Rita Akosua Dickson (born 1 August 1970) is a

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian

phytochemist Phytochemistry is the study of phytochemicals, which are chemicals derived from plants. Phytochemists strive to describe the structures of the large number of secondary metabolites found in plants, the functions of these compounds in human and ...

and the first female

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

of the

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a public University of Ghana that focuses on science and technology. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is the public university established in the country, as well a ...

Early life and education

She attended St. Monica's Secondary School in Mampong-Ashanti where she studied for her

GCE Ordinary Level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...

examinations and later

Wesley Girls’ High School Wesley Girls' High School (WGHS) is an educational institution for girls in Cape Coast in the Central region of Ghana. It was founded in 1836 by Harriet Wrigley, the wife of a Methodist minister. The school is named after the founder of Methodism ...

in Cape-Coast, for her GCE Advanced Level examinations. She graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy in 1994 and acquired an MPharm at the same university in pharmacognosy in 1999. She received her PhD in pharmacology from

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

in 2007.

Career

Dickson began her career as a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in the year 2000. After leaving to pursue further studies in the UK, she returned to Ghana in 2007 and continued lecturing at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. In 2009 she was promoted to a senior lecturer and further to an associate professor in 2014. In September 2018, she was appointed the pro vice chancellor of the

, making her the first female to occupy that position. Prior to her appointment as pro vice chancellor, she was the dean of the faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Dickson currently serves as a board member of the Pharmacy Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana. On June 25, 2020

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a public University of Ghana that focuses on science and technology. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is the public university established in the country, as well a ...

announced her appointment as the first female Vice Chancellor of the university effective 1 August 2020. She is to serve a four-year term. Her work as a phytochemist covers the areas of bioactive natural products in the management of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Research

Dickson's research has been mainly about products derived from Ghanaian plants, with special emphasis on those with anti-infective, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and antidiabetic properties, based on their ethnopharmacological usage.

Personal life

She is married to Nana Dickson with four children. She is a Christian and fellowships with Grace Baptist Church,

Amakom Amakom is a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with ...

Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...

Awards

Dickson was awarded a

Commonwealth Scholarship The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. History The plan was originally proposed b ...

to pursue a PhD at Kings College,

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, UK in 2003.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickson, Rita Akosua Living people Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology alumni Alumni of King's College London Vice-Chancellors of universities in Ghana Ghanaian women academics Women academic administrators People educated at Wesley Girls' Senior High School Vice-Chancellors of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology St. Monica's Senior High School alumni Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology faculty 1970 births