P. Roy Vagelos, C’50, PAR’90, HON’99, and Diana T. Vagelos, PAR’90

P. Roy Vagelos, a chemistry major who graduated from Penn in 1950 before going on to receive a medical degree from Columbia University, is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Merck & Co and the retired chairman of the board at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Vagelos served as chair of the University’s Board of Trustees from 1995 to 1999, and he is a former member of the Penn Arts & Sciences’ Board of Advisors and the former chair of the Committee for Undergraduate Financial Aid. Diana T. Vagelos served on the Penn Museum Board of Advisors.

The Vageloses’ longtime support of Penn Arts & Sciences includes the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, the Vagelos Professorships in Energy Research, the Vagelos Intergrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), and several other science-related programs, undergraduate scholarships, and endowed professorships. Most recently, the Vageloses committed $83.9 million—the largest single gift ever made to the School and among the largest in Penn’s history—to fund basic science initiatives across Penn Arts & Sciences. A gift of $50 million is supporting the construction of the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology, which will serve as the home to the Vagelos Institute and VIPER.