Deanna Kroetz returns to her alma mater as dean
Deanna L. Kroetz, PhD, graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in 1985 unaware that she would return 38 years later to serve as dean.
Dr. Kroetz credits her Ohio State education for preparing her to make a difference as dean.
“This is a great time to build on the momentum in the college, including around interdisciplinary practice and research,” Dr. Kroetz said. “It’s exciting to come back and play a role in building new programs and giving people like me the opportunity to go down this path.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Dr. Kroetz received her PhD in pharmaceutics from the University of Washington and completed postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute in the Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis.
An internationally recognized scholar, her reverse translational studies of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy seek to understand how and why certain cancer therapies can cause nerve damage and lead to discomfort, weakness or numbness to arms, legs and other parts of the body. The National Institutes of Health has funded her laboratory throughout her career.
Dr. Kroetz joins Ohio State from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she holds the Jere E. Goyan Presidential Chair for the Advancement of Pharmacy and is a professor of bioengineering and therapeutic sciences and pharmaceutical chemistry.
As dean, Dr. Kroetz will lead the Ohio State College of Pharmacy into its next era by providing a strategic vision and operational leadership for all academic and scholarly programs. Additionally, she will set priorities and guide the college toward its goals of enhancing teaching, research and clinical practice while providing excellence in undergraduate, graduate and professional education.
“The college has extremely strong ties across the university and in the community,” Dr. Kroetz said. “There are also many opportunities to create and strengthen connections in new areas, for example with the increase in cell therapies and gene therapies as treatment. There is a great potential for pharmacy to make sure we’re addressing therapeutic questions on the research and practice side. I am also excited about the potential for AI to complement the strong drug discovery focus in the college.”