Faculty - Pharmacy

Dr. Baker joined the Husson University School of Pharmacy in June, 2012. He earned his BS degree in pharmacy from Ferris State University and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota. He also completed a post-doctoral residency in drug information practice at North Carolina Memorial Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC, trained at the National Library of Medicine and is a certified medical writer. Dr. Baker began his career as the Director, Drug Information Services at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. Since then, he has built, expanded and globalized drug/medical information services at major pharmaceutical companies including The Upjohn Company, Astra USA and Roche.

Dr. Baker has been active in the Drug Information Association (DIA) where he led the Medical Communications section, presented posters, published papers and presented at many DIA workshops and national meetings. He co-created the Core Curriculum for Industry-based Medical Information Professionals, one of DIA’s most attended workshops and its first certification program. In 1998, Dr. Baker received an outstanding service award for his contributions to the DIA.

Bob grew up in East Millinocket, ME and enjoys bicycling, golf and detailing automobiles. He and his wife, Cathie, reside in Orrington, ME and enjoy their camp in Sherman, ME.

I joined the profession during the so-called ‘clinical pharmacy movement’ and have since tried to advance the profession by expanding the scope of practice opportunities for pharmacists and through training and developing pharmacy students, postgraduate residents and young practitioners. I am honored to join this faculty, many of whom have come from far away, to build this School of Pharmacy for the State of Maine.

Dr. Conrad Dhing is an Associate Professor of Social and Administrative Sciences in the Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Before joining Husson University in July 2009, Conrad taught at Long Island University and St. John's University in New York. He was also a health economics consultant for a research firm in New York City.

Conrad's research interest is focused on the pedagogy of pharmacy education and secondary data analyses, with emphasis on the access and utilization of health care services and medications. He has over 20 research papers and posters presented at national meetings and was a regular speaker at pharmacy continuing education programs. Conrad was inducted into Rho Chi, Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa and the Mortar Board. He was also awarded Teacher of the Year in 2006.

I believe these are exciting times for everyone, especially the pharmacy and health care students in Maine and across the country. The practice of pharmacy is evolving and so is the health care system. Husson University, School of Pharmacy has a great team of faculty and administrators to prepare and guide our students towards their future.

Dr. Timothy Gladwell joined Husson University in 2012 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) School of Pharmacy. After graduation from UMB, Dr. Gladwell completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital followed by a Specialty Residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at UMB. Prior to his current appointment, he served as a faculty member in the pharmacy programs at Duquesne University and at UMES, and he has practiced in a variety of settings from retail pharmacy to cardiology critical care. He is currently board certified in Pharmacotherapy and Ambulatory Care by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. His research interests include assessments of educational initiatives in a pharmacy curriculum as well as optimization of pharmacotherapy and medication management in the ambulatory setting.

Dr. Gladwell is a member of several pharmacy organizations, including the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the National Community Pharmacists Association. During his off time, he enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with his wife, Nancy Edgeworth, who is also a pharmacist.

As a pharmacy student, my development was shaped by the influence of many caring educators and pharmacy practitioners. With this in mind, I have always tried to emulate the people who made a difference in my life. My teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of applying a systematic approach to the management of drug-related problems, while encouraging students to develop the skills necessary to become life-long learners. In this way, students can continue to grow and flourish well beyond the formal education they acquire at the university setting.

Dr. Derek Hoelz joined Husson University School of Pharmacy as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology in August, 2012. He earned a B.A. in Biology from Kent State University and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Hoelz completed postdoctoral training in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

After his postdoctoral training Dr. Hoelz transitioned into his first faculty position at Indiana University School of Medicine, during which time he co-founded a biotechnology company (CS-Keys, Inc.), which sought to develop more effective cancer diagnostics. In 2009, Dr. Hoelz joined the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health as a staff Scientist where he led a successful research laboratory investigating novel anticancer drug targets. Dr. Hoelz has been awarded numerous patents for his research, has authored several research articles, and has been awarded multiple research grants.

The Husson Pharmacy program was approved by the Maine Department of Education in June, 2007. Dr. Rodney Larson was appointed the Founding Dean of the Husson School of Pharmacy in August, 2007. Dr. Larson is overseeing the accreditation process through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and is also instituting the search for faculty. As faculty appointments are announced, they will be posted on this site.

Rod earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from Ferris State University in 1988. Soon after, he entered graduate school at the University of Florida, and then transferred to the University of Minnesota. He earned a Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Pharmacy with an emphasis on Ethics at the latter in 1994. Upon graduation, Rod accepted a faculty position a the Idaho State University College of Pharmacy where he taught such courses as Introduction to Pharmacy, Case Studies, Quality Assurance, and Pharmacotherapeutics. In 1997, he was awarded the Rufus A. Lyman award for co-authoring the most outstanding article published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education that year. In 2000, he took a position as Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Academic Affairs at the Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, where he held this position until arriving at Husson College in 2007. Rod served as Vice President and President of his local recreational soccer club in Michigan, is an amateur photographer, and enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking.

