A beloved former Dean of the Albany College of Pharmacy, Dr. Kenneth W. Miller, died on September 19. Dr. Miller was 80 years old and had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
He leaves a significant legacy to the College and the pharmacy profession. He became the College's sixth Dean in 1982 (the head of the school was not called a president then), after having previously coordinated the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Vanderbilt University. He had a strong interest in the establishment of a similar program at what was then the Albany College of Pharmacy, and accomplished that in 1990, with the creation of a two-year post-baccalaureate program; that program evolved into the current standalone six-year Pharm.D. program in 1993. He also oversaw the creation of the first dormitories for ACP students, in 1985.
Dr. Miller may best be remembered, however, for his open-door policy and his rapport with colleagues, students and alumni.
Dr. David Newton taught pharmacokinetics at the College during most of Dr. Miller’s tenure and also worked at three other schools under five other deans. He described Dr. Miller’s dedication this way: “Ken Miller is the only one of those deans who I attest came to work every day totally on behalf of the students, faculty and staff; never one minute for himself.
“Ken should be remembered for his nearly always grinning smile; words to bring happiness, levity, encouragement and stress reduction to others; and unique wit and even demeanor to meet challenges and crises and solve peoples' problems both small and large,” Newton stated.
Marion Morton, ’84, chair of the ACPHS Board of Trustees, concurred. “He was approachable and interested,” Morton said of Dr. Miller during her time as a student. “During the pandemic, I have great memories of Dr. Miller and his wife Shelly joining an Old Farm Tavern Wine Tasting for the Class of ’84, fully engaged and happy to see ACPHS alumni.”
Following his departure from the College in 1993, Dr. Miller served as senior vice president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in Arlington, Va. In retirement, the Millers traveled extensively, to more than 25 international destinations. (They are pictured above on a trip to Norway they took with the Newtons in June 2011.)
His lifelong commitment to pharmacy education was visibly demonstrated as recently as last year, when he participated in ACPHS’ Discovery for Life fundraising campaign. And recognition of that commitment will live on through the Kenneth W. Miller Endowed Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships annually to academically qualified students with financial need pursuing the Pharm.D. degree while in the professional years.
“He was not only a force for positive progressive change at ACPHS but also to the pharmacy profession through his exceptional service as one of the leaders of AACP,” said ACPHS President Emeritus James Gozzo, who led the school from 1998 to 2014. “He will be missed.”