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College of Pharmacy

Drawing of College of Pharmacy building

Our History

Pharmacy Deans

A series of distinguished individuals have provided their vision and leadership for our college since its founding in 1866. Meet our University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy deans.

Joseph LeConte

Professor Joseph LeConte

1866 - 1870 

Chairman, School of Chemistry, Pharmacy, Mineralogy and Geology

A native of Georgia, LeConte joined the University of South Carolina faculty in 1856. Along with his brother John, he was responsible for initiating pharmaceutical and medical education at South Carolina in 1866.

William Burney

William B. Burney, Ph.D.

1888 - 1891

Dean, College of Pharmacy

During Burney's tenure as dean, South Carolina established a College of Pharmacy offering a two year Graduate of Pharmacy (Ph.G.) degree. 

Emery Motley

Emery Tyler Motley, Ph,D.

1925 - 1952

Dean, School of Pharmacy

Under the leadership of Motley — our longest-serving pharmacy dean — South Carolina became accredited in 1928 by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and the following year, a four-year degree program with a pre-pharmacy curriculum was introduced.

Robert Morrison

Robert W. Morrison, M.S.

1952 - 1957

Acting Dean, School of Pharmacy

1957 - 1972

Dean, School of Pharmacy

Morrison served as acting dean for five years prior to being installed as dean in 1957. In 1960, the pharmacy curriculum expanded to a five-year bachelor’s degree (B.S.) program. Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age, Morrison retired as dean but continued to teach.

Julian Fincher

Julian H. Fincher, Ph.D. 

1972 - 1996

Dean, College of Pharmacy

During alumnus Fincher's tenure as dean, the college established the Palmetto Poison Center in 1972, initiated a Ph.D. program in 1981,  and introduced an optional Pharm.D. program in 1984.

Farid Sadik

Farid Sadik, Ph.D.

1996 - 2005

Dean, College of Pharmacy

Under Sadik's leadership as dean, the department now known as Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences was formed in 1999, and the college's endowment increased from $2.4 to $16 million.

Joseph DiPiro

Joseph DiPiro, Pharm.D.

2005 - 2014

Executive Dean, South Carolina College of Pharmacy

In 2004, the University of South Carolina and Medical University of South Carolina boards of trustees voted to create a merged pharmacy program. DiPiro served as executive dean of the partnered SC College of Pharmacy from 2005 to 2014.

Randall Rowen

Randall Rowen, Pharm.D.

2005 - 2016

Dean, South Carolina College of Pharmacy - Columbia

Rowen became dean of the SC College of Pharmacy Columbia campus in 2005. During his tenure, the Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center was established at USC and the Walker Leadership Scholars program was funded. The USC and MUSC boards of trustees voted in 2015 to pursue independent accreditation.

Wayne Buff

Wayne Buff, Pharm.D.

2016

Interim Dean, College of Pharmacy

An alumnus of the college, Buff served as interim dean of the College of Pharmacy for six months during the dean's search in 2016. Buff retired as senior associate dean of the College of Pharmacy in 2018.

Stephen Cutler

Stephen J. Cutler, Ph.D.

2016 - Present

Dean, College of Pharmacy

Cutler began as dean at South Carolina in 2016. Under his leadership, the college played an integral role in the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The college was one of the first in the nation to develop and gain federal approval for saliva-based COVID-19 testing. Cutler served as the university's interim provost from July 2021 - August 2022.

Julie Sease

Julie M. Sease, Pharm.D.

2021-2022

Interim Dean, College of Pharmacy

An alumna of the college, Sease served as interim dean of the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy during Cutler's thirteen-month tenure as South Carolina’s interim provost.


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