The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education (Tertiary) and Scientific Research at the 11th Ghana Women of Excellence Awards.

The award was presented during a ceremony held on 6 March 2026 at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra, as part of activities marking International Women’s Day 2026. The event recognises outstanding Ghanaian women who have made significant contributions to national development.

Organised by Top Brass Ghana, the Ghana Women of Excellence Awards celebrate women whose leadership, professional achievements and public service have had transformative impact in their respective fields.

Professor Dickson was recognised for her distinguished career in academia, research and university leadership, as well as her contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and higher education in Ghana. The citation highlighted her academic journey from St. Monica’s Secondary School and Wesley Girls’ High School to becoming a respected scholar and academic leader.

She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from KNUST and pursued further studies in the United Kingdom, where she obtained an MSc in Pharmacognosy from King’s College London and later a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from KNUST. Over the years, she has contributed significantly to research in medicinal plants, drug analysis and pharmaceutical science.

The citation further noted that Professor Dickson has authored numerous scholarly publications and supervised several postgraduate students.

Her research work has advanced knowledge in pharmaceutical chemistry and contributed to the development of medicinal compounds derived from natural products.

Before her appointment as Vice-Chancellor, she served the university in several leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST.