School of Pharmacy Annual Report

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2025-26 Annual Report

This is a text-only version of the 2025-26 School of Pharmacy annual report. If you prefer a report with more visual interest, view the flipbook version or download the PDF version.

Message from the Dean: Reflecting on our journey, advancing our purpose

In late June, just a day before the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year on which this annual report focuses, we learned the news that the state has authorized VCU to purchase the Altria Center for Research and Technology, and our school has been designated as one of the health sciences programs expected to relocate to this space.

This building, a place our school community can one day call home, will offer us the chance for new beginnings, a chapter that sees our entire community physically brought together.

However, we recognize that brick-and-mortar spaces are not what make us a top pharmacy school – it is the people that occupy them, the community created within them, the foundation we build for better health beyond our walls.

As a community this year, we have:

These are just a few milestones to note as we pause to look at the extraordinary progress we’ve made and as we prepare to continue our journey with our mission – improving human health, fostering exemplary research and providing sustaining contributions to interprofessional patient care by graduating outstanding scientists and pharmacists – in mind.

As I reflected on where we are today and the opportunities ahead, the theme “Reflecting on Our Journey, Advancing Our Purpose” came to mind. I found myself thinking about the mix of preparation, confidence, and adventure that accompanies those ready to navigate the rapids of the James River that wind through downtown Richmond.

Standing on the riverbank with a raft, you watch the water rush past and see challenges downstream that may seem larger than life. Taking time to assess the route and prepare is essential for navigating the river safely and successfully. Yet once you have the skills, equipment, and readiness needed for the journey, progress comes not from remaining on shore but from moving forward.

The same is true for us. We are well prepared for what lies ahead as we educate the next generation of scientists and pharmacists and make discoveries that advance health and healthcare for all. With an exceptional team, the resources to succeed, and, most importantly, a shared sense of purpose, we are well positioned to navigate whatever challenges and opportunities come our way.

I look forward to continuing this journey together, building on all we have accomplished as we advance our purpose and work toward our shared vision of success.

With best regards,

Kelechi C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., M.S.H.A.

Dean & Archie O. McCalley Chair

Our leadership team

The VCU School of Pharmacy's leadership team provides visionary guidance and operational and strategic direction for the school.

What guides us: Strategic plan

Our strategic plan outlines the key priorities, goals and initiatives that guide us toward achieving our objectives. This plan is a roadmap for our growth, innovation and commitment to excellence.

Mission

To achieve excellence in our Pharm.D., graduate, undergraduate and training 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.

Vision

We will be a transformational leader in pharmacy education, clinical practice, and clinical and pharmaceutical research.

Strategic priorities

Student Success

We will build a comprehensive student support structure & academic progression plan within SoP that bolsters student recruitment, retention & job placement.

Research Excellence

We will develop a strategic approach to identify & resource key research areas to increase extramural funding & grow national & international prominence.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

We will serve as the regional leader for pharmacy & pharmaceutical industry workforce development.

Culture & Community

We will foster a community of care through opportunities for connection & collaboration while providing sponsored professional development.

Facts & Figures

Uncommon resolve, unparalleled impact

Delve into the facts and figures that demonstrate our performance as one of the nation’s top schools of pharmacy.

An uncommon approach gets uncommon results

At VCU School of Pharmacy, we pride ourselves on excellence in pharmaceutical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy education, research and funding.

Here are some benchmarks using the latest reported data from 2025-26:

  • Who we are:
    • 440+ B.S., Pharm.D., M.S. and Ph.D. students
    • 67 faculty across three departments
    • Top 20 pharmacy school in the country
  • Student success:
    • Pharm.D.:
      • 89% NAPLEX pass rate for first-time takers
        • National average: 87%
      • 81% MPJE pass rate for first-time takers
        • National average: 77%
      • 98% residency match rate
        • National average: 85%
      • 91% on-time graduation rate
    • All students:
      • 92% of students agree our school is welcoming to those with diverse backgrounds
      • 80% of graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation
        • VCU average (84%)
      • 100% of graduates who reported securing a job within six months said their occupation was related to their career goals
        • Exceeds VCU average (91%)
      • 98% of graduates who reported securing a job within six months said they were satisfied with their outcome after graduation
        • Exceeds VCU average (88%)
  • Research:
    • 77 grants submitted
      • $76 million total requested for grants submitted
    • $10.2 million in research funding
    • Top 25 in NIH research funding among pharmacy schools
      • Top 30% of schools ranked
    • 21 invention disclosures
      • Third-most of any VCU unit

Unlimited Opportunities: Student Success

At VCU School of Pharmacy, we are building a comprehensive student support structure and academic progression plan that bolsters recruitment, retention, job placement and ultimately, the success of our students.

Learning EXPERIENCE

A pioneering partnership between the commonwealth, VCU and Haleon could offer a new model of success for students and employers in preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

By Mary Kate Brogan

The summer internship. A staple of college education, a vital real-world learning experience, and yet, one that is not always in reach for students.

A new state-supported program from an international consumer healthcare company with a local presence and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy is showing promise as a potential model to strengthen the career pathway for students and for Virginia’s growing pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

This summer, the Haleon-Commonwealth Consumer Healthcare Internship Program for Advanced Life Sciences – an innovative partnership between Haleon, the Commonwealth of Virginia and VCU School of Pharmacy – welcomed its first class of students from our undergraduate program. Announced in early 2025, the five-year partnership not only provides internships to undergraduate and graduate students from universities across Virginia; it carves out paid opportunities specifically for undergraduates in VCU’s B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences program.

That element – the paid opportunities specifically for students in our program – didn’t happen by accident.

“This partnership that we’ve developed with the School of Pharmacy’s undergraduate program in pharmaceutical sciences has been a unique opportunity for us,” Ashley Mann (M.S. ’01), who leads the internship program in her role as Senior Director, R&D Site and Capability Lead at Haleon’s Richmond site, said in an interview in early July. “It’s been our first time piloting this, but we’ve worked with Dean K.C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., M.S.H.A., to focus on building that program together – including how the curriculum marries up to our needs and gives students unique experiences here.

“What’s impressed me most is how quickly the students have progressed. We’re only five or six weeks in, and with the training and mentoring they’ve received, coupled with their classroom experience, they’re already able to run experiments independently. In just a month and a half, it’s clear this is a strong partnership — and we’re excited to keep building on it over the next four years.”

The key to early career success

Students and companies know the mutual value of internships – the experience gained for the student and the opportunity for early engagement with potential talent for the company. Further, students who complete an internship are about 25% more likely to land a full-time role within six months of college, and in each of the last five years, the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey reported more than 50% of interns converted their positions into full-time jobs – this year, hitting a 5-year high at 63.1%.

But it goes a layer deeper: In the job search, paid interns outperformed graduates who undertook unpaid internships or didn’t do an internship.

“As has consistently been the case over the last several years, on average, paid interns had more job offers pre-graduation than unpaid interns and non-interns,” NACE reported based on 2024 data. “Furthermore, paid interns also enjoyed a higher average starting salary than unpaid interns and non-interns.”

Programs like Haleon’s – focused on offering paid experiences for students – are making an impact that students will carry with them, both in their studies and when they graduate.

“We value the contributions that these students are providing and want to compensate them for their time and work,” Mann said. “But moreover, I don't think a student should have to choose between getting the experience they need to help define their career and to help build their college experience over a part-time job to help pay their tuition or their rent.”

