Plans move forward to start school

for the 2010-2011 academic year

MEQUON, Wis. - Concordia University Wisconsin officials today announced that they have named former State Representative Curt Gielow, as the executive dean and assistant professor of pharmacy practice and Dean Arneson, Pharm.D., Ph.D., the academic dean and associate professor of pharmacy administration for the University’s new School of Pharmacy.

According to Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry, president of Concordia University, "A number of factors went into the decision to hire both an academic and executive dean for Concordia's new School of Pharmacy."

"Throughout our search process, we quickly learned that creating a second reputable School of Pharmacy within the State of Wisconsin is a massive undertaking that is simply too big of a job for one individual."

"We are very happy to have found two extremely knowledgeable and talented individuals whose skill sets complement each other perfectly. We are confident in their ability to lead our university in accomplishing our goal of creating a School of Pharmacy for the 2010-2011 academic year."

Gielow, who began his career as a pharmacist and went on to be a State Representative for the 23rd district spearheading Medicaid Reform, will be responsible for the Pharmacy School's external relations and funding/development.

Arneson, who had been serving as associate professor, associate dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Pharmacy: Clinical and Administrative Sciences for University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the curricular requirements of the Accrediting Counsel of Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as well as hiring and overseeing the anticipated 25-35 full and part-time Pharmacy faculty and support staff.

Both men will assume their new roles on August 1.

Gielow states, "Wisconsin, and especially the Milwaukee metro area, really needs another School of Pharmacy, and I'm excited and honored to be involved in its development."

"It is my hope that this new School of Pharmacy will produce many graduates who will remain dedicated to Concordia's mission to develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the World, and that these graduates will return to their urban or rural roots where pharmacists are often at a real shortage."

Arneson echoes Gielow's comments, "I am looking forward to the challenge of helping Concordia, a reputable Christian school with a solid history in health services, develop a much needed School of Pharmacy program within Wisconsin."

Gielow holds a Master's in Healthcare Administration from the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Most recently Gielow was serving as Executive Vice President of DHR International, the fifth largest executive search firm in the United States. He served in the State Legislature from 2003-2007, and from 1990-2007, he ran Gielow Associates, a national executive search, public policy and consulting firm that specializes in both executive searches and healthcare consulting.

Arneson holds a Pharm. D. from the University of Nebraska Medical Center,  A Ph.D., from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a Master's of Science from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and completed his pre-pharmacy studies at  the University of Nebraska Lincoln. He currently is a licensed pharmacist in Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma. He has also taught at Ferris State and Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy.

Concordia's preliminary plan for the new Pharmacy program is to have it be based on a two/four model with students taking a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy courses before being accepted and entering into the four year professional Pharmacy program. Students will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Concordia is planning to accept approximately 50-75 students per class. Admission requirements and tuition rates are still being finalized.

Currently, the state's only pharmacy school is located at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Annually, the school graduates approximately 130 students; however, between 300 and 400 applicants apply to the program each year.

Nationally, there are just over 100 accredited pharmacy schools. 

According to Ferry, the next steps for the school include continuing to garner community and corporate interest, taking the first steps in the national accreditation process, assembling the Pharmacy School Administrative and Faculty team and finalizing building plans for the school.