School of Pharmacy
At the VCU School of Pharmacy, we believe in the potential within every student, faculty and staff member, researcher, and clinician — a potential that fuels discovery, drives innovation and transforms patient care. Unlocking Potential: VCU’s Campaign for the Future is a bold initiative to invest in that potential by expanding access to pharmacy education, advancing pharmaceutical research and improving health outcomes. Your support helps our school recruit talented students through scholarships, support them with hands-on experiences and mentorship, and prepare them for success across a range of career pathways in a rapidly growing health care and life sciences workforce.
With your support, we will create scholarships that open doors for aspiring pharmacists and scientists, enhance experiential learning that bridges education and practice, and drive research that leads to life-changing treatments. Together, we will empower VCU School of Pharmacy students to lead, serve and innovate.
Join us in unlocking potential at the VCU School of Pharmacy. When you invest in pharmacy education, you invest in the future of health care and the well-being of communities everywhere.
Our goal
You will unlock potential in the School of Pharmacy when you help us reach our goal of $15 million.
Our priorities
Increasing access and fostering student success
At the VCU School of Pharmacy, students don’t just study pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences — they gain hands-on
experience, mentorship and a comprehensive education that equips them to become leaders in health care.
Your support is critical in ensuring that all deserving students have access to a transformative education. The Debt-Free
Education Initiative, which provides scholarships, is a key way we reduce financial barriers and empower students to focus on their studies without the burden of debt. Additionally, funding to bolster the new Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical
Sciences program, including summer fellowships and co-op support, ensures students have the practical experience they need to succeed in the industry.
Together, we can unlock every student’s potential and prepare them to make a lasting impact on the health of the communities they serve.
Blazing trails and leading change through innovative research
Every day, researchers at the VCU School of Pharmacy push the boundaries of pharmaceutical science to transform health care. Our school is at the forefront of advancing drug discovery and pharmacy practice thanks to the work of our world-renowned faculty. From the development of cutting-edge therapies for sickle cell disease entering clinical trials to research informing policy decisions to prevent pharmacy deserts, impact is at the very heart of what we do.
A new research excellence fund will build on this momentum and help propel our work to the next level. Your support could provide vital pilot funding for early-career faculty pursuing bold new ideas, bridge critical funding gaps for promising innovations and seed research in novel and emerging areas. The fund could also support expanded collaborations with industry partners, accelerating the path from discovery to patient care. With your support, we can grow our research enterprise and ensure that the VCU School of Pharmacy continues to drive progress in patient treatment, drug development and pharmacy practice.
Together, we can unlock new breakthroughs, enhance the future of pharmaceutical sciences and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of communities worldwide.
Recognizing faculty and nurturing scholarship
Faculty in the VCU School of Pharmacy are more than educators — they are innovators in pharmaceutical sciences, mentors guiding the next generation of pharmacy professionals and researchers advancing breakthroughs in health care. Their expertise and leadership drive progress, ensuring that VCU remains a leader in pharmaceutical education and clinical excellence.
Your support champions faculty excellence. The creation of five new endowed faculty positions across the school, as well as additional funding to expand our faculty supporting the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Studies program will provide critical resources to attract and retain top scholars who will lead in research, education and community health. These new positions will empower faculty to enhance the student experience, promote cutting-edge research and shape the future of pharmaceutical care.
Together, we can unlock advances in pharmacy, train the next generation of health care leaders and expand access to high-quality pharmaceutical care.
Sustaining institutional excellence and achieving prominence
The VCU School of Pharmacy is shaping the future of health care one student, one program and one breakthrough at a time. To continue advancing education, fostering groundbreaking research and meeting the community’s evolving needs, we are expanding educational pathways and workforce development initiatives. Through the new Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program and the Explore Health Careers program, we provide students diverse opportunities to pursue pharmaceutical and health sciences careers. Additionally, our workforce development initiatives, such as the Pharmacy Technician Training Program, are designed to support the current and future workforce by offering specialized training for those entering or transitioning within the field.
Your support strengthens these innovative programs, equipping students and professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to transform health care. By investing in these efforts, you help to ensure that VCU remains at the forefront of education, training the next generation of leaders in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.
Together, we will unlock excellence in pharmacy, drive innovation in education, research, and workforce development, and shape the future of health care.
Shape what’s next
We strive to offset the cost of pharmacy school education so that our students can focus on impact. When students consider pharmacy school, finances often come first. If we can solve for this constraint, we will continue to train the best and brightest students committed to improving the human condition.
In the past year, your support of the VCU School of Pharmacy has:
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Funded more than $2 million in scholarships for our students
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Endowed six professorships for the faculty who teach them
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Uplifted lifesaving, innovative research that resulted in 21 invention disclosures and dozens of other discoveries
Your generosity is unlocking potential for our students, educators, patients and the wider community.
Kelechi “K.C.” Ogbonna, Pharm.D. (M.S.H.A.’17)
Dean, professor and Archie O. McCalley Chair, VCU School of Pharmacy
You are the key.
You’ve seen how this historic effort is unlocking potential across VCU and VCU Health for students, patients, faculty members, researchers, clinicians and members of our community. Now it’s your turn. How will you help shape what’s next?