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Friday, August 31, 2001
Contact: Peter Bailley
news@knox.edu
309-341-7715
Gerald Vovis, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc., New Haven, Connecticut, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. Vovis, who graduated from Knox in 1965, will serve as an Alumni Trustee of the liberal arts college.
Active in genetic research for more than 30 years, Vovis majored in chemistry and earned College Honors in Biology at Knox, where he graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
"I am deeply honored to be asked to serve my alma mater," Vovis said. "Knox gave me my initial exposure to genetic research and excellent preparation for the work I have done since then."
"Jerry Vovis has already had a major impact on student research at Knox through his support for the Geer Research Fund," said Roger Taylor, Chair of the Knox College Board of Trustees. "Having him on the board will allow Knox to call on his intellectual and management abilities." The Geer Research Fund was created last year to honor Bill Geer, Clara A. Abbott Professor Emeritus of Biology. Geer, who retired in June 2000, supervised the research for which Vovis won College Honors in 1965.
Vovis is responsible for genomic technology and production facilities at Genaissance Pharmaceuticals. From 1980 to 1999 he held senior scientific management positions at Genome Therapeutics, Inc. Vovis earned his doctorate in biology at Case Western Reserve University in 1971 and was a post-doctoral researcher and faculty member at Rockefeller University.
Vovis serves on the editorial boards of two professional journals, and on science advisory boards at Briarwood College and Westminster College. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Academy of Science, Genetics Society of America, and Sigma Xi- The Scientific Research Society.
Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading firm in the study of human gene variation and in the use of genetic information to develop personalized medicines. The Company discovers genetic markers that predict drug efficacy and safety, and markets its technology to the pharmaceutical industry to assist in the development, marketing and prescribing of drugs. Genaissance has launched the largest prospective clinical trial ever conducted, with the goal of allowing physicians to personalize prescriptions based on each patient's unique genetic characteristics.
Vovis is married to Carol Klail Vovis, also a 1965 Knox College graduate. They live in Cheshire, Connecticut.
Founded in 1837, Knox is an independent, four-year, liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 47 states and 41 nations. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Related Pages:
Genaissance Pharmaceuticals
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