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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