Faculty Mentoring Program Launched with $1 Million Endowment

Faculty,

Grayson Mendenhall
September 21, 2006

The UNC School of Pharmacy has created a new faculty mentoring program—believed to be the first of its kind among the nation’s pharmacy schools—designed to help young faculty succeed by matching them up with experienced mentors both inside and outside the University.

The Bill and Karen Campbell Faculty Mentoring Program is supported by revenue generated from the $1 million Bill and Karen Campbell Professorship, which covers mentoring expenses and provides honoraria for the mentors. Supporters of the School and friends of the Campbells created the professorship through the Pharmacy Foundation of North Carolina, Inc. to honor the couple’s long commitment to pharmacy education and faculty development. Bill Campbell was dean of the UNC School of Pharmacy from 1992 until his retirement in 2003.

“The advice and support of a knowledgeable mentor can be important to a faculty member just beginning his or her career,” says Harold Kohn, PhD, director of the program. “Those fortunate enough to have a mentor often enjoy greater success, and both the young faculty member and the mentor are enriched by this interaction.”

Mentors can help by reviewing articles and grant proposals before they are submitted, by offering insights into what works and what doesn’t in the classroom and the lab, by providing guidance through the ins and outs of the University, and by giving advice on career and other matters that affect the well-being of the new faculty member, Kohn said.

This new program, which is voluntary, matches the new faculty member with two mentors to form a mentoring team. One mentor is affiliated with the School of Pharmacy. The other comes from outside the School, either from the University, another institution, industry, or government. Three assistant professors have signed on as the program’s inaugural participants.

“I expect that this mentoring program will build upon the strong collegial and collaborative atmosphere we have at Carolina,” said Bob Blouin, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “There is a wealth of experience and expertise waiting to be tapped that will allow our young faculty members to achieve their goals and realize success sooner than they might have on their own.”

“This program is not an administrative mandate,” Kohn said. “It is an asset for our faculty and it’s a responsibility, which we all consider to be important. It is my hope that the Campbell program will strengthen mentoring as a core value among our faculty.”

For more information on the Bill and Karen Campbell Faculty Mentoring Program, contact David Etchison at 919-966-7744.