Buffalo, NY (WBEN) UB has renamed a building after a donor was convicted in an opioid bribery case.
UB says effective immediately, the building that is home to its School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will be known as the Pharmacy Building after the SUNY Board of Trustees today passed a resolution revoking the building’s current name. It had been named John and Editha Kapoor Hall after Kapoor's gifts to the school.
John Kapoor was convicted in May of racketeering conspiracy by a federal jury. The SUNY Board of Trustees resolution also revoked the honorary degree awarded in 2000 to Kapoor and states that his crimes violate the university’s core principles and run counter to the ethical standards taught within UB’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The building, located on UB’s South Campus, was named for Kapoor in 2008. UB says "the illegal and unethical activities brought to light during the trial are in stark contrast to UB’s core values and our mission to improve lives, strengthen communities and positively change the world."
Revocation of the honorary degree was recommended to Chancellor Johnson by UB President Satish K. Tripathi earlier this month after a review was conducted by UB’s honorary degree committee.
“I am appreciative of the careful attention given to this serious matter by SUNY’s leadership, by the UB Council and by members of the university community,” Tripathi said. “Together, we have taken judicious steps to uphold the core values of our university and protect its reputation.”
Over the next several days, the university will begin to install new signage on the Pharmacy Building. References to the building on other campus signage and on university maps and websites also will be updated.