Cherokee Layson-Wolf and JuliAna Brammer
November 2019
Providing University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) students with diverse experiences is essential to their development as health care professionals. The school begins this development by ensuring its student recruitment efforts bring in diverse candidates.
In 2019, Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, associate dean of student affairs, and JuliAna Brammer, MBA, director of admissions, records, and registration, traveled to Puerto Rico to engage with members of the Future Pharmacists Association at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). During these sessions, Layson-Wolf discussed career opportunities in pharmacy and the benefits of attending UMSOP, such as interacting with a diverse student body and engaging with the local community. It was a successful first visit to pre-pharmacy students at UPR, with four students enrolling at UMSOP.
The Puerto Rico visit was among more than 45 outreach events to undergraduate, community college, and high school students over the past year designed to raise awareness of opportunities in pharmacy and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and to recruit diverse candidates. The Office of Student Affairs works with several UMSOP student organizations to host mentorship programs with pre-pharmacy students at universities in the Baltimore area, hosting students from local middle schools and highs schools for tours and demonstrations.
Several UMSOP organizations also collaborate on an annual “International Feast” event to share their foods and culture with the school community. UMSOP values having students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and cultures.