Sullivan University College of Pharmacy (SUCOP) has announced that Sarah Lawrence, a 2011 SUCOP graduate, has been selected as the Director of the school’s Pharmacy Technician Program.

“Under Dr. Lawrence’s leadership we hope the program will continue to evolve and advance from the solid foundation provided under the leadership of Christen Schenkenfelder Bruening and prior to that Miles Spalding,” said Dr. Cindy Stowe, Dean of the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy. “The program is on solid footing and poised for market leadership.”

A native of Madisonville in west Kentucky, Dr. Lawrence has lived in Louisville for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master’s degree in higher education from The University of Louisville and received her Pharm.D. degree from The Sullivan University College of Pharmacy, where she also did her Community Pharmacy Residency.

“I am so pleased to be back in the Sullivan family, and look forward to taking my place among the outstanding educators who helped me to launch my pharmacy career,” Dr. Lawrence said. “I have always been interested in academics and hoped to make a transition into full time academic work. I love teaching and am passionate about education, and look forward to being in the academic environment again. “

Healthcare providers in Louisville Metro and Southern Indiana are having difficulty finding qualified, highly-skilled workers including Pharmacy Technicians, according to a recent talent alignment assessment of 263 businesses in the region performed by the Louisville Society for Human Resource Management (LSHRM).

“Pharmacy managers contact us almost daily because the demand for techs is so high,” said Director of Career Services for Sullivan University’s Health and Medical programs Beth Davisson, who also serves as president of LSHRM. “Our Pharmacy Technician grads are quickly recruited into great professions with employers such as Baptist Health, KentuckyOne Health and Norton Healthcare.”

“There is a shortage of pharmacy technicians in the Louisville area,” added Dr. Stowe. “The Sullivan University Pharmacy Technician Program strives to fill this gap and advance the roles for pharmacy technicians in the care of patients.  Having both a Pharmacy Technician program and Doctor of Pharmacy program offers an excellent educational advantage for both programs.”