Dean's message
Our 2023-24 year has been one for the history books. Just months after celebrating our 125th anniversary as a school, we launched new programs and partnerships, continued our climb in research rankings and led the way as innovators in research and education.
If our 125th year was a year dedicated to reflection, this – our 126th year – has been a year dedicated to action that will set us up for success for the next 125 years and beyond. This year, we have:
- Increased our number of incoming students
- Increased our research funding by 72%
- Raised the 2nd most philanthropic dollars in the school's history
In addition, in recognition by our peers of all that we do, we have moved up in U.S. News and World Report’s pharmacy school rankings to No. 19 in the nation.
To start our next 125 years this way is indicative of the collaboration and commitment that is central to our community. With the extraordinary drive and initiative our faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows and students bring to everything they do, it is no surprise to me that we have had an incredibly successful year. I have no doubt we will continue this momentum as we look to the future.
As we know, our fields are changing rapidly, and our school has continually led the way in shaping what’s next for those who come after us, as you can read about in our feature story “What will our next 125 years look like?” Education, research and practice already look different than they did a decade – or even five years – ago. To the benefit of our community, we have been and will continue to be at the forefront of innovating to help our students and graduates thrive.
This year saw our collective recommitment to moving our school forward through a focus on our Strategic Plan in Action. A reflection of our Strategic Plan, this Strategic Plan in Action centers on four strategic priority areas:
Through this plan, the heart of our mission remains the same: To achieve excellence in our Pharm.D., graduate and – now – undergraduate programs through innovative education and leading-edge research. We achieve our mission by graduating outstanding future pharmacists and scientists who will improve human health, foster exemplary research and provide sustaining contributions to interprofessional patient care.
As we embark on the next 125 years, we are backed by our school’s storied history and bolstered by our community’s collective vision to be a transformational leader in pharmacy education, clinical practice and clinical and pharmaceutical research. As we progress into our 126th year, we are reminded of what we can do with a shared belief that we can achieve new heights. With this vision in clear view, the future is bright.
With best regards,
Kelechi C. (K.C.) Ogbonna, Pharm.D., MSHA
Dean, VCU School of Pharmacy
Archie O. McCalley Chair