Calita Richards  ‘90

As the State Director of Pharmacy for the Tennessee Department of Health, Dr. Richards incorporates health equity and population health considerations in all allocation decisions regarding therapies and clinical guidance. Her tireless efforts supported the pharmacy community through the pandemic, all the while providing advocacy and leadership, ensuring timely access to pandemic countermeasures across the state, and supporting measurable lives saved through her organizational and communication skills. Dr. Richards graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Georgia in 1990. She then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship of Infectious Disease and Surgery Research at the University of Georgia/Medical College of Georgia in 1992. Dr. Richards also received a Master of Public Health in International Health with a concentration in Infectious Diseases from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in 2003.