Leadership gift for health sciences
Ammon, Pinizzotto make leadership commitment to support CHS Complex
3 p.m., Dec. 10, 2013--The University of Delaware has received a leadership commitment from University Trustee Carol Ammon and her partner Marie E. Pinizzotto, M.D., MBA.
The gift — which the couple will make through their philanthropic foundation, the Carol A. Ammon Foundation — will generously support the new College of Health Sciences Complex, part of the University’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus currently under construction on a 272-acre parcel of land on South College Avenue.
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“Ultimately, we all want better health at a lower cost. By offering an integrated approach that centers on patient wellness and prevention, we believe the College of Health Sciences Complex is one step closer to meeting that goal,” says Kathleen Matt, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “We are honored that Carol Ammon and Marie Pinizzotto chose to support our initiative with this generous gift from the Carol A. Ammon Foundation. In doing so, they have made a significant investment in the future of health care in our community.”
Local firms Delle Donne and Associates, Tevebaugh Associates and Bancroft Construction Company are partnering to transform the onetime Chrysler assembly plant into the STAR Campus — a vibrant community where health is not only the topic of research, education and clinical programs, but also a way of life.
Replacing the former Chrysler administration building at the heart of the STAR Campus is the College of Health Sciences Complex. The new building incorporates sentimental remnants of its previous life — such as original metal beams and a mural of vehicles leaving the assembly line — with state-of-the-art technology and patient-centered design.
The occupants of the new complex, which is scheduled to open in early 2014, will include the University’s Nurse Managed Health Center, Physical Therapy Clinics, and several core research labs.
The move to a larger facility will enable the Nurse Managed Health Center and Physical Therapy Clinics to expand their services to a wider section of the community. The research groups’ move to interdisciplinary laboratory space is intended to foster increased collaboration and problem-solving across disciplines.
Not surprisingly, Ammon and Pinizzotto both have history deeply rooted in health science and philanthropy. Ammon is the founder and retired chief executive officer and chairman of Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Chadds Ford, Pa. She started the company in 1997 after she and two colleagues acquired several products and their related rights in a management buyout from DuPont Merck.
Prior to founding Endo, Ammon served as president of DuPont Merck’s U.S. Pharmaceutical Division. Since her 2007 retirement, Ammon has devoted more time to philanthropic pursuits, including those of the foundation that bears her name, the Carol A. Ammon Foundation.
In addition to her current service as a member of the UD Board of Trustees, Ammon previously served as a trustee and chairman of the board of Christiana Care, a member of the board of trustees at the Hagley Museum and Library, and a member of Harvard’s Healthcare Advisory Board. She was inducted into the Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame in September 2010.
Pinizzotto earned her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and specialized in obstetrics and gynecology before ultimately transitioning to a very successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. She was the head of global safety for Wyeth’s Women’s Health Care Division and then subsequently started her own consulting firm in drug safety and risk management.
In 2008, she earned her MBA from UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.
Pinizzotto is a board member at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. and The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. She is also a trustee at Christiana Care where the Endowed Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology is named in her honor.
Pinizzotto is currently the president and chief executive officer of the Carol A. Ammon Foundation, which focuses primarily on health care and education related initiatives.
“We are happy to be able to support UD’s College of Health Sciences as it begins a new era of education, research and service to our community,” says Pinizzotto.
Ammon says she believes that a gift to the campaign for the College of Health Sciences Complex is an investment in the future of Delaware.
"Our business community is no longer comprised of a small number of companies that dominate employment growth,” says Ammon. “We must continue to innovate and create entrepreneurial opportunities for new companies to develop and create job growth. Investing in health sciences will allow us to do this.”