KINGSTON, R.I. — March 28, 2023 — University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy Dean Paul Larrat has been named the 2023 education winner for Providence Business News’ annual C-Suite Awards program.

PBN’s C-Suite Awards program recognizes top C-level executives for public, private and nonprofit companies who are innovators, trailblazers, role models and leaders in the community. The honor is assigned to leaders in education, government agencies, social service agencies, and private companies of various sizes.

Dean Larrat is “passionate about the power of leadership to positively affect the quality of life of the patients we serve.” His research and teaching efforts have focused on drug use in special populations, drug benefit design issues, formulary compliance strategies, pharmacoeconomic evaluation, decision analysis, outcomes assessment, health policy and drug utilization management.

A 1982 graduate of URI who received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1982, Larrat also earned a Master of Business Administration in 1984 and a Master of Science in Pharmacy Administration in 1988, In 1992, he received his Ph.D. in epidemiology from Brown University. Larrat also served as a NASA Fellow, spending several months at Kennedy Space Center assisting in life sciences research projects focusing on volatile organic compound production during extended space travel.

Over the 10 years Larrat has served as dean, the URI College of Pharmacy has tripled its research funding, moving into the top 10 nationwide. Under his leadership, the College spearheaded the Pharmaceutical Development Institute, helped establish the George & Ann Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, played an instrumental role in the fight against COVID-19, and increased its faculty size by 30 percent. The College has maintained an exemplary educational program that has seen students almost universally employed upon graduation.

It is wonderful to be honored by the Rhode Island business community in this way,” Larrat said. “I’m certainly grateful for the dedication, support and professionalism of all of my colleagues at URI. They strive day in and day out to educate the students that serve our patients.”

Larrat recently announced his intention to step down as dean, and assist in the search for his replacement. He plans to remain part of the College as he returns to the rank of faculty members in order to resume teaching and continue his research.