The Kumasi Polytechnic has inducted into office Dr. George Owusu-Dapaah as the institution’s new Vice Rector for a two-year tenure. He replaces Mr. Eric Brobbey whose two-term tenure ended on September 30, 2011. Dr. Owusu-Dapaah, prior to his election as Vice Rector, was the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences and a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Department of Dispensing Technology, Kumasi Polytechnic. Born at Nsuta-Kwamang, a village near Mampong in the Ashanti Region of Ghana on June 14, 1961, the new Vice Rector attended Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School, Kumasi for his Ordinary and Advance Level General Certificate of Education between 1975 and 1982.

In 1987 Dr. Owusu-Dapaah successfully graduated from the then University of Science and Technology (UST), now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi with a Second Class Upper Division degree in Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm). He undertook his National Service at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology from 1987 – 1989 as a Teaching Assistant with responsibility for laboratory and tutorial classes for undergraduate students of the Department. He subsequently enrolled and completed his post-graduate studies in 1994 and was awarded a Master of Pharmacy (Research) degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Following his outstanding academic achievement, Dr. Owusu-Dapaah was absorbed into Kumasi Polytechnic as a part-time Lecturer in 1994. He then became a full-time Lecturer at the Department of Dispensing Technology in 1995. After working for some years, he enrolled for a doctoral degree programme at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

As a young versatile scientist, he has held several academic positions in Kumasi Polytechnic. He served as TALIF Co-ordinator; Temporary Dean, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences; Head, Department of Dispensing Technology; Examination Officer, Department of Dispensing Technology. He has also served as a Member and/or Chairman of many statutory and non-statutory Committees and Boards of the polytechnic including; Council of Kumasi Polytechnic; Finance and General Purposes Committee; Executive Committee of Academic Board; Development Committee; Post-graduate Scholarship and Staff Development Committee; Academic Board Committee for Senior Staff Promotions; Housing and Health Committee; Hall Warden, Liberty Hall and many others.

As an experienced scientist, Dr. Owusu-Dapaah has made enormous contribution to the development of other polytechnics and Ghana as whole. Currently he is a member of the Editorial Board and a Reviewer of International Journal of Technology and Management Research published by Koforidua Polytechnic and also a member of Scientific Committee of the 2nd All Polytechnics Research Conference held in September 2011 at Tamale.

For services to Ghana, he was a participant at a stakeholders meeting which drafted a framework for human resource development in the pharmaceutical sector, organised by the Pharmacy Council and the World Health Organisation in 2010.Dr. Owusu-Dapaah is a distinguished Researcher. He has a number of publications in refereed journals to his credit and has attended many national and international conferences and workshops making more than 10 presentations.

He has also been involved in research in the following areas: Synthesis and evaluation of new antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial agents; isolation, identification and some chemical and biological studies on the compound funiferine from the plant Tiliacora funifera (Menispermaceae); isolation, characterisation and some chemical studies of the constituents of the plant Warbugia salutaris (Canellaceae), Brine shrimp microwell lethality test on a Ghanaian medical plant.

Others include Brine shrimp lethality test on extracts of Acasia nilotica; Determination of antibacterial activity of extract of Acasia nilotica, Determination of antibacterial activity of extract of Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides, Stability studies of herbal preparations of Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides and Xylopia aethiopica in different concentrations of ethanol, Brine shrimp bioassay for biological activity of a Ghanaian medicinal plant and Brine shrimp lethality test on the extract of the medicinal plant Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides.

On service to community, Dr. Owusu-Dapaah has served as a resource person in creating awareness and education on HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and contraceptive practices to the people of Abodieso, Gyapandu, Adumasa and Feyiase all in Ashanti Region of Ghana. Currently he is a Registered Pharmacist with the Ghana Pharmacy Council and a Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (MPSGH). A Jehovah Witness by faith, Dr. Owusu-Dapaah is married to Mrs. Felicia Owusu-Dapaah with who he has three daughters; Priscilla, Keziah and Vanessa Owusu-Dapaah.