The partnership with Haleon is the first in a growing collective of partners with VCU’s School of Pharmacy to offer paid internships for students.

“Haleon knows our track record,” said Dean K.C. Ogbonna. “Their leadership team has been a strong partner in the continued growth of our programs, from networking with students to advising us on what they see the industry needing from graduates in three years, five years, 10 years. Building on the guidance of alumni and partners like Haleon, our students – and the organizations that host them as interns and hire them as graduates – can trust that they are being trained to the industry standard.”

The impact for interns

Mentored experiential learning is a graduation requirement for B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences students, but an internship like this isn’t the first career exploration lesson students get in the program. Courses in the program’s first two years emphasize career readiness – with industry leaders speaking with classes about their career journeys – along with practical applications of science, setting both students and the companies they intern for up for success.

For several of the first five B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences students in the Haleon-Commonwealth Consumer Healthcare Internship Program for Advanced Life Sciences, this year is serving as their first internship – but its impact is already far-reaching.

In an interview alongside the four other VCU School of Pharmacy interns, junior Star Pugh, a pharmaceutical sciences major and product design team intern, remarked on the ways this internship has molded how students place their early basic and applied sciences coursework in context.

“What we learn is on such a big, humongous scale; we’re learning about basically the entire drug kingdom,” Pugh said. “So, coming into Haleon, you get to see that really small scale – really small scope, very precise information – and I feel like it's almost more beneficial. I feel like I have a little bit different of a perspective on our first two years of PSCI courses now.”

Haleon’s internship program has offered the students a chance to test their mettle on what it really means to practice adaptability and apply their critical thinking skills in the workplace.

“When you have a problem arise at work, your ‘set solution’ might not necessarily be the best fit or not work out the way you planned,” said junior Autumn Ly, a VCU Honors College student majoring in pharmaceutical sciences who interned on Haleon’s product development team. “Being able to quickly take the information you have and figure out what you can do with it to change or modify the situation so you can still reach said solution in a different route – I think that has really encouraged me to think a little bit more creatively rather than in a fixed mindset where there’s only one solution as opposed to a variety of routes that you can take to reach your goal.

“By having those soft skills, you can really make yourself stand out as a candidate for any sort of opportunity you'd like to apply for or any sort of future position you might have in your career.”

Connecting the dots

For juniors Esperanza Larkin and Bridget Kane, the internship has brought into focus the flexibility a pharmaceutical sciences career offers, especially as they’ve gotten to know their colleagues and the paths – whether specialized and linear or broad and multidirectional – they took to get where they are.

“My favorite part about my internship at Haleon so far is how collaborative and supportive everyone is,” Kane, an Honors College student double-majoring in pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry who interned on the product chemistry team, said in early July. “My internship ambassador has been really helpful to learn more about the different opportunities at Haleon, and she’s trying to connect me to shadow someone in the microbiology group. I have that assigned mentor, but I feel like I can go to anyone around me and ask questions and have a conversation with them, learn about what they’re doing. And I feel like I’ve been able to really connect with all of the people I've spoken to.”

For Larkin, a pharmaceutical sciences major and global over-the-counter development team intern, the internship has helped her clarify her own path.

“I didn’t know exactly where I wanted to go before this internship; I just wanted to try something new and explore more areas of the pharmaceutical world,” Larkin said. “But since being at Haleon, it’s made me realize I do like research and being in the lab more. The lab techniques you learn here are a step above what we’ve learned in our introductory courses so it’s definitely not the same as in actual industry labs. And it’s made me consider, ‘Oh, maybe I do like this hands-on work and seeing the results of my experiments,’ and want to explore research a little more.”

The internship program at Haleon goes further than adding a line on students’ resumes. It’s about communication, learning what type of environment you work best in and how your role fits into the bigger picture of the team, said junior and Honors College student Joyce Magnon. But what surprised her most about the internship was what she learned about Haleon beyond the lab.

“It’s not just work,” said Magnon, a pharmaceutical sciences major who worked on the R&D microbiology team this summer. “They have events – for example, they had a wellness day where they took an entire day dedicated just to us as interns. There was yoga going on. There was an activity to go outside and explore the environment in Richmond and talk about different kinds of plants and poison ivy – I didn't know what poison ivy looks like. So, it’s not just work. You come in, there’s lab work, but there are also other activities to do outside of the lab.”

These activities are intentional, Mann said, giving interns perspective on what it looks like to not just work but live in Richmond after graduation.

A full-circle moment

The perspective internships offer can last long past an intern’s 12-week end date – something Mann knows first-hand.

“About 10 percent of our building started as interns,” said Mann of Haleon’s Richmond site, “and they found their way back to us – either directly after graduation, after graduate school or after other experiences. I started as an intern here while I was in grad school at VCU.”

At the time, the company hosted one student per year from VCU’s M.S. in biostatistics program for a paid internship, and Mann was that student.

“I participated in that when I was in grad school, and one of my colleagues participated in it when she was in grad school, and we’re both still here today,” Mann said. “After I graduated, I left the Richmond area, but I came back because I knew of this company, I knew of the opportunities here, and I found myself employed here again.

“Having had that personal experience showed me what’s possible – and it showed our Richmond site what’s possible – to develop that more formal relationship versus just putting postings out there and hoping for the best. And I think the partnership that we’ve had with Dean K.C. Ogbonna and the School of Pharmacy has been so helpful in defining what benefits the student and how we can play a role in that.”

As the B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences continues to grow, so does the need for more partners, Ogbonna said.

“By 2030, we expect to have 100 internship-ready pharmaceutical sciences students eligible for placements in the biopharmaceutical and life sciences industry,” Ogbonna said. “We’re educating the future professionals our industry needs, but we can’t do it without partners who are as invested in their success as we are. It’s never too early to make a connection that could develop talent for your business – and change a student’s life in the process.”

Interested in partnering with VCU School of Pharmacy to host an internship for our students? Fill out our interest form.

Student Success highlights

Class of 2026: Erika Nixon-Lambert trades cosmetics for compounding as Pharm.D.

When it comes to higher education, sometimes the untraditional route is the path forward. For Erika Nixon-Lambert, the long journey was rooted in cosmetics.

Nixon-Lambert spent years working in retail as a professional makeup artist before enrolling in VCU's School of Pharmacy, from which she earned her Pharm.D. degree with a certificate in aging studies this spring. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from VCU in 2002, but she then faced a decision: Begin a new career in the lab, or continue one in retail.

Nixon-Lambert picked the latter and worked with a cosmetics company for more than 17 years, rising to the role of retail manager. But the lure of academics never stopped.

"I wanted to go into pharmacy when I was at VCU the first time, but I did not have that discipline as a student back then. And then once I started making money, I didn’t want to stop making money to go back to school," she said. "But I did reach a point in my career where I knew it was time to move on. I still love doing makeup … but I wanted to go a little bit deeper."

On her pharmacy path, Nixon-Lambert embraces the impact of educating patients about medications that could save lives. Along the way, she also has left her mark on the School of Pharmacy.

Read about what’s next for Nixon-Lambert.

Ph.D. candidate Rasajna Madhusudhana wins VCU Three-Minute Thesis competition

On Oct. 6, Ph.D. candidate Rasajna Madhusudhana, one of 10 finalists competing from across VCU, was named the winner of VCU's Three-Minute Thesis competition for her presentation on "Exploring Nicotinamidase Inhibition as a Novel Treatment Strategy for Malaria."

