USciences to Honor Baltimore Native and FemmePharma Founder Gerianne Tringali DiPiano on Founders' Day

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University of the Sciences will give an honorary degree to FemmePharma Global Healthcare Founder Gerianne Tringali DiPiano on Feb. 23, 2012, as part of Founders’ Day.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (02/16/2012)(readMedia)-- University of the Sciences will mark its 191st anniversary on Feb. 23, 2012, at 2 p.m. with its annual Founders' Day celebration. The ceremony includes bestowing an honorary degree upon FemmePharma Global Healthcare Founder Gerianne Tringali DiPiano, as well as awards to a student and a faculty member. Founders' Day at USciences recalls the University's establishment on Feb. 23, 1821, by 68 prominent Philadelphia apothecaries.

DiPiano, a Valley Forge, Pa., resident, will be awarded an honorary doctor of science degree for her "entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in the improvement of women's health and the pharmaceutical industry" as well as her "continued dedication to innovation and excellence." A pharmaceutical industry executive and nationally renowned women's healthcare expert, DiPiano founded the innovative company FemmePharma Global Healthcare, Inc., in 1996 in response to the industry's narrow focus on women's health needs – such as contraception and hormone replacement therapy – and lack of attention to other important women's diseases and disorders. FemmePharma Global Healthcare, Inc., is focused on improving women's health by developing prescription pharmaceuticals that are specifically designed for women across a broad range of therapeutic categories.

DiPiano, who serves as president, chief executive officer, and board chairman of FemmePharma Global Healthcare, Inc., is the inventor on over 30 patents covering compositions and methods of use for therapeutic options for diseases of women. She has more than 30 years' experience in the healthcare industry spanning many facets of the pharmaceutical industry at several multinational companies including Baxter HealthCare/ American Hospital Supply Corp., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sterling-Winthrop and Wyeth.

To further mark the occasion being held in the University's AstraZeneca Auditorium of the McNeil Science and Technology Center, University Interim President Marvin Samson 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.

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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