USF names new dean of the Taneja College of Pharmacy

The University of South Florida has appointed Janice C. Zgibor, PhD, as the new dean of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy following a national search. A pharmacist and epidemiologist, Zgibor has served at USF for more than a decade and brings over 20 years of academic leadership experience to the role.

Zgibor will become just the second permanent dean of the Taneja College of Pharmacy, which welcomed its charter class in 2011. The college has grown rapidly to include more than 50 faculty member and 700 alumni, and now offers four master's degree programs as well as the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. In 2024, the college moved into the USF Health Downtown building, placing pharmacy students and faculty alongside the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and USF Health Heart Institute in the growing Tampa Medical & Research District.

As dean, Zgibor will lead the college's academic, research, clinical and service missions through this next stage of growth while guiding the recruitment, development and retention of faculty and staff. Among her key aims will be continuing to expand the college's research enterprise and further strengthening educational excellence and student achievement. She will also work to bolster relationships with external partners, industry, alumni, donors and community stakeholders.

"Dr. Zgibor brings a distinctive combination of pharmacy expertise, population health scholarship and proven academic leadership," said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "Her deep knowledge of USF Health and the Taneja College of Pharmacy, together with her commitment to student success, research growth and faculty achievement, positions her perfectly to build on the college's strong foundation and expand its impact across all its key mission areas."

Dr. Zgibor joined the USF Health College of Public Health in 2015, where she is professor of epidemiology and has held a series of leadership roles, including as senior associate dean for academic and student affairs and director of both the PhD Program in Epidemiology and the Doctor of Public Health program.

Since March 2025, Zgibor has also been closely involved in advancing the Taneja College of Pharmacy's academic programs. Serving as special advisor to the interim dean, she worked with pharmacy faculty to analyze the curriculum and implement educational changes to enhance student success and preparation for board exams and career placement.

"The Taneja College of Pharmacy has a group of incredible faculty members who are deeply committed to the college, their students and their success," Zgibor said. "I am excited to work alongside them to harness the college's tremendous potential and build on its very strong foundations."

Zgibor received her BS in pharmacy from the University of Pittsburgh and began her professional career as a practicing pharmacist. Her experiences helping patients access medications and medical devices sparked her interest in the broader systems that shape health care, leading her to earn an MPH and PhD in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She also completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Pittsburgh. Before coming to USF, Zgibor held several faculty and research leadership positions at her alma mater.

As a researcher, she has conducted multiple studies that have contributed to improved models of chronic disease care, particularly in diabetes prevention, education and care delivery. Her work has resulted in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and research support from the National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes Association and other organizations. She has also served as editor and editorial board member for several journals and on multiple review panels and advisory boards, including the NIH and ADA.

Zgibor will officially begin her new position as dean of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy on July 3.

The USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy is Florida's first public, comprehensive college of pharmacy located in a metropolitan area. The college prepares pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to lead in a changing health care environment through innovative education, research, interprofessional collaboration and patient-centered care.

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