She advanced to the regional round at the Council of Southern Graduate Schools Conference in Baton Rouge, La., in February 2026, where she competed as VCU's representative.

"I participated in 3MT as I thought it was an interesting challenge to communicate my research in simple language and in three minutes," Madhusudhana says. "It was a great learning experience preparing for the competition and watching other participants present, and winning was the icing on the cake!"

Madhusudhana credits the insightful feedback from her advisor, Yana Cen, Ph.D., and other members of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry during the seminars she presented as a first- and second-year graduate student. She had even more practice in the grant writing course taught by Karolina Aberg, Ph.D., where students had three-minute presentations as part of their final evaluation.

"I definitely have to thank Dr. Cen," Madhusudhana says. "She pushed me to just give it a shot even though I was initially hesitant."

Watching last year's winner, Sagun Poudel, Ph.D., provided additional inspiration. And, Madhusudhana says, tutoring Pharm.D. students as a teaching assistant has given her practice in explaining concepts and breaking things down to help others learn.

"I have always been passionate about teaching and science communication, and winning 3MT strengthened this interest," Madhusudhana says. "Now that I will be representing VCU, I definitely need to hone my skills. All of this learning will certainly aid in my professional development."

Read more about Madhusudhana’s universitywide victory.

VCU team finishes Top 2 in the nation in 2025 AACP Mock Trial Competition

VCU School of Pharmacy students competed on the national stage in the 2025 Fourth Annual AACP Mock Trial Competition in Chicago last summer, finishing second in the nation behind the previous year’s national runner-up, West Virginia University.

"Kudos to Virginia Commonwealth University – these two teams have been formidable competitors over the past few years," Ettie Rosenberg, Pharm.D., J.D., who pioneered the AACP Mock Trial Competition, shared in a message to the final teams following the competition.

Pharm.D. students John Pham, Sevgi Shahbazi, Alex Shoop, Ryan Weaver and Brian Velez competed on the national stage. And while only five students competed on the national stage, the overall team included their classmates: Loujain Alsamara, Niki Amirabad, Ahmed Nour, Jaiv Patel and Utkarsh Pathak. The team’s advisors, Krista Donohoe, Pharm.D., and Lauren M. Caldas, Pharm.D., praised the team’s outstanding performance as finalists in the national competition.

"Earning second place in this year’s competition is a tremendous accomplishment — a testament to your dedication, resilience, and talent," said Caldas, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, addressing the team.

VCU has competed in the competition since 2023 and has been a finalist or semifinalist all three years, taking home the national title in 2023.

Read more about the students’ 2025 national championship appearance.

Class of 2026: Victoria Garcia makes the leap from bachelor’s to Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Engineering

Victoria Garcia made a fairly common shift as an undergraduate in Texas: She changed her course of study. However, in choosing a unique program at Virginia Commonwealth University for her graduate degree, she found a much more uncommon path.

Garcia, who grew up in the El Paso area, studied biology at Texas Christian University and figured she would enroll in medical school. But an internship in pharmaceutical sciences revealed her passion for research more than patient care, and as she considered graduate programs at VCU and in Chicago, “the one at VCU was the most unique – and the only Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical engineering in the U.S. right now,” she said.

Garcia graduated this spring with her doctorate from the School of Pharmacy, and she acknowledges that jumping directly from a bachelor’s degree to Ph.D. program in 2021 was hard at times. Still, the experience was “really rewarding,” Garcia said, with impressive highlights along the way.

Garcia, advised throughout the program by Sandro da Rocha, Ph.D., a pharmaceutics professor in the School of Pharmacy and director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering and Sciences at VCU, defended her dissertation on April 22. As she considers her future plans, Garcia is grateful for VCU’s role in her professional and personal development.

“I would not be the scientist that I am today without the help from my advisors and the connections that I’ve made with the people in my lab and in my program,” she said. “There’s scientific work and presentations that I’ve done that I don’t think the version of myself five years ago would have even imagined that I could be capable of.”

Read more about Garcia's journey at VCU and her goals for the future.

Taylor Mitchell pursues a career in veterinary pharmacy and promotes the unsung field

Taylor Mitchell spent part of her childhood on a farm in southwest Missouri near St. Louis, caring not just for cats, dogs and rabbits but horses, chickens and cattle, too. Like many animal lovers, she had hopes of becoming a veterinarian. However, Mitchell has gravitated to a different, though related, field.

Mitchell, a third-year student pursuing her Pharm.D. in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy, is exploring – and promoting – the growing area of veterinary pharmacy.

“There’s not enough training for pharmacists in advocating and understanding veterinary patient medications,” Mitchell said. “My goal is to bring awareness to the fact that veterinary patients are an overlooked patient population that pharmacists have the very unique ability to serve.”

Her efforts go beyond direct animal care: Mitchell has founded the VCU chapter of the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists and serves as club president. “It was scary starting the chapter,” she said. “I am grateful that I had a good community surrounding me that helped push me to really start it.”

Mitchell now serves on the ACVP national board of directors as the lone student pharmacist member, helping like-minded students establish chapters at their schools and helping the national organization increase student engagement.

Read more about how Taylor promotes veterinary pharmacy as a field.

Class of 2025: Ph.D. student Sagun Poudel trains her eye on novel drug delivery

Sagun Poudel had a lot to say – but little time to say it – in what became one of her proudest moments at VCU.

In 2024, as a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the School of Pharmacy, Poudel (at right) won VCU’s 3MT competition, as in 3-Minute Thesis. In the event sponsored by the Graduate School, she had to simplify her complicated work – Long-Acting Polymeric Microparticles for Age-Related Macular Degeneration – into a simple but powerful story, which focused on patients with retinal diseases.

She described how engineering biodegradable microparticles and dispensing them in a single injection can deliver medicine to the back of the eye and release it slowly for at least six months.

“On a deeper level, this win reinforced why I do what I do. It wasn’t just about the research – it was about its potential real-world impact,” said Poudel, who graduated in August 2025 with her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in pharmaceutics.

Her undergraduate pharmacy studies at Kathmandu University first drew her to the concept of novel drug delivery – and ultimately to VCU, where pharmaceutics professor Qingguo Xu, D.Phil., has been exploring advances in ocular treatment.

“He was working in an area that felt unique compared to the mainstream research I had seen at the time. His work in nanomedicine and translational drug delivery aligns perfectly with my interests,” said Poudel, noting that Xu’s interdisciplinary focus and mentorship framed her doctoral studies.

“What stood out to me was that his lab doesn’t just do basic science – they develop innovative therapies with real-world impact,” she said, including a nanoparticle-based eye injection that slowly releases corticosteroids over months, potentially reducing the frequency of treatments for corneal transplant patients.

Read about Poudel’s path at and beyond VCU.

Ly writes own recipe for success in pharmacy and entrepreneurship

Autumn Ly believes setting goals creates opportunities. That mindset helps explain what makes her both a standout pharmaceutical student and a veteran professional baker.

“Although some opportunities may be presented to an individual, the vast majority of them are created through recognition of niches and having the desire to explore them,” said Ly, a VCU Honors College sophomore majoring in pharmaceutical sciences.

Ly’s natural tendency to be goal driven surfaced at age 4, baking with her mom, and it led six years later to the opening of Autumn Kakes, her custom baking business that she still operates today.

As a baker, Ly has always been interested in the scientific aspects of her craft, particularly drawn to the precision and order it requires. Her aptitude for science began to take her in a new direction – and hint at a future career interest – at the age of 13 when, at her middle school science fair, her project focused on child-proofing medications.

