The UT Austin College of Pharmacy aims to cultivate a culture of acceptance and support within our college and the communities we serve. The programs below demonstrate a commitment to providing a supportive and collaborative approach to student and trainee success by creating greater opportunities for individuals from first-generation and/or low-income communities.
PEPP Camp - Project Engage Pharmacy Program
The UT College of Pharmacy recently held its fifth Project Engage Pharmacy Program (PEPP) Camp. First-generation students with an interest in the health professions or biomedical sciences were invited to apply. Selected participants immersed themselves in Longhorn life on the Forty Acres: bunking in dorm rooms, visiting cultural centers, and enjoying 'Phamily' dinners.
The focus of the three-day camp is to explore the diverse field of pharmacy and all that UT Pharmacy has to offer. This includes visits to different types of pharmacy practice environments, getting hands-on and behind-the-scenes tours of the College of Pharmacy facilities and learning from practicing pharmacists and current pharmacy students. Faculty and staff provide peer-to-peer mentorship and skill-building opportunities including admissions processes and requirements sessions, resume and CV review seminars and an “Interview Day” simulation.
LEADER - A Summer Undergraduate Research Program
The LEADER program at The UT Austin College of Pharmacy will provide rising junior or senior undergraduate students from Texas’ historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs) the opportunity to receive on-site high-quality “hands on” laboratory experiences and technique instruction and gain fundamental research skills in a nine-week on-campus experience.
Participating faculty mentors come from several of the college’s divisions and have demonstrated experience training and mentoring undergraduate students. Importantly, this program provides student mentoring and coaching from the Director, Dr. Rana Ghosh, Associate Professor, as well as Dr. John Richburg, who serves as the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. Several invited presenters provide information on various professional development and career topics such as Best Practices for Graduate Program Applications, to help guide the participants along their personal career explorations. At the conclusion of the summer program, each student presents their work in a poster session held on campus.
Participant Experiences
“The support system is phenomenal. I never felt overwhelmed or like okay I need to figure this out on my own. I’ve always had people to talk to and address any concerns I’ve had so in that aspect I think it’s a 10/10.”
“I would say my leader experience was pretty great. I would say this internship was one of the top ones I’ve seen compared to other internships I’ve heard about. It's very supportive. It's very helpful to those who are struggling financially, so I definitely think it’s something I can do without having to worry about any outside factors. So I’d say the leader program is a great support system that gives you great connections for whatever you need in the future. So I would say this leader program has definitely changed a lot for me.”
“I came here like oh I am going to get my first research experience without thinking much about it. Originally, I was going to do Pharm.D. to Ph.D. program, but now I changed to just doing Ph.D. as well.”
BOOT Program - Building Our Own Talent
In 2021, the College of Pharmacy launched the Building Our Own Talent (BOOT) program designed to provide mentoring and support for trainees associated with the college. The program and the college embrace the notion that innovation and discovery thrive in an inclusive culture that values diverse ideas. The main goal of the BOOT program is to increase the recruitment, retention and preparation of trainees from all backgrounds for an academic career in the pharmaceutical sciences.
This year, the college welcomes Maya Eldani and Hector Leon to the pharmaceutical sciences graduate program. These two fully funded graduate research assistant (GRA) positions were established to annually support recruitment of students into graduate programs in either pharmaceutical sciences or translational sciences. These GRA positions provide a generous 12-month stipend plus paid tuition for the first academic year.
Learn more about our 2024 BOOT Program Scholars.
Read about our previous BOOT Program Scholars:
2023 BOOT Program Scholars
2022 BOOT Program Scholars
2021 BOOT Program Scholars
Provost's Early Career Cohort Postdoctoral Program
The UT Austin Provost’s Early Career Fellows program could be an ideal fit for early career researchers, postdoctoral fellows, or graduating Ph.D. students interested in pursuing an independent academic career in the pharmaceutical sciences. Competitive candidates will have outstanding scholarly records. The College of Pharmacy has designed a three-year program where fellows will be mentored in all of the different dimensions that make an assistant tenure-track professor successful. Major research areas of our program are:
- The discovery of the underlying mechanisms of disease
- Drug discovery and delivery optimization to treat disease
- Health outcomes and policy
The funding package that fellows receive includes a competitive stipend, fringe benefits, relocation funds, travel funds and discretionary funds to enable the professional development of the candidate.
Alumni from the Provost’s Early Career Fellows Program have secured positions as academic faculty members and also in departments such as the UT Office of Sponsored Projects.