UM Pharmacy Administration Professor Named Distinguished Cotton Lecturer

By Patrick Smith

University of Mississippi

Marie Barnard, an associate professor of pharmacy administration with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, has been named as the Distinguished Cotton Lecturer in Pharmacy Administration.

The lectureship is supported by the Winfield and Rachel Cotton Lectureship in Pharmacy Administration Endowment. The appointment is intended to honor and reward a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the Department of Pharmacy Administration in research, teaching, service and collegiality. 

The faculty member is selected by the school’s dean, with input from the department chair.

Barnard is the first School of Pharmacy faculty member to receive this title. She will serve in the role for two years, and will receive a $5,000 annual stipend to support her work.

“Marie’s contributions to teaching and research are tremendous,” said Donna Strum, UM pharmacy dean. “Her research has focused on important public health issues in pharmacy, including vaccination behavior, intimate partner violence, STEM education and health outcomes research.”

Barnard has enjoyed tremendous success as a researcher at Ole Miss, being the recipient of the university’s first Science Education Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health. She said that she plans to use the additional support to further her work on bettering the health of communities.

“This appointment supports my teaching and research that seeks to understand how we can leverage systems to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities,” Barnard said. “The support of donors to the School of Pharmacy is incredibly valuable, and I am truly grateful for this support, which will further these efforts.”

Yi Yang, chair of pharmacy administration, praised Barnard’s contributions to the department and said she is a perfect fit for the lectureship.

“Dr. Barnard exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding faculty member in the department,” Yang said. “She is a very productive researcher, a role model and a trusted mentor to both pharmacy students and graduate students.

“She is dedicated to the service mission of our department, school, university and the community, and is a wonderful colleague to work with.”

Barnard began her two-year term as Distinguished Cotton Lecturer on July 1.