At VCU, Ly has impressed from the outset. Barbara Exum, Pharm.D., an associate professor of pharmaceutics, saw Ly as a “trailblazer in every sense of the word” when she met her in 2024.

“She stands out from the crowd because she applies a high level of excellence to every endeavor she touches, whether it is her rigorous scientific studies or her entrepreneurial ventures,” Exum said.

Ly completed the Pharmacy Technician Training Program last summer when she fulfilled her experiential training requirement in VCU Health’s inpatient pharmacy, where she now works part-time. The experience solidified her desire to become a pharmacist, preferably with a pediatric focus.

“I want to become the best pharmacist I can be,” Ly said.

Read more about what drives Ly.

Class of 2026: Pharm.D. graduate and runner Angela Gates knows her courses

Angela Gates has reached a new finish line, but many more await.

Gates graduated this spring with her Pharm.D. – balancing her final weeks of clinical rotations with training for a half-marathon. It’s a fitting pace for a student who has spent the last seven years at VCU challenging herself, both in advocating for Richmond’s Spanish-speaking community as a volunteer with CrossOver Healthcare Ministry and in running nearly 10 races.

As a first-generation college graduate, Gates’ journey into healthcare was inspired by the persistence of her parents. Both worked for decades in the field.

From Winchester in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Gates came to VCU as an undergraduate and earned her degree in professional science through the College of Humanities and Sciences. In 2021, she also participated in the Summer Academic Enrichment Program, which offers insight into graduate professional studies in pharmacy and other health disciplines.

"All of the opportunities I took while in undergrad and graduate school are the reason I'm here," she said. "In the moment, those things didn’t feel very big or important, but everybody who interviewed me for residency said they were really impressed with how I was willing to put myself out there."

Read more about what's next in Gates’ life and career.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

At VCU School of Pharmacy, we are moving the needle as a regional leader for pharmacy and pharmaceutical industry workforce development.

A roadmap to better access

A new guide from the Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation aims to demystify the Medicaid enrollment process, expanding Virginians’ ability to receive pharmacist-provided care.

By Sydney Weber

Booklets with gold covers filled the hands of dozens of pharmacists at the Virginia Pharmacy Association 145th Annual Convention this March. And while the 68-page spiral-bound books were fairly light, their contents were worth more than their weight in gold.

The Virginia Medicaid Pharmacist Provider Enrollment Guide – based on research by recent Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes graduate Rana Amayreh, Pharm.D., and her advisor Teresa M. Salgado, M.Pharm., Ph.D. – carries step-by-step instructions on becoming a Medicaid provider, with the goal of removing barriers to entry for practicing pharmacists.

In 2023, Virginia legislature began requiring Medicaid to pay pharmacists for services delivered under statewide protocols and collaborative practice agreements. However, the complexity of Medicaid credentialing and billing processes created practical barriers that prevented many pharmacists from taking advantage of the opportunity.

To address these barriers, Salgado, director of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation at the School of Pharmacy, led research examining factors that have limited pharmacists’ participation in statewide protocol implementation and Medicaid billing. Findings from that research informed the development of the guide, providing detailed instructions for pharmacists to enroll in Medicaid, become credentialed and begin the billing process.

In 2025, only 24% of Virginia pharmacists reported using at least one statewide protocol, with minimal pharmacist registration as Medicaid providers.

To better understand these implementation gaps, Amayreh, advised by Salgado, conducted two qualitative studies. While statewide protocols could help expand healthcare access, the studies found that limited resources, workflow challenges and the unique needs of different pharmacy settings had made implementation difficult.

“While my research focused on identifying those barriers, I also wanted to develop practical solutions to help pharmacists overcome them so these services could reach the patients who need them most,” Amayreh shared.

The Virginia Medicaid Pharmacist Provider Enrollment Guide is organized into three sections:

  1. Part I. Group Enrollment: Enrolling your pharmacy as a Medicaid provider.
  2. Part II. Individual within a Group Enrollment: Enrolling yourself as an individual provider within your pharmacy.
  3. Part III. Credentialing with individual Managed Care Organizations: Once enrolled as an individual within a group, credentialing is required to receive payment for services delivered through statewide protocols or collaborative practice agreements.

CPPI is currently recruiting Virginia pharmacists who have not yet registered as Medicaid providers to participate in the study. Participation includes:

  • Receiving access to the toolkit
  • Using the guide to navigate the Medicaid provider enrollment process
  • Completing a brief 5- to 10-minute survey about your experience

Pharmacists interested in participating in the study or accessing the toolkit can request the guide on our Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation website.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation highlights

Drs. Dixon, Bucheit help shape ADA’s 2026 Standards of Care in Diabetes

In December, the American Diabetes Association released its 2026 Standards of Care in Diabetes, providing updated, evidence-based guidance for diagnosing and managing diabetes and prediabetes across the United States. The Standards – used by more than 6 million individuals each year – integrate the latest research with input from leading subject matter experts to ensure recommendations reflect current best practices in diabetes care. 

Among those experts is Dave Dixon, Pharm.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science. Dixon served as a subject matter expert for the Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management section, helping to shape updates focusing on preventing cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes.

“One major change is the updated recommendations on GLP-1-based therapies in light of new evidence demonstrating their benefits in cardiovascular disease prevention,” Dixon said. “The guidelines also reemphasize the importance of blood pressure control, along with consideration of achieving a systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg in those with high cardiovascular or kidney disease risk.”

Dixon said the updated standards reflect a broader shift in diabetes care toward preventive therapies that reduce cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. 

“These guidelines reinforce the importance of comprehensive diabetes care that goes beyond glycemic control alone,” he said.

Along with Dixon, John Bucheit, Pharm.D., associate professor, served as an external peer reviewer for the same section of the standards.

“Our faculty’s contributions are actively setting the standard of care for diabetes patients in the U.S. and around the world,” said K.C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., M.S.H.A., dean of the School of Pharmacy. “Dr. Dixon is a leading expert in cardiovascular disease management, and we are proud to see him continuing to lead in a way that has the potential to improve the health of millions of Americans.”

Class of 2026: Joseph Lin works with pharmacy faculty to bring computing power to cancer research, taking AI from 'Bench to Bedside'

Joseph Lin has taken VCU's "Uncommon" brand and sensibility to heart. The computer science major in the College of Engineering graduated this spring after steering his academic pursuits in an unexpected direction – clear across campus.

This past fall, Lin was the first (and only) student to join VCU’s roster of Vertically Integrated Projects, which offer students hands-on experience with long-term, faculty-led multidisciplinary projects. Lin joined Dayanjan Shanaka Wijesinghe, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, in a project titled “AI in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Bench to Bedside,” which is using machine learning and artificial intelligence to find innovative solutions to pharmaceutical challenges.

The prospect of working one on one with a faculty expert was daunting, but Lin said his passion for AI's intersection with medicine made Wijesinghe an ideal mentor. Wijesinghe led the development of the new Pharm.D. digital health concentration and has been educating students on emerging digital health tools and technologies – from VR to 3D printing to AI – for over a decade.

“When we got into this project, (Wijesinghe) gave me a lot of space to be curious, and he had this philosophy to approach learning that’s unbounded. His mentorship allowed me to just get interested and dive deep into more of the research aspect,” said Lin, who explored AI’s capabilities in distilling the search results of treatment-resistant mutations in cancer cells.

