IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--West Coast University announced that Naushad M Khan Ghilzai, Ph.D., has been named founding dean of the university’s new School of Pharmacy.
An internationally known researcher and professor, Ghilzai takes the helm of the school after serving as associate dean for faculty at LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie, Pennsylvania, and in Bradenton, Florida.
“We’re very pleased that the School of Pharmacy will be guided by someone of Dr. Naushad’s caliber and experience,” said David Pyle, founder and executive chairman of the board of WCU. “He is highly regarded by his peers and students alike. His teaching skills and research credentials, along with the respect he commands, will be invaluable in recruiting top-flight professors and students to our new School of Pharmacy.”
Based at the university’s Los Angeles campus, the West Coast University School of Pharmacy is scheduled to welcome its inaugural class of 65 students in 2013. As dean, Ghilzai will guide all facets of the school’s growth and focus, from faculty recruitment and student retention, to curricula development and scientific research.
Ghilzai began his pharmaceutical teaching and research career in 1992 after receiving his Ph.D. in biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany. His extensive classroom experience has included a full professorship in pharmaceutical sciences and serving as director and assistant dean of assessment and faculty development and as chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at LECOM. In February of 2011, he played a key role in LECOM receiving full six-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Dr. Ghilzai has visited international pharmacy programs to provide his expertise in faculty and curriculum development.
“Dr. Naushad’s extensive teaching and research experience, and his wide-ranging contributions to his field over the last two decades uniquely qualify him to lead our new School of Pharmacy,” said Barry T. Ryan, JD, Ph.D., president of West Coast University. “I am absolutely thrilled that he will be joining us.”
Ghilzai is a member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists; American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; the Controlled Release Society, Inc.; Rho Chi Honor Society; Kappa Psi Professional Pharmaceutical Fraternity; California Society of Health-System Pharmacists; California Pharmacists Association; and the Chicagoland Pharmaceutical Discussion Group.
About West Coast University
West Coast University is one of Southern California’s leading health care educators, offering accredited programs in nursing, health care education and dental hygiene at campuses in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) awarded additional accreditation to WCU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in October 2009. WCU’s Dental Hygiene program at the Orange County Campus is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to offer the only Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) in the County. It is one of only four BSDH programs in California. For more visit, www.westcoastuniversity.edu.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50027898&lang=en