My philosophies regarding the provision of patient care and student education run parallel. I feel that patients and their needs ought to be the primary focus of everyone working within the healthcare system. For example, pharmacists should place meeting their patients' drug-related needs as their foremost responsibility within their practice. Likewise, students and their educational needs should be at the center of everything a college does. With this focus on student needs, a strong and meaningful educational experience can be delivered that will prepare graduates for a lifetime of contribution to their chosen profession/career and society in general.

Frank McGrady, B.S., R.Ph., is Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Field Coordinator, Institutional Preceptors and Sites, for Experiential Education at Husson University's School of Pharmacy in Bangor. Prior to joining the Husson staff in November of 2012, Frank was Director of Pharmacy at Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield for thirteen years. While at S.V.H., Frank served as part of the Management Team, the Clinical Team, the E.M.H.S. Team, and all aspects of medications distribution and information. Prior to working at S.V.H. Frank worked for Hannaford Bros. Corp. for twelve years in positions including four years as New England Regional Pharmacy Manager (Pharmacy Specialist), during which time 15 new pharmacies were opened. Frank also worked as a Regional Support Pharmacist, and as a Pharmacy Manager.

Frank earned a B.S. degree in Education at the University of Maine at Machias and his B.S. of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island and is currently a Doctoral of Pharmacy candidate. Frank is an avid basketball fan and has coached teams ranging from pee-wees to high school. He enjoys working on an old farmhouse in St. Albans and spending time with his wife Karen, their four children, one grandchild, extended family, and friends.

Dr. Abdi Mohamed earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Environmental Science in 1999 from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduation, he was interested in the field of pharmacy as well as research so he joined the pharmaceutical industry research and development team of several companies such as Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc, Parexel International and then Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. During his time in industry, Abdi was fortunate enough to participate in a few successful drug/device trials but the most rewarding experience was his contribution toward the daptomycin (Cubicin®) trial from Phase I all the way to FDA approval for marketing.

Dr. Mohamed went back to graduate school to pursue a career as a pharmacist and earned his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree in 2008 at the University of California San Francisco. After completing his pharmacy degree, he sought an ASHP accredited pharmacy practice residency at Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009, he successfully completed his residency program while receiving a teaching certificate from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.

Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Mohamed started his career as a HIV/AIDs Clinical Pharmacist and Research Coordinator at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, MA. His main responsibilities were to provide clinical support to the infectious disease/HIV team. He also coordinated research for HIV clinical trials, reviewed all research protocols and identified resource needs across the campus and facilitated rapport between the department of pharmacy, principal investigators, clinical trial coordinators, research assistants and trial sponsors.

It is an exciting time to train our future global-minded healthcare providers. My primary goal is to have a positive effect on students' learning environment and to promote continued enthusiasm for the field of pharmacy as a whole. I want to encourage students to be more creative and to think outside of the box by considering situations from different perspectives—those that they have adopted from their newfound classroom knowledge. This would therefore promote students to develop career-long habits of self-motivated learning.

Dr. Phipps joined the Husson School of Pharmacy as Lecturer in Pharmacology in August, 2009. He earned a BA in Biochemistry and Physiological Sciences in 1972 from Oxford University, UK, and a PhD in Respiratory Physiology from London University, UK in 1977. Roger completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco in 1977 to 1978. In 1981 he accepted a position as Director of Asthma Research at Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami Beach, with an adjunct Associate Professor appointment at the University of Miami. In 1988, Roger gave up the academic life and went to work in the pharmaceutical industry. He accepted a position as Principal Scientist at Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, located first in upstate New York and later in Cincinnati, Ohio. At P&GP, Roger worked mainly on therapies to treat respiratory and bone disorders. After 20 years at P&GP Roger moved to Maine in 2008 to head the Bone Genomics and Cancer group at the Maine Institute for Human Genetics & Health in Bangor, before his appointment at Husson University.

During his time in academia and industry, Roger has authored over 50 peer-reviewed research manuscripts and 7 review chapters, and continues to serve as an ad hoc reviewer for several bone-related journals. He has given over 25 invited presentations at National and International meetings.

Outside of work and family, Roger's passion is football (soccer). He played for over 20 years before taking up refereeing in 1982. Since then he has refereed at all levels from Under 6 through professional.

After 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry the move back to academia is both challenging and exciting for me. I hope that my background can give the students a different perspective on the drug discovery, development and approval process.

