The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has announced that José O Rivera, Pharm.D., has been named the founding dean of the soon-to-be-established School of Pharmacy at UTEP. Rivera currently serves as a professor of clinical pharmacy and director of the UTEP-UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program.
Under Rivera’s leadership, UTEP will develop a new doctoral program in Pharmacy and establish the UTEP School of Pharmacy, made possible by $7 million in state funding spearheaded by State Rep. Marisa Márquez during the 84th Texas legislative session.
During the next two years, Rivera will lead the transition from the current UTEP Cooperative Pharmacy Program (CPP) with the UT Austin College of Pharmacy to a fully accredited UTEP School of Pharmacy serving larger cohortsof students from the El Paso region.
The University has been part of the six-year UTEP-UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program since 1999.
“Dr. Rivera has for the past 20 years been the driving force in developing pharmacy education at UTEP,” said UTEP President Diana Natalicio. “We look forward to working with him to launch this exciting new chapter in the preparation of healthcare professionals to serve this region.”
Rivera joined UTEP in 1996. He also has served as assistant dean of the UT Austin College of Pharmacy since 2001.
A licensed pharmacist, Rivera has been actively involved in the community in clinical roles at local hospitals and clinics while training pharmacy students to meet the needs of the local workforce.
“For the University, this will become a thriving, financially viable program,” said Rivera. “For the students of El Paso, it will be an opportunity to have a pharmacy school with a curriculum that’s more in line with what’s needed culturally as we go forward.”
Rivera received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from the University of Puerto Rico and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky. He completed his clinical pharmacy residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
Rivera has a strong record of community-based scholarship and has published and presented widely on the use and potential risks of complementary and alternative medicines.
His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, major pharmaceutical companies, and local health care providers.
Howard Daudistel, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, announced the appointment. “Dr. Rivera’s deep knowledge of local needs and national issues in pharmacy training uniquely prepare him for this role,” Daudistel said. “I am pleased that his leadership will help shape the new School and the opportunities that it provides for residents of our region.”