Forging ahead in pharmacy

Dr. Franco Pasutto

Although Dr. Franco Pasutto left Italy at the age of seven with his mother to join his father in Canada, it is apparent his homeland is never far from his mind. Pasutto gave his two boys Italian names, he has pictures of Florence, Rome and Venice hanging on his office walls, and says he has never forgotten his roots.

Pasutto is happy to call Canada home, but shares his passion for all things Italian with his dedication to his work. Pasutto becomes dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences July 1. He sees this opportunity as a chance to work with friends and colleagues to build on the faculty's successes to date.

Pasutto earned his PhD from the U of A and has been working here since 1980. "I've invested a lot in this place. I like the city. I've been treated well at this university," says Pasutto.

The incoming dean is aware of the challenges ahead of him. "These aren't easy times to be deans, nor are they easy times to recruit deans," he says. Inadequate funding for education and the lure of the U.S. dollar are top issues among faculty. "In some ways we are becoming a farm team for the American educational system," he says. Canadian pharmacists are extremely well trained he says, and American universities and companies are scooping up these graduates.

There's another, more immediate challenge staring down the faces of his faculty. "There is no question, the number one, absolute priority is space or renovations," he says. The Dentistry-Pharmacy building has been evacuated several times for various safety reasons and the 20-year-old [stain] on Pasutto's wall is a constant reminder of the grim situation.

It is not just the physical building that is affected, says Pasutto. Facilities are part of what attract and keep new faculty and graduate students. "If a new staff member comes in here tomorrow, I don't even have office space. It's that critical," he says.

The disciplines within pharmacy are currently displaced all over six floors within the Dentistry-Pharmacy building and that limits the ability of researchers to share equipment and ideas, says Pasutto. Newer, state-of-the-art facilities are required if the U of A wants to attract more research dollars and continue to develop its excellent students.

"A major component of a dean's job now is fundraising, which causes me some distress to be quite honest," says Pasutto. "That wasn't the original intent of a dean in academia." He says 30-40 percent of a dean's time is now spent fundraising. "I'm not convinced that is the best way to use a dean, but nonetheless it has to be done."

Pasutto wants to develop revenue-generating facilities. "Industry has the money and we have some outstanding staff; we just have to link up." He also wants to ensure the development of the curriculum to a PharmD program (doctor of pharmacy) following the lead of the U.S.

Pasutto knows the challenges are great but says, "we'll get there together." He is committed, enthused and proud to be leading his colleagues over the next five years.