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VIPER was founded based on the generosity and the vision of Roy and Diana Vagelos. 

Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., C'50, is a Penn alumnus who went on to become one of the most accomplished figures in American science and business - a scientist, doctor, businessman, visionary, and philanthropist. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from Penn's College of Arts and Sciences and his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. His accomplishments as a physician and academic and corporate leader continue in his visionary emphasis on nurturing young peoples’ passion to create a sustainable energy future. 

After serving as Senior Surgeon and then Section Head of Comparative Biochemistry from 1956 to 1966 at National Institutes of Health, Dr. Vagelos became chairman of the Department of Biological Chemistry in Washington University’s School of Medicine in St Louis, MO, becoming the Director of the University’s Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. After much success as a doctor, scientist and academic—the author of more than 100 scientific papers and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society—in 1975 Roy joined the pharmaceutical company Merck, becoming chief executive officer (1985) and chairman (1986). Dr. Vagelos retired from Merck in 1994, but continues to be an active philanthropist and visionary.  

Roy's honors reflect a career defined by excellence at every level: the American Chemical Society's Enzyme Chemistry Award (1967), the National Academy of Science’s Chemistry in Service to Society Award (1995), the National Business Hall of Fame (1995), Penn's School of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award (1998), and the Franklin Institute's Bower Award for Business Leadership (1999). He also served as Chair of Penn's Board of Trustees from 1994 to 1999 and was a founding Chair of the Committee for Undergraduate Financial Aid. 

Diana Vagelos is a former member of the Board of Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. 

The vision for VIPER was ambitious — build a rigorous interdisciplinary program that would challenge young scientists and engineers to think across boundaries, develop real leadership skills, and use their technical training to make a positive impact in the world — fighting climate change and helping power the world sustainably. 

The first VIPER class entered in 2012. More than a decade later, Roy remains personally invested in the program — showing up each year at Senior Showcase to celebrate graduating students and meet with incoming first-years to share his story and inspire what's ahead. 

VIPER carries their legacy forward — one class at a time.