Donald E. Letendre, dean of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, has been inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni for 2019–20. The UK College of Pharmacy recognized Letendre during an Oct. 9 celebration.

Letendre and his five fellow inductees were selected by their peers for their exceptional contributions to their respective fields.

“I am pleased to join the University of Kentucky in thanking Dean Letendre for his invaluable contributions to the advancement of pharmacy education and practice,” says Kevin Kregel, UI interim executive vice president and provost. “I want to add my thanks for all Dean Letendre does for the UI College of Pharmacy and for the University of Iowa, especially for our students.”

Letendre serves as dean and professor in the UI College of Pharmacy and chairman of the board of University of Iowa Pharmaceuticals (UIP), an FDA-registered drug manufacturing enterprise. Under his leadership, the College of Pharmacy stands among the nation’s top 20 pharmacy schools as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, and in 2020 the college opened a new, state-of-the-art building that sets the stage for advancements in science and discovery.

Following completion of his doctorate in pharmacy and clinical residency at the University of Kentucky, Letendre served as assistant director and assistant professor of pharmacy at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He spent nearly two decades on the senior staff of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), serving for much of that time as director of accreditation services. He then served as dean and professor of the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and executive secretary of the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory Commission immediately prior to assuming his responsibilities at Iowa.

As a clinical practitioner, educator, association staff member, and now academic administrator, Letendre has served countless students and postgraduate residents throughout his career and has actively participated in the development and implementation of standards that have helped shape pharmacy practice and residency and technician training programs worldwide.

Among his many awards and special citations, Letendre received designation as an honorary residency graduate by New York’s Montefiore Medical Center (1989) and the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (1993). He was the recipient of the University of Kentucky’s prestigious Paul F. Parker Lecture Award (1998) and received the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award (1999).