Zoher F. Kapasi has assumed Thomas Jefferson University’s academic leadership as its new provost after serving as dean of the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
The India-trained physical therapist, who assumed charge on Nov. 1 brings experience in higher education, academic administration and health sciences, according to a university announcement.
At MUSC, where he served as dean, Kapasi oversaw the College of Health Professions during a period of growth in enrollment, research, academic programs and philanthropic support. His tenure also included the opening of a new education and research building.
According to MUSC, Kapasi served as dean for eight years, beginning in 2018. Before joining the South Carolina institution, he held academic and administrative positions at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. At Emory, he served as director and professor of the Division of Physical Therapy and vice chair for education in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
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Jefferson CEO Joseph G. Cacchione said Kapasi’s experience in strengthening academic programs and encouraging innovation across disciplines would support the university’s efforts to expand its academic offerings. Jefferson President Susan C. Aldridge also highlighted his commitment to student success, faculty excellence and higher education.
Kapasi lauded Jefferson’s unique strength in “bringing together diverse disciplines, from health and science to architecture, design, fashion and textiles, business, engineering, and the humanities, to educate future leaders, advance discovery, and solve society’s most complex challenges to improve lives.”
Kapasi’s educational background includes undergraduate and postgraduate training in physical therapy in India, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical therapy from the University of Bombay.
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He later received a PhD in anatomy and immunobiology from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia and an executive MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and also completed postdoctoral training at the Basel Institute for Immunology in Switzerland and the Medical College of Virginia.
His research has focused on age-related changes in immune function and the effects of exercise and nutrition on the immune system. He has also authored scholarly publications and worked to advance evidence-based practices in rehabilitation and health sciences.
Kapasi has received several academic and professional honors, including the Dean’s Teaching Award from Emory University School of Medicine, the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award and the Health Care Heroes Allied Health Professional Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation and is treasurer of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Directors, and is also a Catherine Worthingham Fellow which is one of the association’s highest honors.