University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Encyclopedia
University of the Sciences (USciences), officially known as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USciences), located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...

 and a variety of other health-related disciplines.

History

The history of the University of the Sciences began when 68 Philadelphia apothecaries met in Carpenters’ Hall in 1821 to establish improved scientific standards and to train more competent apprentices and students. They sought to enhance their vocation, as well as protect public welfare. A year later, they organized and incorporated the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP), the first college of pharmacy in the nation. Thus, education in the profession of pharmacy in the U.S. was born.

Today, the University continues to build on that reputation and is now home to 27 undergraduate and 21 graduate programs in five colleges. Its 3,000 students have enrolled in premier programs in the health sciences, ranging across pharmacy with its direct entry doctoral program to pre-med to physical therapy to healthcare business and health policy. Students study almost the entire range of the health sciences in one of its five colleges:
  • Philadelphia College of Pharmacy—North America’s first school of pharmacy and the start of the University, graduates the pharmacists and scientists who deliver and discover the healthcare innovations that advance patient care.
  • Samson College of Health Sciences—educates the vital healthcare professionals who add immeasurably to the quality of life at each step—from prevention to diagnosis to recovery—of the patient care continuum.
  • Misher College of Arts and Sciences—provides a specialized undergraduate foundation for the sciences, with research and discovery at its core, for students seeking advanced degrees to lead in the basic and applied health sciences and serve humanity.
  • College of Graduate Studies—promotes excellence in education and research to prepare students to become innovators and leaders in the health and natural science disciplines in academia, industry, and government.
  • Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy—offers advanced degrees at the intersections of business, health policy, and public health enabling visionary students to serve their futures with leadership roles across the healthcare spectrum.


After its conception in 1821, the college began to grow in enrollment, curriculum, and stature. Although matriculation was originally limited to men, the college became coeducational in 1876. The college initially emphasized the biological and chemical sciences as mainstays of the curriculum in pharmacy but later instituted separate curricula in three other areas: bacteriology, biology, and chemistry.

In 1921, the name of the institution was changed to Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, with state authorization to grant not only the baccalaureate degree, but also the master’s and doctorate in all four disciplines.

As the world of science continuously made advancements throughout the decades, the college evolved and expanded its curriculum to prepare students for the new wave of scientific breakthroughs. The college also enhanced the role of the humanities and social sciences in its science-based curricula. Primarily a commuter campus in its early days, the institution began to transform into one in which residential life and extracurricular activities played a larger role in student development.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved the institution’s application for university status in February 1997. In recognition of the broad spectrum of new health and science programs introduced by the institution, the college changed its name to reflect the broader range of academic opportunities offered to its students. On July 1, 1998, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science officially unveiled its new identity as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

A brand update in 2010 refocused the University’s messaging and logos. The overall name was simplified for marketing purposes to University of the Sciences in order to emphasize a national and global reach, while a new logo transitioned the USP acronym to USciences to address awareness issues. In addition, the tag line “Where science and healthcare converge” was adopted to define both what the University is and what it is not.

Shaping the profession of pharmacy

William Procter, Jr., often described as "the father of American pharmacy," was a PCP professor from 1846–1874, as well as serving as an officer of the board. He and Daniel B. Smith
Daniel B. Smith
Daniel B. Smith was an educator and pharmacist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Smith was educated at Burlington FriendsSchool under John Griscom, where he acquired an interest in scientific studies....

 were instrumental in the founding of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the national professional society of pharmacists, which was founded and organized in Philadelphia in 1852. It is now called the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the first established and largest professional association of pharmacists in the United States. The more than 50,000 members of APhA include practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacy students, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession.

In 1868, John Maisch, PCP professor (1866–1893) and dean (1879–1893), proposed the creation of a pharmaceutical board to be appointed by the governor of each state and established the term “registered pharmacist.” He shared his proposal with each governor, and by 1878 nine states had adopted pharmacy laws which licensed pharmacists. Every state now, of course, has a Board of Pharmacy which regulates the practice of pharmacy.

Started in 1820, the United States Pharmacopeia
United States Pharmacopeia
The United States Pharmacopeia is the official pharmacopeia of the United States, published dually with the National Formulary as the USP-NF. The United States Pharmacopeial Convention is the nonprofit organization that owns the trademark and copyright to the USP-NF and publishes it every year...

 laid down the standards for manufacturing drugs. For more than a hundred years, PCP faculty members were instrumental in its development, serving as editors throughout many editions.

In 1825, the first periodical in the United States devoted to the art and science of pharmacy, the American Journal of Pharmacy, was published by PCP.

PCP professors Franklin Bache and George B. Wood compiled a comprehensive commentary on drugs, The Dispensatory of the United States of America. First published in 1833, the Dispensatory was authored and edited for more than a hundred years by successive generations of faculty at the college.

