Roy Vagelos is a doctor, researcher, professor, chief executive officer and philanthropist -- not to mention a Penn alumnus.
His name can be seen on buildings and there is an undergraduate research program in his honor. Last night, students and faculty had the opportunity to have "A Conversation with Roy Vagelos," a lecture series hosted by the Kelly Writers House in conjunction with the Fox Leadership Program.
Vagelos spoke in an intimate setting, as the Writers House marked the publication of his memoir, Medicine, Science and Merck.
"I'm really interested in hearing what he has to say," said Alexis Hill, a College freshman and Vagelos Scholar. "He set up the whole program for us."
Will Arbuckle, a College senior majoring in history and French, recognized Vagelos' contributions to the University. "He's a huge supporter of Penn, a philanthropist. When you get to hear someone of his stature speak, your major is regardless."
Vagelos spoke about his childhood spent in an immigrant Greek household working in the family restaurant, his experience as an undergraduate chemistry major at Penn and his term at the Columbia University Medical Center.
After several academic positions in medical schools and a tenure at the National Institutes of Health, he was offered a position at the Merck & Co., Inc. pharmaceutical company and eventually became the CEO.
"I wrote this autobiography as a documentary for my family, people at Merck and students who are interested in the evolution of my career," said Vagelos, who emphasized loyalty and risk-taking. He said he channeled his passions for chemistry and research to benefit society.
"At Merck, I had the opportunity to apply my knowledge of chemistry for research and drug discovery. I thought that if I could understand disease at a chemical level, then maybe I'd be able to make an impact."
He also stressed the importance of working with good people by pointing out that he had never taken a single business course, but credited his ability to act as CEO to learning from the people surrounding him.
"I wanted people to recognize that it doesn't matter where you start -- there are opportunities to do many things," Vagelos said. "As long as you work hard, the opportunities are there."
Aside from his contributions to society through his many research discoveries, Vagelos is also a philanthropist who believes in giving back to his community. In fact, all proceeds from his book are being donated for undergraduate scholarships at Penn and Columbia.
"I thought he was very impressive," College freshman Jules Shen said. "At first I thought he'd be representing big industry and corporate interests, but I was pleasantly surprised. I can see that he cares a lot for human interests, and as a pre-med major, it's very reassuring and encouraging to know that at the heart of the pharmaceutical industry itself is helping people."
