For Professor Frances Thelma Kwabea Owusu-Daaku, a career spanning decades in pharmacy education, academic leadership and professional service has been defined not only by advancing her field but also by helping others grow. The retired Professor of Social Pharmacy at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has been honoured for her contributions to education, mentorship, women’s empowerment and the pharmaceutical profession.
Prof. Owusu-Daaku received the Education Excellence (Mentorship Pillars) Award at the 1st GAAS Women’s Awards 2026, which celebrated women whose work and leadership have made significant contributions to their professions and society.
The citation accompanying the award recognised her pioneering work in pharmacy education and Social Pharmacy, as well as her dedication to mentoring generations of professionals in academia, pharmacy and public health. It highlighted how her commitment to mentorship has helped nurture a new generation of leaders, including senior women in these fields.
The recognition reflects a career in which education and mentorship have remained central to her professional journey. Prof. Owusu-Daaku has spent 38 years of her working life at KNUST and, although retired, remains in active service at the University.
Her academic journey began in Pharmaceutical Analysis, in which she obtained her PhD. She later transitioned into Social Pharmacy, making significant contributions to the development of the discipline in Ghana. She became Ghana’s first Associate Professor of Social Pharmacy and the country’s first female Professor of Pharmacy.
At KNUST, her work has extended beyond teaching and research to include institutional development and the advancement of Social Pharmacy as an academic field. Her influence has also reached beyond the University through leadership roles in professional pharmaceutical organisations.
She served as Vice-President of the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, Regional Coordinator of the Lady Pharmacists Association of Ghana (LAPAG), and Vice-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) under two presidents. She is also a Foundation Fellow of the Ghana College of Pharmacists and a Fellow of both the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists.
Her leadership experience further includes service in university administration. Between July 2013 and June 2015, she took sabbatical leave from KNUST to serve as President of Christian Service University College in Kumasi.
For Prof. Owusu-Daaku, the award is a recognition of the wider impact of a career built on education, professional service and the development of others. Her journey as a KNUST alumna and academic leader reflects the contribution of the University’s community to advancing knowledge, strengthening professional practice and preparing future generations of leaders.