In 1885, PCP professor Joseph P. Remington published The Practice of Pharmacy, which soon became established as the standard text in the field. Later renamed Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, this comprehensive reference work remains widely used throughout the world and is still compiled by the university. University of the Sciences is in final preparation for the 21st edition, which is also published in Spanish.

Marvin Samson Center for the History of Pharmacy

The Marvin Samson Center for the History of Pharmacy is an integral part of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The center’s mission is to serve as an educational, cultural, and research resource for the university, pharmacy professionals, historians, and the general public through its collections of artifacts, objects, and records representative of all aspects of pharmacy, including the pharmacy college’s history. Through changing exhibitions, tours, and programs, the center aims to deepen appreciation of the past, present, and future significance of the pharmacy industry in the broader social context and in the development of American life, especially in the city of Philadelphia and the surrounding region.

Campus expansion program

The university doubled the size of the campus in 1998 when it acquired an adjacent, vacant industrial site. (This site was formerly the home of the original Breyers Ice Cream factory which closed its Philadelphia operation in the early 1990s.) BLT Architects designed the Athletic and Recreation Center (ARC) in August 2003. BLT Architects channeled the ambience of a traditional college campus through this building. ARC is situated between a new campus quad and a commuter parking lot. Its design features a 1,000 seat event gymnasium, recreation gymnasium, natatorium, fitness areas, and a 1/10 mile indoor track. The McNeil Science and Technology Center (McNeil STC) was officially dedicated September 2006. Additional building projects are being planned for the years to come.

The McNeil Science and Technology Center houses many new classrooms, computer research rooms, and teaching laboratories as well as the undergraduate and graduate programs in biology, bioinformatics/computer science, and math/physics/statistics. The centerpiece of the center is a 400-seat auditorium equipped with modern audio/visual equipment.

Academics

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia has 23 majors for students to choose from including two recently introduced programs, Humanities and Science and Fitness and Health Management. Students will engage in the study of both Humanities and Science, with courses directed to higher studies of their choice including medical school, law school, and biomedical writing.

In the Fitness and Health Management program, students will be provided a foundation for graduate degrees or careers in athletic training, sports administration, fitness/wellness, health education and other related fields that combine health sciences with exercise physiology, kinesiology, and sports psychology. Rather than focusing on illness and pathology, the curriculum focuses on the prevention of health problems.

University of the Sciences also offers an online Masters program in Biomedical Writing. This is one of the few graduate programs in the United States that is geared towards preparing and training medical writers in preclinical and clinical research, medical communications, journalism, and medical publications.

Colleges & majors

The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy offers a Pharm.D. degree as well as B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degrees in Pharmacology and Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The Samson College of Health Sciences offers B.S. degrees in Fitness and Health Management, Health Science, and Medical Technology. On top of a Health Science degree, the college also offers a Master's of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...

 (M.O.T.), a Doctor of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Doctor of Physical Therapy or Doctor of Physiotherapy is a post-baccalaureate three-year degree conferred upon successful completion of a professional clinical doctoral level professional or post-professional physical therapist education program for the licensed physical therapist...

, (D.P.T.) and in conjunction with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is one of the oldest and largest osteopathic medical schools. Founded in 1899, PCOM is home to over 1000 medical students as well as graduate-level students in several other fields of health care. One of the largest medical schools in the United...

, an M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies.

The Misher College of Arts & Sciences offers B.S. degrees in Biology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Humanities and Science, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology. The school also offers an M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...

 in Health Psychology, Science Teacher Certification, and courses of study in Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and Pre-Dentistry.

The College of Graduate Studies offers many Post-Baccalaureate programs resulting in an M.S. (with or without a thesis), M.B.A., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

, Pharm.D., M.O.T, or Transitional D.P.T degree or a Science Teacher Certification. The college's non-thesis M.S. programs are in Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Writing, Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry, Health Psychology, Health Policy, Pharmaceutics, or Pharmacy Administration. The college's (thesis) M.S. programs are in Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well...

, Pharmacology and Toxicology, or Pharmacy Administration. The college offers Ph.D. programs in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Health Policy, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy, and Pharmacology and Toxicology.

The Mayes College of Healthcare Business & Policy offers a B.S. degree in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business, an online and on-campus M.B.A. in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business, a post-baccalaureate Certificate, the online Master's in Biomedical Writing, an online certificate in Regulatory Writing, an online certificate in Medical Marketing, and an M.S. and Ph.D in Health Policy. This college was launched in fall 2007 with support from alumna Kate Mayes.

Minors

Minors are offered in the following: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biology, Biophysics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Fitness and Health Management, Forensic Science, Humanities, Literature, Mathematics, Microbiology, Music, Pharmaceutical Business, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Physics, Social Sciences (Communications, Psychology, Economics, Sociology, Social Sciences), Spanish, Statistics, and Writing.

Exchange agreements

The university has an exchange agreement with the University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...

 that allows ten students from each university to take one course a semester at the other.
The university also has an agreement with the New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

 Study Abroad Program that will allow University of the Sciences students to study at NYU campuses in Asia, Africa, and Europe for a semester or a year.

