Timothy Fincher, recently named department chair of pharmaceutical sciences at William Carey University, still vividly recalls the moment that sparked his pharmaceutical career — a high school science fair project.
“I had taken all the science classes, so I was taking AP Calculus, but it was required to do a science fair project,” Fincher says. “My father literally taught me basic pharmacokinetics, and I just really liked it.”
It just so happens Fincher’s father is USC College of Pharmacy Dean Emeritus Julian Fincher. Despite growing up around the college, Fincher initially resisted following in his dad’s footsteps. “I think most of my time through childhood, the last thing I wanted to do was be a pharmacist,” he admits.
After earning his B.S. in pharmacy from USC in 1992 and his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences in 1998, Fincher spent five years as an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences before working nearly 12 years with Sears Holdings Corporation and Kmart Pharmacy. In 2017, he joined William Carey University in Biloxi, Mississippi to help launch its pharmacy program.
Fincher received the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Pharmaceutics Section 2024 Innovation and Teaching Excellence Award for his work titled “Application of a Critical Thinking Framework to Enhanced Cognitive Transfer.” Fincher even recently collaborated with his longtime friend, USC College of Pharmacy faculty member John Holladay, along with several COP students, on a poster presentation at the 2024 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition.
His teaching philosophy focuses on helping students make connections.
“Students today are different than when I went to school. They are just as smart but donʼt always know how to put the pieces together,” Fincher explains, “and watching them progress is the greatest job satisfaction I can receive.”
Reflecting on his time at USC, Fincher credits the universityʼs rigorous program for his success. “We were graduating practice-ready pharmacists. I felt like we were ready to go on day one when we started rotations.”
The faculty also made a lasting impression on him. “They were so supportive and felt like they really cared about what you knew and how you were progressing,” he says. “Iʼve carried that here, and I think we have that culture here at William Carey, too.”
Topics: Alumni, Graduate Program