Tarun B. Patel Named Provost and VP of Academic Affairs at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

ALBANY, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 27, 2015) - Greg Dewey, Ph.D., President of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, announced today that Tarun B. Patel, Ph.D., has been named Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs of the College following a nationwide search. Dr. Patel will assume his new role on July 1, 2015.

As Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Patel will be the chief academic officer of the College. He will oversee all areas related to academic programming, research and scholarship, student affairs, and faculty development.

Dr. Patel is currently a Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine. He served as Department Chair for nearly ten years after being recruited by the School of Medicine for that position. During his tenure at Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine he also established the Institute of Signal Transduction Research and was the Director of that Institute.

Prior to joining the Stritch School of Medicine, he was a professor in the Department of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus in Memphis, TN. While working at the Health Science Center, he was the director of an interdisciplinary training grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In his new position at ACPHS, Dr. Patel will continue his research on liver cancer that is funded by a Veterans Administration Merit Review Award.

He has published more than 100 papers in very high quality peer-reviewed journals and written several book chapters. From the time he established his independent research program in 1984, his research endeavors have been continuously funded by grants from the NIH, private funding agencies, and pharmaceutical companies.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Patel as our new provost," said Dr. Dewey. "His extensive experience in the areas of teaching and scholarship will be invaluable as we explore ways to enhance our current academic programs, develop new programs, and expand our research efforts."

"It is with the utmost enthusiasm and gratitude that I accept this position to serve and meet the needs of the constituents of ACPHS," said Dr. Patel. "I look forward to working with Dr. Dewey, the faculty, staff, and students to help ACPHS enhance, and excel in, its research and educational endeavors."

Dr. Patel received his B.Sc. (Hons) in Biochemistry/Physiology and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of London, England. He did his postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Patel succeeds John Denio, M.S., M.B.A., as Provost of the College. Mr. Denio will retire on June 30, 2015 following 39 years of service to the College.

About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. The College is committed to educating the next generation of leaders in the health care professions and to innovative research that translates scientific discoveries into therapies that benefit humankind. In addition to its doctor of pharmacy program, ACPHS offers six bachelor's programs and five graduate programs in the health sciences. The College's main campus is located in Albany, New York; its satellite campus is in Colchester, Vermont. For more information, please visit www.acphs.edu.