Professor Ikechukwu Virgilus Onyishi is the dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He is a professor of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy.
Onyishi holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also holds a master’s degree, specialising in Drug Formulation Science and Technology. His PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy, was also obtained from UNN.
Onyishi, who equally holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health from the University of Manchester, UK, has a multifaceted proficiency that encompasses academic leadership, pharmaceutical research, innovation, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.
Until he became the dean of the faculty, Onyishi had served the university in various other capacities. He had also served several times as head of department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy.
Prof. Onyishi had led the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy through rigorous accreditation processes, while forging pivotal industry collaborations. His revitalisation of postgraduate programmes, marked by interdisciplinary research projects and enhanced enrolment, underscored his commitment to nurturing future leaders in the pharmaceutical domain. Additionally, his co-authorship of the university’s Research Policy Document laid the groundwork for a substantial uptick in research productivity and funding.
Under Onyishi’s leadership as dean, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences has undergone a profound metamorphosis, characterised by a comprehensive overhaul of the curriculum to produce graduates better equipped for competitive environments.
His transformative initiatives also extended to the University Model Pharmacy, which he transformed into a thriving academic-commercial entity, renowned for its service quality and patient safety standards. Since his emergence as the dean of the faculty, Onyishi has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to enhancing the faculty’s infrastructure, academic rigour, and operational efficiency.
His notable achievements include spearheading sustainable energy solutions, deploying an advanced attendance system, enhancing security measures, facilitating professional development support, expanding digital library resources, overseeing good maintenance culture within the faculty, modernising examination procedures, supporting scholarly publications, and upgrading laboratory equipment.
Very recently, on 7 June 2024, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Charles Igwe, inaugurated many projects executed by Prof. Onyishi as the dean of the faculty. The projects include 34.5 KVA solar installations to support CBT exams and the dean’s office, CCTV cameras and security lights in the multipurpose faculty building, expansion of the 200-seater Digital Library to a 400-seater Digital Library with extra 200 laptops and counting for CBT examination.
Others are 2 HP Proliant Server, DL 380 Gen, 10 Server with 256 GB RAM and 4 TB SSD, alongside fibre LAN network installation, biometric installations for students examination and lecture attendance, 48 CCTv cameras covering the entire Faculty Building Model Pharmacy Shop in the faculty, and a robust Central Laboratory, well equipped.
Onyishi’s research expertise spans a wide array of pharmaceutical sciences, encompassing physico-chemical and compaction characterisation of excipients, formulation and development studies of controlled and sustained release dosage forms, as well as granulation studies. His research extends to troubleshooting, problem-solving, and product development. Additionally, he is involved in the development and standardisation of herbal formulations in conventional and modified forms.
Prof. Onyishi currently has many publications to his credit, which highlight his significant contributions to advancing pharmaceutical science and drug delivery technologies. He has supervised numerous masters and doctoral students and is currently supervising a lot of others. He is a recipient of several national and international awards and grants.
Prof. Onyishi is a member of many professional bodies which include the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and many others.
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