Colin Chapman appointed Emeritus Professor

January 2011

Colin Chapman, past dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been appointed an Emeritus Professor of Monash University. This appointment recognises Colin's dedicated service to both the faculty and the University over a long period.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Pharmacy from what was then the Victorian College of Pharmacy in 1970, Emeritus Professor Chapman undertook pre-registration training at Bull and Owen's Pharmacy in Geelong before serving as a national serviceman in the Australian Regular Army. He then undertook further  studies, receiving a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Melbourne in 1976 and a PhD through the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in 1981. He joined the college as head of the Department of Pharmaceutics in 1987 and was appointed dean in 1991.

Since 1987, Emeritus Professor Chapman's contribution to the faculty, its growth and success has been substantial and significant: in particular, he led the college through the period of amalgamation with Monash University, ensuring that the transition was seamless. During this time he attracted the  support of pharmacists statewide to lobby decision makers and ensure that the amalgamation happened to the best advantage of the college and its community. Since then he worked to ensure that the college was a major influence in shaping the future of the constantly evolving pharmacy profession.

During his time as dean, Emeritus Professor Chapman effectively managed the extension of the Bachelor of Pharmacy from three to four years so there could be inclusion of extensive clinical placements. He also managed the introduction of new undergraduate and postgraduate coursework degrees and significant  extension of research activities, including preliminary work to establish the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The quality and type of courses and research on offer created a large increase in the student population resulting in major upgrades to the campus, especially the fourth building  and extensive refurbishment of the Manning building.

Rural health was a particular focus of Emeritus Professor Chapman's tenure as dean, and he was responsible for developing and implementing a range of initiatives to attract and retain health professionals in rural communities. These included the Rural Entry Scheme for secondary students, compulsory  rural placements for all pharmacy students at Monash, and the Monash University Pharmacy Scholarship for high achievers from country areas.

Over the years Emeritus Professor Chapman contributed his time to many professional organisations and held positions including chairman of the Therapeutic Goods Committee and chairman of the Committee of the Heads of Pharmacy Schools in Australia and New Zealand. He wrote the guidelines for, and helped  to establish, the New Zealand and Australian Pharmacy Schools Accreditation Committee and assisted with the establishment the Victorian Pharmacy College Foundation in 2001. In 1998 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia for, among other things, his role in establishing  the statement on competencies for pharmacists in Australia.

Today Emeritus Professor Chapman continues his work in pharmacy education by consulting internationally on curriculum development and quality assurance, including a project with the World Bank in Indonesia and work with the Saudi Arabian Ministry for Higher Education.  He continues to undertake  research and to promote the importance of pharmacy in primary healthcare.