Christopher K. Finch, PharmD, will join the University of Arizona on August 1 as the new dean of the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. 

Finch currently serves as Chair and Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy (UTHSC), which is ranked sixteenth nationally and twelfth in NIH research funding. As Chair, he has coordinated the newly developed Health-system Pharmacy Outcomes and Management course, along with several other courses at UTHSC. In 2024, he was selected as one of three health science center leaders to participate in the University of Tennessee Executive Leadership Institute. 

“The R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy has a proud tradition of excellence and an even more promising future. I am excited to join a community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni who are deeply committed to advancing pharmacy education, discovery, and patient care. My priority as dean is to support our people, strengthen our partnerships, and work together to ensure the College continues to make a meaningful impact across Arizona and the profession.”

Finch’s clinical interests include pulmonary disease, drug interactions, adverse drug events, and drug-induced disease. He has authored more than 80 manuscripts published in leading pharmacy and medical journals and has served as an invited speaker at numerous national medical and pharmacy conferences. Finch is also a Fellow of both the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Finch succeeds Brian Erstad, PharmD, who has served as interim dean since July 2025. “I am so happy to hear that Dr. Chris Finch has accepted the position of Dean of the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy,” shared Erstad. “Dr. Finch will be leading an outstanding cadre of faculty, staff, students, and key stakeholder groups such as our National Advisory Board and our Alumni Council. I look forward to assisting Dr. Finch in any capacity he finds my help warranted during the transition period.” 

As Arizona’s first health sciences college, the College of Pharmacy has a longstanding tradition of advancing science and improving health both locally and globally. Its world-renowned faculty are recognized leaders in their fields and have helped establish the college as one of the nation’s premier pharmacy schools, currently ranked fourth in NIH research funding. As the college’s eighth dean, Finch is committed to building upon more than 75 years of excellence, innovation, and impact.

Read the Provost’s original announcement.

By: UA R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy | May 14, 2026 | Original Post