Please join me in congratulating Richard Kasmer, Pharm.D., J.D., on his plan to retire after 17 years at NEOMED.
Dr. Kasmer joined the College of Pharmacy in 2006 and has served in a variety of roles throughout his career. He has been an instructor, course director and student mentor. He has served as interim chair in pharmaceutical sciences. He has also held virtually every pharmacy leadership role, including executive associate dean, interim dean, vice dean, and of course, dean. Dr. Kasmer has been engaged with our pharmacy students since our first students were enrolled in 2007 and was dean when the College matriculated its 1000th student – a key benchmark for a young college.
His leadership during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic played a huge role in showcasing pharmacists as providers and enabling students who stood up to fight the coronavirus, working in triage-like environments to help with anything from screening, to testing and administering vaccinations.
Dr. Kasmer’s teams have been at the forefront of pharmacy practice, science, and advocacy. Pharmacy students have been consistently among the best in Ohio and the U.S. as first-time North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) test-takers. Perhaps some of these successes can be attributed to his leadership as both a pharmacist and a lawyer, who takes pride in being focused in two very different roles. It is also why he was able to hold the additional roles of associate dean of academic affairs and vice president of academic affairs, ultimately leading the successful HLC reaccreditation and submission of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) application.
Dr. Kasmer’s work as a servant-leader is most evident in the following message that he sends to the NEOMED community:
I’ve worked with talented teams — staff, faculty, students and alumni — at NEOMED for nearly two decades. And toward the end of my career, when I received the chance to work with them on not one, but two massive opportunities, I appreciated every moment of what’s meant by going out on top. It’s not about any individual successes, it’s about the shoulders you stand on that help an entire organization thrive. I couldn’t think of a better time and way to retire. Thank you all.
Dr. Kasmer’s last day on campus will be June 30.
With Dr. Kasmer’s planned departure, his three months’ notice allows us to make a seamless transition to an interim dean. We are fortunate that the College of Pharmacy has great leadership in many areas. And it is with great pleasure that I announce Katherine Tromp, Pharm.D., as interim dean of the College of Pharmacy.
Dr. Tromp joined us two years ago as the College’s senior associate dean of education. She came to NEOMED from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, FL, where she served as the associate dean of the Florida Pathway.
Dr. Tromp completed her undergraduate education at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where she received a Bachelor of Science with a major in biochemistry and a double major in scientific, technical, and professional communications. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Worcester.
After completing a PGY-1 residency with MCPHS and Walgreens, Dr. Tromp became a faculty member at LECOM where she took on a variety of leadership positions including director of student services and director of the Distance Education Pathway. As the associate dean, she oversaw the functioning of the School of Pharmacy on the Florida campus, which included the progression of 500 students and supervision of 25 faculty and staff members.
Please join me in wishing both Drs. Kasmer and Tromp well on the next phases of their careers.
Look for an announcement regarding a reception to be held in Dr. Kasmer’s honor.
Sincerely,
John T. Langell
President