Maerten-Rivera selected for AACP’s Prestigious Leadership Development Program

Maerten-Rivera joins the 20^th cohort of 35 individuals, a record number of accepted individuals since the program’s inception 20 years ago.

“I am honored to be able to participate in the program during this time,” says Maerten-Rivera. “I hope that I gain leadership skills which allow me to positively influence both our school and pharmacy education more broadly. I would like to make an impact by encouraging the use of comprehensive assessment for improvement and developing best practices for assessment.”

The individuals accepted into this prestigious program represent some of academic pharmacy’s rising future leaders from around the country and were selected on their qualifications with an intentional eye on diversity aspects, type of academic institution, geography and discipline.

Maerten-Rivera was recently appointed associate dean, Analytics and Accreditation Compliance at the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS). She currently serves as chair of our Ad-Hoc Assessment Committee for our Re-Imagined PharmD Curriculum and leads our Student Experience Workgroup which is dedicated to surveying students about curricular and programmatic changes.

Her professional involvement extends to service in national organizations as well. She is currently a member at large of the AACP Assessment Special Interest Group (SIG) Executive Committee and previously served on an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) assessment taskforce in 2020. She is also the recipient of several awards, including the UB SPPS Julie Kopfer Memorial Staff Member of the Year Award in 2021 and the AACP Assessment SIG Collaborative Publication Award in both 2019 and 2021.

The AACP Academic Leadership Fellows Program supports the development of leaders in academic pharmacy and higher education and provides an opportunity for Fellows to build relationships with peers and colleagues at other institutions.

During the year-long program, Fellows engage in an in-depth curriculum aimed at self-development through the study of leadership theory, personal skills enhancement and guidance from demonstrated leaders. Program sessions include how to lead change, conflict management, diversity, equity and inclusion in leadership development, and leadership styles and theory.

“The opportunity to participate in ALFP presents itself at a pivotal time for pharmacy education, both at UB SPPS and nationally,” says Maerten-Rivera. “Our UB SPPS PharmD program is in the process of a curricular renewal which will impact our students and school for the next decade. Pharmacy accreditation is also undergoing a revision of standards which will impact schools and colleges of pharmacy, particularly in the area of assessment.” 

Lee Vermeulen, BS’90, MS, FCCP, FFIP, AACP Executive Vice President and CEO, says, “Through their diverse career paths, more than 500 ALFP alumni are making a difference in academic pharmacy, higher education and the pharmacy profession. The 2023 cohort marks the 20th anniversary of this prestigious program and I look forward to seeing the continued transformation of pharmacy education and practice in the next 20 years.”