Read more about Lin and how he explored AI's capabilities in distilling the search results of treatment-resistant mutations in cancer cells.

Listen: Insights from our Voices in Pharmacy Innovation podcast

Want to hear how practicing pharmacists are tackling healthcare’s great challenges head-on?

Listen to the first eight episodes of our Voices in Pharmacy Innovation podcast, out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Take a peek behind the scenes to learn more about this podcast from VCU School of Pharmacy’s Center for Pharmacy Practice Innovation.

Research Excellence

We lead groundbreaking advancements in drug discovery, delivery and optimization and evaluate the value of therapies and practices, focusing on patient outcomes to ensure our research translates into better healthcare solutions and an improved quality of life.

Gaining Ground Against Alzheimer’s

By Paul Brockwell Jr., MCV Foundation

Millions of families say a long and gut-wrenching goodbye to a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.

Over time, the brain of the once vibrant person they know and love will succumb to the telltale deterioration. People whose lives lit up rooms will fade into unrecognizable versions of themselves. They may even forget the ones they love the most. 

What scientists know today is that the disease appears strongly linked to inflammation responses in the brain that cause a build-up of protein clumps and tangles that accumulate over time and begin to disrupt healthy function between nerve cells. The disease, which can progress for years before outward behavioral symptoms develop, robs its victims of the very thoughts and memories that make up their identity. The good days and bad days are marked by the ebb and flow of emotional suffering that some families and caregivers experience. 

Shijun Zhang, Ph.D., knows that anguish well. He witnessed it when hearing heartbreaking stories from families of patients while serving as a member of the board of the Greater Richmond Chapter Alzheimer’s Association. And he’s lived it in the two years since his mother-in-law received a dementia diagnosis. 

Since 2008, that agony has helped fuel his work to engineer new drugs that stop the vicious cycle of inflammation, and he’s more optimistic than ever for a breakthrough that can give hope to both patients and families whose lives are often upended by the demands of caring for their loved one around the clock. 

“There is a huge burden on caregivers,” said Zhang, professor and graduate program director in the VCU School of Pharmacy’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry. “We need to have something that is more effective not only at treating this disease, but also to help reduce the emotional and financial burden on the caregivers.” 

Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today. By 2050, that number is expected to double to 14 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Globally that patient population is around 55 million, and it’s expected to double every 20 years, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. By their estimate, someone around the world develops dementia every 3 seconds.

The need for a medical breakthrough has never been more urgent. In 2021, the FDA approved aducanumab, the first new drug in nearly two decades to treat Alzheimer’s. But that decision was contentious, and the results have been marginal. Since then, the FDA has approved additional drugs including lecanemab in 2023 and donanemab in 2024. The approved treatments are monoclonal antibodies, or lab-produced proteins designed to mirror the body’s immune response. In Alzheimer’s drugs, the antibodies are designed to target amyloid deposits, a key pathology of the disease long suspected of playing a role in its development. 

The available treatments themselves are incredibly costly, and they require additional costs for regular follow-up MRI imaging to monitor risks such as hemorrhaging and cerebral edema. Monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer’s have only achieved between 27% and 30% improvement in patients when it comes to regaining cognitive function, said Zhang.

“We need something more effective, and I think a small molecule solution could be a preferred way to pursue treatments,” he said. 

Tucked in a lab space in downtown Richmond, he’s been making remarkable progress on that challenge by building and testing small molecules that could be the key to disabling the body’s internal alarm system that drives chronic inflammation. 

From basic sciences to new treatments 

Scientific consensus recognizes that neuroinflammation plays a role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. To address that pathology, Zhang and his lab have focused on engineering molecules that can help tamp down inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, he has been working to identify drugs that target a particular inflammasome, NLRP3, a group of proteins that behave like a home security system for the body’s innate immune response. When NLRP3 detects danger signals in a cell, it triggers additional inflammation response through signaling.

The type of small molecules that Zhang is testing would inhibit the inflammasome response in the brain. The active agents in this potential treatment are small molecules that Zhang and his team, including research assistant professor Yiming Xu, Ph.D., design and build at the bench through an iterative process, synthesizing and testing how efficient and effective the candidates are for suppressing the inflammasome. From there, additional testing and imaging is done in animal models to ensure effectiveness. One of the agents he has developed shows great promise as a potential treatment and has achieved more than 50% suppression of the target inflammasome at a dose of 5 mg/kg in preclinical animal models. 

Some of the biggest challenges for drug discovery are finding solutions that can cross the blood-brain barrier, a selective semi-permeable membrane that allows cerebral blood vessels to regulate molecule and ion movement between the blood and the brain. It’s a challenge to design drugs with the right qualities of movement through the body, or pharmacokinetic properties, that can ensure the medicine can get to the area of the body where it’s most needed. Solving that challenge can make the difference between a treatment that requires regular injections for delivery or oral tablets. From a patient perspective, a tablet taken orally presents fewer barriers to access and compliance with a treatment than more involved delivery mechanisms. 

“We have reached the third generation of molecules and, in some of them, the potency is very promising,” Zhang said. “With some of them we have observed significant suppression of the targeted inflammasome by the molecules, which is really quite good. We’ve also been able to achieve brain penetration and are reaching the point for a suitable oral pharmacokinetic property, which will be critical for the clinical studies.” 

In a separate research project, Zhang’s team has been exploring ways to address mitochondrial dysfunction, another source behind Alzheimer’s. When mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, are not functioning normally, they are linked to oxidative stress and inflammatory responses as well as other pathologies of Alzheimer’s. The theory is that by helping address mitochondrial dysfunction as a driver of multiple Alzheimer’s pathologies, treatments could reduce root causes to provide more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s and other dementia types. 

“Initially when we started these two projects, they were unrelated,” Zhang said. “But with further studies, we realized these are not two isolated targets, which has made this research more exciting. They are actually closely interconnected.” 

Zhang and his team have connected the two projects to the same common treatment pathway, which is regulating the immune responses. He believes that ultimately researchers may discover that combining effective therapies may be the key to a long-term treatment, a theory that underlies his work targeting both the inflammasome and the mitochondrial dysfunction in order to provide a one-two punch toward addressing the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease development. 

Imaging project provides key insights 

Developing a drug is its own iterative process, but so is the challenge of proving the efficacy of potential candidates. In 2022 and 2023, Zhang and his team received grants from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Center on Aging, National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation to build and test radiotracers for using positron emission tomography (PET) by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome to prove the efficacy of future drug candidates. The new PET imaging tools are also aimed at identifying good biomarkers and ways of imaging neuroinflammation. 

“The PET imaging tools will help us test whether neuroinflammation is a good biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease,” Zhang explained. “They also will make it possible to image the progression of neuroinflammation. Not only would these tracers help us in the future clinical evaluation of potential drug candidates, but they also can become useful diagnostics in the future when neuroinflammation is accepted as a biomarker.” 

Neuroinflammation likely begins much earlier than the plaque and tangle pathology associated with advanced disease. His hope is that some combination of therapies and the PET imaging could help physicians provide the best available interventions earlier for those at risk of developing severe disease. Emerging research suggests that the disease can begin developing 20 years before symptoms become clear in patients.

The imaging and diagnostic project is the third leg of the stool when it comes to Zhang’s research. He said progress is possible when combining the imaging with his projects aimed at stopping inflammation by inhibiting the NLRP3 protein as well as taming mitochondrial dysfunction as a driver of other pathologies linked to disease progression. 

