After leading the organization for more than two decades, Charles F. Monahan, Jr., president of MCPHS University (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science) will retire in January. The school has campuses in Manchester, and Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts.
According to the board of trustees chair, Richard E. Griffin, Monahan was a 1962 graduate of the College of Pharmacy and began his career as a community pharmacist, building a successful chain of independent pharmacies in Worcester.
"At the start of his presidency, the University was composed of 1,000 students (all but 50 studying pharmacy), had one building in Boston, and approximately 190 faculty and staff," Griffin says. "Over the last 23 years, President Monahan has led the transformation of MCPHS from a regional pharmacy college into a nationally ranked, world-class health care university with approximately 7,200 students from every state and more than 80 countries, 2,000 faculty and staff across three campuses, and more than 100 degree and certificate programs in health care.”
The trustees voted to appoint Richard J. Lessard to serve as interim president, following the retirement and during the search for a new president. Lessard is currently the University’s executive vice president, COO, and CFO.
“While the board of trustees holds the ultimate responsibility for hiring the president, we need and value input from all members of our community,” says Griffin, “Between now and January 15, I will form and chair a presidential search committee that will include other trustees and representatives from all corners of the MCPHS community.”
Pictured: President Charles Monahan, photo by Randall Garnick Photography
Current Issue - April 2024