St. Thomas University Appoints New School of Pharmacy Dean

MIAMI, Fla., Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Miami's St. Thomas University has announced the expansion of its quality academic programs through a new School of Pharmacy. William H. Riffee, Ph.D., a national-level science scholar, has been appointed to become its new Dean.

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Former CEO of Navarro Pharmacies and St. Thomas University Trustee Jose Navarro was instrumental in the national search and the new appointment, as he chairs the School of Pharmacy Board of Advisors. "Dr. Riffee holds a strong track record in research, educational technology and its utility in the classroom. We are bringing an innovator in science teaching and the use of technology to improve learning, that includes the use of mobile devices. This will all contribute to our students' professional development and Dr. Riffee will make this happen."

Dr. Riffee received his BS in Pharmacy from West Virginia University in 1967. He then served as a Clinical Pharmacy Officer with the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in the Division of Hospitals from 1967 until 1970. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology (1975) from The Ohio State University with a major research interest in behavioral effects and biochemical mechanisms of central nervous system stimulants.

His research and teaching career continued while working in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas from 1975 until May, 1996. During that period, his research interests focused on CNS stimulants and he studied the mechanism by which these agents induce a "reverse tolerance" thereby eliciting the neurochemical basis for "stimulant-induced psychosis."

June 1, 1996, Dr. Riffee was named Dean and Professor, College of Pharmacy, The University of Florida. He served as Associate Provost for Distance, Continuing and Executive Education from 2001 to 2005.

"At St. Thomas University, we believe leaders make the discoveries that build our future," says University President Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale. "We have been developing leaders for 50 years. In the sciences, we allow undergraduate students to conduct their own research in modern laboratories next to faculty mentors. With the opening of the School of Pharmacy and a scholar leading them in new research areas, students will be provided the highest science educational standards. They will be well on their way to pursue graduate school and success in the pharmaceutical and medical professions."

About St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University has been dedicated to its mission of "Developing Leaders for Life" for fifty years. A student-centered, Catholic university with rich cultural and international diversity, St. Thomas University educates leaders who contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of the regions they serve. Designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, the University has earned a reputation for academic excellence and is renowned as an international leader in justice, global entrepreneurship, human rights, sports administration, undergraduate scientific research and ministry. Programs of study are offered at the undergraduate, graduate and law school levels. For more information, visit www.stu.edu.

SOURCE St. Thomas University