What's next?

Zhang and his team are working toward the goal of conducting enabling studies to investigate a new drug next year. Enabling studies are a critical step that bridges the gap between preclinical and clinical research. During this phase, Zhang and his team will seek to prove both the efficacy and safety of potential drug candidates. Once his lab can prove the effectiveness of a drug candidate and that the drug itself is not harmful or toxic in preclinical animal models, investigatory phases involving clinical trials will become possible.

“We never imagined we could end up where we are now,” Zhang said. “With the support of the university and these grants, we can do some real drug discovery and maintain full-speed ahead on identifying drug candidates with good pharmacokinetic properties and efficacy.” 

In February, the team received commercialization funding from VCU TechTransfer and Ventures, which will help advance their research. While Zhang remains focused on the Alzheimer’s drug development project, he’s also quick to point out that inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome has exciting potential application to other disorders associated with inflammation, from chronic pain to autoimmune disorders and chronic gastrointestinal diseases. 

“The commercialization funds were a great addition to this project and will allow us to pursue pharmacokinetic studies to help speed the process,” Zhang said. “It’s also exciting to see how this research could grow to have an impact on other chronic inflammation-driven diseases.”

Read more on Zhang's Alzheimer's research.

Research Excellence highlights

VCU Innovators of the Year advance lifesaving aerosol therapy for newborns

For their pioneering work at a small scale – the delivery of tiny particles of treatment to premature infants struggling to breathe – two VCU researchers have been named Innovators of the Year, a reflection of VCU’s cross-disciplinary approach to society’s big challenges.

Over the past four decades, VCU has emerged as a leading academic research hub worldwide in the realm of aerosol drug delivery. The Aerosol Research Group in the School of Pharmacy and the Aerosols In Medicine Lab in the College of Engineering form an interdisciplinary team that is designing novel pharmaceutical delivery systems for aerosols, which suspend drug particles in the air like mist.

On Nov. 18, two of the research group’s leaders – the School of Pharmacy’s Michael Hindle, Ph.D., and the College of Engineering’s P. Worth Longest, Ph.D. – were honored as the 2025 Billy R. Martin VCU Innovators of the Year by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and its VCU TechTransfer and Ventures office.

Hindle and Longest were specifically cited for their pioneering aerosol drug delivery systems that could save the lives of premature infants struggling to breathe at birth.

“We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” said Hindle, interim chair in the Department of Pharmaceutics and the Peter R. Byron Distinguished Professor – a professorship named after the research group’s founder, who retired in 2016. “This award reflects 40 years of innovation at VCU and the collaborative environment that allows us to take ideas from concept to clinic.”

Read more about Dr. Hindle and Dr. Longest’s collaborative research.

No short cuts – but a bit of sugar – in Dr. Umesh Desai's quest to fight cancer relapse

Medical researchers typically play the long game, spending years (and years and years) exploring an idea that could move beyond the laboratory to improve human life. Umesh Desai, Ph.D., knows the playing field well.

For more than three decades, Desai, a professor and chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, has investigated one of biology’s most intricate and least understood molecular families – and the potential to prevent cancer relapse. Desai and fellow Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center research member Bhaumik Patel, M.D., have pioneered development of a VCU-owned molecule, nicknamed G2.2, that targets colorectal cancer stem cells, and ongoing pre-clinical studies are a key step toward an Investigational New Drug submission to the Food and Drug Administration.

“Even today, people don’t fully understand glycosaminoglycans,” Desai said, referring to the long, sugar-based polymers that coat the surface of virtually every human cell, where they regulate processes from blood clotting and inflammation to growth and immune signaling. “There is so much unknown and unexplored around GAGs. The critical thing that I have tried to bring about in this field is to think of glycosaminoglycans as potential drugs and therapeutic agents.”

“When you see a discovery like G2.2, you realize the power of long-term research,” said Magdalena Morgan, Ph.D., director of licensing at VCU TechTransfer and Ventures, which has secured domestic and international patent protection and facilitated engagement with potential industry partners. “G2.2 is not just a molecule, but a platform that could change how we think about preventing cancer recurrence. Supporting projects like this is why we do what we do.”

Read more about Dr. Desai's promising therapy to prevent cancer relapse.

How I found my research: Dickson Donu driven by potential for impact in the battle against malaria

When Dickson Donu arrived at VCU in January 2021, he already knew he wanted to pursue the development of novel antimalarials. Donu had previously served as a research assistant at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in his native Ghana, and he hoped to build on the work he had done there at VCU.

Nearly five years later, Donu has accomplished what he set out to do. While working in the lab of Yana Cen, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry in the School of Pharmacy, Donu has published 27 research papers on a range of topics, including studies assessing the prevalence of malaria and the development of new medications to treat or prevent malaria. He earns his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in medicinal chemistry this semester.

“The most fulfilling aspect of my research is the potential for real-world impact,” Donu told VCU News. “My greatest satisfaction comes from finding solutions to unsuccessful experiments and understanding the basis of observed results. These experiences have enhanced my intellectual tenacity and enabled my navigation of the unknown to provide meaningful contributions to the scientific community.”

Read the full interview on how Dickson Donu found his research.

Culture and Community

At VCU School of Pharmacy, we are fostering a culture of care through opportunities for connection and collaboration while providing the ideal environment for growth for everyone in our community.

Student support in action: How Janet Wooten became a champion for students facing food insecurity

By Joan Tupponce  

Janet Wooten was checking on the contents of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy pantry on the first floor of the Smith Building around 7:30 a.m. — a ritual she does every day — when a student came up to her, smiling from ear to ear.

“I am so grateful for what you are doing for us,” he said, nodding toward the rows of shelf-stable pantry items in the kitchenette.   

This isn’t a random student or a random compliment. Wooten has students approach her and even offer to help stock the shelves on a consistent basis.  

Working with the Little Ram Pantry is about far more than food for Wooten. It’s about dignity and belonging – making sure every student feels cared for by their community. 

“The health sciences are demanding fields, and students shouldn’t have to choose between studying and eating,” said Wooten, senior executive assistant to the dean of the School of Pharmacy. “Helping launch the Little Ram Pantries has been one way to ensure they never have to make that choice.” 

Wooten has seen firsthand how food insecurity affects families and how difficult it can be to ask for help, making the work she does with the pantry deeply personal to her.  When she was a teenager, she would go with her mother to church on Saturdays to help serve meals and provide clothing to unhoused individuals and anyone who needed support.  

“My mother taught me the more you give to others, the more blessings you receive in return,” she said.  

Wooten’s main duties with the pantry are as organizational as they are personal. She manages day-to-day operations that include everything from tracking inventory and coordinating food donations to arranging purchases and making sure the space stays welcoming and easy to use.  

But these tasks are in addition to Wooten’s busy day job – where no two days are alike. As the senior executive assistant for Dean Kelechi C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., MSHA, Wooten is responsible for keeping the day moving smoothly. She manages his complex calendar, helps prioritize what needs attention and ensures meetings are set up with the right information and people. Wooten’s a point of contact for faculty, staff and partners who need support or guidance.   

“My job is really about staying organized, anticipating needs and creating a sense of calm and clarity around the dean’s work and priorities,” she said.  

Wooten is instrumental in promoting school pride and community, always donning VCU’s colors on Black & Gold Wednesdays. Her role additionally gives her the opportunity to interact with students, helping them with everything from scheduling meetings with the dean to providing suggestions on what to add to the vending machines.  

