Dr. Lena McDowell is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Originally from Snowdoun, Alabama, she received a bachelor of science degree in biomedical sciences from Auburn University and completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at the Harrison College of Pharmacy. Upon graduation, she completed an ASHP-accredited community pharmacy post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1) residency at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy in Oxford, Mississippi.

Dr. McDowell serves as HCOP’s Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) Coordinator and oversees the college’s five IPPEs: community, health and wellness, health-system, clinical, and population health. In her position, she teaches within the Practice Ready Curriculum in both the didactic and experiential settings. She serves as a preceptor for PGY-1 residents for a longitudinal experiential education rotation. Her primary areas of research and scholarship are focused on experiential education and community pharmacy practice transformation.

Dr. McDowell is actively involved in several state, regional, and national pharmacy organizations, including the Alabama Pharmacy Association, Southeastern Pharmacy Experiential Education Consortium, and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Dr. April Staton, Director of Experiential Operations and Co-Curriculum, attended Auburn University where she obtained a B.S. in Healthcare Administration and a Master’s in Higher Education Administration. In 2017, she completed her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration.

Staton worked for a decade in two hospital systems in North Alabama in corporate health services and occupational health prior to joining HCOP in 2000.

She has served on several school committees and university committees. Between 2005-08, Staton served as a representative on the Auburn University Administrative and Professional Assembly, and then she served as Chair and Past Chair in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

As a founding member of the Southeastern Pharmacy Experiential Education Consortium, she works with colleagues at the six schools and colleges of pharmacy in Alabama and Georgia. Staton is also an active member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. She has co-authored numerous educational manuscripts and posters and has presented experiential sessions at national meetings. She has also provided experiential consulting services to colleagues as other schools and colleges of pharmacy.

In her role as a student services coordinator, Staton managed the APPE and IPPE schedules all HCOP student pharmacists. As the Director of Operations for Experiential Programs and Co-curriculum, April directs and oversees the co-curriculum as well as manages all operations of the experiential programs.

Staton was the recipient of the HCOP’s Outstanding Staff Member Award in 2004 and 2016 and was the recipient of the HCOP Way of Working (WOW) Award in 2011.

Dr. Lynn Stevenson is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Executive Director of Experiential Programs within Clinical Affairs and Outreach.

She grew up in southern middle Tennessee and received a full scholarship to play basketball at Auburn University (1986-91). A four-year letter winner with the Auburn women's basketball team, she helped the Tigers to three-straight NCAA Final Fours from 1988-90. Stevenson completed a B.S. in Pharmacy in 1992 and Doctor of Pharmacy in 1994 from Auburn University. Following graduation, she completed an ASHP-accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency at The Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia.

She has practiced as a clinical pharmacy specialist for Huntsville Hospital System in Huntsville, Alabama and as a Clinical Pharmacist for Columbus Regional Healthcare System in Columbus, Georgia. Prior to joining the faculty of HCOP in January 2007, she served the previous four years as Outpatient Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator for Columbus Regional Healthcare System.

As Executive Director of Experiential Programs for HCOP, Stevenson is responsible for direction of the Office of Experiential Programs Office (EPO) which includes the experiential curriculum, interprofessional education and the co-curriculum. The EPO team is responsible for coordinating student pharmacist training in various practice settings in the P1-P4 years. Lynn works closely with the EPO team, HCOP faculty and affiliate faculty to provide student pharmacists with the best possible training experiences.

She received the 2025 Harrison College of Pharmacy Distinguished Service Award. In 2022-23 she completed the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’ Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP). She was the recipient of the inaugural Pinnacle Award for the College in 2019. The Pinnacle Award is given to a HCOP Faculty or Staff member who exemplifies the College’s core values of “Inspiration, Innovation, and Transformation.” Before becoming a faculty member with HSOP in 2007, she was honored by the school as Preceptor of the Year in 2001. She also received the 2006 Community Service Award from the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists.