From time to time, individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program are singled out to receive special recognition with the “Director’s Award.” Honorees have been selected based on their dedication to the mission of cultivating the next generation of scientists and their selfless service to the Alliance and the Scholars Program.
The ceremony to honor the winners was held during the NIH Global Doctoral Partnerships Research Workshop, titled Global Team Science: Bridging Borders from Bench to Bedside at Keble College, the University of Oxford July 26-28, 2022.
The International Biomedical Research Alliance and NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, alongside the Scholars, bestowed the Director’s Award, posthumously, to Alliance Board Director Fuad El-Hibri, who, after a valiant fight with pancreatic cancer, left this world on April 23, 2022.
In 1998, Fuad founded what would become the publicly traded American multinational biopharmaceutical company Emergent Biosolutions. Fuad served as its Chief Executive Officer for 14 years and its Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors until his retirement in April of this year. His leadership was instrumental in growing the company’s portfolio to its current suite of marketed and procured products for a variety of public health threats, including medical countermeasures for anthrax, smallpox, botulism, and chemical warfare agents, as well as overseeing the company’s role in fighting the opioid crisis. Despite his failing health, he led the company in delivering over 120 million dose equivalents of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Fuad received many accolades for his business successes and philanthropic contributions, especially in protecting and enhancing the lives of millions around the world through life sciences innovation and combating public health threats. He was a recipient of the Vaccine Industry Excellence Award from the World Vaccine Congress. He served on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Yale Healthcare Conference Advisory Committee and had the honor of an annual prize (the Fuad El-Hibri ‘82 Entrepreneurial Award) for students established in his name at the Yale School of Management.
Fuad was a Founding member of the International Biomedical Research Alliance in 2005 and faithfully served on our Board of Directors for 17 years. He and his wife, Nancy, supported several laboratory scholarships for first-year OxCam students at the NIH and graciously hosted student gatherings at their home in Potomac, Maryland. As Chair of the Development & Finance Committee, he led the charge for the construction of affordable student housing close to the NIH campus in Bethesda. One of his final acts as an Alliance Director, just days before his passing, was to make a cornerstone contribution to the construction of a house in the new FAES building project.
Fuad, whose name means “heart” held himself and those around him to the highest level of integrity and excellence. Deeply grounded in faith, he brought people together and encouraged all to be their best in spreading good in this world.
Penelope Rose, his long-time colleague, and friend accepted this award on behalf of Mrs. Nancy El-Hibri and their family.