“Sometimes they simply want to say hello,” Wooten said. “I work to make them feel comfortable and welcomed.”  

Stocking shelves and success  

Wooten realized something was needed on campus to address food insecurity after having several students share that they were staying on campus for long hours, sometimes coming in on weekends, often relying on whatever snacks or leftovers they could find.  

“I couldn’t ignore what they were experiencing. I wanted our students to feel supported, not ashamed,” Wooten added.  

Students who are affected by food insecurity – not having enough nutritious food for a healthy life – may struggle with physical and mental health, finances, housing insecurity and staying in school.  

The Little Ram Pantries across the university provide free, judgment-free access to food and basic necessities for students who need that extra support. Wooten joined the initiative in 2024, years after it was already successful on the Monroe Park Campus.

Sheryl Garland, chief of health impact at VCU Health, notes that the Little Ram Pantries model on the MCV Campus was “built off of something Janet already tested,” adding that she thought through everything carefully and was willing to share any lessons learned with others to support all health sciences students better.   

“The model also protected individuals’ privacy and was established with the understanding that some may be facing financial challenges, but did not want this information to be known by their peers,” said Garland, who headed the VCU Health Sciences Campus Food Insecurity Workforce Group that Wooten is currently a member of.  

The Little Ram Pantries have since expanded to 10 locations across VCU’s health sciences campus. The School of Pharmacy’s pantry now serves as the central distribution center for all the campus’ participating pantries to receive their monthly food allotments.  

Wooten’s dedication to students has not gone unnoticed. In 2025, she was awarded VCU’s Bertha Rolfe Outstanding Staff Award for going beyond her regular duties.

Mary Kate Brogan, director of communications for the School of Pharmacy, interacts with Wooten every day. She said Wooten is the “definition of a kindhearted, selfless individual.”  

When it comes to the pantry, Brogan said Wooten took initiative to find a solution to an issue facing the campus community.  

“A lot of people might see a problem and say they want to help but not follow through. It’s far more rare to have someone who will see it through, and Janet is that person,” Brogan said.   

Seeing the food pantry’s impact ‘makes all the juggling worth it’ 

If balancing both the pantry and her job sounds daunting, it can be, but Wooten wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I juggle everything for the Little Ram Pantry because I care about it so much. It doesn’t feel like ‘extra work.’ It feels like something meaningful that I get to do an hour a week,” she said. “I stay organized, I plan ahead, and I build systems around my other work that make the day-to-day easier.”

A lot of what Wooten does boils down to passion.   

“When you believe in the mission, you find the energy and time to do what you love.  I currently do it alone, but I am reaching out to students and staff to volunteer,” said Wooten. “Seeing how much the pantry helps students makes all the juggling worth it.” 

As demand for the Little Ram Pantries grows, Wooten recognizes how the resource helps remove a barrier many felt too embarrassed to talk about. 

“When you see firsthand how something as simple as a food pantry can take stress off someone’s shoulders, maybe help them stay focused in class, or just make them feel cared for, it’s hard not to stay committed,” she said. “Every time I see a student utilize the pantry and walk away with a little more ease or a little more confidence, it reminds me why the work matters. That’s what keeps me going.”  

She’s also grateful for those who have supported her through the process of setting up the Little Ram Pantry at the School of Pharmacy, such as John Jones, Ph.D., in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability, who established the Little Ram Pantries initiative, Garland for leading efforts to find solutions to food insecurity on campus and Ogbonna who believed in Wooten’s vision.  

“The growth didn’t happen because of one person; it happened because faculty and staff care, donate, volunteer and spread the word,” she said. “I’m just thankful to play a small part in something that’s making a difference in students’ lives."

Read more about Wooten’s contributions to make our students’ lives easier.

Culture and Community highlights

Dr. Krista Donohoe earns Distinguished Teaching Award at VCU’s 43rd Annual Faculty Convocation

At VCU’s 43rd Annual Faculty Convocation on Aug. 20, the university presented Krista Donohoe, Pharm.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science in the School of Pharmacy, with the Distinguished Teaching Award.

As skills laboratory director and longtime coordinator of the Dermatology module, Donohoe emphasizes autonomy, competence and relatedness – as reflected by her co-development of an active-learning laboratory on pharmacists’ role in opioid overdose management.

Accepting the Distinguished Teaching Award, Donohoe reflected on starting her career teaching eighth grade, where, she shared on-stage with a laugh, simply getting students to remain in their seats was a feat. Her first day teaching pharmacy students, she was floored that students were not only in their seats but ready to learn. She expressed gratitude for the excellent students at VCU SoP, the educators who have served as her mentors, and her peers in education, whether in higher ed or K-12.

“I want you to think about a teacher – because teachers are magic: they create, they inspire, they bring things to life in the classroom – and think about that one teacher who meant that to you,” Donohoe said. “If you can today, send them a thank-you note, text them, maybe just in your head thank them, because they are really important."

Dr. Donohoe reminded the audience why gratitude is so important, because when we pause to give thanks, we honor the people who have shaped us.

Read more about Dr. Donohoe's accomplishments.

Pharm.D./Ph.D. student Alice Warren earns VCU's student award at 2026 Burnside Watstein Awards

VCU School of Pharmacy student Alice Warren was recognized as the winner of the Student Award at VCU's 20th annual Burnside Watstein Awards on March 26.

Warren is the co-president of PrideRx. A dual-degree Pharm.D. and Ph.D. candidate in the School of Pharmacy, she studies the intersectional impacts of HIV, opioid use disorder and sex on neurocognitive outcomes. As a member of the lab of Mary Peace McRae, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Warren has been an advocate for the inclusion of transgender perspectives in preclinical research, ensuring that understudied populations are represented.

Warren’s win marks the second year in a row that the Burnside Watstein’s Student Award has gone to a Pharm.D. student (Gray Scott last year), and she is the third VCU School of Pharmacy-affiliated winner in the last two years (Chelsey Llayton P’18 won the Alumni Award last year).

Within the community, Warren translates complex clinical data into accessible harm-reduction education at local Richmond venues and drag performances. Warren said it’s more important than ever to be an active participant in the LGBTQ+ community.

“This chosen community of Richmond has been nothing but the truest form of family that exists in a way that families can't always imagine,” Warren said.

Read more about Warren and all the awardees.

Hope Pharmacy joins VCU Health, continues to serve East End residents

The East End’s community pharmacy will continue its mission of accessible, compassionate care following a newly finalized agreement for VCU Health to acquire Hope Pharmacy. 

In late January, VCU Health and Hope Pharmacy completed the purchase agreement, ensuring that the community resource will remain open and continue serving residents with the same trusted team in place. The pharmacy, which will now operate as VCU Health Hope Pharmacy, marks an important step in expanding the health system’s impact in the East End. 

Hope Pharmacy was founded in 2019 by Shantelle Brown, Pharm.D., a Richmond native who returned home after earning her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Howard University. After working in a couple of different pharmacies, Brown began envisioning what a community-centered pharmacy could look like, one that focused on education and personalized care. 

With pharmacy deserts already on the rise in Virginia, closing Hope Pharmacy was never an option founder Shantelle Brown, Pharm.D., wanted to consider. 

“Joining forces with Dr. Brown to create the VCU Health Hope Pharmacy only made sense,” Garland said. “There is a shared commitment to ensuring East End residents have access to care and services in their community.” 

