New pharmacy building to be named for charter dean

(Maddox Hall, the newly completed Campbell University pharmacy teaching facility, will be dedicated on Oct. 3, 2007)In 1986, Campbell University’s Dr. Ronald W. Maddox wrestled with the problem of how to convince North Carolina pharmacy professionals and the public there was a need for another pharmacy school in the state.”I attempted to meet the issue head on by stating that Campbell’s School of Pharmacy would not be in competition with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but would be here to supplement it in providing better health care to the citizens of the state,” said Maddox.Twenty-one years later, the Campbell University School of Pharmacy is one of the highest ranked in the nation, posting a 99 percent passage rate on state and national board exams and far exceeding Maddox’s expectations. On October 3, 2007, the school’s new pharmacy teaching facility will be dedicated in his honor.”When I first took the job as dean of the pharmacy school, my hope was that the school would compliment the University,” Maddox said. “However, the achievements of the School of Pharmacy have far out-stripped my expectations!”In June of 1986, the School of Pharmacy was awarded pre-candidate accreditation status. It was also accepted into full membership in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. In August, the charter class of 54 students entered the school. The students graduated in May of 1990, having earned a board passage rate of 100 percent on the state and national boards, a record they have repeated 12 times on the state board and eight times on the national board in the intervening years.”I believe this was our greatest accomplishment and the foundation of our commitment to excellence,” Maddox said. “The first time a mother came to me and said, ‘Thanks to you, I don’t have to worry about my daughter. She will always have a good job.’ That was the happiest time for me.”Maddox’s goal for the School of Pharmacy is to remain vigilant. That includes employing student-focused faculty and staff, providing better physical facilities and training sites and utilizing state-of-the art technology. He would also like to establish a Ph.D. program in the pharmaceutical sciences before he departs as dean. “I am pleased to have the new teaching facility named in my honor,” he said. “However, I believe that everything that has been accomplished during my tenure has been a team effort. I have attempted to implement what I believe has been God’s plan for the school with the total love and support of my wife Suzan and my children, the University administration, faculty, staff and students, and an exceptional North Carolina pharmacy community.”Maddox Hall is located between the Science Building and Carter Gymnasium. The 42,000-square foot, three-story facility features classrooms; a student study center; breakout rooms; administrative and alumni suites; two 3,534 square-foot lecture halls; faculty offices; a Professional Association room; and close to 6,000 square-feet of laboratory space.

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