Abel to lead Purdue's engagement office
January 10, 2014
Steve Abel has been appointed Purdue's associate vice president for engagement, University officials announced today (Jan. 10).
Abel, who has served as associate vice provost for faculty affairs since February 2012, also is the associate dean for clinical programs and Bucke Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the College of Pharmacy. He succeeds Suresh Garimella, who in May became Purdue's chief global affairs officer. Abel assumes his new role Jan. 13 and reports to Julie Griffith, vice president for public affairs.
The Office of Engagement has a well-established leadership role on issues that affect the state's prosperity and quality of life. Areas of focus include economic development, P-12 education, community service and lifelong learning. Offices reporting to Abel are the Center for Regional Development, Technical Assistance Program, Healthcare Advisers, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Purdue Extended Campus and the I-STEM network.
"Our engagement efforts are designed to leverage Purdue's great assets to enhance the lives and livelihoods of Indiana residents," Griffith said. "Dr. Abel has outstanding experience in engaging with Purdue faculty to advance our university's missions. We are thrilled that he will lead this important area for even greater impact in our state."
Abel said enhancing and creating partnerships within the University and around the state will be key to Purdue's ongoing engagement initiatives.
"I am honored to be entrusted with this responsibility," Abel said. "Purdue has an important and unique role as Indiana's land-grant institution, and we will continue to expand the opportunities that this responsibility offers us."
Abel received his bachelor's and doctoral degrees in pharmacy from Purdue in 1976 and 1978, respectively. His research focuses on development, implementation and evaluation of progressive pharmaceutical services in organized health care systems. He has extensive experience in tracking the types and frequency of clinical services provided in different inpatient pharmacy practice models (centralized, decentralized and multidisciplinary patient-focused care teams). He has assessed services based upon their impact on patient care and cost. Other primary areas of interest include medication safety, strategies to improve medication management/ medication use and ocular pharmacology.
He has published more than 110 scientific and professional articles and has given more than 300 research and invited presentations at national and international pharmacy meetings. He has a history of active service in various pharmaceutical organizations including the Indiana Pharmacists Alliance, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacists and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. In 1995, he was selected as a fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.