Merck Foundation endows $1.5M chair

Just days after Roy Vagelos assumed the helm of the University's Board of Trustees, the Merck Company Foundation endowed a $1.5 million Biochemistry and Molecular Biology chair in his name. Vagelos, a University alumnus, recently retired as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Merck. According to University spokesperson Barbara Beck, Merck's decision to honor Vagelos with a named chair was a result of both his retirement from Merck and appointment as Trustees' chairperson. "[Merck] wanted to give him a little gift, so they decided to give some money to Penn to endow this chair," she said. The chair will be under the direction of the Chemistry Department, which awarded Vagelos a bachelor's degree in 1950. In a statement, University President Judith Rodin characterized Merck's pledge as "a particularly appropriate tribute" to Vagelos, because of both his loyalty to the University and commitment to undergraduate education and research. Chemistry Professor and Department Chairperson Amos Smith shared Rodin's sentiments. "Needless to say, we are absolutely delighted that Merck has chosen to honor Roy Vagelos, an internationally-renowned scientist and businessman, with a chair in the Department of Chemistry," he said. Funding for the chair will likely bring someone from outside the University to a permanent, tenured position here, but it may also be used to support someone who is already tenured in the Chemistry Department, Smith added. "[This chair] has the opportunity to bring a world-class scientist and educator to the Penn campus on a permanent basis," he said. "That's pretty terrific." The appointment of a scholar to fill the Vagelos chair will probably be timed to coincide with the opening of the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, approximately three years from now, according to Smith. The opening of the new facility could give the University leverage in choosing who will fill the chair, because that person will have the opportunity to design his or her own workspace. Vagelos said he is "extremely happy" about the new chair, adding that he hopes the person chosen will combine a strong interest in research with emphasis on undergraduate education. "[These qualities] are critical in a great university," he said, echoing themes raised by Rodin and Smith. "I see [The Campaign for Penn] as having given us a huge step into the future in which Penn has taken its place among the great universities in endowment and ability to do things, and I hope that [this chair] is just the beginning."