A photo of a man from the chest up wearing a blue and white button down shirt and black glasses.
James Ferri, Ph.D., has been named chair-elect of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology & Education faculty, highlighting VCU’s position as a front-runner in the advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing space. (College of Engineering)

Aug. 22, 2023

VCU Engineering’s James Ferri named to leadership role at national institute for pharmaceutical manufacturing and education

With a background in supply-chain efficiency, Ferri, Ph.D., will support NIPTE’s mission to improve how medicines are designed, developed and made.

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Highlighting Virginia Commonwealth University’s position as a leader in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, engineering professor James Ferri has been named chair-elect of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology & Education faculty.

Ferri, Ph.D., is associate chair of VCU’s Department of Chemical and Life Sciences Engineering in the College of Engineering. NIPTE brings together academic professionals and researchers, industry leaders and other stakeholders to improve how medicines are designed, developed and manufactured to meet patients’ needs in the 21st century.

In 2021, VCU Engineering became a member of NIPTE, alongside 17 other universities with the highest-ranking pharmaceutical education and research programs in the U.S.

Ferri’s research focuses primarily on supply-chain improvements to more efficiently provide active pharmaceutical ingredients, and he has been integral in facilitating research between VCU and NIPTE. Recently, Ferri has been working with NIPTE members to build a Center of Excellence in Advanced and Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in the region. In his chair-elect role, which began June 1, he is supporting a wide range of emerging initiatives and activities.

Ferri’s projects related to pharmaceutical manufacturing have been supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, and his work on interfacial phenomena and formulations of disperse systems has been supported by NASA and the chemical industry. Ferri also was part of the NIPTE visiting team to the White House in April to propose a plan entitled “Overcoming Global Risk to the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.”

With the chair-elect honor, Ferri offered his thanks to a number of collaborators.

“It's been a pleasure working with NIPTE leadership and mentors, including Fernando Muzzio, Ph.D., Rutgers University; Vadim Gurvich, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Rodolfo J. Romañach, Ph.D., Recinto Universitario de Mayaguez; and Peter Wildfong, Ph.D., Duquesne University,” Ferri said. “I am also grateful for the continuing support of Frank Gupton, Ph.D., and Barbara Boyan, Ph.D., in the VCU College of Engineering.”