Ten incoming Doctor of Pharmacy students will make history this month, becoming the inaugural class of Samson Scholars at Temple University School of Pharmacy (TUSP). They'll receive their white coats directly from the program's namesake, philanthropist and pharmaceutical industry veteran Marvin Samson, at TUSP’s annual White Coat Ceremony on September 18.
The first Samson Scholars cohort includes:
- Michael Are
- Bryce Garton
- Maria Danial
- Constance Jones
- Darin Nguyen
- Meiani Nguyen
- Connie Ning
- Hetkumar Patel
- Litzia Sebastian
- Syed Asim Shamsi
Each student was selected based on demonstrated financial need alongside a record of academic excellence. These scholars join TUSP during the school’s milestone 125th anniversary year.
The Samson Scholars Program was created thanks to a $1 million gift Samson pledged to TUSP through the Marvin Samson Foundation, announced earlier this year. His gift will support four cohorts of incoming PharmD students.
A Philadelphia native, Samson earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Temple's College of Science and Technology in 1960, attending night classes because he couldn't afford pharmacy school himself. Over a pharmaceutical career spanning more than six decades, Samson founded Marsam Pharmaceuticals and Elkins-Sinn, and went on to lead Samson Medical Technologies. He holds five U.S. patents in pharmaceutical manufacturing and has served in leadership roles across the industry, including as chair of the U.S. Generic Pharmaceutical Association and president of the PDE, a pharmaceutical trade association. His board service has extended well beyond pharmacy, touching institutions including Virtua Health System, The Franklin Institute, and Cooper Rowan Medical School.
Samson has been a steady presence in TUSP’s philanthropic community, previously establishing an endowed scholarship and a travel stipend fund for students demonstrating academic achievement and financial need. This spring, in recognition of his impact on the school and the field, Temple presented Samson with an honorary degree at TUSP’s Commencement ceremony.