Heather Bresch
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Heather Bresch is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mylan, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based pharmaceutical corporation that describes itself as the third largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world.[1] She has been active in attempts to prevent brand-name pharmaceuticals from delaying the release of generic drugs and appeared before a special United States Senate committee on the issue in 2006.[2][3]
Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia governor Joe Manchin, was a graduate student at West Virginia University until 1998. In 2007, the university awarded her an M.B.A. despite her having completed only 22 of the required 48 credits. Following release of a report commissioned by the university (and written by a panel of faculty members from WVU and other universities), the university announced in April 2008 that it would rescind Bresch's degree,[4] and WVU's provost announced his resignation from that administrative post (he will remain on the faculty).[5] On June 6, 2008, WVU President Michael Garrison resigned in the wake of the scandal[6].
The university initially stated that it had awarded the degree after correcting a "records error."[7] Bresch claimed in April 2008 that she had arranged with the WVU Business School to have her "work experience" substitute for the outstanding coursework[8] - a claim reportedly denied by the then-head of the business school and rejected by the panel.[4]
According to the New York Times, Bresch said in a statement that she "continues to believe she did what was required to earn her degree."[9]
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette characterized the panel's report as criticising the university administration for having made "a 'seriously flawed' decision fraught with favoritism" in awarding Bresch the degree; Michael Garrison, WVU President at the time, was reported to be "a family friend and former business associate of Bresch"[4] and a former consultant and lobbyist for Mylan.[10]
[edit] See also
Heather Bresch M.B.A. controversy
[edit] References
- ^ Mylan Inc. home page
- ^ "Mylan Calls for End to Abusive Practices That Delay Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals", PR Newswire, 20 July 2006, accessed 2008-04-24
- ^ "Mylan testifies before Senate special committee on aging", Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA), 21 July 2006, accessed on 2008-04-24
- ^ a b c Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "University revokes degree after scathing report on M.B.A. awarded to Bresch", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 24 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-24
- ^ "Provost Quits Over Degree to Governor’s Child", New York Times, 28 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-28
- ^ "College president to quit over degree scandal", MSNBC.com 6 June 2008, accessed 2008-06-06
- ^ Jake Stump, "Official says controversy of Heather Bresch's WVU degree calls for investigation," Charleston Daily Mail, 28 December 2007, accessed 2008-04-24
- ^ "Mylan Chairman Defends COO", CNN Money, 10 April 2008, retrieved 2008-04-24
- ^ Ian Urbina, "Criticism for Degree to Governor’s Daughter", New York Times, 25 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-25
- ^ Ian Urbina, "University Investigates Whether Governor’s Daughter Earned Degree", New York Times, 22 January 2008, accessed 2008-04-24
