05-08-02 (Little Rock) Your neighborhood pharmacist probably knows him by name and reputation. Larry D. Milne, Ph.D., has made a powerful impression on an entire generation of students of pharmacy during his tenure of 25 years as the Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). In that role, Dr. Milne became the senior dean among colleges of pharmacy in the nation.

As the leader of the only college of its kind in the state of Arkansas, Milne has been the architect of the academic program presented to young college pharmacy students for two-and-a-half decades. Today, more than 92% of the pharmacists practicing in the state are graduates of the college, and these alumni consider him and the faculty main reasons for their success in this field.

Building on that success, he has set that job title aside and accepted a new one at UAMS - Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research Administration. “He is now the Chief Academic Officer of the university,” said Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., “and the head administrator for the entire research program at UAMS - now an $80 million/year enterprise. Dr. Milne brings great people skills to the new job, and he is highly regarded by his colleagues in this academic community.”

A search committee headed by Ronald H. Winters, Ph.D., Dean of the UAMS College of Health Related Professions, will soon begin a search for a new Dean of the College of Pharmacy.

Since October 1999, Milne has held two jobs - Dean of the College of Pharmacy while also serving as interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Sponsored Research. “So I know the new job quite well,” he said, “and I look forward to spending more time developing the research programs at UAMS, particularly clinical research. Basic and clinical research are essential to improving health care in Arkansas and fostering economic growth in the state.” As an example, he cited the faculty of the College of Pharmacy who hold a U.S. patent for “Cecure,” a food safety product now being developed by Safe Foods Corporation in North Little Rock for commercial use in food processing plants.

The job also includes the top management responsibility for student life on campus, the Library, Media Services, Academic Computing, Academic Services, Arkansas Center for Prevention of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence, Student Financial Aid, Office of Research Administration, Office of Research Compliance, and Human Research Advisory Committee - which is responsible for the safety of human research subjects.

Jonathan Wolfe, Ph.D., a member of the faculty and Associate Dean of the college, has served with Milne for many years. “He’s a great organizer and problem-solver, so I’m confident he’ll do well. His appointment as a Vice Chancellor is a recognition of the fresh insight unique to an experienced team that has continued to learn.”

“As Chief Academic Officer, he’ll maintain the overall institutional accreditation of UAMS with the North Central Association,” said colleague Linda C. Hodges, Ed.D., RN, Dean of the UAMS College of Nursing. “I’ll miss him as a fellow dean of another college on the campus, but I’ll be working with him on other academic and institutional projects.”

Milne’s career path began as a pharmacy student at the University of Kansas followed by a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Iowa. As a faculty member, he was a researcher/teacher early in his career. Later, while living and working in South Carolina, the Governor (then John West) appointed Milne to a new Commission on Narcotics and Drug Abuse Prevention, so he shifted his career in a different direction. As a commissioner, he provided policy information to and worked with elected officials and their legislative aides. “I learned the ‘art of the possible’ through that experience, and I’ve been an advocate of common sense ever since,” he said with a grin tempered by political reality.

He became the second Dean of the UAMS College of Pharmacy in December 1976 following the retirement of the founding dean of the college. During his term as dean, he led the faculty to adopt many progressive academic and service initiatives and improved the program for continuing education for pharmacists. During this 2001-02 academic year, the college is celebrating its 50th anniversary year. “It’s a good time for a change,” he said with a smile.

“When I came to UAMS in 1976, the state’s motto was ‘Arkansas: The Land of Opportunity.’ That has certainly been true for me and for the College of Pharmacy. We have increased our number of faculty from 14 to 55. Our Poison Control Center is now operating around the clock and serves the whole state. We have moved from offering a bachelors’ degree to offering a doctor of pharmacy degree, and we are a leader in non-traditional pharmacy education. We now have research funding approaching $2 million. But most importantly, the new dean of pharmacy will find many more opportunities here at UAMS,” Milne said.

“Today, people see their pharmacist as a key member of the health-care team and the person able to explain to a customer how a drug works, how to take it appropriately, and how to avoid unwanted interactions from other medications - including over-the-counter drugs and herbal medicine,” Milne explained.

Milne has three children - Todd David, an insurance representative in Little Rock; Gannon Stuart, a representative of a wholesale pharmacy business; and Nicole Dawn whose husband, Larry Parker, is a Medical Technology Supervisor in the Clinical Laboratory at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He and his wife, Phyllis, have two grandsons and a granddaughter on the way by Nicole.

According to Mrs. Milne, “Larry is always busy and involved by way of his dedication to UAMS. His accomplishments are many and he looks forward to this new challenge. He remains devoted to our family and church, and he enjoys traveling, gardening, and our grandchildren.”

To a high school student who may offer a complaint while asking the rhetorical question -- “What good is it to learn science?” -- Milne has a perfectly good answer: “So you can grow up and become a pharmacist, a research scientist, or a science teacher.” In fact, that advice was given to him when he was a teenager. And that made all the difference for him - and for Arkansas.