UB will remove John and Editha Kapoor’s names from their South Campus building, which will now be called the “Pharmacy Building.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees passed a resolution Thursday to remove the building’s name following John Kapoor’s guilty conviction for his involvement in a racketeering conspiracy on May 2. The building was originally named after Kapoor, alum and founder of Insys Therapeutics, and his deceased wife, who donated over $10.8 million to UB.
The resolution also revoked the honorary degree UB awarded Kapoor in 2000, as his crimes “violate the university’s core principles” and don’t align with the “ethical standards” taught within UB’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, according to a UB press release.
The UB Council voted to remove the name on June 3, but the SUNY Board of Trustees made the final decision.
The university decided to rename it the “Pharmacy Building” after reviewing university policies and practices for names to not be associated with gifts. UB said the new name “best describes” the activities occurring in the building, according to a press release.
“I am appreciative of the careful attention given to this serious matter by SUNY’s leadership, by the UB Council and by members of the university community,” President Satish Tripathi said in the release. “Together, we have taken judicious steps to uphold the core values of our university and protect its reputation.”
UB said it “will begin to install new signage on the Pharmacy Building” over the next several days and will begin updating university maps and the website.
Brittany Gorny is the senior news editor and can be reached at brittany.gorny@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @BrittanyUBSpec.
Brittany Gorny is the senior news editor.
