- Heather Bresch
Heather Bresch is Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer ofMylan , Inc., aPittsburgh -basedpharmaceutical corporation that describes itself as the third largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world. [ [http://www.mylan.com/ Mylan Inc. home page] ] She has been active in attempts to prevent brand-name pharmaceuticals from delaying the release ofgeneric drugs and appeared before a specialUnited States Senate committee on the issue in 2006. [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-16016690_ITM "Mylan Calls for End to Abusive Practices That Delay Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals"] , "PR Newswire", 20 July 2006, accessed2008-04-24 ] [ [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WORB&p_theme=worb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11302C5286259FA8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Mylan testifies before Senate special committee on aging"] , "Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA)", 21 July 2006, accessed on2008-04-24 ]Bresch, the daughter of
West Virginia governorJoe Manchin , was a graduate student atWest Virginia University until 1998. In 2007, the university awarded her anM.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,Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, " [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08115/876164-298.stm University revokes degree after scathing report on M.B.A. awarded to Bresch] ", "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette", 24 April 2008, accessed2008-04-24 ] and WVU's provost announced his resignation from that administrative post (he will remain on the faculty). [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/us/28westvirginia.html "Provost Quits Over Degree to Governor’s Child"] , "New York Times", 28 April 2008, accessed2008-04-28 ] On June 6, 2008, WVU PresidentMichael Garrison resigned in the wake of the scandal [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25003187/ "College president to quit over degree scandal"] , "MSNBC.com" 6 June 2008, accessed2008-06-06 ] .The university initially stated that it had awarded the degree after correcting a "records error."Jake Stump, " [http://dailymail.com/News/200712280088 Official says controversy of Heather Bresch's WVU degree calls for investigation] ," "Charleston Daily Mail", 28 December 2007, accessed
2008-04-24 ] Bresch claimed in April 2008 that she had arranged with the WVU Business School to have her "work experience" substitute for the outstanding coursework [http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/771ab465609cc94d69a338445efc80e3.htm "Mylan Chairman Defends COO"] , "CNN Money", 10 April 2008, retrieved2008-04-24 ] - a claim reportedly denied by the then-head of the business school and rejected by the panel.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."Ian Urbina, [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/education/25west.html "Criticism for Degree to Governor’s Daughter"] , "New York Times", 25 April 2008, accessed
2008-04-25 ]The "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" characterized the [http://www.facultysenate.wvu.edu/panel_report_4-23-08.pdf 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" and a former consultant and lobbyist for Mylan.Ian Urbina, " [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/us/22heather.html University Investigates Whether Governor’s Daughter Earned Degree] ", "New York Times", 22 January 2008, accessed2008-04-24 ]ee also
Heather Bresch M.B.A. controversy References
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