Monday, May 17, 2010

Hundreds attended the groundbreaking of the new School of Pharmacy building on Friday, May 14. Earlier this month it was announced that CG Schmidt, Inc. will construct the building, which is expected to be completed for the 2011 fall semester. The first graduating class of pharmacy students will be seated this fall in a temporary location on campus.

The new School of Pharmacy will be only the second in the state, which has the greatest shortage of registered pharmacists in the nation. Currently, Wisconsin’s only pharmacy school is in Madison. Nationally, there are just over 100 accredited pharmacy programs.

“Excitement surrounding the groundbreaking and construction of this state-of-the-art building is growing,” said Dr. Dean Arneson, academic dean of the new pharmacy school.  “The accomplishments of the faculty and staff who teach, and the pharmacy students who learn because of this structure, will be of great service to mankind as we help curb the shortage of pharmacists in Wisconsin,” Arneson added.

 To date, Concordia has received six $1 million contributions for the School of Pharmacy since plans for the project were first announced back in 2007. This, plus other generous donations, puts Concordia’s fundraising efforts for the building at more than $8 million. The total cost of the project is estimated at $12 to $15 million.

A recent study, requested by CUW’s School of Pharmacy, found the economic impact to the area from the School to exceed $9 million per year.

Founded in 1881, Concordia University Wisconsin's main campus is located on approximately 200 acres of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline at 12800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Mequon. The university and its 17 Concordia centers and classroom locations are home to 7,178 undergraduate and graduate, traditional, as well as non-traditional students from 44 states and 26 foreign countries. The university offers 60 undergraduate majors, 14 master's degree programs, doctoral degrees in Pharmacy, Physical Therapy and Nursing Practice. There are also a variety of adult learning opportunities.

The university is affiliated with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and is a member of the Concordia University System, a nationwide network of colleges and universities. For more information on Concordia University Wisconsin, contact the university at 262-243-4300 or visit their web site at www.cuw.edu.

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