Toyin Tofade is the first Black woman to serve as president in the college’s 141-year history. She begins her term on July 1, 2022.
Toyin Tofade, MS, PharmD, BCPS, CPCC, FFIP, has been selected as the 10th president of the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS), following a comprehensive national search.
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. In addition to Pharmacy, ACPHS offers programs in Biomedical Technology, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pre-Med and Public Health. The college’s mission is to educate the next generation of leaders to improve the health of our society. ACPHS ranks #1 in New York and #2 in the U.S. for best return on investment according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. ACPHS was also named the #1 value-added college in the country by the Wall Street Journal and the Brookings Institution.
Toyin Tofade was selected by the ACPHS Board of Trustees following a national search. A Presidential Search Committee composed of faculty, students, staff, and alumni oversaw the process and retained executive search firm Greenwood/Asher and Associates to ensure the college attracted significant interest from a diverse group of qualified candidates. The committee, chaired by Christopher Di Lascia, ’83, of the ACPHS Board of Trustees, and search firm held multiple listening sessions and conducted surveys with key campus stakeholder groups to identify key strengths and qualities sought in the college’s next president. The committee referred to this crucial feedback while vetting over 30 candidates and in the deliberations for the final candidate.
Toyin Tofade said: “It is an honor to be selected for this distinguished role by the Board of Trustees at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences,” said Dr. Toyin Tofade. “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 (faculty, staff, students, board of visitors, alumni, and friends) 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.”
Outstanding work done at Howard University
Since 2016, she has served as the Dean and Professor at the Howard University College of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C. Dr. During her tenure at Howard University, the college has nearly doubled enrollment for the class of 2021; doubled the number of student internships; expanded clinical, industrial and international partnerships; and received the maximum number of Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) re-accreditation years possible. Under her leadership, the college diversified its faculty composition and expertise; revised the curriculum which has led to improved educational outcomes; entered into a one-of-a-kind partnership with the FDA and Glaxo to provide fellowship opportunities in regulatory affairs and policy; and established residencies with Walgreens and Trusted Health Plan. Multiple partnerships with pharmaceutical industry yielding postdoctoral fellowship opportunities for Howard graduates have been created under her leadership. Additionally, alumni giving increased by over 70% and the student residency match rate increased from 36% to more than 50%.
Leader in global professional pharmacy organizations
A leader in global professional pharmacy organizations, Toyin Tofade was appointed in 2020 as president-elect of the International Pharmacy Federation (FIP) academic pharmacy section. FIP is the global federation representing over five million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists worldwide. In 2018, Toyin Tofade was the first Black woman to be named an FIP Fellow, which recognizes those who have exhibited strong leadership internationally, distinguished themselves in pharmaceutical sciences and/or practice of pharmacy, contributed to advancement of pharmaceutical sciences and/or practice of pharmacy, and who have served FIP. On the national front, she was appointed as chair-elect of the council of deans for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in 2020 and has participated on a variety of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task forces nationally. Toyin Tofade facilitated meetings with profession leaders and participated in pharmacy coalition meetings with the goal to advance provider status in the District of Columbia.
Multiple roles at different universities
Prior to her tenure at Howard University, Tofade served in multiple roles at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) in Baltimore, including Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, Associate Director, and Assistant Dean of the Experiential Learning Program. She was also employed at University of North Carolina (UNC) hospitals for several years as a pharmacist, as a clinical specialist on the general medicine service, and as Director of Pharmacotherapy Services at the Wake Area Health Education Center (AHEC).
Toyin Tofade received a bachelor’s in pharmacy (B.Pharm.) from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, as well as a M.S. in Pharmacy Practice and a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from UNC at Chapel Hill. She completed a residency with emphasis on clinical pharmacokinetics from UNC Chapel Hill, and an American Society of Health-System Pharmacy-accredited residency at UNC hospitals. She is also a certified coactive coach and completed the Academic Leadership Academy from the Academic Leadership Institute at Penn State, the Management Development Program from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Crises Leadership in Higher Education from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Numerous awards
Toyin Tofade has received numerous awards, including the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) 2022 Board of Directors’ Donald E. Francke Medal which honors pharmacists who have made significant international contributions to advance pharmacy practice. In 2021, her alma mater, University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy, honored her with the Pharmacy Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award In 2020, she received the A. Richard Bliss Jr. Grand Council Citation of Appreciation Award given by Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Inc. This award is a form of superior recognition for most extraordinary contributions to the Fraternity or Profession by either Members of the Fraternity or non-members. As a nonmember, this was an honor bestowed on her due to her students’ nomination in appreciation of her dedicated service to the college and profession at large. In 2019, she received the Fred M. Eckel Pharmacy Leadership Award by the University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy and UNC Hospitals. This award honors an individual associated with the University of North Carolina Hospitals and Clinics post-graduate pharmacy training programs who has demonstrated sustained professional contributions to pharmacy practice throughout his or her career. In 2018, Dr. Tofade received a Distinguished Service Award in appreciation for leadership in Pharmacy Education and presentation at the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americans, Inc. (NAPPSA) Scientific Conference.
