Paul Massawe’s ‘mission impossible’ life is a story of perseverance
By Julie Dillon Paul Massawe is on a mission. Given the near constant obstacles he has encountered in life, it would be easy to assume that mission is impossible. But a combination of personal conviction, faith and individual generosity have Massawe, a second-year student in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, closer to achieving […]
To fight cancer recurrence, VCU experts go right to the source
By Lewis Brissman If you think of cancer as a grizzly bear, an attack isn’t the only danger you face. An equal worry is the hibernation. Dr. Umesh Desai is – metaphorically, of course – targeting the beast in both states In the VCU School of Pharmacy, Desai is chairman of the Department of Medicinal […]
DNA responses to childhood trauma offer clues on which children will have long-term health issues as adults
The biomarkers could help predict which children are most at risk of trauma-related health issues as an adult, long-term study finds. By Olivia Trani New research from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy brings the medical community closer to identifying children with the highest need for treatment and intervention following traumatic events. The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, found […]
Peers and colleagues thank DiPiro for eight years as dean
Colleagues, friends and peers gathered at the Smith Building last week to say thank you to Joseph T. DiPiro, Pharm.D., for eight years of leadership as dean of the School of Pharmacy. DiPiro is stepping aside as dean but plans to continue teaching and will serve as associate vice president of faculty affairs. A nationwide […]
Graduate Awards celebrate research, scholarship, service
The 2022 Graduate Awards luncheon recognized success among the SoP’s graduate students. In his keynote speech, Dean Joseph DiPiro, Pharm.D., told the audience of students, faculty and staff, “We are in the right field. There is a lot of need and a lot of opportunity in pharmacy.” A highlight was the presentation of the first […]
“You are resilient,” Class of ’22 is told at first Hooding and Diploma Ceremony since 2019
By Greg WeatherfordVCU School of Pharmacy An air of celebration and excitement accompanied the School of Pharmacy’s 2022 Hooding and Diploma Ceremony — even more than usual for an event like this. As several speakers noted, and as all recognized, this was the first such celebration to be held in person by the school since […]
School receives top awards as ‘diversity drives excellence’ at 2022 PACME ceremony
“Each PACME winner is an exemplar of the power of relationships.” By Amanda HeymannVCU University Public Affairs Kelechi (K.C.) Ogbonna, Pharm.D., associate dean for admissions and student services in the School of Pharmacy, received the Riese-Melton Award, given each year for contributions made in advancing cross-cultural relations, at the 2022 Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment awards […]
Ferguson brings focus on health equity to Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellowship
Amanda Ferguson, Pharm.D., has been named the American College of Clinical Pharmacy-American Society of Health-System Pharmacists-Virginia Commonwealth University Congressional Healthcare Policy Fellow for 2022-23. This fellowship offers pharmacists an opportunity to gain insight into health care policy analysis and development through immersion in the congressional environment. Over the course of the year, fellows are mentored in legislative […]
Students triumph at prestigious interprofessional case competition
CLARION Case Competition focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in health care. By James Shea A group of Virginia Commonwealth University undergraduate and graduate students have won the prestigious CLARION Case Competition, designed to improve interdisciplinary communications within health care. Josephine Gresko, a first-year student in the School of Pharmacy; Lance Mendoza, a graduate health administration student […]
From technology to patient care, alums from the Class of 1972 reflect on the last 50 years
Ahead of their 50th SoP reunion, Preston Hale and Empsy Munden share where their careers have taken them and how the profession has changed. By Leah Small A few years after graduating from the VCU School of Pharmacy in 1972 — when it was still common to use a manual type writer to label prescriptions […]