Rita Akosua Dickson

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =

| occupation = {{unbulleted list|Academic|Pharmacist|University administrator}}

| office2 = Vice-Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|St. Monica's Senior High School|Wesley Girls’ High School|Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (BSc, MPharm)|King's College London (PhD)}}

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| profession = Professor

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|08|1|df=yes}}

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| term_start2 = 1 August 2020

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Rita Akosua Dickson (born 1 August 1970) is a Ghanaian phytochemist and the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.{{Cite web |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/education/knust-appoints-prof-rita-dickson-as-first-female-vice-chancellor/ |title=KNUST appoints Prof Rita Dickson as first female vice-chancellor - MyJoyOnline.com |access-date=25 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627200856/https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/education/knust-appoints-prof-rita-dickson-as-first-female-vice-chancellor/ |archive-date=27 June 2020 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|title=Prof. Rita Dickson is KNUST's first female Vice Chancellor|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/knust-appoints-first-female-vice-chancellor.html|access-date=25 June 2020|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625192218/https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/knust-appoints-first-female-vice-chancellor.html|archive-date=25 June 2020|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=5 July 2022 |title=Affordable housing crucial in economic growth – KNUST VC - MyJoyOnline.com |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/affordable-housing-crucial-in-economic-growth-knust-vc/ |access-date=8 July 2022 |website=www.myjoyonline.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=26 June 2020 |title=Prof. Dickson appointed Vice-Chancellor of KNUST |url=https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/prof-dickson-appointed-vice-chancellor-of-knust/ |access-date=10 July 2022 |website=Ghanaian Times |language=en-US}}

Early life and education

She attended St. Monica's Secondary School in Mampong-Ashanti where she studied for her GCE Ordinary Level examinations and later Wesley Girls’ High School 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/prof-akosua-dickson-appointed-first-female-knust-pro-vc.html|title=Prof Akosua Dickson appointed first female KNUST Pro VC|date=27 September 2018|website=Graphic Online|language=en-gb|access-date=21 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021103707/https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/education/prof-akosua-dickson-appointed-first-female-knust-pro-vc.html|archive-date=21 October 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=27 September 2018|title=Professor Rita Akosua Dickson appointed as Pro-Vice Chancellor of KNUST|url=https://theindependentghana.com/professor-rita-akosua-dickson-appointed-as-pro-vice-chancellor-of-knust/|access-date=21 October 2019|website=The Independent Ghana|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|url=http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/2011/11/inspiring-women-in-the-field-of-pharmacy/|title=Inspiring women in the field of pharmacy {{!}} Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK|language=en|access-date=21 October 2019}} She received her Ph.D. in pharmacology from King's College London in 2007.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Rita Dickson|url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rita_Dickson/amp|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}

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 senior lecturer and further to associate professor in 2014. In September 2018, she was appointed the pro-vice chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, making her the first female to occupy that position.{{Cite web|title=Girls told to pursue science and technology-related programmes|url=https://ghananewsagency.org/education/girls-told-to-pursue-science-and-technology-related-programmes-139361|access-date=21 October 2019|website=ghananewsagency.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021104841/https://ghananewsagency.org/education/girls-told-to-pursue-science-and-technology-related-programmes-139361|archive-date=21 October 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=21 September 2018|title=KNUST gets first female Pro-Vice Chancellor|url=https://www.universnewsroom.com/news/knust-gets-first-female-pro-vice-chancellor/|access-date=21 October 2019|website=Radio Univers 105.7FM|language=en}} Prior to her appointment as pro-vice-chancellor, she was the dean of the faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.{{Cite web|title=Professor Rita Akosua Dickson appointed as PRO Vice-chancellor of KNUST|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Professor-Rita-Akosua-Dickson-appointed-as-PRO-Vice-chancellor-of-KNUST-688473|access-date=21 October 2019|website=www.ghanaweb.com|date=27 September 2018 |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=KNUST appoints first female Pro-Vice Chancellor|url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2018/September-27th/knust-appoints-its-first-female-pro-vice-chancellor.php|access-date=21 October 2019|website=www.myjoyonline.com}} Dickson currently serves as a board member of the Pharmacy Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana. On 25 June 2020, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/local/education/201809/364037.php|title=KNUST Appoints First Female Pro-Vice Chancellor|website=www.peacefmonline.com|access-date=21 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021103708/https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/local/education/201809/364037.php|archive-date=21 October 2019|url-status=live}}

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, antipyretic, and antidiabetic properties, based on their ethnopharmacological usage.