$4.5 million Federal endowment permanently funds minority programs at University of Montana pharmacy school

New money awarded to the University of Montana’s pharmacy program will help recruit minority faculty, retain minority students and launch research related to minority health issues – forever.

By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

http://missoulian.com/articles/2004/10/20/news/top/news01.txt

Thanks to a $4.5 million federal endowment, the School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences can plan for and work toward the future.

"This kind of grant is unprecedented," said Dave Forbes, dean of the pharmacy school. "And what it says is that decision makers in the federal government are excited and pleased about the progress they have witnessed in our pharmacy program and that they want to see us keep improving."

In the competitive world of grant funding, most grants are short-term, earmarked for completion of a specific project. Once the money runs out, the program either ends or the faculty involved must scramble for money by finding and winning more grants.

Rarely does a federal agency step forward with a large endowment so a project can bank and operate off the interest earned on the investment, Forbes said.

Having a permanent infusion of money is an incredible gift and an honor, said Lori Morin, the pharmacy school’s assistant dean for student affairs.

"Grants come and go and the impact of having money and then not having money can be devastating," Morin said. "This endowment will ensure the momentum we have now and build upon it for perpetuity."

As the money is invested and grows, Forbes said he expects his school will have about $600,000 a year to spend on things such as creating new tenure track faculty lines for minority faculty; enhancing opportunities for minority students to obtain postdoctoral fellowship training; becoming involved with health disparities research; pursuing graduate training opportunities that lead to a doctoral degree; and bolstering minority recruitment programs, some of which start at the middle-school level.

Fewer than 3 percent of students enrolled in Montana’s universities are American Indians, Forbes said. With the school’s endowment grant, he hopes to increase that percentage and educate a whole new generation of minority health-care role models.

"Currently, there are only five Native American pharmacy professors in the United States, so we don’t have a huge pool of professionals to draw on," he said. "The good news is we have wonderful minority students in the pipeline to become future health-care professionals – and we hope to train a whole lot more."

Although the pharmacy school is experienced at landing large, prestigious grants, Morin said she’s stunned by the endowment.

"For a school in Montana of our size to be recognized for what we are doing is amazing, and it is such a significant reward for our effort," Morin said. "What makes this even more amazing is that the endowment allows us to be flexible and spend the funds where the greatest need is. It gives us broad latitude to get the job done."