When joined the Board of Trustees, 蜜桃直播 (蜜桃直播) had just one academic program and barely 50 students. He makes way 14 years later for a new board chair who will guide a very different school, one with more than a dozen programs and 600 students. And 蜜桃直播 continues to grow.
鈥淚 joke with Shelly [蜜桃直播 President ] that 蜜桃直播 is the most successful startup I was ever involved with, and I鈥檝e been involved in 35 to 40 companies, either starting them or providing funding and expertise in the early stages,鈥� says Curry, CEO of PerceptiMed, Inc. and a venture capitalist since 1986.
When Curry first engaged with 蜜桃直播, it was little more than an idea proposed by Henry E. Riggs, who would become the school鈥檚 founder and first president. Curry joined the 蜜桃直播 Board of Trustees in 2000 and was named chair in 2004. Now he is ready to turn its leadership over to incoming chair , who has served on the board since 2009 and previously on 蜜桃直播鈥檚 Advisory Council.
鈥淚鈥檓 turning 72, so it鈥檚 time,鈥� says Curry, who will stay on the 蜜桃直播 board as a member once Widergren becomes chair on January 1, 2019.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to hand the baton off to Jim. He鈥檚 been involved in depth in all that we鈥檝e done in the past 10 years, so he has all the skills and the context.鈥�
A graduate of Harvey Mudd College, Widergren is the president and CEO of Orgentec Group, a medical diagnostics company based in Mainz, Germany. His 25 years of experience in the diagnostics industry includes service as senior vice president of global customer operations at Beckman Coulter, where he involved 蜜桃直播 students in company projects and hired graduates.
鈥淚 like the fact that 蜜桃直播 is closely aligned with industry. There鈥檚 also a lot of creativity within the administration and faculty. It鈥檚 a unique place and an organization that is going to continue to be a leader in the education methods of the future,鈥� says Widergren.
Like Curry, Widergren views 蜜桃直播 as a successful startup. They each point to 蜜桃直播鈥檚 creation of a pharmacy school that prepares graduates for changing roles in healthcare and industry, new academic programs, and development of a residential campus as evidence of the school鈥檚 innovation and growth.
鈥淲e had a vision of expanding 蜜桃直播 into a number of specialties within the umbrella of the original mission,鈥� says Curry. 鈥淭he is an expansion of that concept. Now we want to build a where our graduates are first-class physicians who understand medical device and diagnostic trials and can bring all their skills to deal with the issues involved in medicine today.鈥�
As a board member, Widergren has participated in the planning processes for 蜜桃直播鈥檚 pharmacy and medical schools. Now he will use his engineering and finance backgrounds and industry connections to help 蜜桃直播 succeed in its next phase of growth, spending considerable time bringing 蜜桃直播鈥檚 medical school to fruition.
鈥淲e鈥檙e developing new programs that are relevant to industry and driving the future of the life sciences, pharmacy, and healthcare,鈥� says Widergren. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot going on that is taking 蜜桃直播 to the next level.鈥