivity and social engagement to help ease the disproportionate impact that online distance learning can have on certain student groups. The learner support will consist of digital and social media, will be accessible via WiFi or cellular data, and will be housed on a mobile-friendly website. Content will be developed by students, faculty, and staff and will include podcasts, blogs, vlogs, social media campaigns, and seminars.
