Manchester names Trovinger pharmacy distance pathway director
Sara Trovinger has been named pharmacy distance pathway director at Manchester University.
The program based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is awaiting final word from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) about adding the distance option for its four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The plan is to begin this fall.
“Along with many challenges we faced with COVID-19, we learned valuable lessons about what is possible. We know we can deliver a rigorous, flexible pharmacy doctoral program where most of the work is remote,” Trovinger said.
“Our goals included removing the barrier of relocation costs for those who would otherwise have not have access to our Pharm.D. program. Another was to make it possible for those already have jobs and support systems in place to join our program without totally disrupting in their lives. For some, this could be a game-changer,” she said.
The distance learners will be required to earn the same number of credit hours as on-campus students, but some of the distance classes would be offered during January and summer sessions to spread out the workload. Most elements of the distance pathway would also be asynchronous, meaning students do not have to be online at the time of a class or session.
“All of the content will be uploaded on Day 1 of a class,” Trovinger said. “They have to meet incremental deadlines along the way, but otherwise they are free to do the work at their own pace.”
Distance students will use a standard laptop provided by Manchester. This will help students use virtual reality and other teaching technology used in courses.
Candidates apply through
PharmCAS, the same system used for on-campus pharmacy applications. Those interested should apply before June 1.
In addition to her work and experience in pharmacy practice and pharmacy education, Trovinger has a master’s degree in education. Both her pharmacy doctoral degree and the education degree are from Purdue University.
Trovinger has been a pharmacist for 14 years, both in retail and hospital settings. She joined the faculty of Manchester’s Pharmacy Program in 2015 and served in that role until 2020. She rejoined the faculty in the summer of 2021 and will start work immediately on the distance pathway with Jennifer Campbell, associate dean of academic programs in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Trovinger’s accomplishments include creating an emergency department pharmacy service and specializing in cardiac critical care. She is deeply involved in the American Academy of Colleges of Pharmacy and recently served as chair of the Women Faculty Special Interest Group.
For the media
Contact information and bio for Dr. TrovingerDistance pathway FAQs Pharmacy Program Distance Pathway Note: Manchester expects to get final word from ACPE in middle to late June.
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www.manchester.edu/about-manchester.April 2022