FAMU has recruited one of the nation's leading cancer researchers and public health scholars to lead its College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences/Institute of Public Health, a move that underscores the university's growing investment in research as it seeks to elevate its national profile.
Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., an internationally recognized expert in cancer prevention, health equity and community-engaged research, will become dean of the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health on August 3. She will also serve as Assistant Vice President for Health Science Enterprise and Research Innovation.
The appointment places an accomplished researcher and academic administrator at the center of one of the university's most ambitious priorities: expanding federally funded research, strengthening graduate education and advancing FAMU's pursuit of Carnegie Research 1 status, the nation's highest classification for research universities.
"In Dr. Sheppard, we have found a leader whose life's work in cancer prevention and health equity mirrors our own mission to serve those our state and nation depend on us to reach," President Marva B. Johnson said in announcing the appointment. "Her arrival affirms what we have long known: that FAMU's future as a national leader in health sciences is not a distant aspiration, but a present reality."
No word yet on how much Sheppard will be paid. However, according public records, she earned a base salary of $413,752 at VCU. She will succeed Seth Y. Ablordeppey, Ph.D., who has served as interim dean since September 2024. Ablordeppey will return to the faculty after more than three decades of service, teaching in the Doctor of Pharmacy and medicinal chemistry graduate programs. Johnny L. Early, the former permanent dean of the college earned a base salary of $275,000, before he stepped down in 2024.
Sheppard's hire represents more than a leadership change. It brings to the university a scientist whose career has been defined by securing competitive research funding, building academic programs and expanding opportunities for underserved communities.
Sheppard has secured more than $30 million in federal and foundation grants as a principal investigator or co-principal investigator, including funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the National Science Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and other leading organizations. She has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications on cancer prevention, survivorship, medication adherence, health disparities and translational science.
Provost Allyson Watson said Sheppard's combination of research achievement and academic leadership arrives at a critical moment for the university.
"Dr. Sheppard is the right leader for this pivotal moment in the evolution of pharmaceutical sciences, clinical practice and public health," Watson said. "Her expertise, collaborative leadership and commitment to innovation will strengthen our academic enterprise, expand research excellence and prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders."
Most recently, Sheppard served as founding dean of the School of Public Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she oversaw a period of rapid institutional growth. Under her leadership, research expenditures increased 58 percent to $9.5 million annually, student enrollment grew by 50 percent, new academic programs were launched, and the school earned accreditation approval while achieving a Top-50 national ranking in federal research funding among public schools of public health.
Before joining Virginia Commonwealth, Sheppard spent years on the faculty at Georgetown University, where she served in the Department of Oncology and held leadership positions at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her work there earned national recognition, including designation as an NIH Health Disparities Scholar and the American Cancer Society's Researcher of the Year Award.
University officials say those accomplishments position Sheppard to help shape FAMU's newly established Health Science Enterprise, an initiative designed to integrate research, education and clinical partnerships across pharmacy, nursing, allied health sciences and public health.
In her additional role as assistant vice president for Health Science Enterprise and Research Innovation, Sheppard will work alongside Executive Vice President Donald E. Palm III to expand interdisciplinary research, strengthen partnerships with health systems, industry and federal agencies, increase doctoral education and cultivate philanthropic investment.
Palm described Sheppard as the kind of leader capable of accelerating the university's research trajectory.
"She brings an exceptional record of research productivity, national leadership, philanthropic success, interdisciplinary collaboration and transformational academic administration," Palm said. "Her appointment significantly strengthens FAMU's pathway to Carnegie R1 status while expanding our national reputation in pharmaceutical sciences, public health, translational research and health innovation."
University leaders expect Sheppard to play a central role in recruiting research faculty, increasing externally funded research, expanding doctoral programs, growing commercialization efforts and strengthening collaborations that increase research expenditures and national competitiveness.
For Sheppard, the opportunity reflects both professional ambition and institutional mission. FAMU is the nation's only college of pharmacy that houses a fully accredited public health program.
"FAMU represents one of the most exciting opportunities in higher education today," Sheppard said. "The university's commitment to academic excellence, health equity, research innovation, student success and community transformation aligns perfectly with my life's work."
Sheppard earned bachelor's degrees in public administration and political science from James Madison University, a master's degree in sociology from Norfolk State University and a doctorate in health services research from Old Dominion University.