We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Christina Mnatzaganian as the next Associate Dean for Experiential Education, effective September 1, 2023. As the Director for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE), Dr. Mnatzaganian has established and maintained high-quality APPE training sites and strong relationships with preceptors and administrators, conducted site visits and ongoing quality improvement, and provided preceptor development programs within the UC system, across the state and nationally. She led the development of an innovative APPE Wellness series that has decreased students’ perceived stress. Dr. Mnatzaganian was the Founding Residency Program Director for the SSPPS Community PGY1 Residency Program, which was awarded full accreditation. She has ongoing collaborations within CA and across the country describing experiential education programs and initiatives that improve student outcomes. With more than a decade of experience mentoring students in experiential learning and in the classroom, she has received four student-awarded Faculty of the Year or Excellence in Teaching Awards (three from SSPPS and one from University of Hawaii-Hilo), and was honored with the campus-wide UC San Diego Barbara and Paul Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award in 2020.
Dr. Mnatzaganian received her BS in Business Administration from University of Arizona Eller College of Business, her Pharm.D. from the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, and completed an ASHP-accredited PGY1 in Community Pharmacy Practice at The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP), University of Hawaii-Hilo. She then served as Assistant Professor at DKICP and a Family Medicine Clinical Pharmacist at Hawaii Island Family Health Center. In 2015, she began her career at SSPPS. She currently serves as Director for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, Co-Chair and Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, maintains an active clinical practice in Diabetes Care at UC San Diego Health, and serves on numerous school, university, and national committees.