J. Herbert Patterson, Pharm.D., executive vice chair of the division of pharmacotherapy and experimental pharmaceutics, was named director of the Bill and Karen Campbell Faculty Mentoring Program on Jan. 1. He succeeds Dhiren Thakker, Ph.D., who held the post for three years and is now interim dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
The Campbell Faculty Mentoring Program was started as a way to formalize senior faculty mentorship to junior faculty as the School and the practice of pharmacy began to expand. Its goals are to assist in the recruitment of junior faculty, help new faculty reach their full potential as quickly as possible and take advantage of the unique and valuable talent of senior faculty, among others. The highly individualized program is completely voluntary.
The program was created in July 2006 in honor of Bill Campbell, Ph.D., the dean of the School from 1992 to 2003, and his wife, Karen Campbell. Campbell was a strong advocate of the importance of mentorship to faculty development. At least 23 junior faculty members have participated so far.
Patterson joined the School in 1981. He’s a professor of pharmacy at the School and a research professor of medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. He has also served as vice chair for research and graduate education in the division of pharmacotherapy and experimental therapeutics and is currently the chair of the Full Professors’ Committee, the promotion and tenure committee for the School.
“Herb is unanimously recognized as an exemplary mentor for faculty and students alike,” Thakker said. “ I am grateful that Herb has accepted the responsibility to serve as the director of the program and I believe our current and future junior faculty members who participate in this program will benefit enormously from Herb’s superb leadership.”