Stephen F. Eckel is an associate dean for global engagement and associate professor in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in medicine through pharmacy administration and leadership. He received his BS in Pharmacy in 1995, Doctor of Pharmacy in 1997, and Master of Health Administration in 2005 from UNC Chapel Hill, followed by a residency at Duke University Medical Center. Eckel started as a clinical pharmacist at UNC Medical Center, advanced to pharmacy administration roles including residency program director for the health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residency. In 2013, he joined the Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty as clinical associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, later becoming vice chair of graduate and postgraduate education and now directing the MS in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership program. He played a key role in developing the Partnership in Patient Care initiative and expanding UNC's pharmacy residency programs to one of the largest in the country, mentoring over 200 residents.

Eckel's research interests encompass pharmacy administration, health-system pharmacy, and the application of technology in patient care, including innovations to enhance IV therapy safety and efficiency. Notable publications include "Development of optimized adult epidural infusion preparations to reduce waste and improve operational efficiency" with Donnowitz K (2024, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy); "Evaluation of Chemotherapy Preparation Process: Volumetric Method Reliability and Gravimetric Method Utility within 5 US Hospitals" with Moss A et al. (2022); "Utilizing Intravenous Pump Infusion Data to Optimize Continuous Infusion Concentrations and to Reduce Drug and Fluid Waste" with Forshay CM and Hansen KN (2020); and multicenter studies on technology-assisted IV room workflows (2019). He has earned fellowships from ASHP, APhA, ACCP, FIP, NCAP, and the National Academies of Practice; the APhA Foundation Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement (2023); NCAP Health-System Pharmacist of the Year (2023); Milton W. Skolaut Leadership Award (2018); Fred M. Eckel Pharmacy Leadership Award (2017); and the 2025 John W. Webb Lecture Award. Eckel has served as past president of the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists, board member of ASHP, editor of Pharmacy Times health-system edition, and spearheaded UNC Pharmacy Grand Rounds. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded ChemoGLO, LLC and Assure Medical Technologies Inc., developing Precynge to reduce IV dosing errors.

Professional Email: seckel@unc.edu