Hartwick College Announces its First Master’s Degree Program

For the first time in its 222-year history, Hartwick College will offer a master’s degree program. The College announced today that the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has approved the addition of the College’s graduate program in Translational Biomedical Research Management (TBRM). This master of science program will be administered mostly online, and is slated to begin this fall.

In addition, the College introduces Dr. Alice C. Ceacareanu as the new TBRM program director. Ceacareanu joins the College effective immediately.

“Every institution of higher education has the responsibility to assess, from time to time, how best to meet the needs of learners as they navigate emerging, expanding and maturing industries,” said Hartwick College President Margaret L. Drugovich. “This master’s program will prepare professionals to make pivotal contributions to the growing biomedical and bio-pharmaceutical industry. This program will both launch and advance careers, providing new opportunities for professional success. We appreciate the support and encouragement of the New York State Education Department as we prepared to open this program.”

The TBRM program will be offered cohort-style, with groups of students starting and progressing through the program together in sequence.

The two-year curriculum includes four semesters of traditional study, and experiential training via internships and clinical trials in the summer. Coursework will focus on areas including epidemiology, biostatistics and informatics, and molecular genetics and personalized medicine.

The new program is ideal for students with bachelor’s degrees in the natural/social sciences or health professions, those with good oral and written communication skills, and who hold entry-level professional positions in clinical/applied research and development. The program is also for those with advanced professional degrees (e.g.,  doctorate in business, nursing, or public health). TBRM students may not necessarily plan to pursue a doctoral degree, however.

“After working for several years with President Drugovich and others to create this new M.S. in TBRM program, I am so pleased and excited that we have received official notice from NYSED that it has been approved,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael G. Tannenbaum. “We still have a lot to do before we welcome the program’s first cohort of students in the fall of 2019. I am confident, however, that with Dr. Ceacareanu – a very well-qualified and experienced practitioner and teacher – on board as the program’s founding director, we will meet the challenge and successfully launch Hartwick’s first graduate program.”

The new TBRM program director Ceacareanu joins the College from Buffalo, NY, where she is presently founder and president of ROAKETIN, Inc., a full-service healthcare consultancy, as well as a part-time oncology pharmacist. Previously, she served as an assistant professor of pharmacy practice and adjunct professor of pharmaceutical sciences for the University of Buffalo.

For nine years, she served also as an oncology clinical pharmacist at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo.

Ceacareanu earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Bucharest and a Pharm.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Memphis.

She is a member of a number of professional associations, including the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR); New York State Cancer Consortium (NYSCC); American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP); American Pharmacists Association (APhA); Who’s Who Empire of Executives and Professionals; American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP); and  Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP).

Ceacareanu has been published extensively, earned multiple awards for her research, teaching and mentorship, and been awarded several grants and patents.

“It is a great privilege to be entrusted by the Hartwick Community with the development of its first graduate program,” Ceacareanu said. “The TBRM Program will capitalize on established Hartwick values – critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving – to create a learning environment suited for innovative thinkers, individuals who will facilitate the implementing of ethical groundbreaking research to maximize human benefit.

“I am eager to contribute my research and clinical expertise to the collaboration with my fellow Hartwick faculty and experiential sites to develop this new program into a community of learners and leaders,” she added.

Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Experience Karen McGrath said, “This is a groundbreaking moment for Hartwick College. It will open new doors for future graduate programs, and expand our capabilities to deliver a quality, private education to working professionals who will impact the world around us.”

Employment projections for TBRM-related positions are strong. Thousands of clinical trial management and clinical research administration positions are currently available nationwide. According to Indeed.com, over 25,000 job openings required expertise in clinical outcomes management as of January 2019. Pharmacovigilance competency was listed in 10,000+ job openings on Monster.com. This data indicates a high market demand for the type of positions for which the new master’s degree program graduates will be prepared.

In New York State alone, there is a projected 15.8% growth in jobs in professional, scientific, and technical services between 2010-2020, and 16.8% projected growth in the field in the Mohawk Valley Region, which includes Hartwick College.

For more information on the new TBRM master’s degree program, visit the department website or reach out directly at TBRM@hartwick.edu or (607) 431-4404.