In July 2022, Dr. Toyin Tofade became the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS)’s first Black female president. Since taking office, Tofade has led transformative measures that have strengthened the college’s future.
Toyin Tofade: Transformative Leadership at the ACPHS
Under her direction, ACPHS implemented a daring new strategy plan and launched ACPHS Online in March 2024. She restructured academic units, launched a leadership curriculum for potential leaders, and promoted an entrepreneurial culture throughout the school.
Her efforts have resulted in tremendous enrolment increase, with overall applications up 18.58%, deposits up 35.03%, and transfer admissions up 714.29% by July 2024. PharmD year-one deposits increased by 210%, while industrial fellowship positions for graduates doubled.
ACPHS had its largest expansion in history in 2024, with the approval of seven new degree programs, including bachelor’s programs in health sciences, psychology, forensic science, and biology, as well as master’s programs in biomedical sciences and cytotechnology.
The student experience has thrived, with increased media attention and national titles in men’s track and field and women’s football. Her leadership has also resulted in increased relationships at the local, national, and international levels.
Toyin Tofade career in pharmacy
Before joining ACPHS, Dr. Tofade was Dean and Professor at Howard University College of Pharmacy. She held major positions at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and worked as a clinical specialist in UNC hospitals. She was also the Director of Pharmacotherapy Services for Wake AHEC.
Dr. Tofade was the first Black woman to serve as President of the International Pharmacy Federation’s (FIP) Academic Pharmacy Section and was appointed a FIP Fellow in 2018. She has contributed to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, as well as policy advocacy campaigns.
Recognition and Achievements
Dr. Tofade has received various distinctions, including:
Albany Business Review’s Power 50 Executive (two consecutive years)
ASHP’s 2022 The UNC Pharmacy
Alumni Association presents the Donald E.
Francke Medal and the 2021 Distinguished Service Award.
2019 Fred M. Eckel Pharmacy Leadership Award
2018 Distinguished Service Award from NAPPSA
Education and Professional Development Program
She earned a BPharm from Obafemi Awolowo University, an MS in Pharmacy Practice, and a PharmD from UNC Chapel Hill. She has also completed leadership programs at the Harvard Kennedy School and Penn State.
