DiPiro announces plans to step aside from dean’s role
Ogbonna named interim dean, beginning in June By Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy After eight years as dean of the School of Pharmacy at VCU, Joseph T. DiPiro, Pharm.D., has announced plans to step aside from that role and fully into his recently announced position as associate vice president — faculty affairs, effective at the […]
Leader of VCU School of Pharmacy at UVA seeks to further collaboration and boost enrollment
By Leah SmallFor VCU School of Pharmacy Robert Guanci, Pharm.D., assistant dean for the VCU School of Pharmacy at UVA Division and chief pharmacy officer for the UVA Health System, stepped into those roles in August 2021, having served in an interim capacity since 2019. In this Q&A he shares his vision for the educational […]
Doing it all
May Abdelaziz, a VCU Alumni 10 Under 10 honoree, excels as a researcher, mother and teacher. By Leah SmallFor VCU SoP News A single word half-heard during a phone call with a colleague led May Abdelaziz, Ph.D., on a search for insights on the causes of bacterial resistance in superbugs. It’s the sort of connection […]
Five things you might not know about diabetes — but should
By Elizabeth CogarVCU School of Pharmacy For National Diabetes Month, we asked Evan Sisson, Pharm.D., a professor at the School of Pharmacy who is a certified diabetes care and education specialist and 2021 chair of the Virginia Diabetes Council, to share some important information about this widespread yet often overlooked disease. 1. Diabetes is not […]
2021-22 Pillar Goals
The School of Pharmacy’s 2021-22 Pillar Goals are below. These are updated annually through input from school leadership, faculty and staff, and tracked throughout the year. Download, print or view them using the buttons below.
Beloved pharmacy professor remembered with scholarship
The MCV Campus is full of inspiring people and moments, even in the face of tragedy. Shortly before the pandemic, the VCU School of Pharmacy experienced an emotional loss when Amy Pakyz, Pharm.D., Ph.D., died of ovarian cancer at age 52. Pakyz was a beloved professor and researcher, and soon after her death, her loved […]
DiPiro named associate vice president for health sciences
Joseph T. DiPiro, Pharm.D., has been appointed Virginia Commonwealth University’s associate vice president for health sciences, faculty affairs. He will continue in his role as dean of VCU School of Pharmacy. He succeeds Dr. David C. Sarrett, former dean of VCU’s School of Dentistry, who served in the role for ten years. “I am grateful […]
A link in the chain: Building on his mentor’s work, Martin Safo closes in on sickle cell treatment
By Greg Weatherford School of Pharmacy News For 30 years, Martin Safo, Ph.D., has worked to find a solution to a complex puzzle: How can chemistry stop human blood cells from twisting and sticking together? The answer is critical for millions of people with sickle cell disease. Their blood cells fold into bizarre shapes including […]
D. Brophy departs after 25 years
By Greg Weatherford SoP News When Don Brophy first visited Richmond more than 25 years ago, he was struck by the balmy weather. Compared to the Minnesota winters he was used to, Richmond’s mild climate seemed like the tropics. “I was instantly sold,” Brophy recalls, though he adds, “It didn’t hurt that [VCU] was an […]
Once a coronavirus vaccine exists, a VCU researcher’s mailable patch could deliver it to millions
Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy Someday, hundreds of millions of vaccinations against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could show up in people’s mailboxes and be applied as simply as slapping on a Band-Aid. That’s the vision of Guizhi “Julian” Zhu, Ph.D., at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy. Zhu, an assistant professor in the school’s Department of […]