VCU news

By Greg Weatherford
School of Pharmacy

After eight years as dean of the School of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University, Joseph T. DiPiro, Pharm.D., has announced plans to step aside from that role and fully move into his recently announced position as associate vice president for health sciences — faculty affairs in VCU’s Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, effective at the end of the spring semester. 

“It has been a privilege to be the dean for the past eight years,” DiPiro said. “I am pleased that we have many talented individuals on our faculty and staff who will keep our program going strong. I am proud to say that together we have made it through some difficult challenges the past few years. That is a tribute to our faculty, staff and students and their hard work.”

DiPiro, who holds the rank of professor, plans to continue teaching at the VCU School of Pharmacy. 

“I’ve reluctantly accepted Joe’s decision but take comfort in the fact that he’ll continue to serve VCU in other teaching and leadership roles,” said Art Kellermann, M.D., senior vice president for health sciences at VCU and CEO of VCU Health. “Over the past eight years, he led the School of Pharmacy to unprecedented heights by emphasizing a collegial, supportive environment for learning, research, teaching and service. He’s also a consummate team player who is highly regarded throughout the university and within academic pharmacy nationwide. It is a tribute to his leadership that VCU School of Pharmacy excelled across so many areas even during the difficulties brought by the current pandemic.  

“Those are the qualities that led me to select him as associate vice president for health sciences — faculty affairs, and I look forward to working closely with him as we strengthen all of the health professions schools at VCU.” 

DiPiro joined VCU in 2014 as dean, professor and Archie O. McCalley Chair at the School of Pharmacy. Under DiPiro’s leadership, the School of Pharmacy has consistently been ranked among the top pharmacy schools in the nation. 

A search for a new dean will begin soon. Beginning in June, Kelechi “K.C.” Ogbonna, Pharm.D., will serve as interim dean.  

Ogbonna is currently associate dean for admissions & student services at the School of Pharmacy. In addition to his administrative role, Ogbonna’s responsibilities include didactic and experiential education in the area of geriatric pharmacy practice. Ogbonna's research focuses on leadership development, student success, community engagement, medication utilization and healthy aging. 

Among other accomplishments at VCU, Ogbonna helped spearhead the Richmond Health & Wellness Program, which has provided care to more than a thousand older adults and served as a training ground for thousands of students across multiple health professions. This program is the backbone of what is now the VCU Health Hub at 25th. 

Ogbonna completed his residencies within the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. He earned his Pharm.D. from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and holds a master’s degree in health administration from VCU.

For more details about these changes at the School of Pharmacy, visit the VCU School of Pharmacy website.