The University of South Florida received the largest financial gift offered to a pharmacy school in the state on Friday, and renamed its school for the donors.
The university announced local philanthropists Jugal and Manju Taneja have donated $10 million to the school, which will now be known as the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy.
The donation will allow the pharmacy school to move into the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute facility, which is under construction in downtown Tampa. It is scheduled to open later this year, with pharmacy students starting classes there in fall 2021.
“This is a landmark day for the University of South Florida and our College of Pharmacy,” USF President Steve Currall said in a news release. “The Tanejas are investing in our vision to build a world-class health care system that will benefit generations to come."
“We are incredibly grateful for their passion for education, their generosity and for the transformative impact they will make on the lives of so many in the future.”
The Florida Board of Governors established the USF Health College of Pharmacy in 2009, with its first charter class in 2011.
“We’ve become a much sought-after program, a destination for those seeking an amazing, forward-thinking pharmacy program,” said Kevin B. Sneed, dean of the Taneja College of Pharmacy and senior associate vice president for USF Health. “The generosity of the Taneja family and their incredible support for what we already provide our students will elevate our program further and help us continue to revolutionize health through empowerment and innovation.”
According to published reports, the Tanejas own a pharmaceutical firm in Largo. They donated $256 million to AdventHealth Florida, formerly Florida Hospital Tampa, to create the six-story Taneja Center for Innovative Surgery, slated to open by 2021.
“We have seen many amazing philanthropists take our colleges and programs to the next level,” USF Foundation CEO Joel Momberg said. “It is our honor to recognize such donors and their incredible support by lending their names to the colleges and programs they hold dear. Thank you to the Tanejas for their heartfelt gift in support of our students, USF, and our community.”
