The University of New England's College of Pharmacy has formed a teaching partnership with Maine Medical Center, university officials said today.

The university has appointed Roberta Barber, director of pharmacy services at Maine Medical Center, to be the college's chairwoman of pharmacy practice and a clinical associate professor.

Barber's appointment is unique within the college because she will retain her position at MMC, thus establishing a link between the two, said John Cormier, college dean.

Barber has bachelor's and doctoral degrees in pharmacy and a master's degree in public health. She has been pharmacy director at MMC since 2004.

The college recently received a $4 million grant from the Maine Technology Asset Fund, which was established by a $50 million research-and-development bond that Maine voters approved in November.

The grant will used to complete drug research labs in the $12.3 million College of Pharmacy building, under construction on Stevens Avenue in Portland.

It's the first building in Maine to be dedicated exclusively to pharmacy education and research, university officials said. The college's doctoral program is scheduled to accept its first class in the fall of 2009.