ALBANY, NY--(Marketwired - Dec 3, 2013) - The Board of Trustees of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has selected Gregory Dewey, Ph.D., to be the College's next president. When he assumes his new role on July 1, 2014, Dr. Dewey will become just the eighth president in the school's 132-year history.

Dr. Dewey currently serves as Provost at the University of La Verne in California, a role he has held since 2009. In that capacity, he has been responsible for achieving the highest standards of academic excellence, ensuring outstanding teaching and promoting scholarly and creative activities. During his time at La Verne, he has overseen academic affairs, student affairs, student services, enrollment management, financial aid, and athletics for the institution. The University of La Verne is a comprehensive doctoral university that enrolls approximately 8,000 students over four colleges and nine regional campuses.

Prior to joining the University of La Verne, Dr. Dewey served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Finnigan Chair at the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) of Applied Life Science in Claremont, CA. As a founding faculty member of this pioneering institute, he played a key role in KGI's growth during his ten years at the school, including the development of its groundbreaking Master's of Bioscience program. This program, the first professional master of science program in the country, educates scientists and engineers to be managers in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.

"We are extremely pleased that Greg has accepted our offer to be the next president of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences," said Herbert Chorbajian, Chairman of the ACPHS Board of Trustees. "The College is in the enviable position today of having strong academic programs, accomplished faculty, motivated students, and a solid financial standing. The goal of our search was to find a leader to build upon this foundation and propel ACPHS to even greater heights. I am confident we have found that person in Greg Dewey."

The College embarked on a nationwide search for its next president in May 2013 following current President James Gozzo's announcement that he would be stepping down from the position at the end of the current academic year. Dr. Gozzo took over as president of the College on July 1, 1998; his final day in that role will be June 30, 2014.

The presidential search committee was comprised of members of the College's Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students (four of the Board members on the committee are also ACPHS alumni). The College retained the services of the executive search firm Greenwood-Asher and Associates to help ensure no qualified candidates were overlooked.

Dr. Richard Daffner, M.D., F.A.C.R., ACPHS Class of 1963, served as chairman of the search committee. "We reviewed dozens of applications from across the country before selecting 12 candidates to meet with the search committee. The overall quality of the candidates was excellent, which I believe is a reflection of the College and the high regard in which it is held," said Dr. Daffner. "The strength of the candidate pool certainly made our jobs more difficult, but I have no doubt that the Board's selection of Dr. Dewey was the right one."

"I am honored to have been selected as the next president of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences," said Dr. Dewey. "We have witnessed incredible recent breakthroughs in biology and medical science, and these advances are redefining health care in the twenty-first century. We need to be leaders in the areas of research and education that focus on translating these scientific advances into new therapies that benefit humanity. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and Board of Trustees of ACPHS to ensure that the College not only keeps pace with these changes, but also plays a role in reshaping this emerging landscape."

Dr. Dewey began his academic career in 1982 as an Assistant Professor at the University of Denver and eventually rose to the rank of full professor. He spent 18 years at Denver, including five years as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. 

He has maintained an active research program throughout his career and has a broad range of research and teaching interests in the fields of biophysics, systems biology, and computational biology. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and is the author or co-author of more than 90 scientific publications. 

Dr. Dewey received his BSc degree in Chemistry from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. 

Click here to read a Q&A with Dr. Dewey.

About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution committed to graduating the best health care minds in the world. In addition to its doctor of pharmacy program, ACPHS offers six bachelor's programs and five graduate programs in the health sciences. The College's main campus is located in Albany, New York; its satellite campus is in Colchester, Vermont. For more information, please visit www.acphs.edu.