After serving about 17 years as dean of UF’s College of Pharmacy, William H. Riffee will step down this summer.
Riffee and two other Health and Science Center deans have announced plans to leave their positions in the upcoming year. Kathleen Ann Long, of the College of Nursing, and Glen Hoffsis, of the College of Veterinary Medicine, will step down. Riffee said he will vacate his position June 30, 2013.
“Since we had several of the deans stepping down in Health and Science Center, the vice president thought it would be useful for me to step aside,” Riffee said.
Third-year working professional doctor of pharmacy candidate Shane Reilly, 22, said he was surprised to hear Riffee was leaving.
“I didn’t see this coming at all,” Reilly said. “He really pushed the College of Pharmacy and has done so much for the college.”
In addition to serving as dean, Riffee worked as a UF associate provost for distance, executive and continuing education from 2001 to 2006.
“I actually started a distance education program when I was at the faculty of the University of Texas College of Pharmacy,” Riffee said. “I brought that expertise here, so it was a matter of looking at the technology and adjusting the technology to our teaching style.”
The UF College of Pharmacy includes three other campuses in Jacksonville, Orlando and St. Petersburg. According to a press release, UF’s Working Professional Doctor of Pharmacy program is the largest in the nation.
“I will miss the large university atmosphere,” he said. “There are some things about a large university atmosphere that I won’t miss — there is a lot of bureaucracy and things that go on with that.”
As for stepping down, Riffee said he’s examining his options but has no definite plans.
“I will miss my faculty and students and staff,” he said. “They have been remarkable to work with.”
