Beginning this fall, University of Florida College of Pharmacy students in Jacksonville have a brand-new campus to call home.
UF officially opened its Jacksonville campus with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 9, ushering in a new era for the state’s higher education offerings with its combination of graduate education, research and workforce development.
Located at 801 W. Bay St. in downtown Jacksonville’s historic LaVilla neighborhood, the campus is designed for working professionals and lifelong learners, offering graduate-level programs in areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, engineering management, business, law, architecture and biomedical and health sciences.
According to Carol Motycka, Pharm.D., CHSE, associate dean for the UF College of Pharmacy Jacksonville campus and a clinical professor of pharmacy education and practice, UF pharmacy students will soon begin taking exams at UF Jacksonville, where parking is abundant and opportunities for quick bites and shopping are plentiful.
“Students have 24-hour access to the new campus, allowing for more options to find study space and opportunities to collaborate with UF students from other fields,” she said.
Motycka said UF Jacksonville — located only a mile from the college’s current facilities at UF Health Jacksonville — will provide more opportunities for cross-discipline collaboration among students, as well as attract top-tier students to the college’s Jacksonville campus.
“UF Jacksonville allows us to continue to attract quality students, who will be excited by the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful campus,” said Motycka. “UF Health Jacksonville has served and will continue to serve our students throughout their educational journey. The additional downtown UF campus helps strengthen the program we have built here for 25 years.”
UF Jacksonville will also serve as a hub for research and collaboration through UF’s Applied Research for National Security Lab, which will train students in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and microelectronics, space and strategic technologies, biotechnology and biosecurity. The campus is the result of a partnership among the university, the city of Jacksonville, state leaders and private sector partners. To date, more than $300 million has been invested in UF Jacksonville from city and state funding paired with local philanthropy.