For Immediate Release

Contact: John M. Martino
Phone Number:  (215) 895-1186
Date: 08/10/00

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Names New Chairman, Vice Chairman of The Board of Trustees

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia has recently announced the elections of Delbert S. Payne as chairman and Marvin Samson as vice chairman of The Board of Trustees. The responsibilities of the 23-member Board include approving the University’s strategic plans and insuring their consistency with the institution’s missions and goals. In addition to meeting four times a year, members of the Board of Trustees provide oversight and guidance to the administration in all areas of University operations and participate in various ad hoc committees at the University to their service on the various Board committees.

Payne is a highly respected civic leader. Of the many organizations in which he is involved, he has chaired the Philadelphia 2000 Education Task Force, the Philadelphia Regional Introduction for Minorities to Engineering and the Philadelphia Education Fund. His extensive community service has included serving on the Boards of the Opportunities Industrialization Center of America and the Governor of New Jersey Advisory Council on Volunteerism and Community Service. As a former manager of corporate social investment at Rohm and Haas Company, he brings to the Board an in-depth knowledge of local and national issues that affect non-profit institutions.

Samson is CEO of Samson Medical Technologies. He was founder and president of Elkins-Sinn, Inc. (now ESI-Lederle) and Marsam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and has been an outstanding advocate for the generic drug industry as chairman of the Generic Pharmaceutical Industry Association. He holds five U.S. patents pertaining to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

USP also announced that two new members were also elected to serve on the Board. They are:

Kevin G. Lokay is currently vice president and director of oncology products at SmithKline Beecham. Prior to joining SmithKline Beecham, he spent 16 years with Merck, where his most recent position was vice president of worldwide sales, marketing and development with the Merck Vaccine Division.

Edgardo A. Mercadante is the chairman, CEO and president of Arrow Pharmacy & Nutrition Centers and FamilyMeds.com. Mercadante, a registered pharmacist, took Arrow from a five-store enterprise to an industry force with 122 brick-and-mortar stores across 15 states and more than $200 million in sales revenues. He also helped establish FamilyMeds.com as one of the top Internet pharmacies in the nation.

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is a private, coeducational institution founded in 1821 as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first college of pharmacy in North America. USP specializes in educating students for rewarding health and science careers through its ten bachelor's, ten master's and four doctoral degree programs in the health and related sciences.

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