Dr. Reed joined the School of Pharmacy, Husson University, as Professor & Chair of Pharmacy Practice on August 2, 2010. Immediately prior to this, Ron was in pharmaceutical industry research & development-scientific affairs for 9.5 years. He was an Associate Scientific Director of Neuroscience for the Abbott Global Pharmaceutical Research & Development. Prior to that, he spent approximately one year with GlaxoSmithKline.

Many years ago, Ron received his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati, and completed an ASHP-accredited residency in Clinical Pharmacy at the Cincinnati Veterans' Administration Hospital simultaneously with graduate school.

Ron began his career in clinical pharmacy hospital practice at the University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC), and after several years, switched to a full-time academic position, at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. At Case Western Ron was an Assistant Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology and a Senior Instructor in the Department of Medicine (Pulmonary Division). He also served as Director of the Division of Clinical Research, Department of Neurology, CWRU, for 8 years, being Principal or Co-Investigator for over 80 clinical studies. Though-out his 22 year career at UHC/CWRU plus 9.5 years in the industry, Ron has authored/co-authored over 95 original manuscripts and abstracts in peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature. While with GSK, Ron was promoted to a national, ad-hoc "Train the Trainer" position. In 2004, he received Abbott's President's Award in recognition of his research work at Abbott. Ron has maintained long-standing memberships in many professional organizations, most notably including the American Epilepsy Society (AES), American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the College of Psychiatric & Neurologic Pharmacy (CPNP).

Ron is married to, Susan, BS, Chemistry, who is known for her masterful and creative house-working skills. He has three children: One daughter, Kaitlin, is a BSN RN (Cleveland, Ohio); his other daughter, Brittany, completed her PharmD degree recently and works at a local hospital in Cleveland; and son Brandon, MS, Aerospace Engineering, who claims that aerospace science has, "bigger, bad equations than anything pharmacists have seen in pharmacokinetics."

Ron spends any spare time reading history, studying chess, and playing with his devoted three Australian shepherds-- Piper, Bleu and Binx.

Dr. Dan Robinson was appointed in August 2010 as Fellow at Husson University as well as Professor of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy. Dr. Robinson also continues as Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Florida (UF) Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research where he founded the UF Family Medicine Clinical Pharmacy Service, UF Center for Computer Applications in Pharmacy, the Working Professional Doctor of Pharmacy (WPPD) Program, and Simkin Software Company. The WPPD program has graduated over 1200 Doctor of Pharmacy students in every state in the U.S. He also is a co-founder of the UF Center for Spirituality and Health. Dan served for 6 years as UF College of Pharmacy Executive Associate Dean.

Dan has published over 100 scientific publications and authored two healthcare books. He was named Teacher of the Year for the College of Medicine Family Practice Medical Group and has served as a Column Editor Editorial Board Member for Annals of Pharmacotherapy. Dan received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Georgia in June 1969, his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati, and his Residency in Hospital Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacokinetics at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio in June 1975. Dan developed many internationally marketed programs for clinical pharmacokinetics, drug use evaluation, patient monitoring, nutritional assessment, and adverse drug reactions including a recent program for tracking patient medication adherence. The Simkin Clinical Pharmacokinetics Program served 525 hospitals for the purpose of individualizing each patient's dose of drugs with a narrow range between effectiveness and safety.

Dan enjoys honoring the sacredness in each person's life stories and goals so that each of us might enjoy a holistic integrated career and personal life. Dan began practicing and leading centering prayer within nature retreats in 1990 through the teachings of Thomas Keating. Dan completed a 3 year Franciscan Friar Ecumenical Program in June 2004 to become a Minister of Spiritual Direction for all faiths. Dan has led numerous men's and couples spiritual growth and life/career coaching retreats. He designed the introspection labyrinth for Sholom Park, Ocala, FL www.sholompark.org and has recently served on the Camp Weed Episcopal Retreat Board, the Florida Shade and Fresh Water Methodist Ministers Retreat Board, and the national Wounded Warriors Retreat Board. He is currently a board member for the Northeast Guild for Spiritual Formation (Bass Harbor, ME) and is Vice-Chair, Spiritual Directors International Coordinating Council. His goals involve a desire to serve others in the integration of spiritual care and health care through compassionate patient care, mentoring students and young faculty by helping each person identify their health care and career goals. Dan's passions also include leading pilgrimages to sacred places/thin spaces and designing distance education programs. He currently teaches Spirit within Life to occupational therapy and other health care professionals as well as an Individualizing Drug Dosage Design Course for 5th year doctor of pharmacy students. His clinical and research practice is at the Penobscot Native American Health Clinic, Indian Island of Old Town, Maine.
Dan's personal interests include hiking, kayaking, fly fishing, and golf.