Dr. Annesha White named College of Pharmacy Interim Dean
Annesha White, PharmD, MS, PhD, was named Interim Dean of HSC College of Pharmacy as of Sept. 8, and she will continue her role as associate professor of Pharmacotherapy. Dr. White is an accomplished scholar, educator and leader who has dedicated her career to pharmacy education and advocacy, health outcomes research and student success for more than two decades.
“I am honored to take on the new role of Interim Dean and excited to lead our college through this period of transition,” she said. “Together, we will build on the strengths of our pharmacy school and continue our commitment to excellence in pharmacy education, innovation and research.”
White, who joined the college in 2015, previously served as the senior associate dean for Assessment, Accreditation, and Faculty Success, where she was instrumental in guiding the college to an eight-year, re-accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. She also served as interim chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy in 2018 and was awarded tenure in 2021.
She currently teaches pharmacy students in various courses such as “Economic Evaluation and Policy,” an integral component of a certificate program in Applied Health Outcomes Research. She has lectured for many of the pharmacy courses taught at Florida A & M University, the University of Florida and Mercer University.
White’s research examines the various aspects of safety, economics and other social determinants of health in influencing health outcomes and improving care delivery. She has published several peer-reviewed articles, authored a textbook entitled “Introduction to the Pharmacy Profession,” and serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.
Throughout her career, White has been active as a mentor and leader in various professional pharmacy organizations, including the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, the American Pharmacists Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. As the current president of the AMCP Foundation Board of Trustees, White is leading its mission to strengthen managed care pharmacy by investing in future-focused research and inspiring the next generation to improve patient health.
Consistently recognized for her service, research and mentoring, White was inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma International Pharmacy Leadership Society in 2020 and is a three-time recipient of the ISPOR Distinguished Service Award. She graduated from the prestigious Academic Leadership Fellows Program – American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in 2017 and was recognized as an HSC Student Career Development Career Champion Nominee in 2020 and 2022.
White received a PharmD and an MS in Pharmacoeconomics from Florida A&M University and a PhD in Health Services Research from the University of Florida.
“I want to thank Dr. White for her enthusiasm to lead the College of Pharmacy during this transition period,” said HSC Provost Charles Taylor, Pharm.D. “She cares deeply about the college and advocating for student success, and I am confident she will continue to advance the strategic priorities of the college during this transition period.”
White succeeds S. Suresh Madhavan, Ph.D., M.B.A., who joined the college as dean in 2019 and recently stepped down from his role for family reasons but will continue full-time as a tenured professor of Pharmacotherapy. During his tenure as dean, Dr. Madhavan oversaw the maturation of the young college, the launch of new certificate and graduate pharmacy programs, the doubling of pharmacy research funding, an increase in faculty and student satisfaction, the expansion of interprofessional collaborations, and achievement of full accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
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