Pharmacy Perspectives - Fall 2011 - 3

LEED (Leadership in energy and environmental
Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. Rankings range from “Certified” (the threshold qualification) up to “Platinum”, the highest level.

strength	and	leadership	in	pharmacy	education,	practice,		 research,	and	community	service	in	Colorado	and	the	nation.	 Designed	to	meet	the	needs	of	our	students,	faculty,	staff	and	the	 community,	the	building	is	in	the	process	of	pursuing		 LEED	Gold	certification.	

Examples of design built into our new building are: Low flow and flush fixtures to reduce potable water usage; roofing with high solar reflectance; low VOC adhesives, sealants and paints; and the use of regional and recycled materials.

Renaissance	Woman
Accountant.	Advisor.	Alumni	Liaison.	Assistant	to	the	Dean.	Confidante.		 Construction	Project	Manager.	Facilities	Director.	Finance	Director.		 Fundraiser.	Human	Resource	Manager.	Interior	Designer.	Lobbyist.	Problem	 Solver	and	Critical	Thinker.	Visionary.	
Susan	Saunders	may	not	have	held	every	one	of	these	titles	during	her	 33-year	career	with	the	school,	but	she’s	certainly	acted	in	these	capacities.	 “And,	we’re	much	better	because	of	her,”	says	Dean	Ralph	Altiere.	“Every	 one	of	us	wants	to	make	a	difference	in	life	and	work.	Susan	has	made	a	 phenomenal	difference	for	our	school	that	will	continue	to	provide	unparalleled	benefit	to	faculty,	staff	and	students	for	many,	many	years	to	come.	 Her	retirement	creates	a	huge	void	that	will	be	difficult	to	fill.” Susan	joined	the	school	of	pharmacy	in	1978	when	she	was	hired	as	Dean	 Gene	Erwin’s	assistant.	In	those	days,	faculty	numbered	in	the	teens	and	 classes	in	the	forties	–	a	fourth	of	today’s	numbers.	By	the	mid	1980s,	the	 school	was	outgrowing	its	space	in	Boulder	and	the	Board	of	Regents		 knew	it.	 It	was	time	for	the	school	to	have	its	own	building	and	Louis	Diamond	 was	hired	as	dean	in	1986	to	make	that	a	reality.	Unfortunately	for	Lou,	 Susan	went	on	maternity	leave	the	week	before	he	arrived.	“My	first	job	 was	to	raise	the	money	necessary	to	build	our	new	building	on	the	Health	 Sciences	Center	campus	in	Denver.	I	didn’t	have	a	clue	about	fund	raising	 or,	for	that	matter,	about	any	of	the	complex	financial	and	academic	issues	 that	a	new	dean	inevitably	must	face.	At	times,	I	thought	my	days	as	a	 dean	were	going	to	be	quite	short.” For	the	first	few	months	on	the	job	–	sans	Susan	–	Lou	operated	“somewhere	between	frustration	and	panic.	The	day	Susan	returned	was	a	true	 godsend.	I	said	to	myself	‘I’m	going	to	be	able	to	stay	here	and	keep	my	job	 after	all,’”	reflects	Lou.	From	that	day	on	Lou	and	Susan	worked	closely	 together	to	lobby	state	government	for	funding	for	the	new	building,	to	 solicit	financial	and	emotional	support	from	friends	and	alums,	and	to	 prepare	the	Boulder	faculty	for	the	eventual	transition	to	a	new	campus	 and	a	new	culture. Lou	recalls,	“Susan	had	all	the	budget	information	in	her	head.	She	knew	 all	the	alumni.	She	was	familiar	with	the	needs	of	the	school	and	where		 the	future	could	lead.	She	just	had	a	way	of	taking	the	reigns,	analyzing		 the	situation	and	calmly	presenting	a	plan	of	action.”	Together,	they		 successfully	obtained	a	major	gift	from	Mr.	L.S.	Skaggs	and	his	American	 Stores	Company	for	the	new	building	project.	Later,	they	“shamelessly		 solicited	vendors	of	Mr.	Skaggs’	company	for	additional	funds.”	Armed	 with	those		monies	in	hand,	they	headed	to	the	state	legislature	with	 alumni	in	tow	to	make	their	case.	Eventually,	the	legislature	allocated	 another	$3.2	million	to	the	project	and	ground	was	broken	for	the	new	 Skaggs	Pharmacy	Building	in	1989.	 After	completing	the	building	and	moving	from	Boulder,	Susan’s	role	began	 to	evolve.	Even	though	her	title	remained	assistant	to	the	dean,	her	responsibilities	sharpened	and	became	less	diffuse.	Already	the	go-to	person	 for	everything	else,	Susan	did	so	much	to	keep	the	school	and	the	building	 running	smoothly,	that	she	eventually	obtained	the	title,	facilities	director. For	the	past	three	years	her	responsibilities	have	been	split	between	 facilities	management	and	overseeing	the	construction	of	the	new	building.	For	the	former,	she	oversees	the	physical	plant	operations,	including	 day-to-day	maintenance	and	housekeeping,	and	organized	the	school’s	
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Summer 2011

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Pharmacy Perspectives - Fall 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmacy Perspectives - Fall 2011
