Newswise — University of the Sciences will celebrate its 190th anniversary on Feb. 17, 2011, at 2 p.m. with a Founders’ Day celebration. The milestone event includes an honorary degree to be bestowed upon David R. King, venture partner with Quaker BioVentures, as well as awards to a student and faculty member. Founders' Day at USciences recalls the University's establishment on Feb. 23, 1821, by 68 prominent Philadelphia apothecaries.
A full processional in the AstraZeneca Auditorium of the McNeil Science and Technology Center will mark the start of an official ceremony that will award King with an honorary doctorate of science for his “entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries” as well as his “continued dedication to innovation and excellence.” To further mark the occasion, University President Dr. Philip P. Gerbino will announce two awards recognizing a current student and faculty member who represent the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the University’s founders, and who have engaged in research or some form of scholarly pursuit that results in new developments or discoveries.
King, a stalwart in the Philadelphia biotechnology arenas, is currently a venture partner with Quaker BioVentures, a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in life science companies in the Mid-Atlantic region and contiguous states. He is also executive chairman of Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is developing a unique treatment of diabetes; chairman of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association; and is a director of the University City Science Center in Philadelphia. Prior to his roles in industry, King was with Morgan Lewis, one of the country’s largest and most prominent law firms, for over 25 years where he created and was a leader of the venture capital and emerging business practice. He has also been active in BIO, and was co-chair of the program committee for the 2005 BIO Annual International Convention in Philadelphia.
When the University was founded in the 19th century, the practice of pharmacy still relied heavily on centuries-old folk wisdom passed down from apothecary to apothecary. In 1821, 68 prominent Philadelphia apothecaries met in Carpenter's Hall to establish the basis for the improved scientific standards we enjoy today and to train more competent apprentices and students. They pledged “to invite a spirit of pharmaceutical investigation" and to guard the public from "the introduction of spurious, adulterated, deteriorated, or otherwise mischievous articles." A year later, they organized and incorporated the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP)—the first college of pharmacy in North America—now a part of University of the Sciences. The group ushered in a new era of the practice of pharmacy—the identification, selection, compounding, and analysis of drugs¬—and laid the foundation for a legacy of future advances and discoveries.
At University of the Sciences, students embark on a challenging learning experience in a proving ground for successful professionals in the science and healthcare-related fields. A private institution dedicated to education, research, and service, and distinguished as the nation’s first college of pharmacy, the University has produced leaders in the science and healthcare marketplaces since its founding in 1821. Students in USciences’ five colleges learn to excel in scientific analysis and to apply their skills to improving healthcare in the lives of people worldwide through such disciplines as pharmacy, biology, physical therapy, healthcare business, and health policy. For more information, visit usciences.edu.
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