Sheryl Garland, VCU Health’s chief of health impact, and Brown first met in February 2024 to explore possibilities. After that initial conversation, Garland contacted her colleague, Matthew Jenkins, PharmD., chief pharmacy officer for VCU Health, to determine how the health system could support the pharmacy’s future.

Even before discussions about the pharmacy began, VCU Health, Virginia Commonwealth University and Hope Pharmacy shared strong ties centered on community health. 

This longstanding partnership created a natural foundation for the transition. 

Read about what’s next for VCU Health Hope Pharmacy.

Engage with us

Get to know Nick Williams, Ed.D.: Fun facts and more

Introducing the School of Pharmacy’s director of alumni engagement

Nick Williams, Ed.D. (Ed.D.’24), director of alumni engagement for the School of Pharmacy, gives us a glimpse into who he is beyond his CV.

What’s your superpower?

The ability to make people hungry talking about food (haha!). Give me any random ingredients and I’ll make a gourmet meal. I also can understand someone’s thoughts and feelings without them saying a word; as an empath, it’s always made me feel like I can read hearts and minds.

What’s your hidden talent?

I can draw! It was something I thought I was going to do as a kid, but all of that evolved into cooking.

What would you do if you weren’t an alumni engagement officer?

I would be a world-traveling food critic and a Michelin star chef, a movie/TV show director or a cartoonist.

What’s the most important item on your bucket list (if you have a bucket list)?

Try the most famous dishes of every country around the world.

What were your favorite subjects in school?

English and chemistry

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I not only am a major foodie, but am also a chef where I do small catering events and publish cookbooks. I am also a photographer and videographer and love talking about marketing and branding.

What’s your favorite way to unwind?

Cook, play video games (PS5), and binge watch TV shows and movies

What’s your favorite local restaurant/food truck/brewery?

It’s hard but for restaurants, Lillie Pearl, Pinky’s and Alewife are tied for me. For food trucks, Mama Vicky’s, Noah’s Rockin’ Buns and Soul-Ice Shaker, and Hardywood for my favorite brewery.

What is your top priority for engaging alumni?

Creating clear pathways for alumni to know how they can connect within the school and for the school to connect with alumni.

Do you have another restaurant Nick should add to his list? Or do you want to learn more about how you can connect with the School of Pharmacy? Email him at williamsn@vcu.edu.

Preceptor of the year recognized with award named for P’47 graduate

This May at our Class of 2026 Hooding and Diploma Ceremony, VCU School of Pharmacy recognized 12 preceptors who have gone above and beyond training our students.

Longtime supporter of VCU School of Pharmacy, Donna Clevinger, Ph.D., a Mississippi State University professor and former administrator, honored her late father, Lawrence Earle Clevinger, a graduate of VCU School of Pharmacy's Class of 1947, ahead of the presentation of the newly-named Lawrence Earle Clevinger Preceptor of the Year Award.

“I grew up in the drug store, watching my father work at the pharmacy every day, and what my father loved best was being a preceptor,” Dr. Clevinger said. “He thought it was fabulous that he could still have a role to play at MCV, mentoring future pharmacists. … I do so appreciate preceptors, and I am here because I saw firsthand, year after year, what it took to be a preceptor.”

2026 OUTSTANDING PRECEPTOR AWARDS

  • Dr. Benu Arora, Pharmacist at CVS in Vienna, VA
  • Dr. Caitlyn Amor, Internal Medicine Pharmacist, Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, VA
  • Dr. Anne Masich, Internal Medicine Pharmacist at VCU Health and faculty member at VCU School of Pharmacy in Richmond, VA
  • Dr. Emily Puckett, Specialty Pharmacist at the University of VA Health System in Charlottesville, VA
  • Dr. Lori Dunn, Ambulatory Care Pharmacist with the University of VA Health System in Charlottesville, VA
  • Dr. Bini Eyasu, Cardiovascular Critical Care Pharmacist with Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Richmond, VA
  • Dr. Amy Cook, Critical Care Pharmacist with HCA Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond, VA
  • Dr. Evan Hurley, Infectious Disease Pharmacist with Inova Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, VA
  • Dr. Jessica Green, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with Inova Health System’s Center for Personalized Health in Fairfax, VA
  • Dr. Anne Harrison, Pharmacist for VCU Health’s Specialty Pharmacy in Richmond, VA

Partner Recognition Award: Dr. Kristen Marge, Inova Health System

Lawrence Earle Clevinger Preceptor of the Year: Dr. Nicole Omecene, Clinical Pharmacist at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and faculty member at VCU School of Pharmacy

Creating a Path to Prosperity

Terri Hubbard Powers believes receiving an education is the most important thing someone can do to empower their life and unlock their potential.

Powers, a 1978 VCU School of Pharmacy graduate, grew up in rural Southampton County, Va., in the town of Sedley and knew from age 15 she wanted to work in medicine. She chose pharmacy after seeing how closely the physician she worked for collaborated with the pharmacist in caring for patients, and she chose a career in community pharmacy recognizing this is often where patients with chronic disease slip through the cracks and need help. 

“Education was very important to my parents,” Powers said. “My mom and dad started their business to educate their four children, and because they did, I was able to pursue my career without financial burden.” 

In 2016, Terri and her husband, Tom, created the H.J. and Dot Hubbard Scholarship to honor her parents’ memory. In the past year, she created the Terri Hubbard Powers Path to Prosperity Scholarship to support undergraduate students in the new B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences program. The scholarship first targets students from her hometown.

She learned about the B.S.P.S. program at the School of Pharmacy and recognized that the degree could offer many new career paths for students who might not wish to pursue an advanced degree in pharmacy. 

“As pharmacy evolves, I see the school being a crucial leader in the pharmaceutical industry,” Powers said. “This new degree opens up career paths and helps develop a workforce for the new pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Petersburg, Virginia, which is within commuting distance for residents from my hometown.”

Powers was especially motivated to give back to her hometown community. For her, this scholarship also completes a deliberate continuum of giving that stretches from supporting children at Early Childhood Western Tidewater to local community college students and undergraduate and graduate students at the School of Pharmacy. 

She envisions a pathway for someone beginning in childhood and extending to an advanced degree. 

“I’ve lived in Richmond for years, but I still call Sedley and Southampton County home. I’m blessed to be able to help,” Powers said. “This scholarship really fulfilled a piece that was missing in what I wanted to accomplish to help my community.” 

Read more about Dr. Hubbard Powers’ decision to pay it forward.

How to engage with us

Sponsor research

Support our school by investing in new discoveries and talent through venture philanthropy, internships, scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships.

Start a conversation with us by emailing Philip Greazel, senior director of development for VCU School of Pharmacy, at greazelpj@vcu.edu.

Host internships

Develop talent from Virginia’s brightest interns by partnering with VCU School of Pharmacy to host an internship for our students. Fill out our interest form.

Host internships or hire a grad

Employ Virginia’s best-trained new graduates to support your organization as you change the world.

Interested in hiring …

Get involved as a preceptor

Give our Pharm.D. students hands-on experience in clinical practice.

Contact Director of Experiential Education, Wanda Coffey, M.A., at wcoffey2@vcu.edu.

Participate in an OSCE or as a guest lecturer

Get in the classroom through a faculty exchange, guest lecture or OSCE. Contact pharmacy@vcu.edu.

Make an impact with a gift

When you support our school, you shape the future of health care through innovation and excellence and prepare students to become leaders in the field.

Make a gift at give.vcu.edu/pharmacy.