Leaving a Legacy of Excellence, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences President and Professor Toyin Tofade Concludes Her Distinguished Term as ACPHS Reaches Key Milestone in Merger With Russell Sage College
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences President Toyin Tofade has shared with the ACPHS community that she will conclude her term as president of the college on June 30, 2026.
“The merger transaction, which has been underway for over a year, is proceeding according to plan. I am optimistic about the promising future ahead and look forward to completing step one of the transaction on June 1, 2026,” said Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences President Toyin Tofade. “Transitions of this kind are common during mergers, and I remain committed to supporting a successful transition as President Emeritus, effective July 1, 2026. I’m very grateful for the collaboration and hard work of the many transition team leaders who have worked diligently to get us to this milestone.”
As planned in the transaction agreement approved by both boards of trustees in July 2025, Russell Sage President Matthew Shaftel will serve as president of the fully merged institution, which, pending regulatory approvals, will be called Russell Sage University and welcome students in fall 2027. From July 1 this year until the final approval of the merger, Shaftel, along with Russell Sage Provost Theresa Hand, will lead both institutions in an interim capacity, in partnership with both colleges’ leadership teams.
Although there will be shared leadership, the colleges will keep certain areas, such as tuition/price setting for 2026-2027, separate.
New York State Education Department and Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) approvals are anticipated this summer. The final step will be U.S. Department of Education approval, which is anticipated in 2027.
Shaftel will then serve as president of Russell Sage University, the merged institution that includes an Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Russell Sage. Plans for a merger were part of the ACPHS strategic plan created under Tofade’s leadership.
“President Tofade has brought ACPHS through a historic chapter,” said ACPHS Board of Trustees Chair Walter S. Borisenok. “The strategic plan she created with our community helped propel the college forward toward this shared vision for a healthcare-forward comprehensive university that continues our legacy in pharmacy, the health sciences, and research. The ACPHS Board of Trustees is extremely grateful for her leadership and service.”
Tofade joined ACPHS in July 2022, becoming its 10th president. Under Tofade’s leadership, the college launched a forward-thinking strategic plan with a powerful vision. She oversaw the introduction of the college’s first-ever online portfolio, the largest expansion of academic programs since its inception, and championed a culture of innovation, accountability, and collaboration across campus. She led the negotiation of the merger with Russell Sage, which will preserve the ACPHS legacy for years to come and create the region’s premier healthcare-forward comprehensive university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
“We could not have arrived at this point in the merger without the leadership and vision of President Tofade, who co-created the plans for Russell Sage University, soon-to-be the region’s premier healthcare-forward comprehensive university, which will continue the legacy, identity, and transformative work of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences,” Russell Sage President Shaftel said.
“Her bold work in this merger has created a national model and a path forward for institutions in the future during a time of many shifts in higher education,” Shaftel continued. “We have logged countless hours together working through the details and have discovered the synergies and shared values between our two historic colleges with national reputations for empowering social mobility and providing an unmatched return on investment. President Tofade has built a strong leadership team, and I look forward to working with them, the trustees, and our Russell Sage leaders as we move toward the combined university.”