OSU pharmacy college faces serious issues

By Ben Sutherly

The Columbus Dispatch Sunday March 10, 2013 6:52 AM

Research fraud, faculty infighting and federal lawsuits have plagued Ohio State Universitys pharmacy college in recent years.

One prominent researcher, who is retiring after disputes with the colleges leadership, even called the working environment there dishonorable.

Our college is just so messed up, said the pharmacy professor, Jessie Lai-Sim Au.

Since 2007, two pharmacy college professors have sued Ohio State in federal court, alleging retaliation and discrimination, and at least four professors and a graduate student have been accused of research misconduct or misuse of grant funds. This is a lot to be going on in a single college, said Scott Jaschik, editor of the website Inside Higher Ed and a former editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

He noted that hes unfamiliar with the details of the pharmacy colleges cases. Research misconduct is very serious, and universities do not want to be known as places with multiple research misconduct cases period.

In an interview with The Dispatch, the colleges dean, Robert Brueggemeier, said the university is placing a greater emphasis on research ethics, including a class on the topic that will be required of students and strongly urged for faculty members.

The class was prompted by National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health requirements that students involved in federally funded research receive ethics training, a university spokesman said.Brueggemeier said the vast majority of the colleges 60 faculty members are collegial and very collaborative.

A few faculty members who didnt fit in that environment have moved on, he said.

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OSU pharmacy college faces serious issues