Nigerian Scholar, Toyin Tofade, Emerges First Black Female President In American College

Tofade is a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree holder from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

Nigerian academic scholar Toyin Tofade on March 16, 2022, emerged as the first black woman to be named president of the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) which was founded in 1881. A press release by the college made Tofade’s appointment public.

The press release also revealed that Tofade bagged the position after a comprehensive search. Chairman of the Presidential Search Committee Christopher Di Lascia hailed Tofade, saying she

“possesses all the qualities desired, including her deep commitment to academic quality, scholarship, and service, as well as a proven track record of successful management and resource development…”

Tofade’s previous position as Dean and Professor at the Howard University College of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C. since 2016, played a crucial role in her appointment as her success which saw enrollment nearly doubling in 2021; the number of student internships doubled, expansion of clinical, industrial, and industrial partnerships, and a maximum number of Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) re-accreditation years feasible, meant she emerged as the right person for the position.

During her time at Howard, she saw to the diversification of the College’s faculty composition and expertise, revision of the curriculum which improved educational outcomes, strategic partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Glaxo in a bid to create fellowship opportunities in regulatory affairs and policy.

Ms Tofade expressed delight at her new appointment and is looking forward to the new adventure.

“My sincere thanks go to Howard University’s provost and president for their leadership, ongoing support, and mentorship over the years, the entire Howard University College of Pharmacy for their dedication to excellence and leadership, my distinguished colleagues for making Howard a great place to work, and my family for their unwavering support. I am grateful to God for this new opportunity, and I look forward to serving the ACPHS community as president.”

Toyin Tofade is a Bachelor of Pharmacy holder from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. She is also a master’s degree holder in pharmacy practice (1994), and a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD, 1997) degree holder, all from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Her achievements include being named the Wake AHEC Mentor of the Year in 2008, an award for Excellence and Distinction in medicine and health from the Christian Association for Nigerian Americans (2016), president-elect of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in 2020, first black woman to emerge as an FIP Fellow (2018), chair-elect of the council of deans, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (2020), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) 2022 Board of Directors’ Donald E. Francke Medal, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award (2021).

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