The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences condemns racism directed at Associate Professor Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu

I am saddened and disturbed to learn that Associate Professor, Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu, received a racist message on his faculty voicemail from an anonymous source last week. I cannot begin to imagine how upsetting this has been for Dr. Ogbogu and his family. On behalf of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, I stand with Dr. Ogbogu in solidarity and condemn this atrocious act of racism and hate.

The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is committed to providing a safe, inclusive space for all of our faculty, staff, students, and community members. We cannot and will not stay silent in the face of any act of racism or discrimination. The Faculty condemns this and any act of racism against a member of our community. Dr. Ogbogu is a valued member of our academic team, and deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity.

My colleague, Dean Billingsley, from the Faculty of Law, also issued a statement of support for Dr. Ogbogu, as did University of Alberta President Bill Flanagan. We also echo the concerns of the University of Alberta about the references in the voicemail to Dr. Ogbogu’s public commentary on matters within his area of academic scholarship.

We will continue to provide our unwavering support of academic freedom of expression as a faculty, in line with the
university’s institutional values. We condemn behaviour that encourages division, shuts down debate, and creates space for hate to flourish.

This disturbing incident is a stark reminder that we all must do more. We must, we can and we will do better. As a faculty, and as individuals, we commit to continuing our work to foster an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is.

Sincerely,

Dr. Neal M. Davies

Dean and Professor