Naser Z. Alsharif, Pharm.D., M.S., Ph.D.
Dean, School of Pharmacy
Professor
Dr. Naser Alsharif has been appointed Dean of the School of Pharmacy effective February 1, 2022.
He hails from Creighton University, Omaha, US, where he was Professor of Pharmacy Sciences at the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.
Dr. Alsharif has extensive teaching and research experience that spans over 28 years. He is the instructor of record for clinical toxicology, cultural proficiency for healthcare professionals, ethics for healthcare professionals and medicinal chemistry. His areas of expertise and publications include toxicity of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, distance education, scholarship of teaching and learning, use of technology, healthcare disparities and cultural competency, health and healing practice of people of faith, provider bias and global pharmacy education.
He is also the originator of structurally based therapeutic evaluation in teaching medicinal chemistry and has published manuscripts and presented nationally and internationally on the use of this concept in the classroom. He has also served as Associate Director of Creighton University’s Distance Based Doctor of Pharmacy Pathway, the first in the US. As Coordinator for International Relations for the Middle East and India, he has since 1995, organized exchange visits by students and faculty from China, Egypt, England, Jordan, Sweden and South Korea and finalized numerous memoranda of understanding.
He was a member of an evaluation team for the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) International Services. He also chaired and was a member on many committees in preparation for Creighton University pharmacy program self-study from the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education. In addition, he served as a visiting professor, consultant, coordinator for strategic planning and as an external assessor at several universities in the Arab world.
Dr. Alsharif is the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award, the Creighton University’s John P. Schlegel Diversity Award for Excellence and Innovation, the Distinguished Educator in Teaching as Scholarship, as well as the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s (AACP) inaugural Distinguished Teaching Scholar Award and Innovation in Teaching Award. He, along with colleagues, won the AACP’s Innovation in Teaching Award Competition in 2000 and 2006 and received an honorable mention for the same award in 2002 and 2004.
Dr. Alsharif has been a member and officer at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) since 1995 and has served as Chair for the Global Pharmacy Education Special Interest Group (GPE-SIG) and Chair of the Health Disparities and Cultural Competency SIG (HDCC-SIG). During his tenure, he led a group of colleagues to author four special papers on current practices in global outreach. He also served as a guest editor on a special theme titled “Cultural sensitivity and global pharmacy engagement.” Eight papers were published in the premier pharmacy journal, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. He received the Outstanding Service Award from the AACP GPE-SIG (2018) and in 2020 from the HDCC-SIG.
Dr. Alsharif helped establish the Arab American Pharmacy Educators in 2017. Since then, several webinars and virtual conferences were conducted in collaboration with universities in the Arab world. A certified immunizer and immunization trainer, he has practiced as an on-call and part-time pharmacist for more than 20 years at five local hospitals and precepted hundreds of students.
Dr. Alsharif holds a PhD in Toxicology/Pharmacology from Creighton University Medical Center, and an MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a PharmD from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Education and Training
- Ph.D. 1992, Creighton University
- M.S. 1988, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Pharm.D. 1987, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- B.A. 1984, University of Nebraska Omaha
- Interprofessional Workshop, Creighton University, Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research. 2018.
- APhA Train the Trainer Course. 2014
- APhA Immunization Course, Creighton University. 2013.
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Service Award. Health Disparities and Cultural Competency Special Interest Group, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). (2020).
- Outstanding Service Award. Global Pharmacy education special Interest Group. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). (2018).
- Alexander J and Martha H. Forst Faculty Endowment Fund. Excellence in the Classroom Award, Creighton University. (2017)
- Coordinator, International Relations, Middle East & India, School of Pharmacy & Health Professions, Creighton University. (2016 – 2022)
- Inaugural Distinguished Teaching Scholar Award and Innovation in Teaching Award, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s (AACP). (2016)
- Creighton University Distinguished Educator in Teaching as Scholarship. (2014)
- Faculty Associate, Center for Health Policy & Ethics. Creighton University. (2013 – 2020)
- Creighton University’s Presidents’ Diversity Award for Excellence and Innovation. (2013)
- Senior Associate, Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment, Creighton University. (2010-2011)
- Associate, Office of Academic Excellence and Assessment, Creighton University. (2008 -2010)
- AACP’s Innovation in Teaching Award Competition in 2000 and 2006, Honorable mention for the same award in 2002 and 2004.
- Associate Director of Distance Pathway, School of Pharmacy & Health Professions, Creighton University. (2001 - 2006)
Scholarly Interests
- Acute and Chronic Toxicity of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons
- Culture Proficiency, Provider Bias and Health Care Disparities
- Distance Education
- Global Pharmacy Education
- Educational Research (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning)
- Effective Instructional Methodology
- Learning and Performance Parity between Campus and Distance Students
- Oxidative Stress in the Toxicity of Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)
- Service Learning