Maria Alvarado Manning
Doctor of Pharmacy
Savannah Campus
Class of 2009

To say Maria Alvarado Manning is a friendly, outgoing student with a bright future as a pharmacist is an understatement.  Today, she is a leader among her peers in many ways, not the least of which is shown by her role as president of the American Pharmacist Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) at South University in Savannah.  However, not too long ago, her situation was somewhat different.

A quiet child, to say the least, at age five Maria’s family decided to move from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Leesburg, Florida.  No sooner had her family settled in their new surroundings than the young Maria was diagnosed with selective mutism. Whenever she found herself in uncomfortable public situations, she withdrew into the best comfort she could find among crowds, a personal silence.

“At home, I was encouraged. I observed and admired my family. My father was a doctor and my mom a teacher who worked with autistic children. And I had an aunt who was a pharmacist. I watched family members I love take care of one another,” Maria says, admitting that many of her strong aspirations to practice pharmacy were incited by family and friends.

“I’ve also watched several family members battle diabetes,” a history Maria says fuels her resolve to specialize in treating the disease, as Maria’s currently on her first step to receive her Doctorate of Pharmacy at South University.

Looking back, it’s hard not to see the great light of encouragement her family has been for Maria, moving her further down the road to helping others. However, Maria’s own hard work has been proven as well.

“One of the most amazing things I’ve discovered about myself at South is my ability to organize people and motivate groups to work for the things they care about.  I’m no longer the ‘shy one.’  In fact, the conferences I’ve been able to attend, the leadership opportunities in student activities – all that I’ve found at South have allowed me not only to grow professionally, but to break further out of that quiet place I used to know.”

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The South University, Savannah campus would like to welcome Wei “Daniel” Deng, M.D. as Assessment Coordinator for the School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. His responsibilities include data analysis, general survey development, and specific survey development associated with all South University School of Pharmacy educational outcomes and ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education) standards.

Dr. Deng has previously worked as a physician at Anzhen Hospital in Beijing, China. He was also a research assistant at University of Kentucky School of Public Health. His research paper, “Characterization of Components in a Mixture Model for Birthweight Distribution” was published in the Journal of Biometrics and Biostatistics (2011).

Deng received his M.D. degree from Capital Medical University in Beijing, P.R.China (2008), and a M.P.H. degree in Biostatistics / Epidemiology from University of Kentucky (2011).

About the School of Pharmacy:

South University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60602-5109, TEL (312) 664-3575, FAX (312) 664-4652, www.acpe-accredit.org/.

About South University:

Established in 1899, South University (www.southuniversity.edu) is a private, accredited academic institution dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the intellectual, social and professional development of a diverse student population. South University offers over 50 degree programs across its 15 campuses located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.  South University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of South University. OH Registration # 11-07-1971T; Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 2987. See suprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important information.