The J.W. England Library

The Library of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia was formed in 1821 at the second meeting of the Board of Trustees. Since its beginnings, the library has been considered one of the premier collections of pharmaceutical science in the country. In 1973, the library moved into its present quarters, the free-standing Joseph W. England Library. Small but specialized, the collection is particularly strong in pharmacy, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutics, and foreign drug compendia. Other areas of specialization include toxicology, pharmacology, and physical therapy. Contained in the Leopold Helfand Rare Book and Archives Room is a collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century botanicals, including a book once owned by Isaac Newton. Since the university and its graduates were fundamental to the building of the United States pharmaceutical industry, the university archives are of interest to anyone researching the origins of the pharmaceutical industry.

Alumni

University of the Sciences has launched the careers of many innovative and pioneering individuals in the field of health care, including the founders of six of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies:

Major pharmaceuticals

  • Sir Henry Wellcome
    Henry Wellcome
    Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome FRS was an American-British pharmaceutical entrepreneur. He founded the pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Company with his colleague Silas Burroughs, which is one of the four large companies that merged to form GlaxoSmithKline...

     (Class of 1874) - Co-founder of Burroughs Wellcome and Company, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline
    GlaxoSmithKline
    GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...

    .
  • Silas M. Burroughs
    Silas Mainville Burroughs (pharmacist)
    Silas Mainville Burroughs, Jr. was an American pharmaceutical businessman.-Biography:Born in Medina, New York, he was the son of Silas Mainville Burroughs, Sr., his mother died when he was five and his father when he was 13...

     (Class of 1877) - Co-founder of Burroughs Wellcome and Company, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline
    GlaxoSmithKline
    GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...

    .
  • Josiah K. Lilly Sr.
    Josiah K. Lilly Sr.
    Josiah Kirby Lilly, Sr. was a pharmaceutical industrialist, philanthropist, and President of Eli Lilly and Company.-Life:...

     (Class of 1882) - Father of Eli Lilly ('07). President of Eli Lilly and Company
    Eli Lilly and Company
    Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...

    . The company was founded by Josiah's father, Colonel Eli Lilly
    Colonel Eli Lilly
    Eli Lilly was an American soldier, pharmaceutical chemist, industrialist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical corporation...

    .
  • Eli Lilly
    Eli Lilly (industrialist)
    Eli Lilly was a pharmaceutical industrialist and philanthropist from Indiana, United States.- Business :Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly was President of Eli Lilly and Company. He was named for his grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly, who founded the family business...

     (Class of 1907) - President of Eli Lilly and Company
    Eli Lilly and Company
    Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...

    . The company was founded by Eli's grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly
    Colonel Eli Lilly
    Eli Lilly was an American soldier, pharmaceutical chemist, industrialist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical corporation...

    .
  • Robert L. McNeil, Jr.
    Robert L. McNeil, Jr.
    Robert Lincoln McNeil, Jr. was an American chemist and pharmaceutical industry executive. He was responsible for, among other things, the commercial development, naming, and introduction of the pain reliever Tylenol....

     (Class of 1938) - Chairman and CEO of McNeil Laboratories
    McNeil Laboratories
    McNeil Consumer Healthcare is a medicals products company belonging to the Johnson & Johnson healthcare products group.-History:The company was founded on March 16, 1879 by 23-year-old Robert McNeil, who paid $167 for a drugstore complete with fixtures, inventory and soda fountain, as a retail...

     Inc., now part of Johnson & Johnson
    Johnson & Johnson
    Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....

    . Campus building named after him.

Alumni contributions

University of the Sciences alumni have also contributed to the invention
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...

 of well-known products, including:
  • Hires Root Beer
    Hires Root Beer
    Hires Root Beer is a soft drink which is currently marketed by Dr Pepper Snapple Group. The manufacturer considers it the longest continuously made soft drink in the United States; however, Vernor's ginger ale is even older dating back to 1866.- History :Hires Root Beer was created by...

     extract
  • Photocopy toner
    Photocopier
    A photocopier is a machine that makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply. Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process using heat...

     and electrographic ink
    Ink
    Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...

    s
  • Polyurethane
    Polyurethane
    A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...

    s
  • Silicone
    Silicone
    Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....

    -based adhesives
  • Water repellency
    Hydrophobe
    In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule that is repelled from a mass of water....

     treatments
  • Gas discharge laser
    Gas laser
    A gas laser is a laser in which an electric current is discharged through a gas to produce coherent light. The gas laser was the first continuous-light laser and the first laser to operate "on the principle of converting electrical energy to a laser light output...

     development
  • Plant growth regulators
    Plant hormone
    Plant hormones are chemicals that regulate plant growth, which, in the UK, are termed 'plant growth substances'. Plant hormones are signal molecules produced within the plant, and occur in extremely low concentrations. Hormones regulate cellular processes in targeted cells locally and, when moved...

  • Personal lubricants
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